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10 Stealth Online Shopping Tips

Posted by Jerry De Luca on Wednesday, September 4, 2013

shopping, money


1) Some marketers secretly publish positive “independent” online reviews to push their stores or products. Most online shopping experts recommend you read at least 5 reviews from 5 completely different sites.

2) Read PC Magazine’s excellent “11 Tips for Safe Online Shopping”. Number 2 is critical and not known by many:
“Look for the Lock. Never ever, ever buy anything online using your credit card from a site that doesn't have SSL (secure sockets layer) encryption installed—at the very least. You'll know if the site has SSL because the URL for the site will start with HTTPS:// (instead of just HTTP://). An icon of a locked padlock will appear, typically in the status bar at the bottom of your web browser, or right next to the URL in the address bar. It depends on your browser. Never, ever give anyone your credit card over email. Ever.”  http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0%2c2817%2c2373130%2c00.asp

3) Not sure how it will look on you? Several clothing web sites provide a free no-obligation service that provides recommendations based on your weight, height and personal preferences:

4) Don’t ignore pop-up windows that offer help. Most are real-time real-person no-obligation assistance. Some of the most respected sites for online assistance are: Nike, Net-a-Porter, ModCloth, Lands’ End and J.Crew.     

5) Planning a major purchase like a new wardrobe or a wedding dress? Get free help from a professional stylist at KeatonRow.com. The stylists do the exhaustive search and are only paid a commission from the stores they buy from. There is no upfront commitment for you to make the purchase.

6) If you’re on a small budget and have a smattering of patience, this site will alert you when the price comes down to what you can afford. The popular ShopItToMe.com tells newcomers: Once you tell us your favorite designers and sizes, we'll take over. We'll work as your personal shopper scouring the Web to find the items you love and send you personalized e-mail alerts that feature the latest markdowns, secret promotion codes, and VIP sale events.

7) 8coupons (http://www.8coupons.com) is one of America’s biggest digital coupon aggregators. Users receive smart phone alerts on local deals based on the categories selected. Their site states:  

“Offering a variety of deals from our partners like Groupon, Restaurant.com, Amazon, GrubHub, eBay, LivingSocial, Google, Valpak, and others, we're on a tireless quest to help you make the most out of your daily life, so that you can work less and play more!”



8) Sneaky – but ethical. Some of the more savvy online shopping experts advise you place something in your basket, then stop right there and take a couple of days off from the site. You may soon be surprised by an email offering you a special discount for that item! Some online retailers do this, but, sshhhh, don’t tell anybody.

9) Most online stores already know your ZIP code and of course, how much you have spent on their site. If you’re in a wealthy ZIP code or have spent too much already, the site may quote you a higher price for the same item than the customer in the other side of town. Sometimes you can get around this by clearing your cookies or shopping from a different web browser. Downloading multiple browsers is easy and free. The most widely used ones are Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Opera and Explorer.  

10) Price-comparison sites can save you a fortune. Some of the better rated and reliable price-comparison sites are 

The editors, “Shopping Online”, Real Simple, September 2013

Photo: wyomingagrability.wordpress.com CC

Jerry De Luca is a Christian freelance writer who loves perusing dozens of interesting and informative publications. When he finds any useful info he summarizes it, taking the main points, and creates a (hopefully) helpful blog post.

17 comments :

  1. Thanks for the share. If you are looking for the ultimate deals you should definitely check out penny auction sites such as DealDash. Just the other day a dude in my auction walked away with a flat screen TV for like $100 bucks. I don't care where you shop, you can't beat that deal any where!

    ReplyDelete
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