Online Shopping Nomenclature – Is this Really a Good Deal?

Posted by Siddeley on February 11, 2009

Seems like we always abbreviate words and phrases we use a lot of – TV for television, Web for World Wide Web – and Online Shopping is no different.

For example – In Ex #1 do you know how much you will pay for the Crock Pot at the time you purchase it?

Ex #1 – Best Crock Pot Ever – Reg $34.99 Today $24.99 Shipped after $5 MIR

Will you pay

$19.99?
$24.99?
$29.99?
$ 5.00?
$34.99?

OK & What about this -

Ex #2 – iPod – Reg $159 Today $135 Shipped

Will you have to pay more than $135?

Let’s step through some of the commonly used online shopping terms.  You’ll be online shopper savy before you can bring up a new Dealtaker Window

Shipped – This means the price you see is all inclusive.  In Ex #2 the ‘Today $135 Shipped’ means you will pay $135 at the time of purchase. The Shipping charge is included in the price shown.

Ex #3 – Logitech Mouse – Reg $38.75 Now $18.75 A/R, Free Shipping!

A/R – After Rebate – The price you are given before the A/R (Ex #3 – $18.75) is NOT what you will be paying out-of-pocket at purchase. This is the net price that you will have paid after you have received your rebate check.  So in Ex #3 you pay $38.75 now and then fill out a rebate request for $20 – Be careful – There can be a lot of catches when rebates are involved so be sure to read the requirements before you make this kind of purchase.

MIR – Mail in rebate – This is the most common type of Rebate (See A/R above)

Flat rate shipping – The shipping charge is normally based on the $ amount of your order or the area it is being delivered to.  A Flat Rate Shipping Charge, as shown in Ex #4, means you will pay one rate, in this case $6.99, regardless of any other order information. *See ONE EXCEPTION below.

For example you will pay $6.99 in total for shipping whether you purchase the hutch for $69.99, the Cabinet for $99.99 or BOTH for $150.

There is ONE EXCEPTION to this -

Extra handling fee for heavy items, bulky or fragile items -  This is an additional fee on top of the stores normal shipping charge.  This is usually applied to Furniture items but can pop up anywhere.

Ex #4 – Corner Hutch – Reg $99.99 Now $69.99, Corner Cabinet – Reg $129.99 Now $99.99 – Save when you buy both – Now $150, Flat Rate Shipping of 6.99

So still using Ex #4 lets say that the Hutch has a $20 extra handling fee and the Cabinet has a $30 extra handling fee:

You will pay $96.98 in total for the Hutch ($69.99 sale price + $20 extra handling fee + $6.99 shipping = $96.98 Shipped)
You will pay $136.98 in total for the Cabinet ($99.99 sale price + $30 extra handling fee + $6.99 shipping = $136.98 Shipped)

Coupon or Promo Code - This is a code that can be applied to an order to discount the order or an item in some way (ie free ship, % off, $ off, gift with purchase).

Little tidbit of info – The term Promo comes from ‘promotion code’.  Before online shopping, Mail order catalogs would use this code to provide sale pricing to a specific group of customers.  A catalog could be sent with a dress priced at $60 instead of its normal price of $80.  If someone else were to pick up a non-sale catalog they would see the $80 price.  In a nut shell a promotion code allowed a store to target different groups of customers based on specific criteria.

Stack coupons – This is when a store will allow you to apply multiple coupon or promo codes on the same order.  For example there may be two coupons/promos you are eligible for – one coupon for free shipping and one for a % or $ off the item.

Using Ex #5 – Lets say that the item is on sale for $37.99.  To pay only $32.99 in total, or shipped, you will need to apply the ‘$5 off $30 promo code’ and the ‘Free Shipping on $20′ promo code.

It is very uncommon to see Stores allowing coupon/promo code stacking.  It is not uncommon, however, for a store to have a free shipping offer that does not require a code AND a promo/coupon code that will allow you to take an extra discount.

Ex #5 – Bed-in-a-bag – Reg $79.99 Now $32.99 Shipped + $5 off $30 promo/Free shipping on $20 coupon Stacked.

A couple other abbreviations that are good to know are:

DOD – Deal of the Day
DOW – Deal of the Week

These deals are only for a very limited time and as I always say “Don’t Wait!  You may be too late”

Alright then – back to my first question – how much you will pay for the Crock Pot at the time you purchase it?

Ex #1 – Best Crock Pot Ever – Reg $34.99 Today $24.99 Shipped after $5 MIR

$19.99?
$24.99?
$29.99?
$ 5.00?
$34.99?

Yep $29.99.  Once you fill out your rebate info and receive a check for $5 you will have only paid the $24.99 Shipped.

**I have not discussed taxes on purpose – too many variables.

So take your online shopping savvy self over to Dealtaker’s Internet Deals and Coupon Codes and check out just how much Dealtaker.com can save you!

Friends Don’t Let Friends Pay Full Price

Posted by BrattyJeni on February 10, 2009

We’ve all heard the term Friends Don’t Let Friends Drink & Drive. So when we can find such great deals with online shopping…. Why would we let our friends pay retail prices? Everyone that knows me knows that I do not pay retail for anything. I love getting great deals and I want to share that love with others. I’m not talking about being cheap here. I’m talking about getting the same quality products for a portion of the cost.

Just recently I was caught out wearing a leather Def Leppard jacket (retail $395) and my friend asked how much I got it for. Being very proud of myself and shopping/saving money skills I simply said, “Only $35 shipped to my front door from Wilsons Leather.”

You should have seen her chin hit the floor…. PRICELESS! As you can imagine this led into some of the other bargains I have purchased and my savings throughout the year. She was amazed, almost speechless. I shared a few simple steps for saving money with online shopping, and would like to share with you too. Happy Shopping & Saving!!
1. Know what it is you want/need to shop online for.
2. Then using Pricetaker search the item you want to purchase. This will allow you to find the vendor with the cheapest available price. But wait, it gets better!!
3. Going to our coupon section locate the store you will shopping at. There you find current coupon codes to enter at checkout. This will drop your price even further!! Some stores will even let you stack coupon codes! (For example, you might find a code to get $30 off a $100 purchase and then a second code for free shipping!) But wait, it still gets better!
4. Use a credit card to pay for the purchase that gives you points, cash-back, air-line miles, hotel savings, etc just for using it. It’s very common these days to have a card in your wallet that awards you just for using it. (Pay off monthly balance)
Tips:
Internet shopping is all about convenience, bookmark site before you start shopping for quick and easy access.
Plan ahead – make a list of the things you need. Ex: Birthdays, Anniversary’s, etc….
Don’t make purchases just because you’re getting a great deal. Make sure you’re shopping for things you need and/or will use in the near future.