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During the holidays it's easy to find great buys on the Internet, but if you don't know how to be cyber-savvy, a sweet sale can quickly be-come a sour deal. Check out this handy guide for surfing and saving wisely.

Investigate online merchants at the Better Business Bureau site (www.bbbonline.org). Make sure the retailer has earned its seal of approval so you know you're dealing with a reputable company.

Be careful about giving out personal information. Never provide your social security number to an online merchant, and only release your credit card information on a secured site. Two years ago, an acquaintance of mine shared her social security information online and became a victim of identity theft. It's turned her life into a nightmare, and she's spent $20,000 so far trying to resolve it!

A secured site keeps third parties from viewing personal information such as your credit card number in transit. These sites are indicated by a closed padlock or unbroken key icon on the bottom right-hand corner of your screen or an "s" after the http address in your browser box. If you don't have assurance the site is secure, don't buy the product.

Once you've purchased an item, you may have the option of "encryption" or "one click buying" to transfer data. This allows the site to pull up your information—including your credit card number—automatically. That way, when you buy something again, you can use the quick checkout, which is particularly popular at book and gift retailers. If you do this, it's a good idea to have a password to gain access to your computer so other people can't purchase things in your name.

Also called "shopbots," these robots save time by finding the best prices on the net for you. Go to www.mysimon.com or www.bottomdollar.com and type in the item you want. Prices will appear in seconds. These shopbots work the best for books, electronics, music and videos, toys, beauty products, and sports equipment.

My friend Jessica spent a whole day at the mall shopping for a palm pilot, comparing models and prices. When I told her about the shopbot, she tried it and found what she wanted for $75 less than the cheapest price at the mall! Instead of taking hours to comparison-shop, Jessica discovered she could accomplish the same thing in the comfort of her home in virtually minutes.

Most sites impose an order deadline of December 12 for guaranteed Christmas delivery. You'll save the expense of rush shipping by ordering well before that drop-dead date—and insure your gift items arrive in plenty of time.

Clickable coupons save money at hundreds of Internet retailers. Check out www.suzicoupon.com to find some for your purchases.

To find the best prices on holiday travel expenses without a credit card commitment, try www.travelocity.com, www.bestfares.com, www.expedia.com, or www.hotwire.com, or go directly to the airline's Web site by typing in its name. For example, www.southwestairlines.com offers weekly Internet specials up to 65 percent off full-fare prices. You can also sign up for mailings or e-news-letters telling you about their sales.

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November/December 2001, Vol. 23, No. 6, Page 49

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