16 Responses to “SHOPPING ON LINE?”

1. Hi Kate. Once again, I’ve done all my shopping online except for two things that my mom picked out for me when she went shopping. It’s SO much easier for me. And faster, too.

   As for Ebay…They will e-mail you daily reminders when you bid on something and then also if you have been outbid. I buy from Ebay but have never sold on there. I’ve gotten burned on there a few times. Most of the time I have gotten my money back, but this last time no such luck. The seller usually has a rating so you can tell if they are reliable. But unfortunately, you can’t always believe the ratings. I’ve been burned several times on there over the last 9 years by people who have very good ratings. Most of the time I got my money back…except this last time. I had a dispute open because I never received an item, and it was never resolved. And by the time I got done with the dispute from Ebay and then went to open one with PayPal, it was too late for PayPal to do anything. And the seller stopped responding to my e-mails over two months ago. So now I’m out $35 and am NOT a happy camper.

   by Traci on December 9th, 2007 at 1:40 am
   
   

2. Since I’m not currently up to hitting the bricks & mortar stores, all my shopping is being done online. Or by proxy via my mom.

   by Tori Lennox on December 9th, 2007 at 11:02 am
   
   

3. Traci,

   Your experiences are why I’ve never ventured into ebay territory. I know people who’ve bought oriental rugs, furniture, vintage clothing, etc. through ebay, and loved it. Me, I’m going with trusted retailers, on and off line.

   by Kate Collins on December 9th, 2007 at 12:09 pm
   
   

4. I’ve been an online shopper since the early days of online shopping, mostly because we do Xmas in NYC, where everyone else in the family lives, so it’s always been easier for me to shop online and have stuff shipped to my mother’s place, where the family gathers for the day. (I live within driving distance now, but for many years I had to fly in for the holidays!)

   That said, if there’s something I can get locally from a NON-chain store, I do that first. There are two local craft shows I usually find good children’s presents at (toys and sweaters), and we have a local shop where all the profits go to charity where I like to see whether I can find things, too.

   Online shops that I like to find cool and different things:
   1) ThinkGeek.com for things you can’t even imagine for geeky types.
   2) Uncommongoods.com for, well, uncommon goods
   3) Planetdog.com (and, of course, planetcat.com), because they give to animal-related charities.

   For the really heavy stuff, I use Amazon. I don’t know why they don’t lose money hand over fist with “prime shipping,” which we buy every year, but it’s something like $90/year and then free two day shipping all year, so we check there first. Since my husband is a carpenter, one power tool purchase and we make up the shipping cost!

   I do shop at ebay if there’s something specific I want, but I am very careful to read the listings and the feedback and I won’t shop for anything pricey unless the seller has at least 100 feedbacks. (It’s too easy to sell to five or ten friends and have them give you positive scores–I look for higher numbers of sales.) I’ve only had a problem once on ebay, and in the end that was resolved.

   And, of course, I make presents. Which reminds me, I really have to get to work on making beads for my nieces…

   by Laura Kramarsky on December 9th, 2007 at 12:57 pm
   
   

5. I’ve loved ebay since the days when the “bay” part still referred to the San Francisco one. I’ve bought and I’ve sold, and the great majority of the time it’s been quite satisfactory. The only two times I’ve had unresolved bad experiences were when I was the seller, and those were both several years ago (maybe 2000, 2001) and the other parties were banned from ebay forever after and investigated by PayPal, which was some consolation. There have been a couple rough spots as a buyer, but the problems were always resolved and solutions agreeable to both parties were reached fairly quickly.

   I think the key to happy ebay experiences is to remember that you are dealing with actual humans who may make errors, may have life events that interrupt their ebay deals, etc. If you make timely inquiries politely and make reasonable suggestions and/or requests, I think you’ll not be disappointed. That said, I do have a couple rules that I follow. I try to deal only with sellers that have many sales and reasonably high ratings (even the best sellers sometimes get a poor review - there’s no pleasing some folks); carefully worded ads with a more sophisticated presentation also inspire confidence, but the best recommendation, to me, is an ebay store. These are sellers who have put tens and sometimes hundreds of hours into their sales and stores, and they’re serious about doing it properly. That doesn’t mean they never make errors or can’t disappoint somehow, but like most merchants, they want to please their customers if they can.

   I think the best way to buy is to decide how much I’m willing to pay, bid it, and come back when the sale is over to see if I’ve won. That way I don’t find myself reloading the bid page every two minutes or convincing myself that five more dollars - no, ten! - can’t hurt.

   Oh, and I haven’t done so yet, but I plan to make the butterscotch cookies. They sound easy and wonderful.

   by Karen on December 9th, 2007 at 4:01 pm
   
   

6. I’ve done a little bit of both this year, Kate. Mostly at local stores. I’m still cautious about buying online, so that’s a big reason why. Bawk, bawk.

