Best Net Bargains

BusinessWeek

Discounts are abundant on theInternet, but you have to be careful ofwhere and how you surf. It is importantto take your time and do your purchasinghomework before making a selectiononline. To avoid paying full price, takeadvantage of the online sites that offercoupons and rebates on a variety ofitems. Some examples include www.dealcatcher.com, www.coolsavings.com, andwww.pricegrabber.com. Be wary of somesites, such as Overstock.com, that claimto offer prices up to 80% below a manufacturer'slist price. recentlyfound close to 100 instances whereOverstock overstated the manufacturer'slist price. To avoid falling into this trap,make sure you visit sites that offer freeprice comparisons of items and comparethe deals from the various e-retailers toensure that you are getting the best pricepossible, such as www.dealtime.com orwww.bizrate.com, which also offers readerreviews of the products so you cancompare the strengths and weaknesses ofa certain product. A little due diligencewill go a long way toward helping youconsistently find the best deal.