Make gift shopping a bit easier!
Do you want some great ideas for saving money and shopping online safely?
You should prepare to shop online by doing these things.
- Scan your computer or electronic device for infection. A computer infection increases the risk of identity theft.
- Make a list of who you need to shop for and what you might like to buy for them.
- Install a safe browser like the Tor Browser or install a VPN in your device. Only use a safe browser to shop online.
- Only make purchases on websites whose address begins with “https” instead of “http”.
- Set a budget!
Great Ideas to Comparison shop!
After you have done your prep work, boot your computer and start shopping! First, compare prices for each item you are buying. You can find a wide range of prices for the same item all over the internet. Consumer Reports and I agree that PriceGrabber is the best website for comparison shopping on the internet!
Great Ideas for Shopping on Ebay
Ebay is a popular place to shop online. I have had both good and bad experiences shopping on Ebay. Some Ebay sellers falsely list items as “OEM” (Original Equipment Manufactured, made by the original company and not a knockoff), and other sellers are actually scam artists and do not refund money to the people they scam. Shopping on Ebay can be a jungle.
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Finding the right item on Ebay.
Finding the right item on Ebay sometimes can seem like looking for a needle in a haystack. There are so many listings and you do not want to waste your time looking at all of them.
To find the exact item you are looking for on Ebay without viewing numerous other listings first, you need to enter what you are looking for in the search box in a certain way. Type the basic description of the item you are looking for, then a plus sign or minus sign for features you do or do not want.
I was looking for a clip on piano light on Ebay. However, I did not want an LED light or one that requires batteries. I entered this into the Ebay search box (without the quotation marks):
“Piano light clip on –(LED, battery, batteries)”
Then the listings in the search results met my two criteria. Had I only cared about the LED issue, I would have entered this into the Ebay search box.
“Piano light clip-on –LED”
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Staying within your budget on Ebay.
Do you need to stay within your budget? After Ebay provides a list of what you are looking for, be sure to sort on price, lowest to highest. The sort option is at the top right side of the page.
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Other Ebay shopping tips.
- Check the seller’s positive feedback rating. If it is less than 95%, do not buy from that seller!
Find the seller’s positive feedback rating in the upper right-hand corner of the page of the item you are considering. You will see something like this:
Seller information
shoecityoutlet (16712 )
99.6% Positive feedback
The number after the seller’s name tells you how many items they have sold, and the percentage indicates the buyers who were happy with their purchases.
Bid on the things you can bid on. Do not buy them outright. You might get a much better price by patiently bidding instead of buying outright!
- Be familiar with the item you are trying to buy, so you can tell if it is a knock off or not. For example, if you are trying to buy a purse made by a specific manufacturer, know the features that identify a purse made by the manufacturer and look for them!
- Do not buy electronic devices on Ebay unless the seller has a 99% or higher positive feedback rating. Scam artists continually sell cheap quality knock-off electronic devices there.
Great Ideas for Amazon shopping
On Amazon you do not have to be as careful shopping on Amazon as you do on Ebay. Jeff Beezos, founder and CEO of Amazon, stands behind everything sold on Amazon. If you do not like something you have bought for any reason, contact Amazon through your Amazon account. Amazon will send you a return shipping label and provide a prompt refund.
Enjoy these great ideas for stress-free shopping!
Let the encouraging words in these bobbiejrae posts help you
soar like an eagle above life’s storms.
Want to reduce your bills?
Protect your computer and identity.
What is the very best gift for your family?
Don’t let scammers hurt you this holiday season!