The Art of the Deal
The right tech products at great prices from trustworthy merchants are out there. These 30 tips and sites will help you find them, online or off.James Oliver Cury is a New York-based writer who hunts for bargains any way he can.
If there's a golden rule of shopping, it's that you can always score a better deal. But finding real bargains on PCs, digital cameras, and other types of tech products takes skill, patience, and persistence. To help you get started, we've compiled a list of insider shopping secrets that can save you money, shield you from shady retailers, and help you recognize a genuinely good buy.
Know thy product: You can't make an informed buy if you don't understand the way that an item's features and bundled accessories affect its price. Find out whether your product comes with cables, batteries, software, and so on. Shady vendors may charge you for something that's already in the box.
Get a sense of the market: Don't give up searching for bargains prematurely: Know whether there are 3 or 30 products that meet your specific criteria. Browse reviews at established sources such as ConsumerReview.com and Epinions.com. Similarly effective is Overstock.com's natural-language search feature; it delivers a snapshot of available products based on the query that you type in. For example, enter the phrase Find all digital cameras for less than $300 in the search window, and Overstock searches its database for items that match the request.
Compare every which way: It's not enough to purchase the cheapest product that pops up in a search of one price-comparison site. For better deals and a better sense of who is selling what, try multiple search options. Visit a few pricing engines (see the chart below), consult sites like Froogle (Google's product search site), and browse retail shelves. Exhaustive searches pay.
Search like a pro: At search and pricing engines, different combinations of words produce different results. Be as specific as possible. For instance, the search term cameras is less specific than digital cameras, which in turn is less specific than Sony Cyber-shot DSC-U50. Add the word bargain to the string, and you'll likely get results for sites that claim to sell the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-U50 at lower prices. Experiment with words and with using quotation marks around phrases: Replace bargain with words like deal, sale, reduced, and rebate. But be skeptical: Some vendors that come up on your search for, say, discount digital cameras may be selling the goods at top dollar.
Let decision trees guide you: Instead of researching every feature, follow an automated decision tree to find product candidates. Activebuyersguide.com employs an on-screen question-and-answer process that explains key features and ends with recommended products. PriceScan.com offers a similar weeding-out engine for pinpointing the product that matches your needs.
Nextag.com provides a chart that shows a product's price history.
Sign up for e-mail alerts: Ask to receive e-mail messages when the price of an item you want drops. At Yahoo Shopping, you can set an alert; at Nextag.com and PriceGrabber.com, you can indicate a target price and specify item condition (for example, new or refurbished).
Check bargain sites: For lists of sales, coupons, and rebates, browse Amazing-Bargains.com, CleverMoms.com, Bargainshopping.org, DealCatcher.com, DealHunting.com, Getmeadeal.com, Overstock.com, RefundSweepers.com, Techbargains.com, and TotalDeals.com. You'll find both new stuff and old clunkers at these sites, many of which link directly to deals featuring the latest products at the manufacturers' sites.
Browse the maker's site: With a little effort on your part a good deal can become a great one. Once you see on a pricing engine a product you like for a price that seems reasonable, you should check the manufacturer's site to see how much your desired item costs there. Sometimes makers update prices on their sites before the data can reach the pricing engines.
Click sales and clearance links: Brand-name sites always have sales. Scroll around, and you'll see links for sales, clearance centers, free shipping, and so on. CNet's Shopper.com, for example, has a tab for its Clearance Center, which includes refurbished and overstock items, and another for Price Drops, which shows the discounting date and percentage of savings. Amazon.com dedicates sections of its site to Today's Deals and an Outlet link. Dell.com has Dell Outlet and an area for refurbished systems (which includes almost-new, returned items), while IBM.com has a Special Offers page.
Seek out rebates: At Ebates.com, search for coupons, free shipping, or other kinds of deals. Search by product category--computers, DVD and video, books, and so on--and specify the manufacturer or store you're interested in (for example, Amazon.com, HP, or Sears). But beware: Getting your rebate money can be a hassle. So be prepared to put some time and effort into the process.
Visit newsgroups: To get the most exhaustive and impassioned counsel, visit sites dedicated to a particular device. From any search engine, type the name of your desired product in the search field. For example, doing a search at Google's Groups page can lead you to newsgroups where people debate a product's merits and flaws. Post a message, and you're likely to be besieged with advice (consider using a secondary e-mail address to avoid spam). Alternatively, visit Epinions.com for product and vendor reviews. If you favor a particular reviewer, you can add him or her to your network of reliable, online-shopping sources.
Keep records: Invoke your inner lawyer. Print or capture a screen shot of every page of your online transactions, save all receipts and e-mail correspondence, and write down the names of the salespeople you talk to, along with the dates of your conversations. Write the description and price of the item (in case you don't get what you ordered), plus warranty information, expected delivery date, and other pertinent data. If dates don't automatically appear on your paper trail, write them in; disreputable vendors may put incorrect information in their documentation.
