True blue online shopping?

Truworths has positioned itself as the place to shop if you`re young and trendy, and in line with the informed demands of this savvy target market, has launched its online e-commerce enabled presence.

The Web site clearly bears the stamp of Truworths branding, in both design and layout. Although most pages are fast to load, the colours of text and background sometimes clash, and don`t work together at all.

The site has a few really impressive features - one of which is the 3D tour of a typical Truworths store using IPIX technology. However, you do lose detail if you use the zoom function, which makes one wonder why it was included at all.

You must first register before you can purchase online. Although it isn`t a necessity to purchase at the site, you can also apply for a Truworths card.

I registered -- and immediately picked up on certain irksome points in the registration form. For one, I didn`t appreciate being asked for my ID and evening contact numbers without visible assurance that this information would be secured and my privacy ensured.

The site is easily navigated, through the navigation bars that remain anchored to both the top and bottom of the pages. However, in some areas, the layout becomes very crowded, which makes navigation somewhat disorientating.

The entire site is like an online brochure - although it is more descriptive and detailed on latest summer fashion trends than the traditional hardcopy brochures. It`s not until you click on the "go shop" link that you can actually purchase anything.

However, like the real thing, the brochure has more products than the actual store - there are very few items in each category that can be bought online.

The first thing I noticed when filling in the order form is that it is not intelligent - registering as an online customer required that I input my Truworths card number, which I duly did. Irritatingly, when I tried to make a purchase using my Truworths card, I was asked once more to fill in the pertinent information.

In addition, I was not given the option of choosing between paying for the purchase over six or 12 months - an option that is readily available when making purchases over the counter.

Also, should you choose to have your purchases delivered to your home or work address, there is also absolutely no information on shipping costs, and other pertinent delivery information, other than the very noticeable cautionary statement saying that purchases totalling less than R100 will carry a delivery charge of R20. This makes one wonder if purchases totalling more than that would be delivered free of charge?

A handy option is that of picking up your purchase in person from the Truworths store closest to you, which is what I opted for. Unfortunately, having received confirmation of purchase, I received no other helpful information as to the procedure to be followed once I decided to retrieve my purchase, or on the period for which I would be able to do so.

The e-mail confirmation of my purchase welcomed me to check on my order status. I clicked on the relevant hyperlink, and was taken back to where I had started. All this left me feeling very confused indeed.

I chose to retrieve my purchase - a white T-shirt - from Truworths Rivonia. In retrospect, it might have been faster and considerably less frustrating had I chosen to have it shipped directly to me.

I placed my order on 6 December, and having had no indication of the timeline involved, went in to pick it up on the 8^th, figuring that two whole days would be ample time for the store to have my purchase ready and waiting.

What followed can best be described as a tragedy of errors. The shirt was not ready on the 8^th, and I actually had to give the clerk who "helped" me an explanation of what an Internet purchase was, and why it entitled me to a Truworths product, for which I was under the impression of having already been charged.

Not so, explained Truworths Web co-ordinator, Benita de Villiers - a further two days later. She explained that if you make an e-purchase and select delivery to a specified address, the sale goes through when the product leaves Truworths. However, if the garment is sourced and sent to your preferred store then the sale will only go through when you go into the store to collect it - a fact which is not represented anywhere on the Web site.

Eventually, the shirt was found to still be at "square one", the store in which it was sourced. According to De Villiers, the driver had left half of his payload behind. I was promised that it would be sent through to Truworths Rivonia as soon as possible, sometime the following week.

I received a phone call from Truworths Rivonia as well, to say that it was aware of my situation, and would notify me when the product arrived.

Three working days later, I popped in to the store again, only to be met with the news that the shirt had not yet arrived, and that I should check back again on the 17^th. I was unable to do so, but managed to make it back to the store on Christmas Eve.

I was told that that my contact up until then, an acting supervisor, was not in, and as no-one had any clue as to the details of the fiasco, I walked away topless, as it were.

On 5 January, I returned yet again, cringing in anticipation of the news that the acting supervisor was away, and that only she could help me. A little later in the day, I received a call from her, saying that the shirt was indeed at the store. When I went to pick it up the next day, I learned that it had been in store since 17 December - a fact which had seemingly not been communicated to the staff.

The upshot is, I made my purchase on 6 December, and only received fulfilment one month later - from a store based in SA and with a branch not 10 minutes away from me!

On the whole, the site has great potential. However, it is in dire need of more visible security measures and a whole lot more information pertaining to the shipping costs and delivery options. Also, Truworths has a very pressing need to educate its staff - almost everyone I spoke to during that month had no clue as to what an Internet purchase was, let alone an inkling as to how to fulfil it.