1. Run virus & spyware scans: Always perform routine virus and spyware checks as these bugs may copy your credit card numbers. They make your computers prone all sorts of online frauds. Do not install any spyware scanners that automatically appear while browsing; telling your PC is fully infested. Anti root-kit protection also allows your password protection. There are some online virus scanners.Virustotal can scan with 35 antivirus scanners once you upload a file. Also check your outdated programs which make your computer prone for infections, Secunia may be useful software.
2. Shop on affiliated sites: Always perform online shopping on those sites accredited to standard and security agencies like BBB (Better Business Bureau), Buysafe, Verisign etc. Adding to this the logos should be clickable. If not confirm it’s not a trusted source.
3. Review return and exchange policy: Before buying an object, review the return and exchange policy. Some sites like apple do not offer any returns.
4. Avoid debit cards: Your account may be overdrawn even before you may get time to cancel.
5. Use credit cards instead: These are the most security risk free way of online shopping. You are entirely protected from any frauds or account overdraws. American Express, Visa and Mastercard have a zero liability policy. You do not have to pay anything for unauthorized transactions if you notify the financial institutions promptly. It’s better to signup for their password challenge programs wherein you are asked a password for each online transaction you are coming across. For more information check their websites Mastercard, Visa.
6. Paypal is even better: With paypal, you do not have to enter your credit card number anywhere and you will be freed from typing your details each time. It also offers a wide range of deals. Here is the list of shops enrolled with paypal.
7. Do not open promo emails: Most of those emails which get into your spam folder or even in the inbox which offers you unbelievable offers are better deleted. Also promos of any shopping stuff for which you have not registered should also be taken with precaution. These may open your sites for virus and spywares. Do not download any softwares that come along through an email.
8. Do not type in PINs: Do not type in your credit/debit card PINs anywhere. Also do not type in your addresses in unauthorized sites. Do not follow any links to shopping that appears as pop up windows while browsing.

Hope this would be enough for now. But this has to be constantly updated with spammers and hackers finding new and better ways to hack your accounts. Please send in your comments too. If you liked this blogpost please do click any of the icons below.

For those of you who eagerly wait for their ordered products day-night, a great option offered by Amazon is on your way. Selected cities would enjoy delivery of the products on the same day itself.
“Amazon customers placing deliveries within the cities of New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Washington, Baltimore, Las Vegas, and Seattle, as well as "some surrounding areas," will now be able to receive shipments on the same day they place an order. The service will be coming to Chicago, Indianapolis, and Phoenix "in the coming months."

This local express delivery system is offered for some limited products (but a huge number) and comes with varied pricing. Those of you, who already pay $79 for the two-day delivery system, now just have to pay $6 for this special offer per item. For others it would be less economical with the pricing ranging through $15/product.

The customers would have to order the product within the cut-off time prescribed for the city which could be 10AM in New York whilst is 1PM in Seattle.

Amazon Kindle
Could we trust amazon reviews over its new product Amazon Kindle. If you feel yes do visit the Kindle page in the online shopping site. There has been a sharp rise in the downloads and buys of e-books following the introduction and sales of Kindle. It may be the one technology that would change the entire knowledge industry.

Its a light weigh screen pad which allows you to read e-books easily. Though a bit slow, you can turn over the pages just like any ordinary book. Unlike your PC readers it does not offer a copy-paste feature and you wont be able to rename any documents. The most frustrating thing is that you may accidentally touch over the screen and would find your pages somewhere else. Unlike a PC or mobile screen this doesnot feature a backlight.

The e-book reader comes at a cost of $359 when I am writing this blog which I believe is not too high and not too less. Once bought you have the opportunity to get e-books, books, magazines, e-newspaper etc at reduced rates from Amazon which can be easily downloaded and stored.

Sony ebook reader
To enter into competition is Sony style and now on market is PRS series ebook readers. It comes at a price of $299 to $399 and you have different qualities and specifications to choose from. The brand name itself is the biggest selling strategy for Sony. Anyway the product can surely said to be over-priced.

