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Quick Studies April 2004 • Vol.15 Issue 4 |
 Online Dig For Deals Online | ||
Jump to first occurrence of: [TECHBARGAINS]
The true power of Internet shopping, however, is not just finding what you want, but finding what you want at the lowest price. When you're ready to branch out from the same old shopping sites, reduce those transaction costs by trying out some price-comparison and deal-finding tools designed to save you as much money as possible.  Compare & Contrast Epinions, (http://www.epinions.com) a site that takes its name from the fact that consumers can write reviews of the products they buy, never really seemed to take off as a good place to find opinions. You'll see a few reviews here and there, but the most useful aspect of the site is its price-comparison feature. From the main page, enter a product name and click Search. Epinions presents a list of products that matches your terms. Click one, and a grid appears listing stores and their prices for that item. In the middle of the screen, type your ZIP code to get an idea of what different retailers will charge for shipping. Another column tells you whether a particular store actually appears to have the item in stock, and the last column on the right includes a link to that product's order page. Sort by any column with a click on the column title. MySimon, another well-known comparison-shopping site, provides similar features. Head to http://www.mysimon.com, enter a product name, and navigate to the table of prices. Epinions, mySimon, and similar sites offer a store-rating feature that gives you some assurance the money you spend won't be thrown away. MySimon includes a kind of certification for many retailers that the site says protects against unauthorized charges appearing on your credit card. We find Epinion's user comments regarding stores much more useful, as they provide a general sense of whether customers walk away satisfied. A store with a low price and a low customer rating might be one to pass up despite the good deal. Hunting Bargains The problem is the best deals don't always show up on price-comparison sites. What you see there are the basic prices, but the real deals often involve clearance items, super rebates, or even refurbished products you learn about only with a visit to a particular retailer. An individual could spend approximately forever checking every single online store for bargains, but an Internet full of people gathers information much more quickly.
For instance, say that you are in the market for a digital camera. You've done some research, and you know a few different models that look interesting. Unless you're in a hurry to buy something right away, sit back and check Techbargains every few days for a couple of weeks. One of the cameras that made your list is bound to be the subject of a sale, rebate, or special coupon somewhere. If you're considering some older models, you might even learn about a closeout or a batch of refurbished units at a good price. The readers of Techbargains have an uncanny ability to find deals. We've seen plenty of entries describing rebates, coupons, and sales combining to produce significant savings. For instance, while checking out the site for this article, eagle-eyed Techbargains contributors spotted a way to get a $140 120GB hard drive from a major retailer for a low $29.99 after taking into account a sale price and three rebates. That sort of markdown requires buying from a particular store during a certain time and then using some elbow grease filling out rebate forms, but that's a cheap hard drive. Our biggest problem with Techbargains is that it can become addictive. When you buy a 256MB flash memory USB (Universal Serial Bus) ballpoint pen for no particular reason other than the cool $50 rebate you saw posted on Techbargains, it's time to take stock. Then again, it's kind of fun to endorse that rebate check eight weeks later with a new pen.  by Alan Phelps |
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