Shopping Smart

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Okay, so now you know how to shop. You can get online, pick out something cool, order it and wait for delivery. That's great! But just like in the real world, the online shopping world's full of plenty of people trying to rip you off. So be a safe shopper and follow some (or hopefully all) of the advice listed below.

Hidden Costs

You'll find plenty of discounted items online, but if you're not careful, you could end up paying more at the checkout line than you would in a real store. That's because Websites like to keep added costs hidden until you're almost done with your shopping.

What sort of hidden costs? Well the biggest of the bunch is shipping and handling. Depending on how fast you want your item delivered (from regular mail to overnight delivery), shipping can add some serious dollars. Unfortunately, it's a way of Internet life. Sure some sites occasionally offer free shipping (especially around the holidays), but for the most part you're gonna have to shell out those extra bucks for the convenience of not running to the store. But if an item's discount is larger than the shipping, great, you're in business. Also, it's in your best interest to buy several items at once to help cut down on shipping costs.

Other hidden costs? Well, they can range from sales tax to restocking fees. Just make sure you understand every cost that's added to your order before you finalize the deal. If you're confused, uneasy or have any questions, don't place the order. Contact the site's customer service first and ask any questions you may have. Hey, it's better to be safe than sorry.

Return Policies

So that sweater you bought last week just arrived, and wouldn't you know it, it's a size too big. Or it's the wrong color. Or the threads all frayed, leaving you a box of twine. Whatever the case, your item's arrived and it's not what you wanted. What to do? Return it!

Most sites (especially online versions of real-world chains) have good customer service departments and they'll handle your return with little to no trouble. If an item's defective, you shouldn't have any problems shipping it back for a new one, at the cost of the company. But unfortunately, not all sites are created equal.

The best defense? Understand a site's return policies before you buy anything. Check to see what the site's specific return policy is-if you can't easily find it, e-mail or call for the full skinny. And if you're buying expensive items (like a computer), many sites will charge you to return faulty equipment, even if it's their fault! And with computers, shipping can reach upwards of $100! So save yourself a lot of headache (and cash!) by knowing a site's return policy before shelling out the big dough.

Warranties

Just because you buy something online, doesn't mean you don't get a warranty. So be aware of what a product's warranty is before you buy it.

Many sites offer full or limited warranties on their items. Full warranties mean return costs are covered, and a full refund or replacement will be offered if your item is not working. A limited warranty, however, can mean hundreds of different things with hundreds of different expiration dates.

It's a good idea to know the specifics of an item's warranty before you buy it. If a site doesn't post any of this info, give them a call or drop them an e-mail.

Avoiding Scams

For every great legitimate Website you visit, chances are there are 2 or 3 illegitimate ones looking to scam you. What can you do? Be prepared.

Here's a quick list of things you can do to verify whether a site's on the up and up:

Do your research. The Better Business Bureau has countless reports on Internet scams. Check out their site for plenty of consumer information regarding any suspicions you may have. Also try sites such as BizRate.com, which rates online stores, and the National Consumers League's National Fraud Information Center.

Visit newsgroups. These Internet message boards post comments from people around the world. Try a number of different newsgroups (like misc.consumers, misc.kids.consumers, or biz.stolen) and see what warnings other customers have about particular sites, people and merchandise.

Know your hoaxes. Plenty of Internet scams start with simple e-mails. Win a holiday! Get $100 for testing Bill Gates' new e-mail program! Scams like these may find their way into your e-mail box. Before you dive right in, check out how absurd they are at debunking sites like Hoaxbusters or urbanmyths.com.

Be suspicious. If a site doesn't list a full address (be wary of sites just listing P.O. Boxes) and/or phone number, stay away.

Don't hang up! Some sites will ask you to log off your current browser and dial in through their "special" browser, where they'll ask for all sorts of personal information. Big red flag! They're just hoping to take your info and run! No legitimate online business would ever make you dial-up separately.

Be smart. You'll get tons of "work at home" offers, credit repair, free trials and big contest e-mails. By responding to any of these, you're letting the scammers know you received their e-mail and they'll come hunting for you. So just ignore them.

Get it in writing. When you're buying from individuals (like on an auction site such as eBay), you aren't as protected as when you buy from businesses. So make sure to get in writing exactly what you are going to pay and what you are going to receive, before you send off any money.

Getting Burned

So you bought something online and never received it. Were you the victim of a...gasp...Interent scam? Maybe. But before you overreact, try a couple of things:

Contact the company. Call up the company you ordered from and explain your situation. Be sure to have all the sale information ready before you call, including a description of the complaint, the number of your cancelled check or the date of your charged credit card. Make sure to write down the day and time you call, the resolution reached and the person you talk to. Hopefully it was just an oversight and everything will be smoothly taken care of. But if notŠ

Follow up with a letter. You can always follow up with an e-mail, but those have a real tendency of getting lost. Instead, write a real letter detailing exactly everything you went over with the person on the phone. In your letter give the company a specific time frame (two days, a week, a month) to clear up your problem. If they don't satisfy your needs, inform them you will contact the appropriate authorities.

Seek help from your credit card company. If you ordered by credit card, your credit card company should be able to assist you. Tell them what happened and they'll tell you what you need to do. But keep in mind that if you dispute a charge, the Federal Truth in Lending Act requires you to notify your credit card company within 60 days of the date of the statement on which the disputed item appears.

Contact the appropriate authorities. If your phone calls and letters all achieved the same result - namely, nothing - it's time to contact the appropriate authorities. Get in touch with the Better Business Bureau in your area or any number of other consumer agencies like the National Consumers League's National Fraud Information Center. And don't forget about your state's consumer protection agency or Attorney General.

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