According to the reviews the screen brightness is minimal and its difficult reading with the gadget, the glare being the major difficulty. The downloading features are faster and better. The advantage over Kindle is the presence of back-light which can be turned on whenever necessary. Hence, it is better to wait till Sony correct these mistakes.

Sony stores also help you get the books over a wide range of categories you choose at comparatively low prices. To read more about Sony ebook readervisit the link. At present Sony offers free ground shipping on all orders.

My general advice is to wait till the products get improved and the costs reduced. Apart from Kindle and Sony, there are many manufacturers offering ebook readers which are not worthy of mentioning.

Lenovo US (ThinkPad) - Lenovo IdeaPad S12 Netbook eCoupon Featuring 12.1" Display. Intel Atom, 2GB of Memory, 250GB Hard Drive, NVIDIA 256MB Video, Windows 7 and More for Only $549 with FREE Shipping!

Today's deal is for the ultraportable 1 inch thick multimedia series IdeaPad netbook that weigh just 2.87lbs! You saw me post it a few days ago and at that time, it didn't have the 256MB of NVIDIA video memory so as suspected, they did change the deal. This IdeaPad S12 laptop features a full size keyboard in it's compact form, a 12.1" WXGA TFT display, a 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor, 2GB of DDR2 SDRAM memory, 250GB hard drive, 802.11b/g, Bluetooth 2.1, NVIDIA ION 256MB video, 6 cell battery and Windows 7 Home Premium 32. It's $599 after a $50 instant savings, but you get an extra $50 off by using eCoupon: USPS12DEAL (expires tonight - 9 PM PST) LENOVO IDEAPAD S12 LAPTOP ECOUPON DEAL

ProNetHosting.net - UNLIMITED Disk Space, UNLIMITED Bandwidth, MySQL, PHP, CGI and MORE for 1 YEAR for Only $4.95!

Posted on Sunday October 25th, 2009 by lights

It's back for today only, you can sign up for this service that we had running last week for one day. You get unlimited services like web space, bandwidth and also the same money back guarantee! You also get the MySQL set up, PHP, CGI, SSL (? this one's new, I'm pretty sure wasn't included last time) and the eTrust certification. GOT APEX EXCLUSIVE PRONETHOSTING.NET FREE WEB HOSTING DEAL

Shop4Tech - 17% Off Everything Coupon + FREE Shipping!

Posted on Sunday October 25th, 2009 by lights

17% off coupon that knocks off some nice savings for you folks looking at DVD media. If you need media (or toys, gadgets or steak knives!!) shop around and use coupon code: SW17 (expires 10/25/09) 17% OFF COUPON WITH FREE SHIPPING

• Update: Some quick picks:
  • Tenergy NiMH AAA 1000mAh Ready to Use Rechargeable High Capacity Batteries for $9.86 (qty 12!) with free shipping. AAA NIMH RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES DEAL
  • 8 piece steak knife set for only $9.91 with free shipping! CHEF SECRET 8 PIECE STEAK KNIFE SET DEAL
• Although Shop4Tech is where I buy most of my DVD media and accessories, they've got a nice set of cool gadgets and gizmos that you can use this coupon on as well. GADGET DEALS

Overstock - Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen - 2 Disc Special Edition Blu-ray for $18.99 with Flat $2.95 Shipping

And there's no tax except in UT and I think IN. Unfortunately, they've got the $1 shipping that doesn't apply to movies,... (lame, I know). Still, the lowest price on the net from a place I'd trust with my credit card info. TRANSFORMERS 2 REVENGE OF THE FALLEN 2 DISC SPECIAL EDITION BLU-RAY MOVIE DEAL

Newegg - Combo Deal: OCZ StealthXStream 700W ATX12V SLI/CrossFire Power Supply and LG DVD Burner and Kingston 4GB microSD Card - $60.48 after Rebate, Shipped Free!

