Date: Fri 11-Dec-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: CURT

Quick Words:

iinfo-shopping-Christmas

Full Text:

INTERNET INFO FOR REAL PEOPLE: Last Minute Shopping on the Net

By Bob Brand

Dell Computer predicts a big jump in holiday shopping on the Net this

Christmas season. An elfish Martha Stewart graces the cover of the December 7

Newsweek with a silly grin and an arm caressing a PC. Somehow this is meant to

legitimize purchases on the Internet for everyone. If the traffic at the mall

is just too hectic or you forgot to buy a Christmas present for Uncle Jim, hop

on the Net. Over 20 million net-sters will buy something this year.

Many surfers have overcome the fear of having their credit card stolen when

making a cyber-purchase. Coupled with an overall improvement in the

ease-of-use at many a cyber-store, more people than ever shop in cyberspace.

We rarely hear a "discouraging word" about online ripoffs. Nevertheless, there

needs to be constant vigilance when shopping online. Common sense remains your

strongest defense against a bad buying experience.

Net purchasing is still not a walk in the park. Frustration in obtaining the

right gift is reduced when using a list of items to purchase. Planning pays

big dividends. Shop at cyber-stores that you know in the "real world" -- Lands

End, Wal-Mart, Service Merchandise, Barnes and Noble and other high profile

outlets for maximum security. Some sites like Bottom Dollar and MySimon act as

search engines to find the best prices for specific merchandise. When a site

offering very attractive pricing appears but may be unfamiliar, check at the

DejaNews site for comments from other Net users by entering the name of the

URL (Uniform Resource Locator). Bad news travels fast on the Net and many

people are helpful in sharing purchasing experiences -- good and bad. For

example, DejaNews reports numerous unhappy buying experiences at a cyber-mall

with the catchy name "shopping.com."

Glitzy sites can be deceptive. It takes only a few mouse-clicks to check. This

could save a great deal of anguish.

Price Not The Whole Story

The cost of maintaining a totally integrated e-commerce site runs into the

hundreds of thousands of dollars. As a result, prices vary. Many good

merchants have clearly spelled out policies on returns, order tracking, and an

800 number for inquiries.

The cost of these services must be passed on and usually result in slightly

higher prices than "no frills" operations. By careful comparison, it becomes

easy to find the right balance of price and service.

Using a credit card results in the highest level of safety. Most credit card

companies have a $50 loss limit. However, there is still the aggravation of

straightening out messy transactions. Sending cash through the mail is a bad

idea under almost any circumstance.

For The Adventurous

The popularity of eBay auctions remains a net phenomenon. However, the

widespread publicity has brought in many first-time sellers. There are

comments in the eBay listserv like "there goes the neighborhood" as the

newcomers learn the ropes. As a result, extra care should be taken when

bidding. It is especially important to read the feedback on the seller. The

lowest risk of an unhappy transaction results when dealing with sellers who

have a long history of positive comments. Auctions have become a permanent

fixture on the cyber-landscape. This might be just the place to find that

elusive Furby.

If you have not plunged into cyber-commerce on the Net, buying a holiday gift

is a good a reason to try it. Perhaps the purchase of an inexpensive book from

Amazon.com as your first experience will demonstrate why there will be fewer

people in the mall and more folks at the keyboard shopping in their slippers.

URLs (Uniform Resource Locators) of interest:

http://www.bottomdollar.com

http://www.mysimon.com

http://www.ebay.com

http://www.dejanews.com

(This is the 132nd of a series of elementary articles designed for surfing the

Internet. Next, Linux is the subject on tap. Stay tuned. Until next week,

happy travels through cyberspace. Previous issues of Internet Info for Real

People (including links to sites mentioned in this article) can be found:

http://www.thebee.com. Please e-mail comments and suggestions to:

rbrand@JUNO.com or editor@thebee.com.)