By Missi Christensen Assistant Production Coordinator Lyndi Conrad leans back in her desk chair, stretching, as a confirmation number appears on her computer monitor. Without changing out of her pajamas, Conrad, a sophomore radio-TV-film major, has saved nearly $50 on her textbooks for the semester. Three days later, she is ready for classes, minus the crowded aisles and long lines at the bookstore. "I found several Web sites that sold textbooks," Conrad said. "I just looked until I found the cheapest prices." Although textbooks were her most recent online investment, Conrad has also purchased clothing and CDs through the Internet. "About two years ago, I couldn't find a CD I wanted in a store, so I went online," she said. "I've been shopping on the 'Net ever since."
Jon Hilley, a junior finance and marketing major, and Phil Hawkins, a junior history major, took advantage of e-bay.com, an online auction site, to find a Nintendo-64 entertainment system for their apartment. "It was cheap," Hilley said. "You find kids who want the newest and latest thing, and they put their old systems up for whoever will buy them." Although Conrad said the prices are appealing to online shoppers, she points out that shipping and handling charges sometimes overshadow the savings."Look for free shipping," she said. "Sometimes they don't mention those charges until you've ordered." Preston Gralla, author of "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Online Shopping", has several tips to protect online shoppers. First, plastic is the preferred method of payment. "When you pay with a credit card, you're offered a wide variety of consumer protections," Gralla said. "If you pay by check or money order, you don't get the same protection." Second, ensure the site is a legitimate business, Gralla said. "Only buy at secure sites," he said. "They use encryption to scramble your credit card information so that on one except the site can read it. You'll get a pop-up notice on your browser and then an icon of a locked lock will appear at the bottom of the browser." Hawkins said he felt completely confident giving online businesses his credit card number. "It's the same as giving it out over the phone or mailing it in," he said. "I just don't ever give out my Social Security number." Keeping that identification number private is a good idea, Gralla said. "There's no legitimate reason a site needs to know your Social Security number," he said. "If you give it out, someone could steal your identity, get access to your bank account and, in many ways, ruin your life." The Better Business Bureau Online (www.bbbonline.com) cautions consumers to be wary of sites that request personal data without posting privacy policies. "A mother's maiden name is often used to confirm identity and is especially sensitive information," the Web site warns. "Look for and read the privacy policy posted on a Web site to understand what personal information is being requested, why and how it will be used." The Better Business Bureau Online Web Site provides services similar to its regular duties. By accessing the bureau's home page, one can look for background information regarding online businesses and file a complaint, if necessary. "As ever, the best consumer is the best-informed consumer," according to the BBB.
Missi Christensen
By Robert Bickers Skiff staff It's amazing the stuff you can do with your computer these days. Not only can you type a paper (or newspaper column), but you can play games, keep up with your taxes and take down foreign economies. Mr. Gatti's lets you order pizza, Albertson's will deliver nonperishables, and the National Rifle Association will deliver weapons of mass destruction. So where do you go to buy stuff you really need? The answer is that there are a variety of places to buy pretty much anything you might want. Some sites are excellent, others are terrible, and some are even dangerous. So how do you know where to get what you want? Trust in me, and I shall steer you on the right path to parting from your parents' hard-earned cash.
Clothes Good: www.landsend.com Not only is this site easy to navigate, but the quality of the merchandise is exemplary. Land's End knows clothing, and it delivers a superior product. The site offers photos of the merchandise, lists alternatives and makes ordering fairly easy. Be sure to read the "Browser Notice" to avoid any surprises, but there's nothing dangerous. Bad: www.jcrew.com J Clueless is extremely slow in comparison to the other retail sites in this roundup. The prices run rather high, and the catalog is almost identical to its print version. However, you can't see what the clothes look like on a model, just laid out on a white background. On the bright side, J Crew is having a lingerie sale. If shopping's your thing, but you just don't feel like human contact for a day, turn to the 'Net. There are other notable sites out there as well as some horrible ones, but there's only so much room to write. Just remember, download a 128-bit browser before you go shopping to enhance security. Happy spending!
Music Good: www.cdnow.com If you're one of those who likes obscure music that's hard to find, CD Now is heaven. Imports are easy to find and are very reasonably priced. Mainstream tunes are also in ready supply and cheaper than most retail places. However, it's still not as fun as cruising through the racks at Border's.
Bad: www.cduniverse.com This site fails for one reason: security. In mid-month, Visa and American Express were forced to replace hundreds of credit cards after someone broke CD Universe's servers and got the numbers. 'Nuff said.
Movies Good: www.dvdexpress.com I can't rave enough about this site. If you want VHS, you're outta luck, but for the growing numbers of DVD buyers, DVD Express will become your new best friend. If you pre-order a movie (order before it's released), you get 40 percent off the retail price. After the movie is released, you still get a discount. From Adult to Zydeco, if it's available on DVD in the United States, it's gonna be here. And if you pre-order, you generally get the movie a day earlier than the regular stores.
Bad: www.suncoast.com This is a confusing site, if you can get into it. I tried repeatedly to get into the site on my Mac but never got the page to load. From what I can tell, it doesn't exist, but I'm not sure. (Lousy way to do business.)
Robert Bickers is a senior history major from Amarillo. He can be reached at (rgbickers@earthlink.net).
www.bustamove.com Bustamove (www.bustamove.com) is a Web site devoted to the instruction of social dance. The basic dance steps of the Salsa, West Coast Swing, East Coast Swing, the Lindy Hop, the Foxtrot and the Waltz are available for free. Advanced moves for each of these dances are available for $1 per move. Video clips of professional dancers David Weiss and Valentina Kostenko are animated through a patent-pending process which defines the edges of each dancer, coloring the leader blue and the follower red. The animation allows for faster downloading and crisper images. Through video clips with music, still shots, rollover animation, close-ups and a section titled "The Hall of Shame," students are instructed in the comfort of their own home, on their own schedule and at a fraction of the non-virtual dance class cost. Once a move is purchased, customers can access it as often as necessary for review. Along with dance instruction, bustamove provides a database to search for a dance partner according to sex, age, geographic location, dance levels and dance interests. Instruction in Hip Hop and the Cha Cha will be available in several months. -Missi Christensen
www.myplay.com Launched during Fall 1999, myplay (www.myplay.com) is the Web-based service that simplifies the digital music experience for the consumer. Consumers acquire, store, organize and download MP3s and other digital music files into a 250 MB virtual locker accessible from any computer. Downloading is as simple as dragging music files from anywhere on the Internet directly into the individual's locker using a feature called the myplay DropBox. The file is transferred within seconds. Tracks from personal CDs may also be stored in the locker. Once music files are stored, they can be arranged into playlists and shared with others via e-mail. Rioport-compatible portable players allow the personal music selections to be taken anywhere. Locker storage is free, along with free promotional tracks from top artists like Kid Rock, Public Enemy and Chris Rock. -Missi Christensen |
Conrad is among several TCU students who find shopping online
convenient and affordable. | The TCU Daily Skiff © 1998, 1999 Credits |