BillyKnowsBest

The Best Cyber Monday Deals and Shopping Tips

It's Cyber Monday, the official start of the online holiday shopping frenzy.  Office productivity is dropping everywhere, as click-happy shoppers take to the keyboard to score free shipping, deep discount and other online bargains.  Here's where I'm going today.

1. Start at Ebates.com.  I've written about ebates before -- if you haven't signed up for an account, today is the day.  They've increased their cash-back online rebates for hundreds of merchants today. 

2. Paypal 20% rebate.  Use paypal to complete your purchase at selected retailers, and get a 20% rebate credited to your paypal account in January.  Combine that with the 12% Overstock deal from ebates, and that's a 32% rebate on your purchase.  (Paypal rebate is limited to a maximum of $50 per account ($250 in purchases), but not limited to purchases made today. 

3. AceHardware.com is offering 20% off a single item between 12-4pm est, with free delivery to your local Ace Hardware store.  I bought a case of Tech stain remover.  It's also combinable with an 8% ebates rebate.

3. Amazon Gold Box. Not just today, but everyday, Amazon offers additional discounts on multiple items.

Use CyberMonday to buy things you know you need to buy this season at a discount.  But don't be lured to impulse buys.  The sales and offers will continue throughout the season, like they did last year, as desperate retailers try to rack up the big sales figures that prop up their stock prices. 

Black Friday

If you weren't sucked into a 5am line at some big box retailer this morning, congratulations.  Most of the time,  being a savvy shopper means going against the crowds... and today is a prime example.  Today's "incredible" early bird bonuses are a ploy to get you in buying proximity of more regular-priced merchandise.  And any sale prices that aren't quantity-limited (is it really worth waiting in line for 2 hours hour for the chance to save $100?) will only get better as the shopping-days-'til-Christmas clock ticks down.  So use today to organize your shopping lists, and do some comparison shopping online.  The best way to save money is to avoid buying things you don't need to buy, and to avoid overpaying for things that seem like great deals when better ones are just a few clicks away.  My top recommended clicks for today:    Amazon.com for easy price benchmarks, and Overstock.com, which is celebrating Black Friday with a 12% discount coupon and free shipping all weekend.

The Best Outlet Malls: Premium Outlets

In the old days (when gasoline was under $1/gallon), factory outlet stores were located near the factories, and offered serious savings.  Today, outlet stores are a whole shopping category, with dedicated "outlet malls" all over.  Shopping these malls is irresistable for most bargain shoppers, but there are some things you need to know to really save.
1. Much of the merchandise sold at outlets is specifically made for the outlets.  These products are often of a lower quality than the same branded merchandise you'll find at regular retailers.  Department store outlets, like Off Fifth and Last Call are most likely to have clearance merchandise that actually did time on a regular retail floor.
2. Some outlet prices are no better than the sale prices at regular retailers.  Don't assume you're getting a bargain if you don't know what the merchandise regularly sells for.
3. True factory second,  irregular, past-season and overrun merchandise does show up at the outlet malls.  Inspect these items carefully before purchasing, and make sure you understand the return policy.

Chelsea Premium Outlets is a chain that runs the most impressive outlet malls around the country, with 45 centers in 23 states, plus Mexico and Japan.  If you're an outlet shopper, you probably know them.  What you may not know, is that they have free VIP coupon books that offer additional savings opportunities. Members of AAA and many other associations get them by just asking for them at the management office. Everyone else can get one by signing up for their VIP program online.  Combine that with their upcoming Columbus Day Weekend Sale event, and you can save so much you could go broke.

How To: Earn Cash Rebates for Online Purchases

I've previously written about how to earn frequent flyer miles for your online purchases with many major retailers.  And while that's still the best value strategy if you're using your miles for international first or business class travel (where their value is far greater than the standard 2¢/mile), there are other options for online shoppers who prefer cold hard cash.  The best of these is Ebates.com, a shopping site that gives you cash back when you click through them to shop online at over 800 sites. Sign up from this link and get a $5 bonus when you make your first purchase!

Overstock 13% Off Sale

It's so hot and humid outside, it's a good day to stay inside and shop online.  Especially good, since Overstock.com is offering an additional 13% off their already low prices until noon Friday MST.  If you're a men's size 7, please buy the Cobian Stingray sandals.  They're the most comfortable flip-flops I've ever owned, and it kills me that they don't have my size. 

