Posted by: retailresume on: January 9, 2009
When you’re shopping online for discount electronics like cameras, iPods, projectors and computers, it pays to spend some time in comparing not just prices, but also vendor guarantees and warranties offered by the manufacturers. Guarantees by the retail site range from a blanket, no questions asked “satisfaction guaranteed or your money back” to basically nothing. Warranties are promises by the manufacturer to stand by its product, which means repairs to the item will be made by the manufacturer if the item breaks while covered by the warranty. A warranty usually runs for a specific period at no extra cost, while an extended warranty can be quite expensive.
You should also research shipping costs, especially if the item is large and at the high end price range. In some cases, free shipping is quite a savings. International buyers (outside the continental U.S.) not only have to calculate shipping costs, which can be considerable, but also the exchange rate and duties imposed by customs officers.
Most retail sites offer something called “up-sells”. For an extra charge, they’ll include something else. Although this increases the total dollar value, it still may be the best overall deal for you. In other words, you need to remember that the best price on discount electronics is not always accurately reflected in the bottom line.
The fine print may be hard to see, but it needs to be read. Pay particular attention to how items that are damaged (whether in shipping or those that were defective when shipped) are to be returned. Sometimes it may be financially smarter to exchange the product or have it serviced at a local dealer than to pay to ship it directly to the warehouse. Another part of the site to read is the “About” page, so that you can see if the seller is willing to be transparent. If there’s a real person, with a telephone number and mailing address, in charge of the company, why not make the call? Once you’ve established direct contact, you may feel more confident about purchasing a large ticket item over the internet.
If the site offers customer feedback (not just testimonials), that is invaluable insider information. Ignore the best and the worst reviews and read the rest, looking specifically for comments about prompt customer service that solved whatever the problem or issue was, or about non-problematic and courteous refunds. If you see a trend developing, such as poor packaging, breakage or missing pieces, move on to the next retailer. With the competition in the field, your choices for discount electronics sellers are numerous and there’s no reason to settle for anything less than exemplary products, prices and service.
Buy Net Stuff (http://www.universalshoppers.com/) is an online retailer specializing in discount electronics. Art Gib is a freelance writer.
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