Online Shopping Tips and Tricks
Millions of people are afraid to shop online. They've heard the
stories of stolen credit cards, and stolen identities. But just how
bad, or good, is it to go online?
Shopping online can really pay for itself. Retailers like Barnes and Noble usually sell their books online
for about 5% less than they do in their stores, and often have
substantial discounts not available in the stores. Many online retailers
say that they can, and do, beat "Any
Store's Advertised Price".
Online Shopping Tips
Shop Online With Reputable Firms. You wouldn't want to give your
credit card to a guy selling watches on the street corner. Don't do
it online, either.
One of the best ways to find good firms is to use shopping guides such
as Shopping.com, BizRate.com, Froogle.com or ConsumerReports.org's Web Site
Reviews.
The more adventurous can use community ratings of sellers, such as
those found on EBay for its
sellers, or ReSellerRatings.com where
you can find "Real Reviews From Real People."
Check out the Retailer.
- Are they listed with the Better Business Bureau?
- What are their return policies? Many online retailers will allow
returns to their physical stores.
- What is their information privacy policy? Will they share your
personal information with others?
Use A Credit Card Online. Debit cards can be drawn down to the
point the account is empty -- and often do not have the theft
protection offered by credit cards.
Print Up Confirmation Receipts. This may be the only way of
proving what your order really was.
The Tricks
- Single-Use Gift Credit Cards can
be purchased at many Malls and Banks. These can be marvelous for
limiting your exposure online, including personal information leakage
- Search the web for coupons. Many retailers have web coupons that
will save you money in their stores and online.
- Make a list of what you want to purchase before you go online.
Keep track of how much you've spent, and where you've spent it.
The Ratings
As many as 1 out of 5 retail transactions on the Internet failed to
complete during the heavy day after thanksgiving rush (see
Internet Week).
According to Keynote, the best performing retailers for Thanksgiving
2003 were:
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