by Jennifer Coots
assistant perspectives editor
With tons of convenient online shopping websites to consider when deciding to buy the latest CD, box office hit, Gucci sweater, or Prada handbag, it is tough to decipher which sites are better than others.
However, when shoppers know what they wish to purchase or simply want to browse a wide selection of products, but don’t want to travel from shop to shop, deal with traffic, miserable retail workers or weather, with the click of a mouse, they can purchase goods and have them delivered to their home door.
To get a taste of the excitement of online shopping, check out the sites that offer every genre of products. An example of such a site is the ever-popular Amazon.com.
“My wife and I buy a lot of books and videos at Amazon,” chemistry professor Dr. Louis Nudy said. “Every time we shopped at other online stores, everything was on back order. At Amazon, we always got what we expected.”
Aside from Amazon’s amazing selection of everything from electronics, beauty products and automobiles, the site regularly discounts their products. Products sold on Amazon are usually equal or considerably less priced than those sold in retail stores.
The security on Amazon.com is also above par. Do not worry about punching in your credit card numbers, because unlike other online shopping sites, like Cheaptickets.com, the site allows you to completely erase your card number off of the main database.
Also, if a customer logged onto their account at a publicly shared computer and has forgotten to log off, the next user will be unable to purchase any items, even though the account is still active.
According to what the user purchased previously on the site, every time a member logs on to Amazon, a list of products the user may be interested in is displayed.
Auction sites are also available for shoppers who are seeking items that are difficult to locate, are discontinued or are too costly. The most popular auction site is Ebay.com, which has enjoyed continued popularity and growth.
Ebay was the first auction website to surface, becoming a pioneer in its field and earning respect from online auction gurus. Other online auction sites like Yahoo’s Auction and AuctionAddict.com cannot compare to Ebay in terms of size and product availability.
“I found everything from current concert tickets to vintage items,” junior Patty Boerckel said. “Everything I bid for I received at a great price.”
In terms of customer service and satisfaction, Ebay houses a Fraud Protection Program, which protects buyers when they are victims of corrupt sellers and offers a fixed amount of money back to cover seller damages.
Ebay also allows buyers to inspect products firsthand before purchasing them by using the site’s SafeHarbor escrow service.
Those who are fashion savvy and have some extra disposable income, check out the Saks Fifth Avenue shopping site at Saks.com. This site is for those who cannot make it to the mother of all Saks, the main headquarters in Manhattan, or those who just want to preview the latest styles.
Although Saks sells high-end high-ticketed items, they are notorious for their sales racks, which a selection is easily previewed in the Sales category. Simply point, click and conveniently drop those 50 percent off Donald Pliner boots in your online shopping Saks Bag.
Most major retail stores have online shopping websites that are easily accessible as well.