The Best Mileage Credit Card: Starwood American Express

In this month's Condé Nast Traveler, Wendy Perrin writes about mileage earning credit cards, with the help of some frequent flyer heavyweights.  I qualify for that designation, so top card was no surprise to me. I've been telling my friends about it for years:  The Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express.  The points you earn are uniquely transferable to most major airline programs, with a 5,000 mile bonus for every 20,000 mile transfer.  The annual fee is only $30, and waived for the first year. You don't need to be a frequent Starwood guest to make it worthwhile, although you do need to enroll in their Preferred Guest program.

The Best Online Bargains: The Big O

When I was 11, my stepfather introduced me to the "job lot" store, retailers who bought large lots of overstock, last season, bankruptcy and other "distressed" merchandise, and sold it at deep discounts.  I was hooked.  You never knew what you'd find when you walked into one, but you always knew you'd get an incredible deal.

Overstock.com brings that concept to the web.  It's not the place to go when you're looking for one specific item, but with new items arriving daily, in every imaginable product category, it's the perfect place to surf when you need a little retail therapy. I especially like it  for apparel, electronics and sporting goods, but you'll find all sorts of unexpected treasures: cigars, bird baths, shampoo, linens... the list goes on and on. This weekend, you'll save an extra 15% on watches and jewelry, plus $1 shipping, and a 10% bonus discount when you click through from this link.

The Best Free Cell Phone Offers

Although common sense would have you pay less when you buy direct, there are some instances when resellers or middlemen add value and lower cost.  Cell phones  are a prime example. You'll pay more by going direct to the carriers than through some authorized agents, who by rebating part of their sales commission offer better deals.  So if you're ready to change carriers and phones, go ahead and check out phones and plans at the Verizon, T-mobile, Cingular or Sprint stores. But when you've made up your mind, click on over to Wirefly Wireless.  You'll get the same plans, but a much better deal on the phone. Many of the hot new phone models (like the Moto Razr) end up being free, and Wirefly will actually pay you cash to sign up for a plan with a slightly older model.  Two small warnings: 1. These extraordinary offers are only valid on new accounts, and not on new phones with your current carrier. (Wirefly, like many resellers, makes it easy to keep your current number and switch to a new carrier.) 2. The savings are accomplished with rebates, which have very specific and slightly complicated documentation and account retention requirements. You'll have to pay upfront then wait for the rebates. Be very careful to follow the instructions precisely, keep a copy of your documentation, and be prepared to follow up on the rebate to ensure payment.

Rite-Aid: The Best Rebate Program

Last week, I wrote about the sometimes onerous in claiming rebates. One notable exception is the Single Check Rebate program from Rite-Aid.  Rite-Aid rebates are claimed simply by entering your receipt information on-line. Your rebates are electronically validated and calculated. The site aggregates your submissions for an entire month, and then a single click requests your check. They'll even send you an email to remind you to finalize your check request if you haven't done so at the end of the month.  Each month's rebate items are listed at the beginning of the month, but additional sale-price savings are available on a few products each week. Combined with the easy-to-claim rebate, the result is often free stuff. And who doesn't love free stuff?

How to Save with Rebates

Rebates offers generally offer greater values than up-front discounts, because they're predicated on the the assumption that a good percentage of customers won't bother to actually complete the paperwork to get them. Still more customers will ignore the instructions and send an invalid claim form.  And still others will forget to keep copies of everything they sent, so that when a claim goes mysteriously missing in the mail, or gets erroneously invalidated, they have no recourse.  Not only do the fulfillment houses that process rebates market their success at low fulfillment rates, some have even been accused of fraudulently ensuring it.  How can you make sure you get the savings you're entitled to?
    1. Read the terms carefully. If they only appear on-line, print them out.
    2. Double check your submission to make sure you've included the requested items, and complete the paperwork properly - pay careful attention to what constitutes a "proof of purchase" and whether original or copies of sales receipts are required.
    3. Keep a copy of your paperwork, a copy of the terms, the phone number or email address for fulfillment inquiries
    4. Mark your calendar for the date that your rebate is due, and follow up immediately if you haven't received it.
I recently wrote about the rebates offered by MacMall; some of these, like the "free printer" offers can be onerous, with three separate rebate submissions necessary before you get back the full price of the printer.  For rebates of just a few dollars, your time is probably worth more than the effort, with one exception. I'll tell you about that one next week.