This is the final article in a three-part series.
What do you do when you need a microwave, high chair or cell phone? Picking something off the shelves based on looks, availability and price can be like a stab in the dark. Sometimes we get lucky and the product serves us well. Other times, we have to start all over, wasting money and piling more junk in landfills.
Professional Testing and Product Reviews
One of the main reasons I like online shopping is because it goes hand-in-hand with easy research. Just like the Internet has forever changed the concept of encyclopedia, it has also provided consumers with the power to harness collective wisdom to make smart buying decisions.
All the Reviews in One Place
I highly recommend ConsumerSearch as the first stop in any fact-finding mission. The goal behind ConsumerSearch’s no-stone-unturned kind of research is to “reduce the amount of time it takes to make an intelligence purchase.” How do they do it?
- They comb through ratings from print magazines, international reviewers, professional testing organizations such as Consumer Reports, as well as hundreds of user ratings on sites like Amazon and Epinions.
- They analyze these reviews based on credibility, expertise and relevance. For example, in trying to individuate the best steam iron, they gave the Consumer Reports review less weight as it was conducted several years ago and some of the recommended models had been discontinued. They found a recent review of 11 steam irons by Good Housekeeping to be the most helpful. However, because professional testers use brand-new products, they backed up their research with reviews from Amazon customers who had brought up questions about durability.
- Finally, ConsumerSearch digests all these reviews and writes a report with their top recommendations for that product. They also provide you with places to buy the products using price comparison service Shopping.com. Even though Shopping.com is owned by eBay and there may be conflict-of-interest issues there, I found it to be pretty good at identifying good prices at reputable sellers. To be really sure, you could also punch in your product name into Google Product Search (see below).
Until recently when ConsumerSearch won a Webby Award and made it in TIME Magazine’s Top 50 Websites 2009, the site has been relatively unknown. However ConsumerSearch has been around since 1999 and is now owned by About.com and The New York Times.
While ConsumerSearch recommends thousands of products and services from bicycle helmets to cat food to weight loss programs, if you can’t find what you’re looking for or if you want to read the full story behind some ratings, here are some more recommendations.
In-Depth Reporting, for a Fee
Consumer Reports. Published by a respected nonprofit consumer advocate organization, Consumer Reports is also available online for $26 a year. Being a member means you can search for product ratings any time, avoiding piles of magazines cluttering your house. The experts at Consumer Reports test-drive all sorts of things — from coffee makers to washing machines to paper towels.
Unbiased Advice for Cooks
Cook’s Illustrated publishes several advertisement-free magazines, which include unbiased cooking equipment reviews and taste tests of supermarket ingredients. You can get it all one place when you become a member of their website, although it will set you back $34.95 a year. This organization is a valuable resource, however, and members can also access 16 years worth of Cook’s Illustrated recipes, which have been tested as many as 30 times to arrive at the best possible result.
Gear for Kids & Parents
Babble. My favorite parenting magazine also tests kids’ products in their Babble Best series. You can find reviews and price comparisons (with an eye to style) for all sorts of things such as lightweight strollers, sippy cups, cribs, and even boys’ formalwear.
Electronics
CNET. Although they do accept free samples and ads, the tech experts at CNET pride themselves on objective reviews of everything technological from Internet access to GPS devices. The folks at Wise Bread also have some suggestions for finding the sweet spot when buying electronics.
Travel
Kayak. Ever since Kayak came out five years ago, I’ve been hooked. Unlike other travel search sites, Kayak searches not just airlines but hundreds of travel sites. When you want to book, you are taken directly to the source so you avoid the middle-man and the commission fee.
Kayak is more of a price comparison site than a source of reviews. If you’d like more information on doing travel research, check out this article by the New York Times’ Frugal Traveler, Matt Gross, who also uses Kayak to find cheap flights.
Price Comparison Sites
Because of conflict-of-interest issues, I don’t normally use price comparison sites like Shopzilla and BizRate, but Google Product Search (formerly Froogle) may change my mind. Although it’s still in the testing phase, it seems to be the most objective service of its kind, given that it doesn’t charge any fees for listings or payments for products to show up first.
