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Buy Wholesale And Save BIG! Copyright ? 2006 Prepaid Solutions

Are you ready to join? The Internet shopping bandwagon, that is. Shopping online has become increasingly popular over the last few years, with new and improved safety measures, specialty shops and giant retailers like Overstock.com; all designed to entice shoppers.

In fact, shoppers spent $30.1 billion online this season, up 30 percent from $23.2 billion last year, according to Goldman Sachs, Nielsen/NetRatings and Harris Interactive.

Additionally, e-commerce transactions are estimated to be close to 168 billion dollars for the year 2005. In fact, in the year 2010 it is projected online sales could top the 315 billion dollar mark (Forrester Research 2005). One may ask, why such an increase?

Many factors can explain such increases. Improved security measures, ease of use and convenience are just a few of these factors. Let’s explore these factors.

Security Measures- Despite all the fears of identity theft, online transactions account for less than 4% of identity theft. There are numerous software programs available (some for free) that the user can download to protect themselves from viruses and spyware. Worried about spyware? Download a free spyware program at www.safer-networking.com (called SpyBot Search & Destroy).

Additionally, look for the locked padlock in the toolbar and make sure the http changes to https in your browser. The “s” indicates that the web site is a secure site and adheres to the industry standard for security values Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). Therefore, your personal information is encrypted and stays private during transmission over the Internet. If you use Internet Explorer as your browser you will generally see a lock in the bottom right of page which indicates that the site has at least 128 bit encryption (which is safer than shopping offline). Always delete sensitive information when exiting any website and do not give your credit card number to anyone requesting it in an email (phishing scams). Follow these simple steps a safe online shopping experience.

Ease of use- We have all seen the banner advertisements, just click on them and they take you to the web site advertised. Email advertising is growing in popularity as well and includes a link to click on to take the user to the site after they read the text ad. There are some unique and catchy names of web sites that are easy to remember. Have a favorite web site or shopping site? Just bookmark it and add it to your collection of favorites!

Convenience- Ever wait in long lines during the holiday season? What a time saver online shopping has become! No lines to wait in, no parking hassles, no traffic, no gas expense, no crowds and your merchandise can be shipped right to your door!

Or, if you prefer, you can have your purchases gift wrapped and delivered to another address. All you do is sit at your computer with your shopping list and get done in a few hours what may taken you several days and trips to the mall to accomplish!

In many cases, you will spend less for the product as well as the elimination of gas, time and parking at the local mall. There is absolutely no need to be paranoid about shopping online and the bargains and even wholesale products that are dropshipped to you are waiting to picked!

There are many more advantages to shopping online (we have just covered a few) as well as some disadvantages, but carefully weighed out; the smart shopper will discover a happy medium between the two and e-commerce will continue to grow and be a force in the economy for years to come.

————————————————————————————————————————Dan Farrell is the owner of http://www.buyatwholesaleguide.com where you can get links and resources to wholesale, closeout and liquidation merchandise that is dropshipped to your door.

About the Author

Dan Farrell is the owner of http://www.buyatwholesaleguide.com with more shopping and wholesale articles and tips.

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This is a proven technique to get past the “gatekeepers” at most large companies and secure a position on their highly profitable Bid List. Once you have been accepted by any major corporation following these simple steps, you are on your way to high volume, Brand Name, consistent product sourcing! When you go directly to the source ( manufacturer of the goods), instead of wholesale suppliers or distributors, you will not incur the markup and expenses that those middle man firms would pass on to you.

The first step is to contact the person in charge of asset disposal. There are many different names for this department; such as liquidation, closeout, salvage or scrap department, and one or two key people usually manage it.

You may have noticed that most large companies do not clearly list any phone information on their website. There is a simple reason for this; it costs money anytime a live person has to answer the phone. These companies would like you to go through their website; and the truth is that 99% of the information you need is on their website.

If the company has an 800 number, it is still like going through a maze to find someone who can help you. Since we are on the search for the person who handles the liquidation, salvage or closeout department, we need a different approach:

Go to the home page of the business you want to contact and search on the website for Media Contact. This may be listed plainly under Media Contact, or it may be hidden in a department such as “Contact Us”. If you cannot find this information on the website, go to www.google.com and type in the company name plus media or media contact. This should pull up a list of relevant searches. Why look under the site for media? Companies want to talk to the media; this represents stories or articles about the company, which generates publicity, which in turn generates more sales. The companies want the media people readily available. This makes it easier for us!

When you call the media contact, you may get an operator or even the person in charge of Public Relations with the media themselves. It works best if the media person answers. They are much more knowledgeable about the departments of the company and will give you a phone number or extension of the person you need to contact.

If the operator answers, you will have a little more work to do. They usually have a list of names and extensions. State that you previously talked to someone in media, but can’t remember their extension; and that although you do not need to talk to them at the moment, you would like to send them the information they requested. This will put the operator at ease, and then you can ask for the email address so that you can forward the information

The operators do screen calls and although they do not like to put calls through, they usually have no problem giving out email addresses. The email address usually shows the first initial and last name of the person you need to contact, for example jjames@abc.com. Wait a day or two, call back and say that you are sending correspondence to Mr. James in the Liquidation Department, and ask for the correct spelling of his first name so that you get it right. This usually works and you are on your way!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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