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Cybershopping
For The Holidays
By
Haroon Cambel
Islam Online, Washington DC
With
Ramadan having begun, it is a good idea to start shopping for `Eid gifts
early so that you can enjoy the rest of the days of fasting and nights
of Taraweeh prayers. Being that this month makes our days more busy than
usual, time will be limited to get out to do any shopping. If you don't
have the luxury of living in a majority Muslim country, you should
remember that most Western malls and shops will be packed due to the
multitude of Christmas shoppers. There is one solution out there if you
are looking to avoid the crowds: E-commerce.
Experts
estimate that this is the year that online shopping will break into
mainstream America. US-based Net users are projected to spend $2.3
billion online in November and December, according to sources quoted in
USA Today. "It's an eye-popping number," said a consultant
with Jupiter of Communications, Nicole Vanderbilt. Her job at the New
York-based company is to monitor online retail sales. Reasons for using
online shopping rather than go out to the malls and shops varies from
wanting to avoid the crowds to searching for that elusive perfect gift.
It is because of this that retailers think this is the year for online
shopping to explode.
Many
people have already bought things on the web. However, until recently,
there was no system of shopping on the web. It was basically a
free-for-all. That has changed with the research conducted by Creative
Good and Best Practices, located on the ZDNet E-Business website (www.zdnet.com/enterprise/e-business).
This company has set up a system where you can do your shopping on the
web and at the same time, avoid websites that are more fluff than
substance.
Creative
Good and Best Practices have turned to a customer experience-based
evaluation system by asking customers who have visited sites what they
think about the quality of their experience. They ask such questions as,
"Is this something that customers would appreciate? Will customers
like this design and come back to use it again and again, or will they
get frustrated and abandon it for a competing site?"
Creative
also does an evaluation of each website, asking such questions as:
"What are the company's goals for the site? Who are the target
customers, and what are their goals? Does this site help customers
accomplish their goals and the company's goals? Do customers experience
something quick and easy enough to bring them back, and keep them from
going to competitors?"
After
going through this rigorous trial, customers give the researchers enough
information to make good judgment calls. People are sure to benefit from
the efforts that Creative Good and Best Practices have put forth in
order to give online shoppers a better experience. So as you prepare to
do `Eid shopping this year and you dread the thought of going out to the
malls and dealing with human and vehicular traffic, consider checking
out e-commerce as a source to do the shopping. Remember, it takes time
to ship packages unless you have it sent Federal Express and pay extra,
so get to business.
Tips
For Shopping On The Web
Along with using the Creative Good system, there are other
considerations to make before you shop online safely. Many of these
points deal with personal information, and sure, folks are leery about
their personal information. However, marketing companies will get the
information whether you fight the crowds in the mall or buy online, so
there's no escape in developed countries.
Charging
Your Purchases
A lot of people are cautious about giving their credit card number(s)
over the Internet. It is very understandable, considering that just
about anybody who knows how to do it can pull your information from a
website that has it stored in their records. However, the reality is
that sending your information isn't the problem. In fact, if someone
does get your card number and uses it, you will be liable for $50
maximum, and maybe nothing depending on your card. That is regardless if
you buy in shops or on the web. The only hassle with credit card fraud
is that you have to report it and get the card number changed.
Know
Thy Retailers' History
One of the most satisfying things for a person who shops online is to
know exactly what they are dealing with. It is very easy to feel nervous
entrusting your telephone line and computer to not only get your credit
card number to its destination but to also get the merchandise that you
purchased to your doorstep. Therefore, doing some background research on
the company you are buying from helps.
Companies
such as Trust*e and the Better Business Bureau (BBBOnline) receive and
pursue complaints on issues dealing with privacy over the Net. If their
icons are displayed on a web site, rest assured that it's pretty safe to
shop there.
Trust*e
has posted a few tips on its website that could be very useful for
online shoppers. They begin with looking through the particular
website's privacy statement to make sure that you understand how your
information will be used before doing business with that retailer.
Another
important piece of advice that Trust*e advocates is the usage of credit
cards when making online purchases. The reason for this is that when you
charge sales online, you have the ability to contest any purchases if
the product(s) bought don't live up to the standards they were promoted
with. Make sure that you place your credit card orders through secure
servers.
There
are a few displays that let you know if you are in a secure server. For
example, the web address in your browser will change in the beginning of
its URL from "http" to "https" once you have entered
the secure area. Another visual aid is that most browsers show a closed
lock or a solid key when you are in the secured area.
Lastly,
Trust*e reminds people to always use common sense when online shopping.
Don't give away any information over the Internet that you wouldn't
disclose to a stranger over the phone or in person.
Make
Sure The Price Isn't Inflated
The classic mistake of compulsive spenders is to make hasty decisions
when it comes to purchasing an item. Most of us have done this at least
one time in our lives. You see something at a store that catches your
eye, so you buy it without considering the price or the relevance of how
useful this thing is to you.
When
shopping on the Internet, there are countless numbers of stores that
sell the same products. Therefore, when cybershopping, take your time to
look at a variety of sites to make sure you are getting the best bargain
for your money. Also try to discern the quality of the objects that you
are trying to buy to ensure that you aren't getting a piece of junk.
You
can visit several comparison-shopping websites that offer the consumer a
gauge to see who is offering the best bargain for the product you are
looking for. Examples of these sites are Yahoo! Shopping (shopping.yahoo.com),
CompareNet (www.compare.net),
Excite Product Finder (www.jango.excite.com),
My Simon (www.mysimon.com)
and Bottom Dollar (www.bottomdollar.com).
In
the end, cybershopping is an art, not a science. Understand that your
not always going to find what you're looking for while online shopping.
When you have looked through a dozen websites and either get vague
responses to your searches, or every site has inflated prices for what
you are looking for, know that it is time to shut down your computer and
travel to the store closest to you. Besides, staying at home all the
time isn't healthy. We all need a breath of fresh air from time to time.
Want
to develop a Top Ten Muslim shopping website list? To cast your
suggestions for websites to include in the list, e-mail us at scitech@islam-online.net.
Results will be posted at the conclusion of the survey on this website.
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