We live in a wonderful area, at least for gray-hairs like me! But I think almost everyone would admit that the opportunities for entertainment and shopping are somewhat limited. There are many things you can get in our fine local shops, but many that you can't - especially computer, stereo, and electronics items. The result is that we do a lot of our shopping on the Internet. Internet shopping is easy and fairly safe, if you follow a few rules.
First of all, you need to know what you want. It is much more difficult to casually browse items on the Internet than to walk through the aisles of a store. You need to collect information from friends, advertisements, magazines, etc. before you start shopping. When you are ready, then go searching on the Internet. One possibility is to look in local stores first, but this can create a problem: If everyone spent the local store's time and money viewing displayed items and then bought instead on the Internet, the local store would not make any money and disappear. You have to balance this, and I make sure that I always give the local vendor the best chance to make the sale. Also, if you need support, help, or installation services, the local store option may be the best choice regardless of price.
Always, always, always pay by credit card. This is your best bet to resolve any issues or billing problems that may occur. Also, many cards offer additional incentives to use them, such as double manufacturer's warranty. This has saved my bacon a few times in the past. It is OK to use your credit card to make online purchases but only do this if the transaction is secure - you will usually see a locked padlock symbol in your browser window.
Never, never, never give out any personal information. Give the vendor only what they need to complete the order. Never give out your Social Security number in any case. If you think the vendor is asking too many questions, find another vendor. You might also check the vendor's information security policy, which should be prominently displayed on their website.
Stick to major vendors. Many of the "brick and mortar" vendors (i.e. those with real retail locations, such as Sears or Circuit City or Best Buy) also have websites and there may be some advantages to using their website. If you have a question about a vendor, check with friends or perhaps chat areas on the Internet. If the vendor's name sounds suspicions, it probably is. For example, I would not buy from www.fell-off-the-back-of-the-truck.com!
Make sure you know the bottom-line price, including shipping. Many web companies have low prices for the product itself, but make up for it by charging high shipping costs. If the website doesn't show you the entire cost BEFORE you place your order, shop elsewhere.
Some products, such as cameras, can be gotten in both full USA versions and imported foreign versions (known as gray market). Be sure the unit you purchase is the USA version and has the full USA warranty.
Always use price search engines. Do this not necessarily for the best price, but to give you an idea of the range of prices and types of vendors. When I have used price search engines, I often see that the best price is from an unreliable or unknown company and usually don't take it.
Finally, there is the old rule that if a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. Be an informed consumer - check prices and try to get the best deal, but a deal that is too good may be from an unreliable company, may be an opened or refurbished product, or may even be outright fraud. Be careful.
Bob Seidel is a local computer consultant in the Southport / Oak Island area. You can visit his website at www.bobseidel.com or e-mail him at bsc@bobseidel.com).