If you don't know an online retailer by its brand or reputation, these tips can help you determine whether they're operating a secure and trustworthy Web site before you enter your credit card number or personal information.
Before you select a store:
1. Do a background check. Look for a physical address, request a catalog by mail, or call and talk to a company representative.
2. Explore the Web site for third-party seals of approval such as: BBBOnLine (Better Business Bureau Online) or TRUSTe.
3. Find out what other shoppers have to say about an online store on comparison sites such as Epinions or Bizrate. These sites have customer evaluations built into their design with a number of smiley faces or stars.
4. Review their shipping methods and policies to determine what carriers they use, their shipping rates, and if they provide tracking and insurance.
Before you enter your credit card number, make sure the store abides by the following rules:
1. The company should only require personal information that's necessary to complete the purchase. You will probably enter your credit card number, address, and telephone number. Be wary if they ask for other information such as your Social Security number, bank account numbers, or your mother's maiden name.
2. The Web site should use secure technology. When you get to the screen where you enter your credit card number or other personal information, make sure that the Web address begins with https and check to see if a tiny locked padlock appears at the bottom right of the screen, as shown in the following image.
3. An SSL certificate not only helps ensure that the communication with a Web site is secure, but also includes information about the owner of the Web site, which has been identified by the Certification Authority (CA) issuing the SSL Certificate.
If a site matches all the criteria above, then there's a good chance that the site is both legitimate and reliable. But as the first things online, if you get a bad feeling about a store, skip it and shop somewhere else.
Online shopping safety tips
Free 50 photo prints from CVS
CVS Photo offers new members 50 Free 4x6 Photos from CVS Photo Center. Here is how you get these 50 prints.
1. Go to CVS Photo Center, click on "Start Now" to create an account with your email and ExtraCare number (no dash).
2. CVS will instantly send you an email link to credit you 50 free photos.
3. Upload your photos and click on "Order Prints" and check out; choose your pick up location and continue to check out, you will see a charge of $7.50 or $9.50, keep going until you see "use your 50 free prints".
4. Pick up your photos the next day at your local store.
Official fatwallet hot deal threads
Official Vitacost Coupon Thread
Godaddy Promotional Code and Coupon List for 2009
Current Tracfone Buindles and Deals
Official Thread of Tracfone Bonus Code
$100 T-Mobile Refill to Go Card for $88 at Ephonecard.com updates
T-Mobile Free MyFaves add-on for a Very Limited Time - YMMV
Free T-Mobile Blackberry Devices (1 or 2 year term required)
Official Chuck E. Cheese's Coupon Thread (B&M)
Official Staples Clearance Thread with AutoUpdate
The Official Borders Coupons Thread
Official JCPenny Thread - Current Codes & More!
Official Papa John's Coupon Thread
Target Clearance Deals (B&M - YMMV) with Rolling Thunder
Official Sierra Trading Post Thread 15% - 25% Coupons or Free shipping riddle + 4.8% Fatcash sale
Victorial's Secret Official Coupon Thread - Begin with $10 off $10 Pay S+H
Official Bike Bicycle Deal and Coupon Thread
DODGE/CHRYSLER/JEEP Deep Incentives (Rebate plus Employee Prices and Possible low/zero Finance)
Current Usenet/Newsgroups Provider Deals
Lenovo Friends and Family Discount Code
Restaurant.com Promo Code Thread - range from 40% - 60% usually
More cashback to buy T-Mobile prepaid phone
If you're waiting for T-Mobile phone deals, you must be interested in how to get more cashback to buy a prepaid phone kit.
Commonly used cashback sites give the cash back amount as following:
FatWallet.com $5
ExtraRebates.com $7.5 (You are required to activate the phone to receive cashback.)
Microsoft Live cashback 35%.
Here is a way to use both Live CashBack and FatWallet CashBack. (Tested from IE7)
Go to www.live.com, search T-Mobile;
Click on the first link showing 35% CashBack ;
Login your live cashback account to activate 35% CashBack;
Leave this window as-is and open a new browser.
From the new browser, use the FatWallet CashBack link for T-Mobile, this will open a new window into T-Mobile.
From this window add the prepaid phone to your cart, you will see that the Microsoft Live CashBack is active during checkout.
Consider whether it is worth $5 (FW CashBack) to risk 35% live.com CashBack. The new live rules are specific about this:
"To qualify for cashback, you must make an eligible purchase at a participating merchant within 24 hours after clicking a cashback listing on Live Search cashback or a cashback advertisement on Live Search. If you open the store's website in another browser window or visit another site after clicking the eligible cashback listing or advertisement and before completing the purchase, your purchase is not eligible for cashback."
Confirmed that you will receive MS Live Cashback using the method above.
Best places to find coupons and promotional codes
Here is a coupon site list. Hopefully it can help to locate the best coupon you need.
COUPONS.com - Nearly 100 printable coupons available, special offer of the week.
COUPONCABIN - Over 7000 active coupons and deals, coupons are categorized by types and stores, shopping by comparing prices and more.
