Window Shopper

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For a few years now, I had been counting on eBay to help me with almost anything I wanted to buy cheaply and fast. When I joined, it was a lot less bulky, fees were low and you could buy things for much less than you can find them at discount stores. Seller fees were so low that for things being sold under $10, the listing fee was about 30 cents. So, sellers could give a really great deal on products and services. That was then.

Now, eBay has decided to drive off the little sellers and, with greed in mind, grab the money of the larger sellers who, for whatever reason, are not leaving like so many others are. eBay seems to be loaded with power sellers that think their product is made of gold. They appear to believe that I am interested in their product but if I’m not, somebody else will be. A good many of the sellers could care less about the customer. All they want to do is get your money. Eventually, they send out the product you bought…maybe. eBay no longer supports the customer by making the seller return the money. It now supports the power seller who could care less if they get bad feedback or not. Their feedback numbers are high enough that the percentage will outweigh any bad feedback given.

So, since eBay is no longer a good place to buy things, for the most part anyway, I decided to find a new place to shop for lower priced items. Found it too. Well, actually, I knew about it and had bought from the place before but I had not really decided that it replaced eBay until now. This should not be a shocker for you if I tell you that I went to Amazon.com to buy my latest purchase. Most things that I buy online now come from Amazon if not from a couple of other sites, book clubs, mostly. By the way, it was a successful purchase, very cheap, shipped out right away with really low charges. And the charges for shipping AND for the item was WAY, WAY, WAY lower than eBay sellers. How do I know? I went there first. Bada bing.

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If I were shopping for a new car, I would definitely want to avoid this. There are times when I wonder who thinks up this stuff. Nissan is about to put a car on the market this year that will detect alchohol and shut down a car by locking the transmission. Now, I do not like the idea of drivers who have been drinking and want to drive. BUT, I believe that the way this car is set up, it could actually cause accidents as well.

For instance, say a person is the designated driver and the passengers are still carrying drinks into the car but the driver does not see this. For a bit, the car does not detect it. Then it does and locks the transmission while the car is in gear. Anyone want to comment on what that might do to the driver and passengers not to mention the car? I am all for new technology but this needs a bit more work from the sound of it. I do not drink so this isn’t affecting me right away but I am thinking here, what else are they going to put in cars to stop people who simply want to get away from the nasties.

At this point in time, I am aware that GPS is capable of shutting down a car that has been stolen. What is to keep anyone who wants you to stop from advising the authorities that a person is running and then shut their car down while they are in gear. I know. It will travel to a stop. You ever been in the middle of traffic at a particularly dangerous intersection when the car dies? I have. It puts you in a really dangerous position. I doubt that would be a consideration, frankly.

Anyway, here is the video concerning this new car development.

I do know this is not a scam. But, is this really a good idea?

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This is under the heading of a shopping no no. I belong to Columbia House Video Club. That, in itself, really isn’t a problem as long as I shop smart. When I joined, they had the Fun Cash thing, still do but the rules have changed and it is not for your benefit.

First, are you a member of Columbia House Video Club? If so, do you use the Fun Cash feature? Here’s what I found out about that. At first, the Fun Cash was great because you could actually get free DVDs if you did it right. I used it up fast that way. Guess that was the problem for Columbia House. Somewhere along the line, they changed the rules. Now, if you want to use your Fun Cash option, you can only receive $10 or $20 off of the price, depending on what the original price was. It won’t be free anymore.

The problem here is that when you buy the first DVD for the regular price, the rest are at those discount rates, some quite good. I have bought DVDs on their site for $5.98 when the original price was up to $19.98. If you think about it, that’s a great deal. However, when you use the Fun Cash option, you are in a different world. All the prices are at full price. Then, when you put the item into the checkout, you get up to $10 off of the normal price. Get that? Normal price NOT the discounted price you would have otherwise. So, it is entirely possible to buy a DVD through the Fun Cash and pay MORE for it than you would with a normal transaction.

Does anyone see a problem here? Yeah, I do too. Makes me mad. That was my shopping rant for now. No, I don’t feel better. I feel ripped off by them everytime I see the difference. So, I shop for the best offer.

Tip: When shopping with Columbia House, try the checkout both ways. Pick the one that gives you the savings. Don’t forget to watch for the shipping charges too.

Tip: Once in a while, they offer a free shipping with so many DVDs. Grab that!

Happy Shopping!

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