Posted on Sunday October 25th, 2009 by Leon

I love NewEgg's combo deals. They really save you a lot of money than if you purchased them separately. This combo deal gets you:

• OCZ StealthXStream OCZ700SXS 700W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Active PFC Power Supply - Retail (Typically $82.30)
• LG DVD Burner Black SATA Model GH22NS50 - OEM (Typically $32.99)
• Kingston 4GB microSD Card (Typically $14)

All that for only $60.48 after a mail-in rebate. Shipping is free! The Kingston 4GB microSD card should be added to your cart automatically. OCZ STEALTHXSTREAM 700W POWER SUPPLY AND LG GH22NS50 SATA DVD BURNER AND KINGSTON 4GB MICROSD CARD COMBO DEAL

Use coupon code: OZSAVEOCT for 10% off the PSU. Expires 11/11/2009.

Think Geek - $10 Off $50 Coupon or $5 Off $25! Gadgets, Gizmos, Geek Toys, Apparels and More!

Posted on Sunday October 25th, 2009 by lights

Easily one of my favorite places to shop for when it comes to picking up some gifts for the guys and now you get a coupon that knocks off $10 of your $50 purchase, or $5 off your $25 purchase. You get your choice of categories from gadgets, geek toys, home office goodies, electronics and caffeine candy type deal. Use coupon code: CATALOG (expires 9/30/09) THINKGEEK GADGET DEALS

Online shopping may be the thing of the future. It may harbor much more articles than in the largest shopping mall in the world. But as far as I have learned there are a few items which are better bought offline if you do not want to get cheated.

1. Luxury goods: The first thing to notice is that most of these branded items are not offered online and therefore do not let that pranksters cheat you over them. Adding to that, these $5000 stuffs can never be offered for $500 or $50. And if you are offered one, it could be a counterfeit stuff whose halflife would be a few days to weeks without any warranties or guarantees. You can very well see that the price range for those ipods donot have a wide variation.
2. Prescribed medicines: Do not let those online medicine businessmen cheat you. Many of these products are fake or outdated with wrong contents which could do all harm to your body. Especially be aware of those spamming medical advertisers. But you can very well buy reliable ones from qualified online shops like drugstore.
3. Fragile electronics: There could be no guarantee that you would get these products in a single piece. Before letting yourselves pay online for these stuffs make sure the company would buy back those shattered products and pay back. If at all they pay back there would be a 10-20% fine or shipping fee trap behind. And if you notice many like Apple donot appreciate returns.
4. Groceries: A controversial topic, but if you like to have the tastiest and fresh apples or tomatoes it would be better if you walk through the markets and personally touch and feel them. I would prefer online purchase of groceries only if they offer free delivery.
5. Intimate wears: No one expects you sending back the briefs or bras you bought online and tried and almost no one accepts too. There would be a slight variation of these products between manufacturers. So buy them only if you are sure with the sizes and get lucrative offers online.

There may be a bit more you could add up to this list and it would be helpful if you did so.

Its a Barack Obama week for almost all shopping sites. Shopping spree is to get this brand on anything and everything from food plates to t-shirts. Some of the best sellers also include the onetime best seller book of Obama- Audacity of Hope. Here are the best buys I have found over net on Brand Obama.

 Paperback: The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream

Author: Obama, Barack

You get it at $4.00

List Price: $7.99

You Save: $3.99 (50%)
Link to Walmart


Buy.com offers the Barack Obama Historic Victory Collectible Plate for $9.99 with free shipping, it's the lowest total price we could find by $16. It includes a stand and a certificate of authenticity.

Barack Obama For President T-Shirt (Metallic Gold, Silver Foil or Contrast Blue)

Price:	$24.00 - $31.00
Sale:	$19.99 - $26.99
You Save:	$11.01 (35%)

Check out at Amazon shopping

Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance

By Obama Barack

List price:	$14.95
You save:	$5.08 plus $5.00* add'l savings
Shipping:	FREE

Your price:

$4.87 (67% off)

Link to Hotbooksale shopping

Fujifilm FINEPIX J10 8 MP Digital Camera (Black) | BuyDig.com, The... (buydig.com)

