If you’re planning to make a purchase, you should always be an informed customer. With the sheer amount of things available to buy online, there are bound to be some great, quality-made products — as well as those that are not so great. Simply spending a little time researching your purchases before you make them can save you a lot of hassle, grief, and money. You might also have some luck with coupon sites online. Here are some ways you can become an informed customer.
Visit Review and Comparison Sites
What better way to see what’s worth buying than to see what others have to say? Review sites offer a way for you to quickly compare different products and see what people, from regular customers to industry pros, have to say about the things you’re looking to buy.
The best part is that there’s a review site out there for just about everything imaginable. For example, The Zebra compares car insurance rates for more than 200 insurers, while ecigguide.com reviews the many types of vaporizers available.
See What Reddit Says
If you’re having trouble finding very specific information about the products you’re researching, head on over to Reddit to find in-depth information about almost anything. Reddit consists of thousands of different communities, and there’s probably a community related to whatever you’re hoping to buy. Here, you should be able to find reviews as well as answers to whatever questions you may have. Even if you can’t find the right information, you’re always free to start a new thread for others to respond to.
Watch YouTube Unboxings
One of the best resources for doing product research might be one that you haven’t thought of: YouTube. Popular on this video-streaming site is a genre of videos called “unboxing” videos, in which people who’ve purchased a product open it for the first time and give their immediate impressions. This type of video has grown so popular that even professional reviewers have taken on the task of providing first unboxing impressions. Unboxings give you a visual, unbiased view of what you can expect to show up at your door if you choose to purchase a certain product.
Price Match
Even after you’ve done all your research and you’re ready to click the “add to cart” button, you may still be forgetting to do a price match comparison among the different shops that are selling your product. In some cases, you may only save a fraction of the cost, but there are still rare instances where you stand to save a lot of money. It’s also worth noting that you might not always find the best price online. So, it doesn’t hurt to check with your local stores to see if they have the product in stock and at what price they’re selling it. After all, you don’t want to spend any unnecessary money, do you? Online coupon websites like ClothingRIC are good resources to find a great number of online retailers and also their promotional offers.
Know the Return Policy and Warranty
Despite your best research, you never know what you’re getting until it arrives at your doorstep. While the product itself may be well-rated and made with quality materials, there’s always the threat of a warehouse error or damage caused during the shipping process. Because of this, it’s good to know your seller’s return policy. Also, you should check to see if the manufacturer has included a warranty with the product, as you never know what could go wrong in the future.
While these resources will serve you well in the buying process, they’re also worth looking into after you’ve bought your item. These tips and tricks will help you get the most bang for your buck.
Featured photo credit: Shopping Tips, via lifehack.org
