Book Tries to Make Online Shopping Easier

Sponsored by the online shopping website eHalfOff.com

Hillary Mendelsohn founded the thepurplebook in 2000 after an agonizing attempt to purchase an antique music box online led to hours of searching and turned up more than 400 irrelevant hits. So she started a book (and Web site) inspired by travel and Zagat guides — a guide to online retailers.

The 2006 edition of the book is available at major bookstores and online retailers (Amazon.com, BarnesAndNoble.com, etc.); the 2007 edition is due out in February. Online, thepurplebook (www.thepurplebook.com) offers a subscription site, which can be searched according to category, keyword, product type or gift option. And, unlike many search engines, featured shopping sites do not pay to be listed. Each site listing includes written reviews, customer service ratings and contact information.

Annual subscriptions to www.thepurplebook.com cost $29.99. Is it worth it? If you’re losing hours online trying to find shopping sites, it might be your answer. If you’re just looking for a few ideas on where to go, I’d suggest flipping through the book at the bookstore or library. The book itself only retails for $19.95-$21.99 (2006-2007), but can be found discounted on Amazon for $13.57-$14.95.

Article Source: The State