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[T1103]Top 10 Online Shopping

by Jody Feinstein, Jod

Online shopping is another prominent function of the Internet nowadays. You can now research new products, compare prices on various products and get the best deals with a few clicks of the mouse. You can have your purchase delivered right to your doorstep. Follow the 10 tips below for a smooth online shopping experience.

1. Search is Powerful: Use the Internet to search for the best prices on the products you're looking for. Use all the info you find to make the best choice. Lets say you're shopping for running shoes. Use Google, Yahoo or another good search engine and search for a phrase like "best running shoes". Try to vary the search phrase. You could use "discount running shoes", "cheap running shoes" and so on. Look at the results, surf and choose.

2. Safety: Where it applies, search for safety related issues on the products you want to buy. There are different sites where you can find safety information: , , are only a few examples.

3. Shop well known and trusted sites: Visit popular, well known, big names in shopping like http://www.Amazon.com, http://www.Zappos.com, http://www.VictoriasSecret.com. There are many others depending on what you want to buy.

4. Compare prices: How do you do this? Search for the same product on various different sites. It's likely you will find big price differences. Take your time and go for the lowest price. Keep in mind that smaller sellers have a lower profit margin. Search for bargain deals. When comparing the prices, take into account the shipping charges. They differ from site to site.

5. Call before you buy: You have found a website and you want to buy. Check if they have that product in stock by calling the telephone number listed on the site. Why? Very often websites do not update their inventory on a daily base. You don't want to waste your time and energy.

6. Shipping Discounts: If you want to purchase multiple items you could get a shipping discount. Check the site for such discounts or contact the customer service to find out.

7. No Taxes: If the seller is located in the same State as you, you will be charged sales tax. Try to avoid those taxes by finding a seller located in a different state.

8. Shipping charges: They are calculated after you checkout. Look for the lowest shipping rates. Always check the shipping charges before you enter your credit card number. Distance is the main factor which influences shipping charges. Try to find websites that offer flat shipping rates no matter where you are located. If a website's shipping rates are distance based, try to find one that is located nearer to you. The bigger the distance is, the bigger the shipping rates will be.

9. Discount Coupons: Look for discount coupons. These may be listed either on the home page of the website or on other partner websites. You don't have to search too far. A good ideea is to search Google or Yahoo for third party coupons for that seller. The customer service can also tell you if they offer such discounts.

10. Ebay: Ebay is the biggest online auction website. Almost everything you can think of is for sale on Ebay. It's also a very good place to get the lowest price for what you're looking for. Avoid fraudulent sellers by checking their feedback.

1. Going out of town for antique shopping and being clueless about the “in" places. You will need to do a research the best antique shopping places on the town that you would like to go. Certainly it will save time, money and you can exert all that effort on deciding what to buy rather than looking for antique stores to shop. Having connections won't hurt, you can ask those who have experience on buying antiques where they had great deals and where you shouldn't bother to go.

2. Preferring antique malls over single-owner shops. Well, this not a major mistake but shopping on a hard to find single owner shops can give a lot of perks like more personal service, price negotiation, wide selection of antiques and even the proprietor's story that goes with each furniture.

3. Again, preferring antique malls over single-owner shops. Another hassle on shopping at a mall is when the owner is not present, you will need to negotiate with an attendant who can only give you limited discount.

4. Forgetting to bring handy items like flashlight and measuring tape. You will need to fully examine if your purchase is worth your money.

5. Paying by credit card. Dealers would often prefer and offer best price for those who can pay cash or through check.

6. Asking for a lower price by belittling the piece's quality. Sellers would surely appreciate a polite price negotiation, emphasis on the adjective politely, rather than pointing out the piece's limitations and bargaining for a lower price.

7. Splurge on shopping without doing a research. These days, the Internet is likely accessible to anyone and it can surely provide valuable antique informations about hot items, price range, history and more.

8. Being giddy about a flawless antique piece that you bought. Basically antiques should have small blemishes because of the time and history that it has endured. If the item looks flawless its probably a reproduction.

9. Being giddy about a flawless antique piece that you bought on a high price. Rare antiques generally comes at higher prices but be careful because you might end up buying a replica. In the case on shopping for antiques, its not bad to buy an expensive item with slight defect because the preservation of this item along with its minor defects makes it precious.

10. Not asking for the antiques proper care and maintenance procedures. Investing on antiques does not stop on buying one. You should gather information on how to take care of it and at the same time increase it's value. Each item have its own requirement in terms of temperature, storage, cleaning, etc.

Article Source : Pg. 333

About Author

Both Jody Feinstein & Mei Galang are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Jody Feinstein has sinced written about articles on various topics from Computers and The Internet. Jody Feinstein operates the online shopping site . Jody Feinstein's top article generates over 3600 views. to your Favourites.

Mei Galang has sinced written about articles on various topics from Digital Photos, Home Management and Landscaping. Mei Galang recommends the section of Oz Free Online for anything you would like to buy sell or trade online.. Mei Galang's top article generates over 135000 views. to your Favourites.