10 Habits to Get the Best Online Price

Do you know how to get the very best deals when shopping online?  Check out this week's video and learn more.  Note: one thing that we forgot to mention in this video is when you are shopping online make sure that you take into account the cost of shipping.  If one site is offering a cheaper price than another for the product check the shipping cost on both to make sure that it's really the best deal.  And for the best deal on your mortgage give me a call.

 

Text from video:

Money Saving Minute #021 - 10 Habits to Get the Best Online Price

According to Money Talks News and Yahoo! Finance when you’re shopping online, prices on everything from toilet paper to TVs could fluctuate several times a day.  Dynamic pricing, a strategy that the travel industry has been using for years, is now being used online for many consumer goods.  While dynamic pricing makes online shopping more complicated, there’s a silver lining: By following a few simple steps, it’s easy to find the best prices.

1. Use price-tracking apps

An iApp, such Price Tracker, can help you stay on top of Amazon dot com price changes. The Decide app, also for Apple products, helps to determine whether now is the right time to buy a particular product.  For Andriod Smart Phones, try The Price Tracker Platinum app.  This app provides price tracking for Amazon.com, Walmart, Target, and eBay.

2. Use price-tracking sites

Check out CamelCamelCamel.com to receive Amazon DOT com price drop alerts, price history charts, and price watches. Also follow CamelCamelCamel on Twitter to stay informed of additional sales and promotions. Decide DOT com is another useful site that tracks products and determine whether now is the right time to buy.

3. Comparison shop

It’s easy to compare prices by visiting multiple sites. But to save time, there are a variety of price-comparing sites to help find the lowest prices in one place. Consider PriceGrabber.com, Pricewatch.com, and Shopping.com.

4. Watch for price reductions after you buy 

If you purchase an item online and very soon after find the retailer offering it for a lower price, take a screenshot and email it to the retailer. While there are no guarantees, you may be able to get a refund for the difference.  This is also something to try if you find the same product on another retailer's site for less.  If you email the retailer that you purchased the item from and tell them that you are considering returning the purchase and buying it from the competitor at the lower price they might refunding the difference...especially if the retailer is paying for return shipping.
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5. Clear your cookies before shopping

Sometimes retailers attract NEW shoppers by offering lower prices. Trick a retailer into thinking you’re a new shopper by clearing your cookies before your next visit. Websites use cookies to track your visits, spending habits, and past purchases.  Sites can offer you higher or lower prices based on this information.

6. Abandoned The Shopping Cart

If you fill up your shopping cart on a retailer’s site but don’t buy anything, you may receive a reminder, discount, or other incentive as a follow-up.  Here’s how it works: Shop the site and add anything you want to your cart. Proceed to check out and fill out enough of the form to enter in your email address. But don’t complete the sale. Wait a day or two and see if you get a special deal or discount in your email inbox.

7. Look for career discounts

Some pages, such as Dell, offer different pricing for certain professionals such as teachers and government employees.  When shopping on a website look for any discounts that may apply specifically to you.

8. Check all of your options

On Amazon dot com, scroll down to see similar products at cheaper prices; the featured or sponsored products at the top may cost more. This applies to other sites as well.  Some sites list search results by price from high to low or most popular.  Be sure to adjust the way the results are presented and view all available options.

9. Search for promotional codes

In addition to finding the lowest available price online, there may also be additional coupon codes available. Go to your favorite search engine and type the product name and the words “coupon code” and see what comes up. Also, check out RetailMeNot.com, CouponCodes.com and Coupons.com for coupon codes, printable coupons, grocery coupons, and free shipping offers.  For more information see Money Saving Minute #014.

10. Look for shipping discounts

Never pay full price on shipping unless you absolutely have to. You might come across free or discounted shipping offers during your search for coupon codes. Also check out FreeShipping.org for additional deals.

This has been Money Saving Minute number 021.  It's your money and watching the Money Saving Minute each week will help you keep more of it.  Subscribe to the right, share with your Facebook and G plus friends below and as always your comments are welcomed.