From bobrankin@MHV.NET Wed Dec 3 22:56:58 1997 Date: Tue, 2 Dec 1997 18:09:13 -0500 From: Bob Rankin Reply-To: TOURBUS-Request@LISTSERV.AOL.COM To: TOURBUS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM Subject: TOURBUS - 02 Dec 1997 - Holiday Shopping Online [For best results, read this with a monospace font such as Courier] / ~~~~~~~~|~~~~~~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~~|~~~~~~~~~~|~~~~~~~~~~~~~/~~~|\ | People of All Ages Wanted for Worldwide Advisory Panel / | \ |__________|__________/__________|__________|___________/ | \ / /______|----\ | We need your advice on a variety of subjects. |//////| | | Weekly $$$ drawings. For more information, |//////| | | Send e-mail to info@AdvisoryPanel.com |//////| | | Or visit |//////| | \________________________________________________________|______|____| / \ / \ / \ \___/ \___/ T h e I n t e r n e t T o u r B u s \___/ TODAY'S TOURBUS TOPIC: HOLIDAY SHOPPING ONLINE Online shopping - it's a $2.5 BILLION dollar business, and analysts are predicting that the final tally for this holiday season will top a billion dollars. Will you join the ranks of those who point and click their way past the crowded malls, or are you still nervous about whipping out the plastic in cyberspace? +------------------[ Gumbo? Jumbalaya? Ettoufe? ]-----------------+ Cajun Food Lovers: If you can boil water, you can prepare perfectly seasoned Real Cajun mixes in just 25 minutes. Just add water! FREE bottle of Louisiana Hot Sauce with each order. +--------------- -------------+ If you hate crowds, and you're looking for an alternative to telephone shopping, the Web may be just the ticket. But the convenience of point and click purchasing isn't the only benefit of online shopping. Some online stores offer special discounts for Internet customers, and consumers can also shop smarter by taking advantage of comparison shopping services such as Compare.Net (for general consumer products) and NetBuyer.Com (for all things geeky). These sites will help you by providing product reviews and comparisons, and even point you to the online store where you can get the best deal. I poked around at NetBuyer and found that prices on the EPSON PhotoPC 600 digital camera ranged from $700 to $799. And it's no doubt even higher at your local department store. Check out these two sites at: BUT IS IT SAFE? Even though most browsers have offered secure transaction features for some time, there are many netizens who remain skittish about using credit cards online. Some people are wary of shopping on the Internet, because they fear a retailer may not be legitimate or a hacker will get their credit card number. To a certain degree, that fear is healthy, but you can shop online with peace of mind if you keep these points in mind: - Think twice before entering your credit card number into an e-mail message. E-mail is about as secure as a paper postcard, so it's possible an employee of an Internet service could sneak a peak at your message. - Shop at secure web sites. You can tell you are in a secure site when Netscape's little gold key (lower left corner) turns solid or Internet Explorer's little padlock (lower right) looks locked. A connection with a secure server ensures that all data is encrypted before leaving your computer so nobody can eavesdrop on your credit card number or other personal information. This browser encryption technology is called SSL (secure sockets layer), is in use worldwide and has proven to be extremely effective. It's often said that online shopping with an SSL connection is just as safe as giving a waiter your credit card in a restaurant. If you don't think twice about doing that, or ordering products over the phone, you should feel at ease about ordering online from a secure site. It's safe! - Never buy from a spammer. People who abuse the Internet and annoy millions of users by mass mailing their pitch should receive your scorn, not your hard-earned cash. If they flout the rules of the online world, they're most likely crooks in the physical world. - Contact your local attorney general or other consumer fraud authorities if any problems arise. Many consumer protection agencies are becoming computer savvy, so don't hesitate to complain to them. You can also find the Better Business Bureau online . You can visit there to submit a complaint form or check their online business reports database (for certain US cities) to see if a company has any complaints on file. WHERE TO FIND IT Okay, you're sold on the concept of doing all your holiday shopping on the Net. A few clicks, a bit of tappity tap, then you can sit back and smirk at frustrated friends fighting the rush hour mall crowds. But where do you find that special something for Aunt Belle? Here are some good places to start your online shopping expedition: - Buy It Online - Search their database to find a site that sells the product you want. Especially good at finding offbeat items such as handcrafts and specialty foods. - The Internet Mall - The world's largest shopping mall, with over 27,000 merchants and stores offering a complete range of products and services to the consumer. - Yahoo/Visa Shopping Guide - Links to vendors in many different product categories, consumer tips and an ATM locator. - Compare.Net - A complete source for product information. The CompareTool(tm) lets you store information, compare models, and email your shopping list. If you're looking for holiday gift ideas, you can find suggestions from their product database that meet your budget. - NetBuyer - Similar to Compare.Net, but specializing in computers and accessories. Compiled by the people who print the monthly Computer Shopper magazine, this is the best place to go if you want to find a good deal on a specific computer accessory such as memory, modems or motherboards. Sure beats leafing through all 850 pages of Computer Shopper! - Insight Direct - A popular mail order and online discounter of computers, hardware and software. If you're looking for one of those $1000 PC systems to put under the tree, check here first. A NOTE ABOUT TOURBUS PLUS ------------------------- The first TOURBUS PLUS edition comes out this weekend! As Patrick mentioned, we've sent out the two free issues of TOURBUS PLUS, and we're now accepting subscriptions online at We've had a very enthusiastic response so far, but some people report having trouble accessing the secure order form. If you can't get through, you can always use good old fashioned snail mail or fax. - To order by MAIL: Send your check for $10 (US funds) and your e-mail address to BOB RANKIN / PO BOX 39 / TILLSON NY 12486 / USA You can also use a credit card when ordering by mail - see below. - To order by FAX: Send credit card number, expiration date, your name, billing address and e-mail address to 1-914-658-3351. 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 =====================================================================