Shopping online has a great variety of rewards, including a huge selection of available items, the possibility to buy things which aren’t available locally, and the convenience of home delivery. Sadly, some things aren’t cheap online. The tips and tricks below will help you save money on the items you purchase online.
When you are making any purchases online and you are required to make a user account, never use the same passwords that you use on other websites. Do not use your e-mail or banking password to make an account to buy shoes from a web retailer. If someone was able to see this password, they could have access to more than just your profile on the retailer’s store.
If you are going to be doing some shopping online, make sure you understand the liability for each credit card you use online. Many credit cards have automatic fraud prevention built in while others offer it for a minimal fee. You do not want to get stuck with purchases made on your card if the number is stolen.
A coupon code gives you an additional discount. Such codes can be found easily just by entering “coupon code” plus the store name. You can find coupons on specific items or those which are available site-wide, just by taking the time to search.
If you are a frequent Amazon shopper, consider joining Amazon Prime. This membership only costs $79 annually, and you get a lot for the money. 2-day shipping is free for most everything, and faster delivery options are at reduced rates. On top of this, you will gain access to a range of movies that can be streamed for free. That is another way to save money.
Be wary of websites that insist that you give them details and personal information, especially if it has nothing to do with the item you are looking for. Make sure there are security measures in place. Look for certificates from Cybertrust, Verisign and the like.
Before buying online, look for any reviews you can find on the items. The good news is that many stores have customer reviews front and center these days. Amazon, for instance, has sometimes hundreds of reviews for their most popular products. If you have concerns before buying, these are an excellent place to begin.
Never wire anyone money to make a purchase online. This is a method of payment that is used a lot by people looking to scam you out of your money. Using a credit card is better since you can lodge a dispute if your item is never received. Wiring the money offers you no type of protection.
Look for major online retailer sales in the middle of the week. With physical locations, you tend to see more major sales happen at the end of the week like Fridays. In order to compete with those days, many online retailers like pushing their sales up a few days. Try keeping an eye on major online retailer sites for sales on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.
Check sizing charts when buying clothes. A big issue with purchasing apparel through the Internet is that it’s hard to tell whether or not something will fit you. The online sizing charts will help you decide whether or not a piece will fit you. This tool can be extremely helpful.
Refurbished doesn’t just mean repaired, it also means surplus. Take a look at the description to see if this refurbished item is actually a brand new surplus item. A wonderful way to get great deals is to search for surplus and refurbished items.
If you want retailers to send you emails about discounts and sales, but do not want your email to be cluttered with junk mail, create an email account just for receiving sales promotions from merchants. This will keep your regular email free of promo clutter, and you will have all of your sales announcements in one place.
If you’re making a purchase from a small retailer, don’t be afraid for discounts. Many shop owners will be happy to shave a little money off the price, especially if it’s something they’ve been trying to sell for a long time. The worst that can happen is that you get told no.
Look for HTTPS in the address bar before giving personal information or payment information. This lets you known that the website is secure because it encrypts information. There needs to be a padlock icon on the bottom of the site to let you know that it’s secure.
When shopping online, make sure that the merchant is using a secured server to process your order. You can tell by the URL, which should begin with “https”. This ensures that your personal and financial information is encrypted during transmission. If the online site does not show that it is secure, go somewhere else.
Find out if you can get cash back for your purchase. You are already familiar with cash back on your credit cards, but sites such as Ebates.com allow you to make money by purchasing from a store in their network. Periodically you will be sent checks for your rebate, which saves you even more money.
Many online shopping sites allow you to create a “wish list”. You can list items that you are interested in so that they are easier to find later. This allows you to Christmas shop all year long. The added advantage is that the website will usually notify you if the item goes on sale so that you can take advantage of the savings.
Just because some online stores overprice their items doesn’t mean you can’t find a great deal. The ideas you’ve read here will help you keep your money in your pocket where it belongs. Shopping online is great, and now you know how to do it without breaking the bank at all.