   Though I have to say, I love when there’s free shipping involved when I do buy online. Words to my ears…

   by Heather on December 9th, 2007 at 4:42 pm
   
   

7. Since I haven’t purchased one item yet, I will probably have to get out next weekend and get my shopping done. I just can’t seem to get into the Christmas spirit, especially after such a bad Thanksgiving. But I pay most of my bills on line now. Makes it so much easier to track the payments and I can see what’s going out of my account rather than waiting for a check to clear.

   And since I haven’t cooked dinner since Wednesday night (and that was just soup), I haven’t tried any of the recipes. I would need to go shopping to have anything in the house to make any of the yummy receipes. But speaking of dinner, I guess I better get the chicken breast in the oven or it will be another soup night.

   I did sweep the floor this am, cleaned up half the dishes and am doing laundry as I type so some of the house is getting touched. I also cleaned my desk! But getting everything done is just too harsh right now for me especially since I spent the afternoon going through an essay writing course I had downloaded.

   by Lynn on December 9th, 2007 at 6:43 pm
   
   

8. Karen, I had no idea the “bay” in ebay referred to the San Fran area! Who knew — well, maybe I should say, who of us in the Midwest knew? Thanks for sharing that.

   Laura, I’m going to bookmark those websites. They’re intriguing.

   I had an experience with Macy.com today, trying to buy my daughter’s gift. THey’re promoting free shipping w/$99 purchase. My items came to only $78, so I added a sale sweater and it was — $98. Naturally, they have a little $2.50 gift box for sale in the side bar, so I added it in and cheered. Yay!! Free shipping!!
   Not so fast. Turns out they had added in shipping costs to my first 2 items without me realizing it. So when I tried to get my free shipping, they red lettered me. Frustrated, I took off the two extra items and went back to my original price — and paid for shipping. I wasn’t a happy camper.

   However, I didn’t have to get out in the freezing rain to shop, so I guess it was worth it.

   My favorite site so far (on line and the actual retail store) is Bed, Bath and Beyond, or as my husband has nicknamed it (from the Simpson’s show) Bloodbath and Beyond. THey have those great 20% off coupons good for one item, and you can use as many as you have. What a deal. I probably single-handedly pushed their stock price up this year. My credit card company loves me, too.

   My husband — not so much.

   Kate

   by Kate Collins on December 9th, 2007 at 9:09 pm
   
   

9. Yes, Kate, back when God was a boy, ebay was just supposed to be a way for Bay Area residents and merchants to connect (e-lectronnically) with one another. I think it was started in San Jose, although I wouldn’t swear to it. Now it trades on NASDAQ. Who’d a thunk it?

   by Karen on December 9th, 2007 at 9:31 pm
   
   

10. I love Bed, Bath & Beyond too, Kate. I always find great things there and I LOVE those coupons. With four daughters, someone always wants something that I can buy there. This year, Maria wanted a new spice rack. Christine wanted a wine decanter w/stopper (old fashioned one). Not cheap, but beautiful. And I sound the greatest deal on sheets and towels. You can always use those.

    All in all, I did buy more in the stores, but my online shopping did increase too. Amazon, of course, for certain books, CDs, & DVD’s. Other books I need to choose in a bookstore, which I love to do anyway. Maria wanted a new cookbook. Also, grandson Joseph asked for me to “pick” a Stephen King book he would enjoy. I did, and also snagged a Robert Heinlein Sci Fi classic as well as an epic fantasy one from my buddy, Carol Berg.

    Also—perfume. Daughter Christine’s fave perfume is not in stores. Frangrance.net is good for that. Also, grandson Matthew wanted Univ of Michigan swetatshirt & hat, so I went online to their site.

    Specialty items are just perfect for online shopping. Oh, yeah—I bought an old Robert Flack CD for a gift (Amazon) but haven’t received it yet. I’m a little concerned. That vendor was one of their (94% rated ones, too).

    by Maggie on December 10th, 2007 at 11:24 am
    
    

11. I am all about amazon. The week before (exactly one week before) happens to be my youngest’s birthday. So, on Friday night I just went through her wish list and weeded my way through five pages. Yep–five! She didn’t get everything she wanted, as I keep reminding her that she is not Paris Hilton and I am not Donald Trump.

    I also did head out yesterday to the mall with a friend and bought a few items. We went early, and made it home by two.

    We did have Diana’s three baked pasta last night–excellent. I was supposed to make a meal on Sat.for family and wanted to use our recipes, but had sick kiddies looming, so I put it off until next weekend.

    by Michele on December 10th, 2007 at 1:01 pm
    
    

12. Kate,

    Don’t get me wrong….I love Ebay…I’ve been with them almost 10 years and can count on one hand the number of times I have had trouble with them. Still…it’s annoying (to say the least) when someone has a good seller rating and you get burned.

    I also forgot to suggest to you Overstock.com. I bought two gifts from them this year. Everything I have bought from them came very fast except a magazine subscription. Half.com is Ebay’s sister site. I’ve bought from them before, and have had some good experiences, but most of their stuff is sent media mail, which takes FOREVER to get. And if you know anyone who likes cosmetics, you’ve got to try catcosmetics.com. Great stuff! Love their lipstics/glosses! AND your order usually shows up within 4 days. (Remind me to tell you about my first order with them though…funny story).

