Fifty-eight percent of consumers are likely to purchase a holiday gift online this year, and you may be one of them. To make safe and informed buying decisions, make sure your PC security programs are up-to-date and only shop on trusted sites. To shop even smarter, follow these additional tips:
• Use a price comparison search engine for items big and small. One of the best is www.pricegrabber.com. Some sites also let you set a price alert on a product (they’ll e-mail you when it hits your target price). If you see an item in a store, go online to see if the price is cheaper.
• Read buyer reviews, but with a dose of skepticism. (Some companies pay for peer reviews.) Check out www.epinions.com for unbiased reviews. Before a major purchase, go to www.consumerreports.com. You can read product testing results for a small monthly fee.
• Don’t click on BUY before you’ve looked for a coupon or promo code at a site like www.coupons.com or www.retailmenot.com.
• Consider the retailer’s reputation for customer service. Be sure to look at their return policy. Is there an additional shipping or restocking fee?
• Read the retailer’s privacy policy. When you fill out a profile, retailers gather information about your shopping and buying habits so they can target ads to you. Your web browser will allow you to limit or prevent sites from installing cookies on your computer, or you can buy software that will manage this.
• Use a site that offers a secure transaction. Look for a padlock icon or “https” in the check-out page web address.
• Ask your friends and coworkers about specific products or sites. Likewise, if you have a bad experience, share it with others.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
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