Sadly, buying latex online continues to scare many latex lovers to death, if my conversations with actual shoppers is any indication.
The complaint I hear most often is “I can’t be sure if the item would fit,” which is a bit ironic to me, when oftentimes the complainer is about to buy an equally ill-fitting or less than ideal piece from a bricks and mortar store!
Oftentimes latex fiends are scarred for life by an online shopping experience, or maybe an eBay deal gone bad. The sad fact is, there are some slippery folks online who manage to give the rest of the wonderful shops a bad name. What’s saddest to me is that much of the time one can avoid getting reamed by doing a little research, such as checking out the eBay store’s online rep, or doing a little Googling using handy terms such as “-shop name here- AND fraud,” for example. Of course, it’s also good to know the going rate for an item, and what a quality piece will probably cost. In many cases, if something looks too good to be true, it may well be too good to be true!
We’re now armed with all kinds of help, such as excellent forums like Rubber Pal, or |R|ubberist.net, filled with enthusiastic shoppers just like you, who are dying to offer their advice and opinions, and also their warnings when something goes badly. Still, the prospect of shelling out hundreds of dollars/euros/sterling on a made to measure catsuit is a scary one for most of us!
I’d like to help us overcome fear in the coming weeks, but I need your help–Please drop me a line here, with your own tried and true tips to safe and satisfying online shopping, which I’ll start publishing when the tips start coming in!
I love this article! I have so many clients that come to me after they have had a bad experience. I have them ask as many questions as they like, mail swatches, what ever they need to make themselves feel more comfortable with the proses. It might be more expensive to purchase from a well known designer, however they are well known for a reason! Sometimes spending more is worth the peace of mind.
Hi there.
I actually have such a guide on the Fetish Shopping page on my site.
It covers concepts such as dealing with foreign merchants who may not communicate as effectively in your language as you’d like, as well as detailed measurements.
Most of my online shopping experiences have been terrific – especially on eBay.
The most disappointing one that comes to mind – with Simon O – was not because of any wrong-doing or shadiness, but because in spite of all the measurements I sent, a catsuit should be made by a tailor who can fit you in person.
They quickly took care of the situation by giving me a credit for an item – latex hose – that would not have such detaiuled measurements that could go wrong.
Have a look at my guide as I consider it rather detailed and helpful.
Have a wonderful day.