    Any of the big chain stores are good for ordering online. I will buy from Wal-Mart online but refuse to step foot (or in my case wheel) in their store after the way my mom was treated. Our Christmas tree was bought from Wal-Mart.com. First online purchase I ever made. QVC is great. I don’t think I’ve had to return anything to them yet….Which reminds me, I gotta get my dad’s gift ready…I need to see if it works. Mom’s having a bit of trouble with target.com, though…The item she ordered says usually ships within a few days, but her order confirmation said 4-6 weeks. I have to check out her e-mail about the order….been to busy worrying about my dog at the moment though to do much else.

    QVC is still my favorite place to buy, though. They get most of my business. I’ve only been disappointed with them a couple of times. Oh, and even though I refuse to buy from them anymore since they discontinued my favorite item, bathandbodyworks.com has always been reliable.

    Maggie, my brother told me about fragrance.net. He gets his cologne from there. And as for Amazon.com…I hope you get your item…It does usually take a while from that site. Although recently, I did get batteries and a DVD of Christmas classics from there pretty fast. Of course, I did buy both items directly from Amazon.com and not from one of their sellers, so maybe that is the difference? I’ll let you know how long it takes for me to get the latest item I bought (A video). And I hate it when you have a bad experience with sellers who have a good rating. Makes you wonder if it’s a problem with the USPS or with the seller.

    by Traci on December 11th, 2007 at 2:38 am
    
    

13. I’m not allowed to buy from QVC anymore. I spent a small fortune on organizing systems, but I’m still massively disorganized. Seems you have to *use* the darn things, not just buy them! Still love QVC, though, and you do get great service.

    by Karen on December 11th, 2007 at 8:46 pm
    
    

14. Karen,

    LOL! Yes, actually using the item you buy always helps. I am like you, though. Buy something or get something as a gift and don’t use it. I still have many stickers, writing paper, and other things I don’t use. A friend got me the nicest small journal several years ago that was handmade and unlined (I prefer unlined). I have yet to use it. I want to use it, but I guess I just don’t want to “ruin” it cause it looks so nice unused. Ok, go ahead…tell me I’m weird.

    I really need to get organized, too. I have things in manilla envelopes stashed in boxes, a dresser, and a filing cabinet. And I’m still trying to find something to organize my scrapbook supplies….unfortunately, most of the storage systems I find to be inconvenient for me.

    Oh, and for anyone who likes perfume, I love healthandbeautydirect.com. They have a line of perfume called Deja Vu, which apparently has been discontinued. The website is selling their perfume until they are out of stock. I now have a new respect for them. I recently placed an order. I got a call from the CO-OWNER of the place today. He said he noticed I ordered a scent…honey-something…I forget. I never ordered it before. He actually said “I don’t want to send this to you. It’s not a nice scent. Can I send you Rain instead?” I cracked up! No owner of a company has ever cared enough to call me before to say they don’t want to sell me something because it isn’t good. I always told people about this site before, but I now will make a point of recommending it to anyone.

    by Traci on December 12th, 2007 at 2:51 am
    
    

15. Traci, I have one of those journals, too, given to me by my d-i-l. It’s sitting in a drawer. I just can’t write by hand anymore — I think through my fingers on the key pad now — and besides, after writing all day, the last thing I want to do at night is write more!

    My only time to read is before I fall asleep, which is sometimes only 10 minutes, so it takes forever to get through a book. If I read during the day, I feel so guilty. That little voice of my conscience says, “Reading? Nuh-uh. You should be WRITING.”

    I’ll have to check out that website for perfumes. I love Shalimar, but can only get it at major dept. stores.

    Thanks for the tip.

    Kate

    by Kate Collins on December 12th, 2007 at 11:25 am
    
    

16. Kate, I’m so glad I am not the only one who can’t seem to write by hand anymore. A couple of years ago, after years of just typing on the computer (besides the times I have to sign my name for things), I had to write a letter to someone. Believe it or not, I literally forgot how to hold a pen and write with it. Seriously, the pen felt so weird in my hand, as if I had never held one before. Am I just crazy or has this happened to others? I seriously have to start using that journal though…I’ve got to start writing my dreams down..had the strangest one the other night that I still can’t make sense of..but that’s another blog…Which reminds me…I really need to start catching up with my My Space blog…

    You are so lucky to fall asleep in 10 minutes. Usually when I go to bed, I lay awake for HOURS, no matter what time I go to bed. No wonder I’m always tired.

    YW for the tip about the perfume. I hope you find something you like. The ones on that site are different and they are mostly strong scents and last for 900 sprays. I wish that I had asked the guy to send me Rose when he called instead of Rain. Rose is my favorite scent, and it is a very hard scent to find.

    by Traci on December 13th, 2007 at 5:21 am
    
    

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