Of course, I won't mention any names but here are a few of my roaring successes and outright stuff ups with online shopping...
Friday, July 14, 2006
I saw a Current Affairs type program about a man who bought a car on ebay that never showed up. Now I get annoyed at things like that because it doesn't have to happen - there are two reasons it happened:
1. There are some unscrupulous people out there who will take what they can get.
And:
2. People get fooled.
I can't say it enough. Don't use Western Union to transfer money to people you don't know. It is not traceable!! Also, don't think you know someone because you have exchanged a number of emails. It is so easy to build up a false rapport and generate a sense of security very quickly. Remember, often these scammers do what they do because they are good at it. It's important that more people don't get fooled. If just 1 scammer gets put out of business from this information, I will be a very happy person.
Buying a car on an internet auction is like going to inspect a car in the dark with a blindfold on.
1. There are some unscrupulous people out there who will take what they can get.
And:
2. People get fooled.
I can't say it enough. Don't use Western Union to transfer money to people you don't know. It is not traceable!! Also, don't think you know someone because you have exchanged a number of emails. It is so easy to build up a false rapport and generate a sense of security very quickly. Remember, often these scammers do what they do because they are good at it. It's important that more people don't get fooled. If just 1 scammer gets put out of business from this information, I will be a very happy person.
Buying a car on an internet auction is like going to inspect a car in the dark with a blindfold on.
Sounds simple doesn't it?
I admit it. I get caught up in buying stuff. It's fun. I put a bid on for a Nokia 7000 and something model - a fancy flip shell phone with a camera. Then I regretted it. Then I prayed for someone to outbid me, and finally they did. (Hooray!)
I realised how wrong it was for me in so many ways:
1. The flip thing would annoy me after about 5 hours of using it. I don't care if you're Elle MacPherson - NOBODY looks good in a 1 megapixel camera/phone photo!! I'm better off buying a digital camera if I decide I want one.
2. I don't care if I can send videos and stuff - when I use a phone I usually send a text like "I'll be at the station at 6:30pm see you soon"? - I am unlikely to send that person a video of myself on the train, waving.
3. 'Fashion'? phones are just that. And they go out of fashion. And then you look like a dork.
I realised I needed a phone that didn't flip, open up into a keyboard and pretend to be a computer, swivel, attach to my head like the Borg (see photo!), or wash my clothes.
Has anyone else noticed this? Am I the only one? These things look like the Borg!! People have been assimilated!!! It has begun!!!
I needed a phone that made phone calls. And sent text messages.
And that's it.
Sometimes simple is better.
I admit it. I get caught up in buying stuff. It's fun. I put a bid on for a Nokia 7000 and something model - a fancy flip shell phone with a camera. Then I regretted it. Then I prayed for someone to outbid me, and finally they did. (Hooray!)
I realised how wrong it was for me in so many ways:
1. The flip thing would annoy me after about 5 hours of using it. I don't care if you're Elle MacPherson - NOBODY looks good in a 1 megapixel camera/phone photo!! I'm better off buying a digital camera if I decide I want one.
2. I don't care if I can send videos and stuff - when I use a phone I usually send a text like "I'll be at the station at 6:30pm see you soon"? - I am unlikely to send that person a video of myself on the train, waving.
3. 'Fashion'? phones are just that. And they go out of fashion. And then you look like a dork.
I realised I needed a phone that didn't flip, open up into a keyboard and pretend to be a computer, swivel, attach to my head like the Borg (see photo!), or wash my clothes.
Has anyone else noticed this? Am I the only one? These things look like the Borg!! People have been assimilated!!! It has begun!!!
I needed a phone that made phone calls. And sent text messages.
And that's it.
Sometimes simple is better.
Thursday, July 13, 2006
One thing you will have to get used to when shopping online is measuring things.
You will need:
A ruler
A measuring tape
A set of scales
Use every method possible to get a sense of what the item will look like in your house - lounge, bedroom or whatever. How much space will it take up? There's nothing worse than getting excited about a purchase, getting it home and realising it's too big or clashes with your decoration scheme.
When it comes to clothing - make sure the size is relevant to your country - a US size 10 is hugely different to UK or Australian sizes. Another mistake people make with sizes is ordering a size 10 - and finding out the clothes are in children's sizes.
You will need:
A ruler
A measuring tape
A set of scales
Use every method possible to get a sense of what the item will look like in your house - lounge, bedroom or whatever. How much space will it take up? There's nothing worse than getting excited about a purchase, getting it home and realising it's too big or clashes with your decoration scheme.
When it comes to clothing - make sure the size is relevant to your country - a US size 10 is hugely different to UK or Australian sizes. Another mistake people make with sizes is ordering a size 10 - and finding out the clothes are in children's sizes.
I can't emphasise this point enough. Don't just check one site for the item you want. First, do a general search on the item. Next, go to the manufacturer's website and find out the recommended retail price (RRP).
Note: make sure the site you are visiting is in the correct region. A few times I've seen a price and thought wow! That's cheap! Only to find out it's a .com site not a .com.au!! Argh!
Also, there are a few sites such as shopferret.com - these sites seek out different online stores and come back with a number of different prices for the same item. Amazon.com has a similar feature. Check out reviews, ratings and any other info that helps you decide if its really what you want.
Note: make sure the site you are visiting is in the correct region. A few times I've seen a price and thought wow! That's cheap! Only to find out it's a .com site not a .com.au!! Argh!
Also, there are a few sites such as shopferret.com - these sites seek out different online stores and come back with a number of different prices for the same item. Amazon.com has a similar feature. Check out reviews, ratings and any other info that helps you decide if its really what you want.
