SOS!

I love shopping online. I hate parking lots, I hate crowds, I hate finding out that the thing I bought was 25 percent less expensive at the place I didn’t buy it. And I love parking my butt in front of my computer. It’s all good. Today we have a guest post from Jamie at Toys and Games Online, giving some pointers for shopping online this holiday season.

SOS! Successful Online Shopping

Just because the world economy has taken a turn for the worse, doesn’t mean that you can’t give your kids a good Christmas this year. Shopping for your kids’ holiday presents online will save you not only precious time but potentially, loads of money as well! Here are 4 great tips that will help ensure a SOS (Successful Online Shopping) experience!

1.) Shop Around:
Before purchasing a big ticket item like a home appliance, or even a car – you want to shop around to see who has the best deal, right? When online shopping, you need to go in with the same mentality – where online can I get the best deal? One of the best things about shopping online is how many resources you have at your fingertips! By Price Comparison sites like Nextag, Bizrate or Price Grabber, you can search for whatever you are looking for and instantly compare the prices of several different online retailers. For instance, if you search for “KidKraft dollhouse” on PriceGrabber, you can compare prices on over 10 different retail sites! It’s so easy! Additionally, you can see whether the item is in stock, if it ships for free and if there are any taxes. One stop shopping and you don’t even have to leave your house!

2.) Shop Safe:

Another resource you should definitely take advantage of when shopping online is Recalls.gov. Recalls.gov offers the latest in recalls for consumer products, in particular – toys for your children! This site allows you to stay up to date on the latest toy recalls, even letting you sign up for email alerts. While there’s no guarantee that just because a certain toy doesn’t make the list, that it won’t be recalled at a later date, this site does give you a certain peace of mind. Definitely add this site to your browser’s favorites.

3.) Online Coupons:

Just as you would skim through the Sunday newspaper or Toys “R” Us holiday toy catalog in search of great deals, you can find great coupons online as well! It’s important that you look for these online coupons on legitimate websites such as brand websites and retail websites. There are a lot of coupon sites out there but many of them are loaded with counterfeit coupons, which could potentially get you into trouble. Many online retailers have a “Sales and Promotions” page or some other designated area for special deals. These pages are usually loaded with great deals on everything from dolls and doll furniture to ride-on vehicles and children’s electronics. Be on the lookout for special promo codes which you enter in at checkout.

4.) Price Matching:

Let’s say you have a favorite online retailer, but you find a specific toy for cheaper on another website. Let’s say your favorite store has really great customer service or more shipping options. Well, why not see if they offer any sort of a price-matching policy. Many online retailers will match or even beat a competitor’s price, assuming the price is not sale price or discounted for some other reason.

When it comes to holiday toy shopping this season – save yourself some time by shopping online! Now, you can spend all that extra time with your kids, trimming the tree, building snow men and being generally very merry!