1. Smart Buying on the Web Richard Kershenbaum Endacott Society Computer Study Group 02-10-2010

2. Why shop on the web? Convenience – you can shop at home in your underwear Products delivered to your home Huge selection of products Often better prices – Internet stores have much lower overhead than “Brick & Mortar” stores Often no sales tax

3. Craigslist (Mostly) free online classified ads Started in 1995 by Craig Newmark as an e-mail distribution list for friends Now in 700 cities around the world 20 billion page views per month Simple site design has changed little Operated as a public service http://lawrence.craigslist.org

4. Shopping Search Engine Sites Find online sellers for desired products Find the best price Read product reviews and store reviews http://shopping.google.com http://www.pricegrabber.com http://www.pricewatch.com

5. “Hot Deals” Discussions Readers post deals they’ve found Other readers can comment Some deals last only hours (or less) http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/hot- dealshttp://www.fatwallet.com/forums/hot- deals http://www.slickdeals.net http://bensbargains.net

6. Coupon sites Coupon codes Printable coupons http://www.mycoupons.com/ http://www.naughtycodes.com/ …and many others Use Google to find coupons

7. Cash-Back Sites Give cash back when linking to a purchase through the site http://www.fatwallet.com/coupons- cash-back/http://www.fatwallet.com/coupons- cash-back/ http://www.ebates.com/ http://www.bing.com/cashback/

8. Rebates Check or debit card refund to purchaser following a sale Some products can even be “FAR” – “free after rebate” Requires follow-up: − Print the rebate form and sales receipt as soon as you purchase − Follow the instructions carefully when sending in the form

9. Rebates − Keep a copy of all materials − Keep track of the due date http://www.allmyrebates.com

10. Online shopping tips Consider price…but also: − Seller reputation Check online reviews Beware of sites with few or no reviews – may be fraudulent: http://www.standard-t.com/ Shipping cost − Does the store charge sales tax? Stores with no physical presence in Kansas don’t Rebate available?

11. More online shopping tips Always pay with credit card or PayPal − Can dispute a charge if necessary For technology items, appliances, etc., always use a credit card that extends the warranty, e.g.: − http://usa.visa.com/personal/visa- signature/benefits/warranty-manager.jsp http://usa.visa.com/personal/visa- signature/benefits/warranty-manager.jsp Keep track of rebates and follow up on any that are overdue

12. More online shopping tips Look for a used item on Craigslist or http://discuss.larryville.com/ http://discuss.larryville.com/ Free is even better than cheap − http://www.freecycle.org/group/US/Kans as/Lawrence http://www.freecycle.org/group/US/Kans as/Lawrence