What are your top tips for finding the best gift ideas and bargains online?

Question

We get asked a lot if we have any special pointers on how to find the best possible deals online without being taken in by scams. Of course, we have our own tricks to finding cool gifts for every budget, but we are curious to know how you guys do it. Share the knowledge!

Yahoo! Canada Answers Staff note: Ann Burgess is an Editor and Merchandising Manager at Shop To It Inc. Check out great suggestions for holiday gifts at: http://yahoo.shoptoit.ca/shop/content--l…

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

Online promotion codes!
I like www.retailmenot.com
They have very good coupons that save me a bundle!
Also most shopping websites have sales and promotions going on for the holidays such as free shipping, 20% off, etc.
They even have a gift section that contains a certain price
category so you don't go over your budget! :)

Asker's Rating:

Asker's Comment:

Thanks for your response!

Answer 2

I'm a big fan of comparison shopping -- if there's a DVD I want to buy, for example, I'll check amazon.com, amazon.ca, BestBuy.ca, HMV.ca, chapters-indigo.ca and Yahoo! Canada Shopping before I buy it. A few extra clicks of the mouse can save a few dollars!

I'm also REALLY careful where I shop online. If I don't recognise the URL, I won't shop there. I only shop on sites where the security seal is enabled (the little lock icon in the bottom right corner of your screen) and the URL is https instead of http -- that way, I know it's a secure site and less likely to encounter fraud. I am meticulous about checking my credit card, too, to ensure there are no 'surprise' purchases from URLs I don't recognise -- this happened to me last year and I was able to nip it in the bud straight away.

Happy Shopping!

Answer 3

Compare prices - product cost plus shipping costs, and for newer vendors, look-up reputation on internet and ensure they will take returns and provide refunds.