| The Pros and Cons
of On-line Shopping
by Sarah Delaporte
What’s hot? What’s not? Retail shopping is going
out while on-line shopping is becoming more and more popular.
The question is why is shopping on-line so much better &
does the cost of shipping make on-line shopping more expensive?
A year ago, I decided to try shopping on-line. At first I
was rather timid about the whole process. Many people made
it sound like I would be ripped off. “The internet is
just another way for people to run away with your cash,”
I was advised. But there were others. Others who didn’t
believe this rumor and were coming away with great bargains
they had purchased on-line. My inner emotions began to fight
one another. On the one hand I would love to receive the great
bargains and on the other hand I didn’t want to be ripped
off or my credit card number to be stolen. At last, my frugal
self overcame my fears. I made my first purchase, and then
I waited. I waited to see if the company would deliver the
product, and if my credit card number would be protected.
Surprisingly enough, I received the item within a few days
and a month later no strange transactions appeared on my credit
card. Whew! I breathed a sigh of relief and began slowing
purchasing more and more on-line. As I watch my savings grow,
I am glad I went through the tunnel of fear and saw the light.
Here are some steps you can take as you attempt
to make your first on-line transaction a smooth one. The first
step is to make sure that the company is worthy of your support.
Check on-line to see if other people have shopped at this
website and if their purchase went smoothly. The next step
is to check to make sure that the website has SSL protection.
This is a way the website protects your credit card from fraud.
Also check for good customer service contacts. Does the website
list a phone number and e-mail address a person you can contact
if you need help during or after the transaction? Last but
not least check to see if your credit card will remain on
their website forever, or if you can enter it for only that
transaction. It is better if you can enter your credit card
number every transaction rather than have your credit card
remain in their system with 24 hour round access of all their
employees on staff. They may trust their employees with your
credit card number, but do you?
Some trustworthy on-line companies that have
stood the test of time are: Amazon.com, Ebay and Buy.com If
you have never tried an on-line store and you don’t
know any friends who have, you can check out the store’s
reputation at: RatingWonders.com You can read reviews from
others who have actually shopped at this on-line store and
find out if their transaction went smoothly or not.
The final question many people ask about on-line
shopping is: “Won’t I spend more money shopping
on-line, because I have to pay shipping?” The truth
is that you will actually SAVE money on-line. Yes, you read
that correctly. Even with shipping costs, companies want you
to purchase on-line, and in attempt to gain your sale they
are attempting to keep the costs down. In an effort to do
this, they create all kinds of incentives in order to convince
you to shop on-line including giving you bargains that you
simply won’t find elsewhere. These come in the form
of on-line coupons which are either coupon codes that you
type in before completing the transaction or a website link
that you follow to receive money off your purchase. Often
the coupons are good for money off the entire purchase amount
and the purchase amount has to be over a certain price (not
including shipping). Usually the money off the transaction
ranges from $5 - $25 with the average being $10 off your entire
purchase. This usually makes more than up for shipping and
when used in combination with reward and money back programs
you can save tons of money on-line including receiving many
items FREE! A program that I love is located at whenu.com
You can download a program that will pop up every time you
visit an on-line retailer. In this program, it lists all the
coupons valid on-line and all the incentive programs that
can be used in combination with the on-line store you are
currently shopping at it. This simple program that I downloaded
free has saved me several dollars already and I expect it
to save me several more in the future. Another great way to
save money is by visiting the on-line website: esmarts.com
This website lists many on-line coupons and will help you
find the right store for the item you wish to purchase.
In conclusion, on-line shopping can save you
time & money if you know how and where to shop.
Keywords: shopping, online, coupons, on-line, retail, stores,
save, money
About the Author
Sarah Delaporte, Oregon, IL, US
freebie@couponcorner.net
http://www.couponcorner.net
This article may be used on any website provided article remains
intact, the author is credited and this entire paragraph is
included with the article. Sarah Delaporte is the owner of
Freebie Coupon Corner who loves helping consumers receive
free groceries with her helpful e-book publications. If you
want to receive free groceries, visit Freebie Coupon Corner
at: http://www.couponcorner.net
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