From bobrankin@MHV.NET Wed Sep 10 23:01:29 1997 Date: Wed, 10 Sep 1997 15:31:12 -0400 From: Bob Rankin Reply-To: TOURBUS-Request@LISTSERV.AOL.COM To: TOURBUS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM Subject: TOURBUS - 09 Sep 1997 - Online Consumer Tips _________ ____________ ________ __________ _____________ ___ _ / | / | | / | \ | "Why | Surf When / You Can | Ride The | Bus?" / | \ |__________|__________/__________|__________|___________/ | \ / /______|----\ | GET A FREE WEBSITE NOW - EVEN FOR COMMERCIAL PURPOSES |//////| | | Build your net presence and make $$$$$ with your FREE |\\\\\\| | | WEBSITE! |//////| | \________________________________________________________|______|____| / \ / \ / \ \___/ \___/ T h e I n t e r n e t T o u r B u s \___/ TODAY'S TOURBUS TOPIC: Consumer Sites Welcome back to another week of the Internet Tourbus! Today's issue will cover a variety of consumer topics, including online buying, where to find product comparisons, and what to do when you have a problem with an online merchant. BUY IT ONLINE ------------- Have you ever gotten frustrated trying to find an online shopping destination with a general purpose search engine? AltaVista reports 503130 hits on a search for "jewelry". But which of those are actual stores that sell products in your price range, and offer secure online ordering? Buy IT OnLine offers cybershoppers an excellent starting point, because they only links to sites that have products and services for sale, and you can quickly restrict your search to secure sites only, by price range, as well as keyword or category. Visit them at: They also feature Shoppers Specials, Gift Ideas, and Special Occasion Reminders so you can register birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, and get a reminder e-mail every year with gift suggestions. Also helpful: the Discussion Area, a place to chat about shopping online, and share experiences with others. Oh, and don't miss the Trivia Blitz contest or their Jewelry Sweepstakes! SOFTWARE BUYINGUIDE ------------------- Are you looking for a site that offers you all the information you need to make your software purchases a breeze? A place where you can get unbiased information and the most up-to-date facts on thousands of software products? Software BuyinGuide may hold the answer to all your PC software questions. (Before you Mac lovers start throwing things, I'm told they will have Mac info on the site soon!) Software BuyinGuide has an easy to navigate site, fast download times, and a unique side-by-side layout which allows the user to compare software products. They claim to have the most up-to-date, accurate information on thousands of products, including publishers, prices, features, and descriptions. BuyinGuide is a free Internet service, and you can visit their site at: Browse through thousands of software reviews to see what the major print media gurus think about a particular title. If you run into unfamiliar buzzwords, there's an integrated Computer Dictionary to help you out, and many products can be purchased with just a few clicks. It's a great research tool for industry professionals, as well as a purchasing guide for the average computer user. THE CONSUMER INFORMATION CATALOG -------------------------------- ... is published four times a year and distributed to millions of American consumers. Each issue has descriptive listings of more than 200 free or modestly-priced booklets from a variety of U.S. federal agencies. These publications cover everything from health to housing, from buying cars to building careers, from food to federal benefits. The catalog is made available free through schools, libraries, consumer groups, federal offices and in response to individual requests. You can get a free printed copy of the latest Consumer Information Catalog by sending your name and address to: Consumer Information Catalog, Pueblo, CO 81009. But why bother? The whole thing is on the Web here: The full text of most every booklet is available FREE at the CIC web site - even the ones that have a price tag attached to the printed version. The printed versions are probably only available to U.S. citizens, but even if you're from Albania or Zambia, you can visit the CIC web site and download as much as you can carry home. CYBERCOP -------- Have you ever wondered about the integrity of an online vendor? The CyberCop site lets you share your experiences, abuses, gripes, or report suspicious activity on the Net. You can view the Complaint Archives and Success Stories area for the lowdown on CyberCop's success in resolving consumer disputes, or check out Neighborhood Watch for tips and suggestions from experts on how to surf the net without getting ripped off. Visit them at: CyberCop is not a law enforcement agency, but they do help to to target consumer problems on the Internet, assist law enforcement, government agencies, and other consumer protection organizations. *----------------------[ BREAK SOME WINDOWS ]-----------------------* Switch to Linux, the free version of Unix for ordinary PC's. Get your copy of the NO B.S. GUIDE TO LINUX today and learn how. Companion CD-ROM includes Linux Pro, Apache web server and tons of free software. New York Newsday says it's "the most accessible guide to getting started with Linux". Save $5 on your copy - Summer Sale extended until 9/22! *------------------- --------------------* See you next time. --Bob =====================[ Tourbus Rider Information ]=================== The Internet Tourbus - U.S. Library of Congress ISSN #1094-2238 Copyright 1995-97, Rankin & Crispen - All rights reserved Archives on the Web at http://www.TOURBUS.com Join: Send SUBSCRIBE TOURBUS Your Name to LISTSERV@LISTSERV.AOL.COM Leave: Send SIGNOFF TOURBUS to LISTSERV@LISTSERV.AOL.COM Editors: Reprint TOURBUS in your publication for free - Ask me how. Send this copy to 3 friends and tell them to hop on the Bus! =====================================================================