discount

How to get free shipping on almost everything you buy

There's a new Web site in town that has Cheapskate written all over it: Free Shipping On. Terrible name, great service: It enables you to search Amazon and eBay for only those items that have free shipping. It also corrals free-shipping deals from over 500 other stores, from Apple to Home Depot to WebUndies.com.

I particularly like the eBay search tool, as it drives me nuts when I find a seemingly great deal on something and then discover a ridiculously inflated shipping charge. Both the Amazon and eBay tools can be added to your browser's list of … Read more

GreenDealsDaily tracks cheap, eco-friendly shopping

People often complain about the high cost of organic foods, hybrid cars and pesticide-free bamboo T-shirts. GreenDealsDaily, which launched this month, attempts to bust the myth that living a more eco-friendly lifestyle is only for the well-heeled.

The site lists the latest price drops, coupons and freebies for green products, as well as lifestyle tips from IdealBite, Treehugger and other blogs. Hurry and call ConEd now, for example, if you want free compact fluorescent bulbs for your Manhattan apartment. Or get thee to Gaiam for its 75 percent discount while the organic cotton bedding lasts.

You can register with GreenDealsDaily … Read more

Gray-market products. Where do they come from?

To outsiders and consumers, the gray market somehow always seems skeevy.

Why is that store selling Apple PCs that come in a choice of English or Spanish? How come this set of speakers costs less than what I see at other retailers? And why is a luggage store selling TVs?

Did these products fall off a truck?

The answer, interestingly enough, is actually no. Often, gray market products, which are products not sold by authorized dealers, get to these stores via middlemen like ModusLink, which specializes in logistics and distribution. Most of the time, the company helps manufacturers craft a … Read more

Target sells pre-owned iPods

Borrowing a page from computer resellers, Target is selling previously owned iPods, including some of those in the latest colors. It's unclear where exactly these players came from, but Target says they've all been "quality tested." In any case, as Chip Chick points out, it's a chance to try one out at a good price if you've been holding out for them to get cheaper.

Get your sales story straight, Sony

Sony says holiday sales have been better than expected this season.

Sony Electronics President and Chief Operating Officer Stan Glasgow said Monday during a media roundtable in New York that this was due to his company's decision to avoid deeply discounting its products on Black Friday, according to a Reuters report.

"We are not a promotional company--Sony is a premium brand and we don't become the loss leaders in the industry," Glasgow said. "We generally don't expect to have a very good Thanksgiving or just-after Thanksgiving. It's been better than we expected and … Read more