Craigslist Classified Ads

There's another great alternative to paying retail price - free online classifieds! The most popular online classifieds website is Craigslist. The site has classifieds for all sorts of things such as sales, advertisements for garage sales, personals, and discussion forums. For the purpose of this post I'll be discussing the "for sale" classifieds.

Craigslist is very similar to newspaper classifieds, except the website is updated constantly. Individuals post advertisements for items they would like to sell and some people even make posts requesting items they need. It is important to pay attention to certain aspects of each post. Each heading typically contains three pieces of information: a basic description of the item, an asking price, and a location. Sometimes the poster will deliberately provide false information, such as a price of only $1 for something clearly more valuable than a dollar in an effort to get a wider range of viewers. Keep this in mind when viewing search results. Users can also limit search results by these aspects. Guidelines for search keywords on Craigslist is the same as those for using eBay.

There are some social rules or etiquette that people often follow with regard to transactions through craigslist. Posters provide some sort of contact information in their ad, and when contacting a poster a "requester" should also provide contact information. Both parties should resolve all questions and concerns before either party makes the trip to pick up the item. Try to barter over the purchase price before going to pick up or deliver the item. It's rude to back out of a transaction at the last moment. Additionally, the purchaser usually makes the trip to the seller, unless the distance is great (then both parties will generally meet in the middle). Sellers usually prefer to deal in cash, because it is the safest way to make sure they get paid.

Typically Craigslist is a better option for selling or purchasing large items such as furniture or large lots of items. Sometimes it's worthwhile to find smaller items on Craigslist if you need something in a short period of time, or you happen to come across something nearby. Because of the smaller audience (local city only generally), items also typically sell for less than they would on eBay or other retail websites. Just think of Craigslist as an ever changing, updating garage sale! Really that's all it is! Except, instead of wandering neighborhood streets hoping to randomly come across the perfect item, you have the convenience and the freedom to shop around and compare from your home or office.

It is very important that you consider the context of Craigslist and keep safety in mind. If you are not comfortable visiting the seller's home, then request that they meet you in a well populated, public location. This is not an unreasonable request. Also, as a seller, if you are uncomfortable with a person based on communication, it is not unreasonable to refuse to sell your item to that person. Remember, with private transactions there's no protection against fraud, so protect yourself and your things!

I hope that's helpful for those of you wishing you could save a little money here and there without having to wait on shipping. I've found some truly great deals on Craigslist that I wouldn't have been able to afford otherwise.

Edit 11/1/07: I came across a very important article that points out the critical issue of safety in dealing with online classified ads. A young woman used Craigslist to locate a nanny position. When she went to interview with the family, she didn't return. She was later found dead in the trunk of her car. Even though online classifieds are a great way to get a great deal, please keep your safety in mind!

eBay Bidding Techniques

I've been using eBay to find good deals and nifty stuff for quite a number of years now. I've heard differing opinions on how to navigate the bidding process. Ultimately, it depends on your desire for the item, how much of a deal you want, and what time the auction ends. The basic bidding process is the easiest to use, because eBay handles a lot of the work for you. When you find an item you want, place a bid for the absolute most you're willing to pay (before shipping) and eBay will bid in increments up to your maximum bid as long as the auction is open. If you get outbid and decide you really would be willing to spend more, you can bid again. This isn't necessarily the best way to get a good deal, however. With most purchases I like to use the "bid shark" method:
1. Watch the item until it becomes near the end of the auction.
2. If the bid price is still low enough to be worth bidding, watch the item by refreshing the page every 30 seconds to a minute.
3. Place a bid for the absolute most you're willing to pay at the very end, with between 30 seconds and a minute to go before close of the auction.

This technique accomplishes a few things:

• It keeps other bidders from deciding "Oh, I guess I could spend a few more dollars, let me go back and bid again since I've been outbid."
• It keeps the purchase price lower because bidders aren't constantly going back and forth, raising the price with each bid.
• It ensures that you will only bid high enough to get a really good deal; you won't be tempted to bid again and again just to "win" the item.

When choosing to use this technique, you need to remember a few things:

• Make sure you can and will be paying very close attention to the auction when it comes to a close. I have missed quite a few deals by watching TV or surfing the net instead of entering my final bid. I've even completely forgotten about the auction many times! This also means don't try to bid this way on auctions that close at 2 in the morning; they're probably not worth the extra hassle.
• Don't use the "bid shark" method if the auction is something you simply must have and can't risk losing to an extremely high pre-placed maximum bid. You probably won't have time to re-bid if you wait until the last 30 seconds of an auction to place your bid.
• Make sure you finish your bid completely; there are at least 2 steps to completing a bid on an item. Do not forget to confirm, or you will miss out on making your bid!

I hope this helps you understand the process better. Remember, use your powers for good, not evil!

Shopping Alternative: eBay.com

The newest craze with regard to shopping online is the use of auction sites such as eBay to buy and sell items. There are some additional concerns to consider when using eBay, but ultimately a buyer can find either stellar deals or unusual items that they would otherwise not find in a store. The first place to start when shopping on eBay is to conduct a search. There are so many active auctions that browsing through categories could prove to be a huge waste of time. Let's use an example: I want a new sterling silver and opal necklace, preferably with some sort of Celtic knot work in the design. If I were to go browsing through the jewelry section it could take me a decade to browse through all the sub-categories and auctions looking for that exact item. Selecting your search parameters is very important; sellers don't always use the same terminology or even correct spelling when posting their items. If I typed "Sterling Silver Natural Opal Necklace Celtic Knot" into the search bar, I'd probably get no results (which is true, upon testing!). Selecting your search parameters is very important; sellers don't always use the same terminology or even correct spelling when posting their items. If I simply searched for "silver necklace" I'd probably still get too many results to wade through. Pick the most important characteristics to search with: "silver opal necklace" (search on 10/18 returned 193 items). There are more ways to increase or decrease your chances of finding appropriate auctions under the "advanced search" options:

• Search headings and descriptions
• Search completed auctions
• Change search parameter to include "Any of these words" instead of "All of these words"
• Select certain categories to search in
• Select certain sellers to search
• Exclude other search terms
• Only show items from certain countries or listed with certain currencies
• Only show auctions with multiple items available or lots
• Only show certain payment options
• Only show items within certain price range, number of bids, or time limit

Cautions
To make sure you really are getting a good deal on eBay; there are a few things you need to watch. Every seller and buyer has feedback regarding each transaction. When considering an item it's a good idea to check the seller's feedback to make sure they can be trusted. Most importantly a lot of sellers have figured out that people tend to ignore or forget about the shipping costs so they list their item at $0.01 but then charge full retail price or more for shipping costs. An over-eager bidder will ignore the shipping charge listing and you cannot retract a bid. So if you win that item, it will cost you either more than retail price or serious consequences from eBay for failing to pay. Also many items will not be labeled as new, used, refurbished, or even properly working in the auction heading. Read every item listing in its entirety to make sure it's good enough for your needs. Nearly all listings are sold as is, no refunds unless the seller is a major company who chooses to honor a return policy. Even if they accept items for refund shipping costs will not be included and you will be required to pay the return shipping.

EBay can be a great place to find great deals or special treasures. Just be certain of what you're looking for - it's a popular site! And start your shopping early - you will likely have to wait for an auction to end and wait on shipment to arrive.

Virtual Store vs. Brick-and-Mortar Stores

Even if you're not comfortable with providing your credit card or bank information online, you can still use the internet to make your shopping more efficient. Instead of running all over town fighting crowds, traffic, and wasting gas you can instead use the internet to your advantage. Most major stores now maintain websites with full inventory of their available stock. Do your research about whatever it is you need, find the store with the best price, read the item specifications and reviews to make sure it's what you want, and check the available inventory before you venture to the store. Sometimes, depending on the product, it really is a much better deal to purchase something through a local store rather than pay for shipping to your house. Some stores even offer in store pick-up - Bestbuy.com, Walmart.com, Circuitcity.com, Linensnthings.com, just to name a few. You can go online, pick out what you need, provide billing information and the items will be ready to pick up at the front of the store within 24 hours! I've found this to be extremely helpful when I've forgotten a birthday until the last minute and I don't have time to run around the store trying to find that one item. I just let the store employees pull it off the shelves for me! This is also a good tactic if you are trying to save money by avoiding impulse buying. By not running through the store, you won't come across something you think you need at that moment but ultimately you really don't. So next time you need to pick something up real fast, do the legwork online and buy it offline!

Basics of Shopping on the Internet

Ever get tired of running all over town looking for that certain item? Ever wish you could find the perfect gift for somebody without having to wander through the aisles of a dozen different stores? Shopping online can save consumers a lot of headaches, and buying online can yield the greatest savings if you know what you're doing.

There are two primary ways of approaching shopping online: browsing for ideas or finding the best deal on specific item. Say father's day is coming up in a month and you have no idea what to get your dad. Well pick one hobby he likes, say golf for instance. Bring up a search engine (Google.com is my favorite) and do a little search. Try "golf gifts" and browse through the many results until you find something that might appeal, perhaps a new wristwatch with a golf theme. Now take that product information including make and model and type it into a search engine. Add and remove search terms as needed until you get enough results. Find a couple different vendors and compare them to each other. Do they offer reviews of their service? Do you they have a fair return policy? Do they post a privacy policy and contact information? After picking out a couple trustworthy vendors, compare price. When considering price keep shipping costs in mind. Sites that offer free shipping often will jack their prices up to cover that shipping costs. They just want to be able to say they offer free shipping - reeling in those gullible consumers. The best deal may actually be a small, mom-and-pop-shop of a website who will ship the item for minimal costs but also has low advertising and web maintenance costs. A very important thing to consider though is the risk in purchasing an item and the savings you may get by going with a lesser known vendor. This is why it is very important to review privacy policies and other business policies. If an item arrives damaged, will the seller follow through with a return in a timely manner or will they ignore your pleas for assistance? Will you be out the purchase cost and all the shipping costs? After a negative shopping experience, you may find you have spent more time and money with the less responsible but seemingly cheaper vendor in the end.

The primary thing to remember is to find and rely on reviews from other consumers. Sometimes professional reviews may prove helpful but online readers need to be cautious because often these professional reviewers have been paid for their opinions and they may be biased. Often these reviews focus on point out the features of items, but they can fail to point out the downfalls. Many websites now provide space for consumers to review items they have purchased and used. These reviews are often much more helpful to someone trying to decide if an item is worth the purchase price. Amazon.com is a very popular website that lists items in nearly every category. Most items have pictures, professional reviews and consumer reviews available. I often refer to Amazon.com when trying to decide on something. Cnet.com is a great resource for all electronic items. They have both professional reviews from individuals in the business and consumers. Zappos.com is my favorite resource for reviews on shoes. Their prices are outrageous, but every shoe I've seen on the site has had a huge number of reviews. These reviews help me get a better idea of the fit of a shoe before I shell out the money to buy (on another site with a better price, of course!) Reviews of products also help to confirm the accuracy of photos and descriptions. One caution to keep in mind about reviews though: some people get lemons. Sometimes a faulty product makes it through the process, so keep this in mind when reading through reviews.

So now you've got a reason to venture into the scary domain of internet shopping. Give it a try, you might be surprised how easy it is! Just don't get carried away... it can become addictive... then you'll find yourself writing blogs like this one! Hahaha!