Low cost, high tech.
It is perhaps one of the most welcomed children of the internet age. Gone are the days where one would run from store to store, bartering for the best deal, and subjecting yourself to long (and to those who are not quite tech-savvy, incomprehensible spiels regarding value, price or why Mr. Jones’ store is better than Mrs. Smith's. Instead, the best deals can be found with a cup of coffee, a laptop and an internet connection.
Websites like Kogan offer
high quality products, with cheap shipping costs, and often, good warranties. These websites offer the everyday brands and
products that you are familiar with; Samsung televisions, Sony DVD players,
Apple iPads – all at a discounted price. However, the real bargains are to be
found with products native to the websites themselves. Kogan branded
televisions, for example, often contain the same insides as mainstream
products, and sell for a fraction of the cost.
Physical stores have caught
wind of the potential for online sales, too – which is only a good thing, as they
need to remain competitive. JB HiFi dedicates a portion of their website to
online-only sales, in their “factory-scoop” section. In addition, brands
without an online presence sometimes utilize third party websites, such as
Catch of the Day, Groupon, OurDeal, Cudo and the like.
However: buy with caution!
The following are a few
things to consider:
- Read. Know what you are
buying, and what the purchase entails. Don’t buy anything without reading what
the product is. Often the images used to advertise products online differ from
what you are actually sent.
- Look for products on
websites with good reputations. If you use Ebay, only buy from vendors with
good reputations and positive comments. You can usually decipher the genuine
comments or reviews, from the fake ones. Pay most attention to negative
comments - they are usually the most accurate.
- Do not make purchases from look-alike websites. There are people in the
world looking to make a quick buck. We call them con-artists. They exist
online, too. Make sure you only make purchases from websites that you KNOW are
legitimate.
Have you got a good bargain website? Have you grabbed any great deals, or have things gone wrong, and you've gotten more than you had bargained for? Leave a comment!
Here are the websites I've mentioned:
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