Welcome to Gaia! :: View User's Journal | Gaia Journals

 
 

View User's Journal

Report This Entry Subscribe to this Journal
willard1graves56 Journal willard1graves56 Personal Journal


willard1graves56
Community Member
avatar
0 comments
Get Great Rates Online With This Article
Traditional shopping isn't something that everyone needs to do. Instead, you can buy from the comfort of your own home. You don't have to overspend, cope with crowds, or shop in inclement weather. The information below will help make your Internet shopping experience a bit easier.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avDq0__xh1E

When you are shopping online, make sure that you are only shopping on secure websites. Look in the website URL and it should display "https"� instead of the usual "http"� at the beginning. Always have an up to date copy of anti-virus running on your computer as well. This will ensure that you have a safe online shopping experience.

When shopping online, choose the best shipping policy. Many times companies offer expedited shipping. However, many times getting the product one day earlier can cost you as much as twice the normal shipping price. Therefore, if you can wait on the product to arrive using normal shipping instead of expedited shipping, choose standard shipping to save money.

Always update your antivirus software before doing any online shopping. Online shoppers are prone to landing on fake webpages. Often, stores are built primarily to plant malware on your computer. It's best that you take precautions prior to visiting any stores, no matter how reputable you feel they are.

Sign up for your favorite online stores' newsletters. Many times online stores will send out daily, weekly or monthly newsletters with special sales, discounts and deals. If you like to save money, you might be able to score some great deals on items you were going to purchase anyway.

If an online vendor asks for your social security number, do not make any purchases for them. While your credit card information is needed, there is no need for a company to ask for your credit card information if you are shopping from them. In fact, you should report http://www.harley-davidson.com/store/ any business that asks for this information to the Better Business Bureau.

When you want to shop at an online retailer, look for coupon codes on the web. Merchants usually provide digital coupons as an incentive to attract shoppers. Just type in the retailers name and the word "coupon" in a search engine, and you will be taken to coupon sites where you can get a code.

Look for coupon codes when you have to buy something online. A lot of the time when you're checking out you will see a box that says something about entering a code. As soon as you see that box search online for the site's name plus coupon codes. It's a good idea because you'll be able to get a better price on your order usually.

In order to save on shipping fees, it is best to get everything you need in one order. If you do not do it this way, you will have to pay a separate shipping fee for each order you make. This will end up costing you a fortune in the long run.

When shopping online, take the time to search for professional editorial reviews of products as well as user reviews. Unfortunately, some online stores have been paying for people to review their products. With a professional product review, you can double check that the user reviews are accurate. The ranking and reviews of the product should be similar between professional and user reviews.

Use creative passwords when you set up accounts. Avoid simple words or easily guessed phrases. Your online shopping accounts are access points to your credit card number and often times much more! Don't make things easy for those looking for free money (like yours). Use totally random passwords with symbols, numbers and letters in them.

User Image - Blocked by "Display Image" Settings. Click to show.

Only shop at online retail sites that you trust. It is all too easy for someone to just create a storefront on the web with some product information to sell merchandise. Do some research on the retailer's reputation before you provide any credit card information. This will help you avoid any scams out there.

If you shop online frequently, think about signing up to receive free and discounted shipping. This sort of service gives you a list of partnered stores. Additionally, they will provide you with a free trial so you will be able to determine whether the service is worth the money for you. Try out a few different services so that you can choose the one that works best for you.

Dedicate one credit card to all of your online shopping. If you use many cards for online shopping it will be difficult to determine if any of them have been used fraudulently. However, if you have only one card that is used for online purchases, it will be much simpler to detect any unusual activity.

Know the difference between your credit cards and your debit cards. They may look the same, but they way they are handled and the protections they offer are very different. When shopping online, you should use your credit card. If the information is stolen, you will be able to dispute charges. However, if you use a debit card and the information is stolen, your bank account can be drained in seconds.

Check the return policy. This is a great idea, because a bad return policy could cost you money and a lot of time. Before you buy anything, find out what happens if you need to return an item. Do you pay for shipping? How long does a refund take? Find out before you make a purchase you'll regret.

When you buy from an online merchant, try to combine your purchases together into one shipment. Shipping costs can be high if you are just buying one http://en.gravatar.com/robertleonard1979 or two items, sometimes as high as the price of the item. If you buy many things during the same shopping session, the shipping cost is more cost effective.

If you want to buy something online, but really want to touch and feel the actual product first, see if you can find this product at your mall or local retailer. Go to the store and look at the merchandise in person, then buy it online if the online price is lower.

A lot of online stores organize sweepstakes regularly. You should sign up for the email alerts of the stores you often use so you can enter their sweepstakes. You should get a chance to win some gift cards or some electronics. Your odds of winning a sweepstakes are usually low but entering does not cost anything.

Now that you know more about online shopping, you can see how easy it is. You can also see how it can benefit you. The next time you are in the market for just about anything, do a quick search online to find what you need. Then, enjoy the time you would have spent shopping by doing something you love instead.




 
 
Manage Your Items
Other Stuff
Get GCash
Offers
Get Items
More Items
Where Everyone Hangs Out
Other Community Areas
Virtual Spaces
Fun Stuff
Gaia's Games
Mini-Games
Play with GCash
Play with Platinum