7-Things-to Check Before You Buy
Posted by Alerts For Consumers at Fri, 30 Nov 2007 11:48:00 GMT and is filed under Consumer News,Consumer Intelligence Alerts 
Categories: Holiday shopping, consumer holiday information. consumer shopping tip.
While many online retailers like SmartBargains make it easy for consumers to evaluate products, other sites may not have a reputation, the reviews to instill consumer confidence. Here are five ways to evaluate a retailer’s legitimacy before you buy:
• Look for a shopping site with product reviews
• Check the Better Business Bureau and the Complaints.com web site for consumer feedback
• Scour the Terms and Conditions for the return policy and shipping terms
• Watch out for ambiguous terms and conditions
• Check the site’s 800-number to speak to a live operator
• Look for site security as well as a site certificate or authenticated page (i.e. )
The Internet is not immune to unbiased information. That’s why holiday shopping online requires a lot of time. Approximately 40 percent of American consumers will do their online Christmas shopping on the Internet and spend more than 10 hours conducting consumer research (Source: Consumer Reports).
While many online retailers like SmartBargains make it easy for consumers to evaluate products, other sites may not have a reputation, the reviews to instill consumer confidence. Here are five ways to evaluate a retailer’s legitimacy before you buy:
• Look for a shopping site with product reviews
• Check the Better Business Bureau and the Complaints.com web site for consumer feedback
• Scour the Terms and Conditions for the return policy and shipping terms
• Watch out for ambiguous terms and conditions
• Check the site’s 800-number to speak to a live operator
• Look for site security as well as a site certificate or authenticated page (i.e. )
• Last but not least, do not forget to print and email yourself copies of all receipts and online transactions. In case you need to check on the status of an order, be sure to include the company's phone number.
For the ultimate holiday bargain shopping and for free shipping, SmartBargains features complimentary deliveries with any purchase over $75.
By Holly Bentz (c) 2007 fruitionMedia
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