Page 24 - ARUBA TODAY

Monday 11 SepteMber 2017 BUSINESS
A24

Want to try before you buy? These online retailers let you

By JOSEPH PISANI send the rest back. A $21
AP Business Writer credit is taken off the price.
NEW YORK (AP) — Ama- For those who plan to get
zon is set to launch a ser- hitched, Four Mine gives
vice that lets customers you three days to try on
order clothes, try them on three engagement rings
at home and pay only for at home. The test rings
what they keep. It sounds are made with metal in-
novel, but Amazon is actu- stead of gold or platinum,
ally late to the party. Sev- and use a fake diamond
eral online startups have to help it look like the real
offered try-before-you-buy deal. The company places
options for items including a $1 credit card hold for
jewelry, clothing, glasses each ring until they are re-
and more. turned, and charges $50
It makes shoppers less each for ones that aren’t
nervous about buying on- sent back.
line, the companies say,
and also gives people a ALMOST ANY SITE
chance to touch and try Still in its testing mode, Try.
on a necklace or shirt be- com says it has developed
fore splurging. The retailers technology that lets shop-
also know that getting you pers try before they buy at
to try something at home Warby Parker eyewear is displayed at a company retail store, Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2017, in New many online retailers. Users
means you’re more likely York. At Warby Parker, you can pick out five frames to try for five days for free. pay $2.99 a month to add
to keep it. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan) a button to their Chrome
Some offer home try-ons You’ll be charged for any ones. are overwhelmed with the internet browser and a Try.
for free, others charge a items you don’t return, and number of gadgets avail- com option shows up on
fee or hold a small amount the $25 fee will be deduct- ELECTRONICS able, and Lumoid offers a any site. Click the link, and
on a credit card until the ed from the cost of what Lumoid lends used cam- test run. “Why not bring the Try.com pays for the items.
items are returned. All offer you buy. Stitch Fix offers a eras, drones and other showroom to the consum- Members have seven days
free shipping both ways. similar service for $20 a box. electronics for a fee to help er’s home?” she says. to try clothing, shoes or ac-
But if you forget to send The Black Tux, an online tux- customers decide which Lumoid recently signed cessories and send back
the items back on time, or edo and suit rental service, one to buy. The rental fees a deal with Best Buy, and any items they don’t want.
damage them, you’ll likely will send over an outfit to try vary: A three-day test of shoppers at BestBuy.com If you keep anything, Try.
have to pay the full price. on for free for 48 hours. a Canon camera with a will soon be able to rent out com will charge you for it.
Here’s how some of the lens costs $57. Lumoid also some of Best Buy’s cameras The monthly fee will rise
services work: GLASSES lets users rent three smart- and fitness trackers. when it officially launches
At Warby Parker, you can watches for $53 or three in November, but hasn’t
CLOTHING pick out five frames to try high-end headphones for JEWELRY set a price yet, says co-
Trunk Club, which is owned for five days for free. The $30 and up. If you decide Rocksbox sends members founder and CEO Ankush
by department store op- company does ask for your to buy something, a part of who pay $21 a month three Sehgal. That same month,
erator Nordstrom, sends credit card information the rental fee is deducted pieces of jewelry at a time, it also plans to launch a
a box of stylist-approved during the test run and will from the purchase price. including earrings, neck- mobile app. Sehgal says
clothing whenever you charge for frames that are And customers can opt to laces and bracelets. You members try about $500
want for $25 a box. You lost or damaged. If you de- buy a used item or new can wear them and keep worth of items at a time,
have five days to try on cide to buy one, you send one from Lumoid. them as long as you want. and about 70 percent of
the clothes and send back the test frames back and Founder and CEO Aarthi If you decide to buy any- customers buy at least one
what you don’t want. the company will send new Ramamurthy says people thing, keep it at home and item. q
Equifax breach sows chaos among 143M Americans

By KEN SWEET much of the public in the data that criminals could dependent credit analyst uninformed representa-
AP Business Writer dark about their exposure, use to commit identity John Ulzheimer — can’t be tives. An Equifax website set
NEW YORK (AP) — A day how they should protect theft, from Social Security changed, and once it’s in up to help people deter-
after credit-reporting com- themselves and what Equi- numbers and birthdates to circulation, it’s basically out mine their exposure looked
pany Equifax disclosed that fax planned to do for those address histories and legal there forever. like a scam to some, and
“criminals” had stolen vi- affected. names. But Equifax’s response has provided inconsistent and
tal data about 143 million The breach is unquestion- That data — the “crown satisfied almost no one. unhelpful information to
Americans, it had some- ably serious. It exposed jewels of personal informa- Consumers complained of others. Congress planned
how managed to leave crucial pieces of personal tion,” in the words of in- jammed phone lines and hearings.q