Read privacy notices: It may seem unnecessary to inquire about privacy issues when all you want is a bargain, but you might really pay, so to speak, if you're not careful. For example, a site may offer attractive discounts but make up for the resulting low profit margin with revenue earned by selling your data--name, credit information, shopping habits, and so on. This could lead to more spam, unsolicited telephone calls, or even identity theft. If a site shows seals from Truste, BBBOnline, or WebTrust, it will likely exercise a reasonable level of privacy protection. But even these seals are no guarantee.
More Shopping Secrets
PriceGrabber.com displays sellers' rebate offers, outlines the terms, and supplies the rebate form.
Beware of bait-and-switch ploys: It's the world's oldest scam: a store advertise a great price for a product and then claims to have sold out of it when you want to buy it, forcing you to opt for a similar but different product--at a higher price. Or vendors may try to persuade you to buy accessories as a way to jack up the price. For more about all-too-common shady sales tactics, check out "Camera Confidential."
Avoid the gray market: You can find deals on items that were intended for sale in another country and rerouted to the United States. But gray-market goods, also known as international models, may come with non-English manuals or with AC adapters set to the wrong voltage, and they may not carry a U.S. warranty.
Read the warranties: Find out what the product warranty covers, how long the coverage lasts, and where you have to send the product to obtain repairs, a refund, or replacement. By law, if the item costs more than $10, the seller must explain whether it's covered by a full or limited warranty; the former type entitles you to free repair during the warranty period at no additional costs for shipping, removal, or reinstallation. But don't assume that you'll get a warranty: Used (or as-is) items often come with none at all, or they may include only scanty, 90-day coverage.
Ask about returns and restocking fees: If you're ordering online and the policies are not in plain sight, your smartest course is to leave the site and do your shopping elsewhere. Remember to check the money-back guarantee period, and find out whether you can you return an item that you purchase online at the one of the company's brick-and-mortar outlets. Would the return be for cash or for credit? Does it matter if the box is already opened? There should be no extra charge if you return a damaged or incorrect item, but if you want to return your purchase for some other reason, the vendor may charge you a restocking fee--usually between 10 and 20 percent of the original sale price.
Eliminate shipping fees: Instead of buying at sites that have brick-and-mortar equivalents (for example, Best Buy and Target), call in an order to the real-world store and pick it up. Or look for free shipping offers from Web-only stores such as Amazon.com and Buy.com.
Visit shipping carriers' sites: Make sure that the vendor you're buying from is not compensating for a low price by overcharging you for shipping and handling. Compare shipping costs by visiting the U.S. Postal Service site or the United Parcel Service and plugging in package weight and destination. At IShip.com, you can compare shipping fees from carriers like Airborne Express, Federal Express, UPS, and the Postal Service.
Use a credit card: The Fair Credit Billing Act protects your transaction if you use a credit card. This law empowers you to withhold payment temporarily if you suspect that someone has stolen your card number. No matter what happens, likely the most you'll pay is $50. Do not use ATM cards; they're not protected as credit cards are.
Shop safely: Sites using SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) or SET (Secure Electronic Transaction) technology are safe. To be sure that a site is using such a precaution, look for an unbroken key or padlock icon at the bottom of your browser when you load the vendor's Web page. Or check the Web address for the string "https://" at the beginning. Remember: Never send your credit card or bank account number via e-mail (if you must, break it up into two messages), and don't give out passwords, PINs, or the name of your bank.
Don't accept delays: When a company says that it will take more than 20 days to send you your item, unless you're preordering a product such as a book or a DVD, it may be a sign that you will never receive the product. PayPal, for example, requires sellers to ship items within 7 days of receiving payment. The FTC's Mail or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule covers online orders and stipulates that vendors must send ordered goods within 30 days, must explain any delay beyond the expected delivery period, and must give you the option to cancel the transaction and obtain a refund. However, some delays are unforeseeable or result from substandard service, and are not necessarily illegal.
Open boxes immediately: Don't let your package sit unopened. Inspect the contents immediately, making sure that the item is what you ordered and is working, and that you were charged the correct amount. If you discover a problem, contact the vendor about repairs or refunds, and keep detailed accounts of your interaction. Some payment services, such as PayPal, require that you file a claim within 30 days of purchase. So don't delay.
Complain to authorities: If you're unhappy with your purchase, contact the seller via phone, e-mail, and/or postal mail. If that doesn't produce results, file complaints with your state attorney general, the Better Business Bureau, local media, the FTC, your state's department of consumer affairs, and other organizations like ConsumerWorld.org.
Smart Shopping: How to Verify No-Name Vendors
Epubliceye.com offers tips on how to avoid scams and has an area for consumers that covers such topics as privacy and safe shopping.
Before clicking the purchase button, make sure you're buying from a reliable vendor. The first place to check up on a company is at the Better Business Bureau. This organization processed more than 600,000 complaints in 2002 alone and maintains an online database of more than 2 million reports, according to BBB spokesperson Holly Cherico. The BBB also works with a wide range of local and national government officials and agencies (state attorneys general, the FTC and SEC) to crack down on consumer fraud.