$89.98 ($299.00)
FREE shipping

Nikon Coolpix S210 8.1MP Digital Camera $90 at Adorama.com (adorama.com)

$89.95 
$0 shipping

Canon PowerShot SD990 IS 14.7-MP Digital Camera $289 at Abes of Maine (abesofmaine.com)

$289
$0 shipping

Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-T300 10.1MP Camera $233 at Frys.com (frys.com)

$227.00 
$6.00 shipping

Kodak EasyShare M1063 10-Megapixel Camera $138 at Staples.com (staples.com)

$149.99 ($137.99 after rebate) worth $159.99
$0 shipping

Olympus FE-20 8.0MP Digital Camera $100 at Staples.com (staples.com)

$99.99 (worth $149.99)
$0 shipping

It has been an amazing christmas sales for the online shops. And the After Christmas price slash is even better for you. Get into there, before time runs out. Here are the links for the after christmas bargains and deals in various sites which I got from banana republic..

1. Buy.com: The list is amazing with quite a few unbelievable prices. Get in before they are expired.
2. Aeropostale- Up to 60% off Sale
3. Aeropostale (Coupons)- Aeropostale Last Chance Sale: Save up to 70% off
4. Amazon (Coupons)- Year-End Deals [Exp. 12/29]
5. American Eagle ( Coupons)- Jeans Sale
6. Altrec (Coupons)- The Big Chill Sale: up To 70% off
7. Banana Republic (Coupons)- Winter Sale: up to 60% off Online: Extra 20% Off Sale Items couponEXTRA20 [Valid 12/26-12/29]
8. Bath & Body Works (Coupons) - The big Semi-anual Sale [Exp. 12/28]$10 off $30 Printable Coupon [Exp. 12/31]Online: $10 off $50 coupon PEOPLE08 [Exp. 01/01/09]
9. CircuitCity (Coupons)- Better-than-Santa Sale Online: 10% off $99 firedog home theater installation coupon WAA5XR4AC9
10. Coldwater Creek (Coupons)- Online: 50% off Everything Coldwater Creek Coupon Code SAVEBIG[Exp. 01/05/09]
    
11. Cole Haan (Coupons) Online: Extra 30% off Coldwater Creek Coupon Code SAVE30 [Exp. 01/01/09]
    
12. Dell (Coupons)
    After Christmas Clearance Sale (Laptops, Desktops )
    Online: 15% on select E&A Coupon Code P8KJNT4LV44T9S [Exp. 01/02/09]
    
13. Ebags (Coupons) -Up to 70% off Winter Sale
    
14. Endless (Coupons)- At least 40% off Year-end sale
    
15. Express (Coupons)- Express Up to 60% off Shop the Box Sale + Extra 20% off
    
16. Fry's Electronics After Christmas Sale
    
17. FogDog (Coupons)- Extra 20% off Outlet Items FogDog Coupon Code FOGOUT26 [Exp. 12/28]
    
18. Gap (Coupons)- Online: Extra 25% off Sale Item Gap coupon code SALE [Valid 12/26-12/29]
    
19. GoGamer- GoGamer.com Green Friday Sale [Exp. 12/28]
    
20. GNC (Coupons)- Online: Friends & Family: 20% off $50 + Free Shipping GNC Coupon CodeSHARE20 [Exp. 12/28]
    In-store: 20% off $50 In-Store Printable GNC Coupon [Exp. 12/28]
    
21. Gymboree (Coupons)
    Semi-Annual Sale: Up to 60% Off Online & In-store
    $25 Gymbucks with $50 Purchase [Exp. 01/11/09]
    
22. Kohls (Coupons- Fannie May Holiday Sale: 50% off
    Free One Pound Assorted Chocolate with Any order Fannie May Coupon Code 10324
    
23. HSN (Coupons)- Up to 60% off Year-end Clearance sale
    
24. IKEA - 20% to 60% off Winter Sale
    
25. JCPenney (Coupons)- After-Christmas Sale & Clearance
    Online: 15% off coupon SURVDEC8 [Exp. 01/14/09]
    
26. Jos. A. Bank (Coupons)- After Christmas SALE & Clearance: up to 66% off [Exp. 12/30]
    Online: 20% off regular priced items coupon JAB07
    
