Bargain Hunting Online

Hey, we all love a good bargain. We all bask in the satisfaction of finding that proverbial diamond hidden in a barrel of coal. Well, the Internet is perhaps the best and most exciting place to accomplish that goal. With the explosion of e-commerce sites comes an equal abundance of sites devoted to “coupon clipping” and “bargain hunting.” Which “coupon sites” are the best and most reliable? Are there dangers involved and pitfalls to be avoided? Can I really get something for nothing?

We’ll explore all of these questions in the following article…but first, why would online retail outlets even allow such a thing?

One Word: Competition

Online retail venues are in direct competition with traditional brick & mortar stores. For example, when Amazon.com, perhaps the most ubiquitous online retailer emerged, it had to deal with the competitive and easy access of Barnes & Noble… not to mention B. Dalton, Waldenbooks, and Borders.

In the early days of e-commerce (and even today, to an extent), people were understandably wary of purchasing products online; numerous questions hovered over the process: How do I know my transaction will be safe and secure? How do I know I’ll receive my purchase promptly and in excellent condition? Why would I want to pay shipping costs and why would I want to wait when I can just run to the store and have the product in my hands almost immediately?

Amazon, a highly secure and reliable site, knew that the best way to attract customers would be through competitive pricing. Thus, the online 20, 30 or even 40 percent discount was born.

As e-commerce grew, online retailers took Amazon’s lead and began offering special incentives. For example, a store might offer $15 off your first purchase of $20 in hopes that you will like their services and pricing so much that you will remain a faithful customer. If the store is indeed of quality, there is an excellent chance of that happening. Other times, a store likes to reward its loyal customers with similar promotions. Again, the extra online incentive makes the customer more likely to be a return shopper.

Now lets put this information into practice and save you lots of time and money.

A Penny Saved…

My travels through the Internet have brought me into contact with a number of coupon sites. Most are incredibly helpful and have saved me hundreds of dollars on everyday purchases such as brand name toiletries, paper towels, etc. I’ve even been able to pick up some more expensive luxury items such as DVDs and computer hardware at 50-75% off the normal prices. For your benefit, below are examples of what I consider to be the crème de la crème of online coupon sites.

SlickDeals
A place to find great bargains is the coupon “list” site known as Slickdeals. The folks at Slickdeals are kind enough to post the best deals of the day complete with direct links and instructions on how to go about acquiring each respective deal. Because of their explicit directions, this is the best place for a beginner to start.

MyCoupons
MyCoupons is a wholly different type of coupon site. Like Slickdeals, MyCoupons also list great "coupon" deals. However, MyCoupons also has an excellent “discussion forum” (like Help2Go's Q&A forum) where everyday people like you and me post the deals they’ve found and discuss their bargain hunting experiences. Most MyCoupons members are extremely helpful and willing to answer questions and assist computer “newbies.”

DVD Talk
For those that desire DVDs, books, videos, etc. look no further than DVDTalk, a “forum” site similar to MyCoupons. Thanks to the DVDTalk message boards, I’ve been able to build my DVD collection at almost no cost!

Each of these sites is exceptionally user-friendly, completely free and designed to help you, the consumer, save money and enjoy safe, online shopping.

Safety Is Key

Like anything else, there are some a few things to look out for when shopping online. Here are some quick tips to consider when online bargain hunting:

If you have any doubt about a store, a store policy or a bargain source, don’t be afraid to walk away. You are under no commitment to use a coupon or buy from a store you don’t trust. There’s no reason to put yourself or your financial security at risk just to save a few bucks.

In conjunction with the previous tip, always check to see if a store has a customer service line or online assistance. Reputable companies will most likely provide their customers with ways to get in touch with customer service operators. If you don’t see a phone number (usually toll-free) or a link to an online chat, spend your money elsewhere.

Read up on the company’s return and replacement policy. You want to make sure if by chance your item is lost, backordered (meaning that the item is not currently in stock), damaged or not what you expected, you’re able to receive a replacement or refund without an enormous hassle and/or cost to you. Remember, because you’re buying online you do not have the luxury of physically inspecting an item before you purchase it. Reputable companies understand this and will be more than happy to help.

When dealing with rebates, always read the fine print. You don’t want to find yourself out a good sum of money because you didn’t realize the information needed to be postmarked by a certain date. All the information to receive your rebate will be right there on the page. Just make sure you fully understand it.

Conclusion

Bargain hunting online can be a fun and cost-effective experience. Personally, I love shopping online. I find the ability to save huge sums of money online assists me greatly when dealing with necessary financial responsibilities such as rent, bills and significant others.

Remember: whenever you give out your credit card number, it is serious business. Before you do any shopping online, we highly recommend that you read our article on Beginner's Guide to Buying Online.

Happy Hunting!

-- Lorne Jaffe

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