Research a company's background at BBB.org: Click Business, and type in the name of the U.S. or Canadian company and the city where it operates. If the BBB has a listing, you'll receive a report about the business, including its start date, principals, and contact numbers, and whether it is a member of the BBB (and hence subscribes to the organization's code of ethical business practices), plus a history of prior complaints and whether they were resolved (the BBB had a 70 percent settlement rate in 2002). For more information, contact your local BBB branch (type in your zip code at the BBB site).
Visit Consumer WebWatch: Consumer WebWatch is a watchdog organization run by the same folks who publish Consumer Reports. Though the site maintains a growing database of companies deemed credible by Consumer WebWatch standards, it's more of a repository of e-commerce ethics guidelines, research findings, and links to consumer groups, e-commerce committees, journalism associations, and privacy advocates.
Browse ratings sites: They offer user feedback about products and companies. Type a product name into Epinions.com, for example, and you'll see essential information--specs, reviews, and details about merchants--plus a quick summary of the vendor's ease of ordering, customer service, on-time delivery record, and selection. Read reviews or post your own. Get a sense of how trustworthy the reviewers themselves are by looking at the number of reviews they have posted, when they joined Epinions, and who else trusts their judgment.
Senior analyst Christopher Kelley of Forrester Research recommends that prospective buyers visit a wide range of sites to get the most complete picture possible. "Look for patterns that exist with previous shoppers' feedback," he suggests. "One consumer may have a bad experience with a retailer, but if there are thousands of good responses and only one bad response, chances are you're buying from a great company."
Other ratings sites include Complaints.com, Corporationtrust.com, Epubliceye.com, PlanetFeedback.com, Resellerratings.com, and RipoffReport.com. These sites, however, won't get your money back. Visit pricing engines, too: They tally and post user feedback.
What to do if the vendor is not at BBB or other sites: If Joe-Bob's PC Shoppe is not listed in the BBB's database or elsewhere, don't write the company off; it may be too new to have a listing, or it may be located on foreign soil. E-mail the company for more information, and ask if it belongs to accredited consumer organizations. Steer clear of vendors that do not list contact information.
Click every seal of approval: Make sure seals (such as BBB, Truste, VeriSign, and WebTrust) link to the sponsoring organization. For example, clicking the BBB seal should take you to its merchant reports. Finally, pay a little extra for a vendor with a good track record. After all, your peace of mind is worth every penny.
How to Size Up Price-Comparison Sites
PriceGrabber.com offers many useful tools to help you find bargains.
How to Unearth Deals at Online Auctions
You'll often find great deals at online auctions, but you need to be aware of potential pitfalls, too. Here are some things to watch out for.
Beware of auction scams: Be careful with international sellers. Many are virtually untraceable should a problem occur. If a location isn't indicated on the auction page, ask sellers where they reside. Be leery of anyone who insists on using a payment system outside of EBay, PayPal, and proven escrow services; the seller could use a fake foreign system and pocket your money. Read the feedback and check for such credibility seals as EBay's SquareTrade icon. Finally, don't use your e-mail address as your user name; doing that just invites spam.
Inquire about software: When buying a stand-alone software package, ask the vendor if the software is used, promotional, intended for another country (gray market), shareware, burned onto a CD-R, missing manuals, or an old version. If you're buying a system, make sure that it includes the original CD-ROMs and licenses for all preloaded software.
Make contact: Send an e-mail message to an auction seller and ask a friendly question just to make sure the other party will answer your queries. Beware of other people who send unsolicited e-mail messages offering to sell you, for less money, a product that you had bid on; these sellers may simply be telemarketers.
Pick off auction shills: Look for bidding patterns that show no advantage to the bidder but significantly increase the price of the listing. Ebay advises you to avoid auctions where you see multiple bids by one bidder in short, deliberate intervals or bidding several times in small amounts even when other bids have not been placed on the item.
Say no to auction guides: If you see an ad for a guide that offers to help you snap up a seized PC at an auction, the guide itself is likely a scam. You may have to buy the auction guide for $50 or more, and you may be asked for your credit card number to verify your credit standing, at which point the scammers will start charging products you didn't order to your card. Alternatively, you may receive products that are less valuable than those advertised--or nothing at all. Even if none of the above occurs, the auction guide may consist of information you could easily have procured elsewhere.
Avoid businesses using free e-mail: Be wary of merchants that list a contact e-mail address from Hotmail, Juno, Yahoo Mail, or any other free service. Unfortunately, the rate of fraud among companies that use free e-mail services is very high.
Consider reburbished or used: Can you live with a scratch, smudge, or dent? Look at products that aren't 100 percent new or perfect, be they customer returns, damaged in manufacturing, out of season, or blemished. Such items are referred to as refurbished, reconditioned, or remanufactured, and they may cost 5 to 50 percent less than their new equivalents. Visit sites like Refurbdepot.com and Microseconds.net, and make sure you know what's wrong with the product before you buy. Ask about warranties, return policies, and how long the store has been around. Chances are you won't be able to customize the product as you could a new item. If you purchase an extended warranty, double-check that the total price isn't higher than the price of a brand-new item.
Reader Tip
Photograph by Katherine Lambert
Steve Bielski, computer programmer