Main advantage:

- You can purchase slimming pills without leaving your house. This is a great time-saver.

Main disadvantage:

- You are not "there" when you buy the dieting pills - so you may have to wait for a few days before you receive them. Also, in some cases, something may "happen" to your order and never receive it. Things that are being shipped online do get lost sometimes or get "stuck" at a place.

Here's what you should look for:

1) Does the website look "clean" and "OK"? Yes, this is not a web-design contest - but, if you see a website that looks like it was put together by a 12-year-old, something is fishy. Always deal with professionals and not "fly-by-nighters."

2) The benefit of the internet is that it's the ultimate tool for doing quick research. You can visit several websites or discussion forums and see what others have to say about the company you are thinking of purchasing from. If you "hear" a lot of positive comments from satisfied customers, that's good. If you hear people complaining about getting scammed, that's bad (to put it simply).

And, by the way: On the subject of customer satisfaction: A company may have testimonials from happy customers on their website. However, that doesn't necessarily mean that the testimonials and "success stories" are real. It's easy to type something on a website and say that it's true. Some companies do this, in order o make more sales. This doesn't mean that all testimonials are fake - but some are and that's a fact.

3) Does the website offer a guarantee? Websites are required to offer a money-back guarantee that is clearly shown on their page. If they don't have a satisfaction guarantee, why is that? Maybe they don't believe in their product that much? Never buy dieting supplements from a site without a clear guarantee policy.

4) You need to be at least 18 years of age to purchase diet pills on the internet. This actually makes good sense, whether you buy dieting supplements online or off-line. Your body hasn't fully developed before the age of 18, so buying something that affects your metabolism may not always be a good idea. And of course, if you are under 18, chances are you don't have a credit card or a Paypal account either.

5) Is it safe to buy online? I have been buying things online for over 9 years now and I admit that I have become addicted to my "plastic." Credit cards make life easier (if you know how to handle them properly - otherwise they can become a headache). The truth is that the general public feels uneasy purchasing on the internet. After all, somebody can grab their money and run.

And, although this does happen with scam artists, most of the time it is not the case. The thing is to buy from reputable websites. Just look at how many people buy from Amazon.com without a problem. Even if something goes wrong, you can always dispute a purchase with all of the main credit cards. One thing I would advise against is sending money via wire. Never send money directly to someone else's bank account unless you are *really* sure about them. I personally use credit cards like Visa and Mastercard - and very often my Paypal account.

If you keep these things in mind, you will more than likely buy weight loss pills that will really help you lose the extra weight.

And here's a counter-intuitive bonus money-saving tip:

Nevr buy the dirt-cheap diet pills you find on the internet. 9 times out of 10 you will just waste your time and money, as they contain just cheap filler. Quality ingredients and manufacturing processes cost a lot. You do get what you pay for. Make sure you get a good deal on the good stuff - and not a "deal of a lifetime" on something worthless or dangerous. Instead of buying the cheap stuff, go with more established websites that also offer discounts for bulk purchases...