27. Karmaloop (Coupons)- Online: 50% off entire order Karmaloop Coupon PRESENT
    
28. Lenovo (Coupons)- Online: up to 10% off laptops coupon USPGO4SAVINGS [Exp. 12/29]
    
29. Lord & Taylor (Coupons)- After Christmas Sale
    Online: 20% off coupon AFTERXMAS
    
30. Lucky Brand Jeans (Coupons)
    Twice yearly Sale: 50% off Select Items- Online: 30% off Original Price of Lucky Brand Jeans Item coupon 8DVRL3 [Exp. 01/07]
    
31. Macy's (Coupons)
    After-Christmas Sale & Clearance
    $10 off $50 Printable Coupon [Exp. 12/31]
    Online: Extra 15% or 10% off coupon XMASGIFT [Exp. 12/30]
    
32. Meijer (Coupons)- Meijer Up to 30% off After Christmas Sale
    
33. MLB (Coupons)
    Buy One Cap Get One Free in Clearance Section
    Online: 15% off your entire order MLB Coupon Code TY2008 [Exp. 12/31]
    
34. Neiman Marcus (Coupons)
    After Chrismas Sale- Online: Free shipping on $200 coupon SHOPNM
    
35. Newport News (Coupons)
    Extra 25% off Last Chance Winter Sale- Online: 20% off coupon 505
    
36. NORDSTROM- Post-Holiday Sales [Valid. 12/26-12/31]
    
37. Nike (Coupons)
    60-80% off Last Chance Clearance Sale
    Online: 20% off Clearance Items Nike Coupon DECCLEAR [Exp. 01/06/09]
    
38. OneCall- OneCall Year End Savings Event [Exp. 12/31]
    
39. PCMall- End of Year Blowout Sale: Up to 75% off
    
40. Pfaltzgraff (Coupons)- End of Year Blowout Sale
    Online: 20% off coupon WWINTERFS [Exp. 12/31]
    
41. Pink Mascara (Coupons)
    After Chrismas Sale: 30-70% off- Online: 40% off coupon code SANTA40
    
42. Pottery Barn- New Sale: Up to 75% off
    
43. Rampage - 70% off Everything Blowout Sale
    
44. Ralph Lauren (Coupons)- Up to 65% off Holiday Sale
    
45. REI (Coupons)
    REI Holiday Clearance: Save Up to 50%
    Online: 15% off one Full-Price Item REI Coupon Code MGKJH2
    
46. Sears (Coupons)- After Christmas Sale
    $5 off $30 or 10% off all Appliances Printable Coupon [Exp. 01/31/09]
    Online: $5 off $50 coupon code SWELCOME0228
    
47. ShopEcko (Coupons)- After Christmas Sale: Up to 75% off
    
48. Staples - Staples Post-Holiday Blowout [Exp. 01/03/09]
    
49. Steve Madden (Coupons)- Holiday Sale
    Online: 35% off coupon HappyHolidays35 [Exp. 12/28]
    
50. Sur La Table - Up to 75% off Winter Sale and Clearance [Exp. 01/02/09]
    
51. The Body Shop (Coupons)
    Up to 75% off Sale
    Online: $10 off $40 The Body Shop Coupon Code HOLIDAY [Exp. 12/31]
    
52. The Limited (Coupons)
    Happy Holiday Sale
    $15 off $50 Printable Coupon [Exp. 12/31]
    Online: 50% off coupon 760 [Limited time]
    
53. Ties.com- Happy Holidays Sale
    Online: 50% off coupon code TCDEC8 [Valid. 12/26-12/28]
    
54. ToysRUs (Coupons)- After Christmas Sale [Valid. 12/26-01/03/09]
    
55. Williams Sonoma - Up to 75% off Winter Sale
    
56. Yankee Candle (Coupons)- at least 50% off Clearance sale- Online: $10 off $25 coupon 96F99M