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Issue Date: November 25 , 2007
Shopping online? Here are eight crucial tips to remember
Web-shopping experts with their advice
By Natalie Ermann Russell
During the holiday season, many of us shop online to avoid the crowded, hectic stores. Are there any tricks or secrets to getting good deals online and making sure that your gifts are delivered on time? We asked several Web-shopping experts to give us some pointers:
Not a creature was stirring, except for my mouse
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Order online from retailers, then pick up in person. According to the National Retail Federation, 13.6 million consumers did this last holiday season and avoided shipping charges. By moving the selection process to your home computer, you also won't have to make important gift-buying decisions while battling it out among a sea of shoppers.
Be sure the site lets you use different delivery addresses for different items.
Most major retailers let you have this option. "Not only do you not have to leave your house to purchase the gifts," says Amazon.com's Craig Berman, "you don't have to pack them up and take them to the post office or UPS" to send them to different addresses.
Sign up to receive e-mail alerts from your favorite online retailers. "Good retailers value customers" who sign up for e-mails, so they'll "give them first preview to new products and exclusive offers that cannot be found elsewhere," says Ahroon Yoch of RedEnvelope.com.
Make sure your gift can be returned. Know the answers to these questions, Yoch says: Does the return policy allow the credit to go to the recipient instead of the buyer? How long is the return window?
Be sure you're shopping on a secure site. Before you input any personal information, Yoch says, look for a little padlock in the corner of the page or for an "s" after the "http" in the URL address ("http://shoppingwebsite.com," for example, should become "https://shoppingwebsite.com").
Check the website's cutoff ordering date for Christmas delivery. Holiday ground shipping (usually the least expensive method) ends about five to seven business days before Christmas for most retailers, Yoch says. Waiting even an extra day may require you to pay double for shipping to get your gift delivered on time.
Browse the Internet to brainstorm for gifts. Many RedEnvelope.com customers have said that even though they don't buy from that site for every person on their list, "they use the site as an inspirational starting point," Yoch says.
Be aware of the processing times for special services. Find out how much extra time might be required in order to have a gift monogrammed or customized.
One-stop online shops
The ideal Christmas-shopping experience is to get everything all in one place. Here are some online merchants that can satisfy anyone on your list -- from your boss to your brother-in-law.
A single share of Disney stock, framed and personalized, costs less than $135.
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OneShare.com Give a stake in someone's favorite company, such as Hasbro or Anheuser-Busch. The website is set up so you can browse by stock or recipient categories.
XperienceDays.com. Give the gift of "doing." Activities include the romantic (hot-air ballooning for two), the adventurous (drag-racing) and the enlightening (a cooking class).
SportsFanfare.com You can find paraphernalia from major universities, as well as for pro baseball, basketball,football, hockey or racing teams. Available items range from clothing to calendars to crib mobiles.
GiftCertificates.com Select a gift certificate from hundreds of companies -- stores, restaurants, airlines, hotels, theaters. Or you can give your loved ones a gift certificate for this site, allowing them to choose exactly what they want.
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