7 Tips for Buying Urns Online

Your loved one was very special and you want every last detail to be just right, even right down to their final resting place. That is why purchasing a cremation urn is a very important step in the memorialization process. An urn serves as not only a vessel to store ashes, but also as an everlasting tribute to honor your loved one’s memory. Reading these tips will help you to evaluate online urn retailers for the purchase of an urn.

1. Get to Know the Company

You want to deal with a company that is experienced and ethical. Take some time to learn about the company you are considering.

• How long have they been in business?
• Where are they located?
• Are they members of the Better Business Bureau?
• If so, have they had any complaints?

Visit their website to see if they have an 'About Us' page or contact them by phone or email them and question them. Also check with the Better Business Bureau to see if they have had any complaints for the last three years. Members of the BBB Online Reliability program will prominently display the BBB seal on their website.

If a company makes a claim of how long they have been in business, you can verify with the Secretary of State or check when they registered their domain name here (a domain name is their url: www.company.com). Just type in their domain name and see when it was originally registered. You can also enter their domain in the Wayback Machine at the Archive.org site which will give you a snap shot of the website at its earliest stages. You will be surprised to learn that companies will exaggerate or lie about how long they have been in business.

Be skeptical of companies that do not fully disclose simple information such as contact info, or where they are located. What could they be trying to hide?

2. Review Their Customer Service

You want customer service that is genuinely interested in helping you instead of just getting the sale. They should have the goal of fulfilling your needs and not just theirs.

• Are they easily accessible by phone or email?
• Are they knowledgeable and did they answer your questions?
• If contacted after hours did you receive a reply within a reasonable amount of time the following business day?

It is more comforting to talk to a live person and this should be possible during regular business hours.

Call on them with any questions and see how they handle your call. This gives you an opportunity to experience interaction with them before you actually make a purchase.

When looking over customer reviews, give more weight to those from independent websites such as the Better Business Bureau reviews and Google reviews.

You should feel comfortable when discussing various details with them.

3. Look for a Guarantee

You want a satisfaction guarantee especially with this type of product. If you get the urn and decide you don’t like it, you should be able to return it as long as it is in resalable condition.

• Are their urns sold with a guarantee?
• Does the company accept returns?
• If so do they have a restocking fee?

If you order an urn that has been personalized or if it is custom made, then it is understandable if the company cannot accept a return. However, if it is damaged upon arrival or they personalized it with the wrong information they should replace it at no charge to you.

If they have a satisfaction guarantee posted on their site, read it and ask yourself if you are comfortable with it.

4. Your Privacy is Sacred

With the amount of identity theft going around, you want to make absolutely certain your personal information is protected by the company you are dealing with.

• Do they have a privacy policy posted that is easily accessible?
• Does it guarantee your personal information will not be sold?

You’ve heard the stories where someone purchased a product online only to have their information sold to spammers. Take the necessary steps to ensure it does not happen to you.

5. You Need Secure Transactions

You’ve taken precautions to ensure your credit stays healthy. Don’t ruin it by making an online purchase from a non-secure website, which in turn may lead to fraudulent charges.

• Does the company guarantee secure transactions?
• What types of security measures are offered?
• Do they have a security guarantee?

If a company is asking for your credit card information over the Internet, then they better have secure payment processing in place, Period!

Check on their site for a security guarantee and what measures are taken to protect your credit card information.

6. Beware of Hidden Charges

Don’t you dislike when you decide to purchase an item only to find there are hidden costs such as delivery charges or other unexpected costs? Look more closely at the bottom line price and be aware of additional charges.

• Does the company charge extra for delivery?
• If buying cremation jewelry, do they charge extra for the chain?

After you’ve added the items to your cart and are ready to check out, look to make sure no additional charges have been added that were not previously selected.

If you are purchasing cremation jewelry, take note that several retailers charge a lower price for the jewelry pendant and then add an additional charge for the chain. This is to create the illusion that their prices are lower whereas the total price is higher than you were first led to believe.

7. Payment Options to Satisfy Your Needs

Don’t get stuck having to pay for the urn with a credit card when you would rather pay by check. Make sure the company has different payment options in place that benefit you.

• Can you pay online with any major credit card?
• Does the company accept check payment or money orders
• Can you mail or fax in your payment?
• Are you able to phone in your order?

The most popular form of payment online is with a credit card. But a good percentage of individuals are more comfortable calling in their order or using a different form of payment.

Make sure the company will accommodate your preferred method of payment.

These points should help you to select the right company to purchase your urn or cremation jewelry from. In the very end what it boils down to is asking yourself: Do I feel comfortable purchasing from this company?

Sometimes very simple things such as visual elements (a professional looking website, user friendly design, good product images) or resources of information will lend to the trustworthiness and credibility of a company.