Internet scams during the holidays

Unfortunately this is one of the most profitable times of the year for online shopping scams and bogus websites. I have done all of my shopping for the holidays online for the first time this year and feel lucky that I come away scrape free. After reading the report released by Google and their decision to not index known internet scam sites I realized that this is a growing problem. The link for the article is below.



Here are some tips on how to find legitimate websites and also how to spot online shopping scams.

1. Is the website reputable?

Do your research into the website and see what people have to say about it. It can be as easy as typing the name of the website into google and looking for feedback.

2. If the price is too good to be true, it probably is.

I almost bought an electronic item from what looked like a reputable site but it didn't feel right. I went through the "Contact Us" section of the wesbite and typed the telephone number into google and five different companies came up as an exact match. I called the number listed and it seemed like they were never open. Afterwards I found a website that listed the one that I was considering as a scam site with REALLY poor reviews.

3. Read, read, read reviews

You may be able to scam a few people but once you get around the block a few times people will start to realize this is happening and report it. I know if someone scammed me I would blast them on my blog.

4. Make sure that you are buying from the website itself and not from a seller through the site.

Sites like EBay are great, I love it but they are well known for the scammers that lurk in the auctions. Read all of the information about the item listed and see if someone is posting it on a site like "Amazon.com" or if the website itself is hosting the item. This can make a huge difference if you need to exchange the item, want a refund or even of the item is under warranty.

5. Be careful how you pay for the items.

Sites like paypal are good but they can be easily recreated or "spoofed" to look like the real thing. I am sure that I am not the only one that hates that "Should I have just given out my credit card number?" feeling. If you don't like the way that they are making you pay for the item or if they are asking for too much information to sell you this item, just walk away. You are likely to find the item that you are looking for from another site.

I hope that this helps anyone who reads this have a safer online shopping experience this holiday season.http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,2220415,00.asp?kc=PCRSS03069TX1K0001121

UPS delivery magic!

UPS had recently dropped some packages off at my door and I noticed something funny about this delivery. There was a floating doormat with nothing under it! This must have been the work of the UPS elves. I had to look twice at the place where I usually wipe my feet to realize that they had put my parcels under the mat. Just kidding. I don't know what the UPS driver hoped to accomplish by placing my door mat over any amount of boxes or delivery envelopes awaiting my arrival. If anything I think that this draws more attention to the valuable boxes that lay outside my door for thieves to ponder what the contents are. I guess you get what you pay for though, its a simple equation.

UPS Ground < Thrilling = Free Shipping

Little brother gets the spotlight

I don't know if many have noticed this recent trend but I have. The little "buggy" brother of the IPod has started to take off in holiday sales and most retailers are wishing that they had ordered more for consumers. With the initial release of this product it faced a large challenge in the marketplace in dealing with the IGeneration users. Even people that weren't in love with Apple products were buying the IPod. Everything was going right for the image of the Apple IProducts and they dominated most of the market place until this year. The Gen2 version of the Zune music player has a slimmer look and easier to use interface installed. Not to mention that Microsoft has finally realized the error of their ways with the first generation of this product and is actually making the Zune Gen2 operating system available for their previously "obsolete" players.

I recently sat next to a Microsoft employee on a flight to Chicago that informed me that every person that worked for the mega company actually received a Zune for free since they couldn't even sell them. Now the owners of these music players will be able to upgrade their OS in the player to the new Gen2 version for free. Also people that want to get away from the fruit products now have a better option for purchase. I know I love going into the "fruit" store and listening to all of the fruit bots that work in there tell me how much they love their Macs. Snobs. I welcome the little brother back to the lime light with the better product that Microsoft has put out this year. The Zune Gen2, as well as the first gen, has Wi Fi built in to connect to other Zune's to transfer songs between them wirelessly. Also the player has a built in FM tuner to listen to the radio and we can all appreciate that it still plays Podcasts, video and you can store your photos in it as well. Keep your eye on this one because I think that it is going to surprise a lot of people going into the holidays.