Shopping online can be
significantly cheaper than heading downtown towards your local mall, outlet,
Best Buy, Wal Mart and so forth. The overabundance of competition at the
entire world's fingertips forces suppliers to break down and get rid of their
items for a bargain that bests its competitors' prices. Shopping on the web may
also be tax free for a variety of online shops. Thanks to the likes of
Ebay, many retailers may even specialize in refurbishing products and selling
them for far below the out-of-box price. However, surfing the web simply
to find which store can sell an LED Television for $20 less can be time
consuming. Customers also tend to worry about having their credit card
information stolen. Therefore, I have compiled a list of the top 10
places to buy cheap electronics online. The websites making this list are
based on reputation, security, inventory, shipping speed, and of course price.
1. Ebay – Ebay is the mecca of purchasing cheap
electronics online. Customers can find literally anything here, be it
new, refurbished, used, broken, etc. Thanks to the Buy It Now feature
users no longer need to consume their time getting into bidding wars.
Ebay's partnership with PayPal allows customers to shop with confidence.
Despite its reputation Ebay cannot control how long their suppliers take to
ship items, whether the items are in the condition described, or if the seller
is an outright scam artist. PayPal does a great job protecting consumers
from these types of incidents; however they can still cause headaches, and
potentially a loss of funds.
2. IShop4Cheap – IShop4Cheap.com
features the lowest prices online by a landslide. Their product selection
may be low (less than 100 items) however the items sold are in very high
demand. Ipod's, HDTV's, Macbooks, Video Games consoles, and more are all
sold for up to 99% off retail. Bargain hunters looking to go the extra
mile for an incredible deal enjoy shopping at IShop4Cheap. The catch here
is all items are sold via a "bidding fee auction." Meaning
users must pay a small fee (usually 60 cents) each time they place a bid.
The price increases by 1 penny with each bid. Most items tend to sell for
about $50. Therefore placing 100 bids on a one thousand dollar HDTV is
equivalent to purchasing it for $90. Cons are, the site design leaves something
to be desired, and you may end up paying for bids without winning the product.
3. Ioffer – Ioffer is a clever site that is a slight
variation on Ebay. Rather than the seller setting a price, the customer
makes an offer to the seller. The seller may accept, decline, or make a
counter offer. I have realized that if you search around enough and make
enough offers, you can get some amazing deals on here. A lot of sellers
may be eager to get rid of their product; therefore they are quick to accept a
low offer. However, the site can become frustrating when sellers decline
very reasonable offers. The product selection is very vast, and
users should be able to find any electronics they like on here.
4. BestBuy – Before you jump all over me for putting a retail chain on here as an
online store, please hear me out. BestBuy.com offers products online from
their Outlet Center that cannot be purchased in the store. Don't think
the 7th Generation Ipod is much different from the 6th generation? Head
on over to Best Buy online store and check to see if they have any refurbished
6th generation Ipods at the outlet center. The price is much cheaper, and
since you are dealing with such a refutable seller, you can shop with
confidence. The shipping costs are high, taxes must be paid, and the
outlet center may not always have what you need. This is still a very
worth place to find cheap electronics online.
5.
Newegg – I don't know how they do it, but Newegg features some very solid deals
on High Def televisions, digital cameras, and most of all computer parts.
Tech savy bargain hunters could practically put together an entire desktop from
parts they purchased for Newegg. All for less than $300. Less
technologically inclined users may not be able to find such deals, however the
prices on electronics here are definitely not something to snub one's nose at.
6.
Wal-Mart - Not much to say here. While not everyone may agree with their
labor policies, or corporate practices, there is no denying the Wal-Mart
continues to find ways to push out products for prices few can match.
7.
Craigslist – Without a doubt, Craigslist features some of the best prices on
electronics. Plus users get to avoid the whole shipping process, tax,
credit card entered online, etc. It is also great to see the product in
person before purchasing. Craigslist slips because if one lives in a
rural region of the country, very few ads are available and finding what you
need may be difficult. Secondly, Craigslist is prone to a variety of
scams. Most importantly, Craigslist is not always entirely safe.
Visit a stranger's house at your own risk, and cut down your risk by bringing
someone with you.
8.
HHGreg – Like Newegg, HHGreg features some good deals. While their prices
cannot compete with the likes of an Ebay or Cheap Electronics Depot, their
products are always top notch, and you know you are dealing with a trustworthy
seller who can come through should the product fail to work.
9.
Amazon – Most of you would have Amazon ranked higher on this list. I mean
after all, they have a great reputation and sell basically any product
imaginable. Well the factor I weighted most when creating this list was
price. And Amazon is very hit or miss with its deals. I may be able
to look up an off brand Television and find it for about $100 less than what it
may cost directly from the retailer. However, there are other products
that only seem to sell for exactly the same price in the store (sometimes
more). Amazon is still a great website to give a try. You never
know if you may find a deal on what you are looking for.
10. Target
– Target is the rich man's version of Wal-Mart. I'm sure everyone is well
versed on Target and understands that the slightly better reputation over
Wal-Mart means slightly higher prices.
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