You have decided to buy your contact lenses online and have quickly discovered that there are a large variety of vendors out there. Now you need a process to narrow the field so you can choose the best site for you.

Locating a seller with the best prices becomes easier with the use of price-comparison websites. The most common are those aligned with the popular search engines such as Google and Yahoo! (Google Product Search, Yahoo! Shopping), but there are others: BizRate, MySimon, Shopping.com, etc. Besides offering the obvious price match-ups, these sites also can make you aware of vendors you may not have found otherwise. In many cases, they also provide reviews of sellers posted by customers.

Beyond the pricing issue, there are other aspects of an online vendor’s service that need to be addressed before you commit. Great prices? Fantastic. But will you get what you want when you want it? If you have a complaint, will it be answered to your satisfaction? Let’s take a look at some things you can check for in order to select or discard an online seller.

A vendor who also takes telephone orders is indicative of a company that has service staff and is truly a mail order entity, as opposed to one individual with a website. Also, being able to talk to an actual customer service representative has reassurance value even in today’s online shopping atmosphere.

Receiving your order when you need it is important, so ask about shipping time and what may affect it. Reliable sellers should be able to tell you if the desired product is in stock and when it will ship. Some outfits will have fewer contact lenses on hand, so first they may have to order what you want before being able to ship it to you. Keep in mind if you have a complicated prescription there is a greater likelihood that those lenses will need to be backordered, even by larger companies. Also factor in the requirement by law that contact lens sellers must verify your prescription with your eye doctor. This, too, will affect processing and shipping time.

If problems occur with your order, you need to be assured that your complaint will be received and addressed. Reputable vendors offer contact information, including a toll-free number for customer service. As a rule of thumb, try the toll-free numbers to see if you get an answering machine—these are sellers you may want to avoid. Learn any company’s return policy; if your contact lens prescription changes, you will want a vendor who will take back any unopened boxes and credit you accordingly. Also, ask what they will do in the case of a shipment damaged in transit.

Of course, you are the final judge. No one is perfect, so in the end you will balance any contact lens seller’s flaws against their overall prices and service and choose accordingly. Employing the above tips will make your selection process easier.