Authenticity Education
Dansko footwear is a favorite of consumers around the globe. Dansko only sells its footwear through authorized Dansko brick-and-mortar and online retailers, including our own website Dansko.com.
With the popularity and growth of internet and online shopping, fraudulent websites intended to deceive consumers are also on the rise. In many cases, consumers are lured to these sites with offers of heavily discounted pricing and out of line with what you would find at an authorized retailer. Consumers pay for products on these sites and either receive something other than what was ordered or no merchandise at all.
If you have any question about the legitimacy of a website, we strongly encourage you to visit Dansko.com to find an authorized retailer - use our store locator for a list of authorized retailers in your area or on the internet.
See below for a list of tips and resources for safe online shopping.
Tips
- Do Your Research
Before committing to anything, review the site thoroughly and see if there are badges from consumer protection agencies and consumer reviews. Be on the alert for any reference to shoddy products, unauthorized charges on your credit card, poor after-sales services, and lengthy delivery times. If the product is heavily discounted and the third party is not an authorized retailer, this may be cause for concern.
- Review the entire website. Spelling and grammatical errors are cause for concern.
- The "About Us" section is helpful to learn about the site, especially if the website promotes itself as shipping the shoes from overseas - there are no Dansko retailers in China.
- Buy Only From Secured Sites
Make sure that the website you are shopping has all the signs of being legitimate. A URL that begins with an “https” means the website is a secured one. Another way to determine the authenticity of a website is to review information about the domain name - this can be found on sites such as: http://whois.domaintools.com. If the domain name was registered within the last few months, that is a warning sign that the website may be fraudulent.
Look for well-known security labels such as VeriSign and McAfee. For websites based in China, check for an ICP license number, usually located at the bottom of the main webpage. The website should have complete contact information, terms of use, and privacy policies.
Payment options should include third-party payment services such as Visa, MasterCard, and PayPal. Beware of websites that only accept money orders or wire transfers.
- Read The Fine Print
Always read the fine print in any transaction. Many people develop a blind spot for text that appears to be legalese or in a font size smaller than 12 points, but you need to read the terms and conditions because they contain important information that can impact on your rights as a consumer.
And trust your instinct - if the deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Resources
