Nervous E-tailers Offer Steep Discounts

Online retailers are trying to offset expected consumer spending declines with promotions and other incentives, reports The Associated Press.

Stores ranging from Toys 'R' Us to Target to Overstock.com will be trying to lure shoppers with sale items or offers of free shipping today, dubbed Cyber Monday because a high number of people are expected to polish off their holiday discount shopping from their cubicles.

One thing making businesses eager to try new hooks is the slowing growth of new online shoppers, occurring as the market matures.

According to the National Retail Foundation, 72 percent of e-commerce retailers will have some sort of promotion in place. That's up from 42 percent just two years ago.

Nielsen forecasts people are planning on spending the same percentage of their holiday budget online as they did last year. That plays into expectations that the overall shopping picture will be down slightly, flat, or only modestly growing.

Many retailers also ran online sales and promotions both on Thanksgiving Day itself, concurrent with Black Friday, when most attention was paid to brick-and-mortar shops.

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Online Shopping

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Online Shopping
By Celeste Yates

With a full time job, raising kids, rushing to meetings and going to the gym, you do not want to waste your weekend shopping. And that's if you even if you have a weekend, as generally deadlines, sports and social activities even suck those two days away. Is for this sole purpose that shops have brought out on-line shopping, for customers who just don't have time.

In the comfort of your own home you can now order everything from toilet paper to your daily milk online. This is a huge bonus, not only for people that are too tired to go the shops but also for people who work odd hours in the day.

As online shops are open 24 hours a day, you can log on at anytime, whether it is during lunch time or late at night. The company will get the request during the working hours and sort out your request. They will package and sent the items through within a time limit.

By using search engines, you can find a variety of online shops to purchase from. Without having to drive or walk from one place to another, you can compare prices and deals to find the best one. You can also find specific items without having to take chances that one shop might have it.

You can order direct from the supplier if you need in bulk. When you are done, there are no queue's to stand in. Payment is simply and straight on line. There are no hassles about having to wait behind people that take forever with their trolleys. Or waiting for people to find the right change in their wallet.

There is a lot of taboo about shopping online; with payments and ensuring that the place site you are buying from is a legitimate place. The best way to deal with this is to try and shop from places that are in your city/town.

This will also cut back on delivery charges. Also keep the paper trail. Print all transactions and bills that you can. Keep record of where you are shopping, what you are buying and all the payslips in between.

The best thing about online shopping would be the delivery to your door aspect. No hassles of transport, car boots not being big enough and having to carry loads of packets from the garage to your house. Overall online shopping has plenty of benefits, which are simplicity, efficiency and convenience.

Celeste writes for Online Shopping, where you can get the best value shopping experience.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Celeste_Yates
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FBI: Complaints about Online Shopping Websites on the Rise

FBI: Complaints about Online Shopping Websites on the Rise

Internet auction fraud remains the most frequently reported online crime, but complaints over online purchases that are never delivered are on the rise, according to US data released by the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).

Auction fraud complaints made up about 45% of the 207,492 complaints received by the IC3 last year, but that number is down significantly from 2005, when auction fraud was cited 63% of the time.

Overall, the number of complaints received by IC3 was down 10% from the previous year, when the IC3 logged 231,493 complaints. But the total losses reported were up in 2006, totaling $198m (£99m) for the year. In 2005 that amount was $183m (£95m).

Complaints for non-delivery of merchandise represented 19% of complaints. They made up 16% in 2005.

The median pound loss reported per complaint was £360, according to the FBI.

Founded in 2000, the IC3 is a clearing house for all kinds of cyber-crime complaints designed to track the prevalence of internet fraud in the US. It is run in partnership with the US National White Collar Crime Center.

Article Source: http://www.computerworlduk.com/management/security/cybercrime/news/index.cfm?newsid=2280