Recommended Online Retailers
Reader Nancy Shohet West asked about my favorite places for shopping online. It’s kind of embarrassing to admit, but I’ve bought furniture from Target and clothes from Victoria’s Secret and had positive experiences. But in the end, I keep coming back to Amazon: they sell just about everything, their site is easy-to-use, consumer reviews and ratings are plentiful, and they offer free shipping (for most purchases over $25).
The truth is, I don’t really shop that much (I am a frugal mama, after all). If you are looking for more ideas, you may want to consult Real Simple’s Best Shopping Websites, a list based on unique products and excellent customer service.
Indie businesses online
In my last post, I touched on the idea of balancing the need to save money and time with the desire to support unique, small businesses.
Nova Natural Toys & Crafts, a family-owned and operated business in Vermont, lovingly chooses high-quality toys and books that encourage children’s creativity.
“Recommending the perfect book for every child” is the motto of the Bank Street Bookstore in New York City. Their salespeople are extremely educated in helping you find what’s right for you, and on their Website they have books arranged in categories by age and topic — from new sibling to space and teasing to time travel.
At Etsy.com, you can find just about everything hand-crafted directly from some of the smallest businesses of all: artists. I have bought some of our most treasured toys at Etsy — beautifully one-of-a-kind and also affordable.
Stephanie Brandt, who sells her baby name paintings at her Etsy shop JustBunch, says Etsy even has a Shop Local section, where you can locate artisans who live in your area so you can pump the economy closest to home.
How do you make smart decisions about what to buy? Please leave your thoughts in the comments section below.
This post is the final article in a three-part series. The series began with 12 Reasons Online Shopping is Frugal, followed by How to Conquer the Downsides of Online Shopping.
You also might like:
- 12 Reasons Online Shopping is Frugal
- How to Conquer the Downsides of Online Shopping
- 10 Ways to Save Money Shopping Online
- How to Save Time and Money on Everyday Household Goods with Alice.com
- Airline Baggage Fees are Here to Stay: How to Minimize the Damage
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{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
This is REALLY helpful to me. (I know, not surprising since I asked for it, but still.) I didn’t know about any of these reviewer sites and they look great. You’re so right that customer reviews are a great benefit to online shopping. For a while I wanted a Cuisinart grind&brew. Then I read a couple of customer reviews that said they were hard to clean. I knew that even if 2 out of 10,000 customers complained it was hard to clean, I would find it hard to clean!
I always read the most helpful positive and negative customer reviews on Amazon. It’s a great way to understand exactly what you’re getting into. Likewise, I always check Trip Advisor for hotel reviews. But you also need to keep in mind that some negative reviewers are crackpots who are never satisfied with anything. The best way to know is to see how angry the tone of the review is (angrier=crackpot) and see if there are any other negative reviews complaining about the same thing. Even if I buy the item somewhere else (online or in the store), I still check Amazon’s review of the item.
Excellent article, Amy!
Great resources, thanks Amy. I just used consumer search, and it is a great alternative to consumer reports since I don’t want to pay the membership for my rare inquiry. I always read reviews for products…but one thing I try to keep in mind is that they are often written by people with extreme experiences (super great, or totally aweful) and don’t always paint a clear picture…all the more reason why sites like Consumer Search are great. Thanks again!
Unless it is a big purchase, I have to say I rarely research. Maybe not the best practice, but if need a new coffee grinder, where ever I might be next (Target, Sur La Table) I will buy one.
Though if I am online shopping (like today for Christmas gifts!) I will read the reviews and those can be quite helpful.
For instance my son wants a world globe (hush hush!) and a few on Amazon (yes, a site I too love) weren’t geographically precise ,which the description does not tell you, but the reviewer confirmed.
Thanks for the links to these research sites ~ I will start visiting them!
Frugal Mama: One of the suggestions I especially like is to consider ones local boutiques and family business to support despite possible higher prices.
A case in point for me is the family bookstore in Chillicothe. I buy a lot of books as librarian at the LightHouse Youth Center in Bainbridge which has no budget for books. Lately I have been taking advantage of great offers on line, but your thought changed my mind and I will continue to support the local store. They are offering me 10% off on books for the LH school library, so it was a plus to negoiate that. We both win.
Love your website…Beth