Google has launched a unique $1000-guarantee scheme for online shoppers n the United States, called ‘Google Trusted Stores’.
Under the project, consumers can opt in to get up to $1,000 “lifetime purchase protection” per shopper. Google has a dedicated customer service team to resolve online shopping disputes between customers and stores that have the ‘Google Trusted Store badge.’
Any online retailer can apply for free membership in the program, and get the badge. Customers who ‘hover’ over the badge will see a “report card” which shows “grades” for the merchant’s shipping and service, including more precise metrics about what the grades mean.
“This badge is only awarded to online stores that deliver a great overall experience, so even if you haven’t shopped with this merchant before, you can easily tell if they are trustworthy, ship quickly and reliably, and offer exceptional customer service,” wrote Tom Fallows, Group Product Manager, Google Shopping in a blog post.
The badge will also appear on Google.com ads and in Google Shopping results.
The program has been in beta with 50 online merchants and more than 10 million orders and the results have been encouraging, according to Google.
“For example, Wayfair, the largest online-only retailer of home goods and one of the top 50 largest online retailers as ranked by Internet Retailer, increased sales* on its site by 2.3 percent with Google Trusted Stores. And Beau-coup, a specialty online favors and gifts retailer, saw an 8.6 percent increase*,” it said.