CouponMom - Free grocery coupons, free samples, free offers; coupon forum available.
myCoupons - Established in 1995, is the world's oldest and largest online source for coupons, coupon codes, printable coupons, discount gift cards. myCoupons now has 11,119 coupons for 4568 merchants! Shopping forum available.
Valpak.com - Free printable coupons for restaurant discounts, grocery deals and more.
YourRxCoupons - Good coupons for US pharmacy, best markdowns and discounts on prescription drugs.
EVERSAVE - Deals, coupons, samples for everyday living. Various online discounts and offers everyday.
CouponMountain - Daily free coupon codes, bargains and sales from more than 2,000 online stores
Cash back shopping sites
Fatwallet - The biggest and outstanding cash back site. Cashback rebates are shown on your account very quickly usually within 3 days after purchasing. You can request cash back payment after 3 months of your purchasing. Payments are made through PayPal with no-minimum requirement and $5 for a Check.
ebates - Ebates cash back rebates of as much as 25%. Sign up a new membership and get $5 bonus or $10 gift cards. Bonus are available when you have the first purchase within one month and at least $10 purchase within 3 months. Checks every three months for amounts over $5. You can also use PayPal with no minimum limit. Refer friends and earn $5 when they make their first purchase.
Spree.com
ExtraRebates - If you want to get more cash back, ExtraRebates is a good choice. It usually offers more rebates than the other cash back site. Redeem your cash back by PayPal or Check. No minimum requirement for PayPal payment, $25 minimum if you want a check.
Upromise - Not only can you use Upromise to earn money back at hundreds of online retailers, but you can also use it to save when grocery shopping, dining out, buying gas, calling long distance, and more. Just register you credit cards and grocery cards with Upromise and the savings are automatic. Money earned goes towards a college education for you, your child, future child, relative, or a friend's child.
Mr. Rebates - Get $5 bonus for registering a membership. Earn up to 30% cash back rebates for shopping at over 1000 online stores.
ShopAtHome - Cash back rebates up to 30%. Daily cash back deals. Disount online shopping, coupons and cash back at over 2000 online stores. Checks are sent every three months for amounts over $20. Refer a friend and earn $5 when your friend receives his/her first rebate check.
Spree.com - Good cash back site with special discounts and promotion everyday. Checks are sent out roughly every month for amounts over $25 ($100 for non-U.S. residents). Refer friends and earn extra cash back equal to 40% of what your friends earn, plus 2% of what your friends' friends earn (up to four levels).
Get-Cash-Back.com - Cash back rebates of up to 25%. Sends checks every three months for amounts over $25.
iGive.com - When you shop online through iGive you earn money for your favorite charity. Over 700 brand name online stores are included in the program. A portion of your purchase price is donated to the charity and your donations may be tax-deductable.
Find the best deals from the deal list sites
Dealsea - Latest news of the day, update daily and fast.
Dealslist - Still active hot deals until today
Dealnews - Lots of good deals on computers, laptops, HDTV, ipods, and Mp3 players.
Fatwallet forum - The largest and most active hot deal forum. Latest hot deals are updated by members every minute.
Slickdeals - A good forum for members to talk about hot deals, coupons, freebies and many more.
Deals2buy - Everyday hot deals and coupons.
DealExtreme - Online shopping from a huge selection of Cool Gadgets at the Right Price
UKRewards - Earn cash back for shopping and more
UKRewards is an online shopping portal which allows you to earn cash back for shopping at hundreds of retails such as Amazon, Epson, Avon, Apple Store, Dell, McAfee, Skype, Game, T-Mobile, Godiva, etc. By shopping with UKRewards you can also take advantage of some great online discounts and offers. UKRewards also offers special discount E-Codes which give you money off your shopping in addition to your cashback.
Other than cash back shopping, UKRewards also a Fast Cash section where you can earn extra money for simply registering with other sites or even just clicking a link. These offers are mostly one-page submits or email submits worth from £0.05 to £1.00. Daily click section pays you even more by visiting sponsor's websites with just one click. There are usually 50 clicks available, each worth £0.01 to £0.04.
Another amazing part of UKRewards is that it is probably the only site that offer 5% cash back for shopping at Amazon. Most cashback sites like fatwallet or ebates don’t offer cash back at Amazon. However you need to keep in mind that you have to submit a support ticket with the details of your purchase in order to claim your cashback with Amazon.
To join UKRewards is FREE and easy, you even get £5 welcome bonus. Plus for each freind that you refer to UKRewards you will earn an additional £5. All payment are now made via PayPal.
Someone reported a delay of payment from UKRewards. Common cash back confirming time are 3 months in USA due to the returning policy. It seems that UKRewards takes even longer time for the cash back confirmation.
Is UKRewards a scam? As of now, it is still a paying program and it’s already running many years. No one has reported UKRewards as a scam. Is it worth a try? It depends on whether you have the patience to wait for the payment.
