| Purchasing on the Internet |
| Due to all the hullabaloo lately over the Murder, She Wrote DVD's and illegal copies, I decided to make a page for my site with little tips and pieces of advice (whether or not you choose to take it is up to you). 1.)KNOW the laws A law made several years ago made it illegal to copy and distribute for money TV shows or specials recorded from TV. DVD's of TV shows are included in this. If the DVD does not include the logo of the company that owns the show (IE- Universal), be sure that you check into who DID officially release the DVD (IE Warner Brothers, RCA), and find THEIR logo on the product somewhere. This should be included in the pictures of the item. 2.) REMEMBER that people don't HAVE to tell the truth. Just because people are trying to sell something on the Internet doesn't mean they have to do it legally or tell you the truth. That's a chance you take when purchasing anything over the Internet.. 3.)KNOW what you're buying. Knowing what you're buying means knowing what company released the product and when, researching the company if needed and looking around for the ACTUAL best price of an item. Just because a web-site SAYS that something is what it is, doesn't mean that it's true. KNOWING what you're buying ALSO sometimes includes knowing HOW the product is made. For instance, if you are purchasing a DVD set, and the web-site says it was made using a "consumer DVD recorder," the DVD was copied illegally, and one should avoid purchasing that item. This also includes looking at any pictures of the item. If there are no pictures of the item, beware. Investigate carefully. 4.) DO your RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH I use the word RESEARCH a lot on this page. If you're unsure about a web-site or company and it's legitamacy, check with friends. Do some on-line research into the company or web-site. If possible, try to find information from objective sources (I.E--not one of the people who WORK for the company/web-site). This may seem time consuming, but it could end up costing you more money later if you DON'T do research. 5.) Purchase from WELL-KNOWN and TRUSTED companies and web-sites! Personally, I've never had any problems with Amazon.com. It's one of my FAVORITE sites to buy from. I've gotten most of my showtune collection from them. E-bay is also another respected on-line vendor. However, even on e-bay you take chances with individual sellers. Be sure to always check the FEEDBACK the seller has---if there are a lot of negative comments, think twice about bidding, no matter how badly you want the item. Bidding on an item from an irresponsible seller will only create more headache and you may end up paying for the item more than once. 6.) "WHERE did my NICKEL go?" On Murder, She Wrote, they used it as Frank Jr.'s first sentence, but in this case, it's an appropriate and legitimate question! Ask yourself, "Where is my money going?"--and then do the research to answer your question. Is your money helping to build and maintain your local economy? Is that where you want it to go? Consumer dollars is something in America that we have the most control over, yet many people don't stop to think about the economy, local or national, and they don't search for the best quality product for the best prices. They're out there. One must simply do the research and put forth the effort. 7.) GET a RECIEPT Most on-line vendors have some sort of e-mail "reciept" to verify the purchase. ALWAYS file these in your e-mail account and, in possible, get print-outs. Having the paperwork comes in handy if the product doesn't arrive in a timely manner, or at all. It's definitely better safe than sorry in this case, to have proof of your purchase. |
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| I hope this helps, or makes you think a little bit about your on-line purchases. |
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