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How to stretch your budget shopping online

By Bobby Buys

Republish: EasyPublish™ Published: 20Sep2009 Word count: 595 Viewed: 522 time(s) Get Free Content For Your Site

No wonder consumers are turning to the internet to buy everything from airline tickets to socks. Nothing beats shopping from your home in your pyjamas. Or, even better, sneaking a few quick purchases while working at the office.

Online shopping is easy on your petrol bill; it liberates you from circling for a parking space; it lets you avoid crowds and long queues. Then, there is the variety and the wealth of information. There are thousands of items to browse. All of them have descriptions and specifications, which surely beats looking around for a shop assistant who, when finally tracked down, is likely not to know much about the item you are interested in. And you can compare prices of identical or similar items in the matter of minutes, which empowers you to make the right decision.

For all those reasons, it is not surprising that, as our lives become more hectic, consumers turn to the unrivalled convenience of the internet when it comes to researching and buying products. Yet, the hunt for bargains remains the primary incentive, especially in these economically difficult times when stretching your income to last until the end of the month becomes an increasingly challenging exercise.

This is where online auction sites and marketplaces hold special appeal. Unlike traditional business-to-consumers online shops, on online marketplaces consumers transact with other consumers: some of them sell, others buy. Since sellers sell directly to buyers, they are able to sell at a discount and still make a profit.

This makes a consumer-to-consumer marketplace additionally attractive to buyers, who go to shop online both for convenience and for lower prices. "You can almost always get most things, used or new, cheaper on consumer-to-consumer marketplaces than at a regular retail store"' says one buyer. "I very much enjoy the thrill of seeing for how little I can find an item whether I need it or not", says another.

Just as importantly, shoppers can even afford a luxury or two - for life would be dull without little sparkling things that do not serve much purpose. "Since I was introduced to shopping on online consumer-to-consumer marketplace a few months back, I have a bought a PSP for my son's eight birthday, a Mozambique holiday as anniversary gift for my husband, and the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy for another son. I feel like a millionaire", says one new shopper.

Shoppers on online marketplaces can buy at fixed prices or on auctions. The format is determined by the seller. Mass-produced commodities like home appliances are more likely to be offered at a fixed price, as 'Buy Now' items.

If you go with the 'Buy Now' option, you know where you stand. You already have the asking price and you can do a quick math to see if you can fit it into your budget. You also save time: you can order a 'Buy Now' item straight away, without waiting for the auction to end. On the down side, you waive the chance to get the same item at a price that could be lower. This eternal hope that lurks in all of us - that we'll stumble upon a great bargain - is the most important reason why the online auctions that start from R1, without reserve, are so popular among the buyers. But that is not all. These auctions are also popular because they are fun and excitement. As one buyer says, "the thrill of winning an auction is rivalled only by the thrill of ripping open the parcel when the postman delivers your purchase".

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