Mouse Clix

By: Hobie Lunin

Shopping on the Internet

I am not what you would call a shopper. I read somewhere that most men aren’t. But there is always a birthday and Christmas each year and so it is unavoidable. Back a few years ago when catalogue shopping was popular, there I was. I went through the catalogs, filled out the order forms, adding a check and mailed it in. That was my kind of shopping. I really enjoyed shopping that way. Today when I shop I go on to the Internet. People ask me about it. There seems to be some fear of it. Here’s the skinny on it.

First question I get asked is whether I am concerned about my credit card number being misused. When people ask that, I answer with my own question. Do you worry about handing a waiter your credit card in a restaurant and he disappears from view for more than a few minutes? I suggest that people who worry about that aspect, call their card company and check on what their fraud coverage is. For many people it’s a fifty-dollar deductible. I happen to have a card with no deductible. If you are concerned about somebody just making your life miserable by running up a bill even though it can be covered by insurance, get yourself another card with a very low maximum. Actually, it is really not necessary. Most web sites guarantee you against fraud. And, at least in the beginning, just shop at sites where you know the name and trust it. Land’s End, LL Bean, Wal-Mart, Spiegel’s to name a few.

Well, OK, you say, how does it work? Here’s one answer. Start your search at www.yahoo.com and look for “shopping” somewhere near the middle left of the opening page. There are some stores listed, but you can

try to find what you are looking for by item. Either way you will eventually find the product you want. Or you can go right to the site of the store if you know the URL (Web address). Most of the time you can just guess at the address and get it right, e.g., Best Buy is www.bestbuy.com. Makes sense doesn’t it?

Find the product and have a look at the price. Also click on any links, for example if the name of the product or the model number is a link (usually blue and underlined), click on it and you will see a more detailed description. Look around on the site for warranty information and return policy and print them out so you have it as a record. Another thing is to check the same item at a few stores on-line. This is something I usually do and especially recently, when I purchased a new computer on the Internet. It is so convenient to shop half dozen stores in a few minutes without even putting your shoes on or looking for the car keys.

When you have found the item at the best price there is a usually a place to “add to shopping cart/bag”. This means you want to buy it. Keep shopping if you want or go to “checkout”. The process takes a few screens. As you continue to follow the links, you will be told about how the item will be shipped and maybe even when or possibly the inventory for the item will show up and so you will know that it is in stock and will ship within a time frame usually mentioned on the page.

The big moment comes when you are asked for your credit card. A notice that you are entering a secure site usually precedes that screen. This means that your credit card number is being scrambled so that the chance of someone getting the number is greatly reduced. Make sure you have it correctly as well as well as the expiration date. At that point you will be shown what the shipping charge will be. Complete it all and you will be done. There will be another notice that you are leaving the secure area and you probably will get a thank you from the supplier.

In a few days your product will be there and you will realize how easy it is and that you will be hooked on this new way of shopping. Well, what have I bought on the Internet? In addition to a new computer which came from the West Coast and arrived in 13 days (shorter than the projected time for that item), and sneakers from LL Bean (I ordered them on a Saturday and they arrived on the following Tuesday). A small exercise apparatus was received in less than a week. Software that I downloaded immediately after completing the transaction. And only yesterday, a new power supply for my Zip Drive.

Last Christmas I ordered a custom coffee mug for a friend. I uploaded a picture to the site (www.iprint.com) and was able to add text and see exactly how it would look on the mug before I “OK’d” it. The mug was exactly what I had designed when it arrived less than a week later.

Another convenience is being able to track your package when shipped by any of the parcel delivery companies. I followed the progress of my computer from California to Willow Grove by checking the UPS site each day. There are often sales where delivery is free so that you can buy something at a really good price and feel OK about not having gone to pick it up. And remember: most sites are not charging a sales tax!

Hobie Lunin is a Computer Instructor and Consultant, and can be reached at hlunin@email.com. To see previous columns and other information, point your browser to http://mouseclix.tripod.com