Building a retail web site, Paypal and other options?

[montecristo#4]

I am helping a friend build out a retail web site for her jewelry business. The simplest solution is probably to allow people to purchase from the site using Paypal. However, I'm concerned that will create a lot of risk for fraud -- buyer buys using Paypal, friend ships expensive jewelry item, buyer reneges on Paypal payment and keeps jewelry.

Anyone have any experience with this? What kind of other options are there besides Paypal (e.g. some kind of processing site that enables me to support regular credit card transactions)?

We are trying to do this as simply and easily as possible, without getting into the domain of custom web design. The shopping cart-less version of the web site is here for reference.

I figure there must be forum members here who have mastered the art of retail e-commerce.... Help!

 

[Clemson]

Maybe Google Checkout?

 

[montecristo#4]

Originally Posted by Clemson

Maybe Google Checkout?

Does that really give the seller any better protection than Paypal?

I really don't know... I am a rookie at this.

 

[Crane's]

Does she have a store and if so does she have a cc machine? If so then it's a matter of picking a suitable cart software package. We use X Cart which works but is rather complex. In a nutshell set it up right the first time with decent software. It is no fun to do data conversions or change software down the road once the site grows.

 

[ruzzi]

i highly recommend paypal only.

i had a small clothing retail store and we accepted credit cards and direct deposit. we got quite a few chargebacks on the credit cards.

then we intro'ed paypal a year later - no more chargebacks, 95% of customers use paypal and the rest direct deposit. no more direct credit card transactions.

downside is you pay 1-3% more for paypal than credit card transactions. put it down to peace of mind and the cost of doing business online.

it's also quite easy to implement a paypal only cart.

 

[sho'nuff]

Originally Posted by ruzzi

i highly recommend paypal only.

i had a small clothing retail store and we accepted credit cards and direct deposit. we got quite a few chargebacks on the credit cards.

then we intro'ed paypal a year later - no more chargebacks, 95% of customers use paypal and the rest direct deposit. no more direct credit card transactions.

downside is you pay 1-3% more for paypal than credit card transactions. put it down to peace of mind and the cost of doing business online.

it's also quite easy to implement a paypal only cart.

people can work a chargeback through paypal as well. they just got to get over the extra hurdle of a paypal dispute before they can do it. and usually, that is not a hurdle at all but another weapon against sellers used by buyers anyways.

chargebacks at a brick and mortar store?? if they came in and purchased items and signed the receipt, they cannot chargeback. unless you did alot of shipping.

 

[Cavalier]

I think the best option is running Joomla with a virtual cart program (the shopping side of it)

You have the option of either using paypal (better tools/easier for seller) or Google check out.

I am actually in the process of creating a site for a home business my mom started in a very similar niche. I can point you to a few places if you'd like.

If it were me, I'd keep the site you have no, and have a link to "store" which would take you to the Joomla based site-- this is very similar to how most clothing brands we see here on the forum establish their web presence.. flash/graphic intense site to show off the goods then a link to where to buy which is a typical left menu store front

 

[montecristo#4]

Thanks for all the responses.... This is very helpful.

Originally Posted by ruzzi

i highly recommend paypal only.

i had a small clothing retail store and we accepted credit cards and direct deposit. we got quite a few chargebacks on the credit cards.

then we intro'ed paypal a year later - no more chargebacks, 95% of customers use paypal and the rest direct deposit. no more direct credit card transactions.

downside is you pay 1-3% more for paypal than credit card transactions. put it down to peace of mind and the cost of doing business online.

it's also quite easy to implement a paypal only cart.

I would have thought using credit cards was safer than Paypal. The current site I am using supports Paypal (and only Paypal) out of the box. If the consensus is that it is actually safer to do business through Paypal versus Visa/Mastercard, then I will just stick with the current site.

BTW, how did you support direct deposit?

 

[Cavalier]

you can also look in to google check out if you dont like paypal but i've heard it's a bit more difficult on a day to day basis for the person running the store/shipping

 

[VKK3450]

Keep in mind that there is a consumer confidence / branding aspect to your payment methods.

While more and more customers are finding Paypal a safe way to make online payments, they may also consider those that accept only Paypal as a bit smalltime or fly by night. Having a proper merchant account is also a signal that you are a reputable online entity.

K

 

[ruzzi]

sorry, to clarify my store is an online store only, no brick&mortar.

i used oscommerce, and it had an australian direct deposit contribution - the order comes through but you don't send it til you get the deposit in your bank account.

credit cards might be safer than paypal, but in my experience using both i had maybe 10chargebacks in an 18 month period, and with paypal no chargebacks or disputes, but only in a 7 month period. i do on average between 5-10 transactions per week.

this is for an australian based online store that shipped domestically and internationally.

 

[Crane's]

As mentioned above consumer confidence in you is the single most important aspect of a successful commercial site.

Things that make you look bad include PP or google checkout only sites, co located domains, the lack of commercial SSLs and anti hacker seals are the 4 top things to avoid. to the consumer it looks like you are an amateur at best or a scammer in the worst case.

 

[Tck13]

I totally hate paypal and there are alternatives but I haven't used them.

FWIW, here's a site which recommends paypal alternatives:

Link

paypalsucks.com