December 2000 University Reporter

By Melissa Fassel

The windshield wipers are making the most annoying squeaking sound as you wait in your car for the next customer to walk out of Filene’s. The snow continues to fall. You hear the engine fan go on as your car slowly overheats while you wait for the holy grail of a parking spot.

Now, picture sitting in front of your computer, wrapped in a fuzzy bathrobe, sipping a cup of tea. The weather outside is beyond frightful and the highways are packed with bumper-to-bumper cars, as you click away with your mouse. Welcome to the world of Internet shopping. Stretch out your fingers and prepare yourself for some heavy-duty surfing!

If you know the exact store you’d like to visit, there’s a good chance there is an on-line counterpart to the physical store. Gap, Banana Republic, Macy’s, Victoria’s Secret, Crate and Barrel, and J. Crew are just a few typical mall stores that also sell their wares in cyberspace. Unsure of the web address? Punch in www.yahoo.com or just about any other search engine, and you should be able to find your virtual store. For a categorical list, check out www.shopping.yahoo.com. If you’re overwhelmed, I suggest beginning at the virtual mall, www.mall.com. Mall.com divides its cyber-stores by floors and departments, which range from shoes to perfume. Many stores also feature coupons for first-time as well as returning customers. The website www.bluefly.com features discount clothing and housewares from designers like Prada, Hilfiger, and Mr. Klein himself, all at closeout prices. You might find a nice pashmina or leather coat at this TJ Maxx of the Internet.

What if you’re looking for something that can’t be found in a mall? Something a little more unique, perhaps? Check out www.novica.com, which features paintings, tapestries, ceramic, and other creative works from artists around the world.

If you like to live dangerously (at least in the cyber-world), you might want to try the latest in web shopping trends: the virtual auction. My personal favorite is www.firstauction.com, which features hourly “flash” auctions for items ranging from telephones to jewelry with bids starting at $1, and longer, 48-hour auctions for many other items. You might also want to check out www.auctions.yahoo.com,www.auctions.com, www.winauction.com. Remember: these also serve as prime sites for getting rid of that can opener that doubles as a flashlight given to you by Aunt Marge last Christmas.

Worried that you’ll run into problems returning your Internet gifts? Many stores, like Gap.com and OldNavy.com now allow you to return on-line purchases at the physical store. If not, like catalogs, most stores include instructions on how to return an item, and are very reasonable in terms of time limitations. The only thing you’ll have to lose is the postage to send it back, but considering all the gas you’ll waste waiting in that mall line, it’s well worth it.

If you’re concerned about using your credit card on the web, most stores clearly display their security methods and policies (look for 64 or 128 encryption). A good way to check if the site is at least superficially secure is to look in the lower left corner of your browser. Most browsers feature “lock” icons when in secure mode. Today’s web security features make credit card fraud very difficult. In fact, there’s probably a better chance of your number being stolen from a phone call to a catalogue center or a neglected receipt.

This holiday season, take control! Stay in your bathrobe! Refuse to become part of the mall-madness crowd! Most of all, have a good time awaiting the big, brown sleigh of a UPS truck toting your holiday wares. Until next holiday season, this is the cyber-shopping guru, logging off.

Cyber-Shop For the Holidays!

By Melissa Fassel