Internet Shopping for the Office
December 2006 Techie Talk
New Mexico State University
Shopping with a Procurement Card
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Allows the use of a wider range of vendors.
It is easier to shop locally for smaller items.
It is much quicker than purchase orders.
You have access to Internet sellers that don’t
want to deal with purchase orders and
typically have better prices.
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Shopping on the Internet
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Be prepared.
– Anticipate problems in using a card.
– Think about security and possible fraud during every step of the transaction. If you are
nervous at any point, make changes that help you feel more trusting.
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Find the product you want.
– Get the right features that fit your needs.
– Get the right price range that fits your budget.
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Find a Seller you like.
– Get a seller with the best price that you feel can be trusted.
– Don’t forget to think about possible warranties and package deals that may affect the
ultimate price.
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Make the transaction.
– Consider shipping method and address in the cost of the item.
– Consider the cost of any warranties in the cost of the item as well.
– Consider using a toll-free phone order line rather than using the Internet to pay.
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It isn’t done until it is done.
– Make sure you receive what was ordered and resolve any concerns with the vendor or
the shipper.
– Open it and test it to make sure it works and all the promised parts are included.
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Things to do before you buy things with
the procurement card
• Add your physical address as an
alternate address to your card.
– Call the card customer service number on the
back of the card and ask to have a shipping
address added to your card.
– If you don’t choose to do this, many vendors
will delay your order and want additional
information or simply not choose to deal with
you.
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Know where to find your credit card
security number
– Many vendors ask for this.
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Finding the right thing to purchase…
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Slim down your choices based on features, price range, and reliability.
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You may need to do some research to figure out what you are really after.
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What you think is important to have may not be. Beware marketing hype.
Be more concerned with the end result of using a product rather than “good
numbers.”
Don’t spend tons of time researching the features of cheap, disposable
items.
Consult experts that you trust:
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Local photographers for cameras.
Any random sixteen-year-old male for sound equipment.
Your egg-head computer specialist for computers and peripherals.
Get lots of opinions off the Internet.
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Type the product name and model number in a search engine.
Beware of “moles,” who are people that are paid to talk up products. They try to
look like regular people just rating things and giving opinions.
If it sounds like an advertising pitch, it probably is and should not be trusted as
being objective.
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Places to compare tech toys
• http://www.consumersearch.com/
– Hey, not just for Tech stuff! My favorite. I found
my last crock pot here.
• http://reviews.cnet.com/
– This is the king of electronics stuff reviews.
• http://www.consumerreports.org/
– Yes, that Consumer Reports. The web version of
the magazine. You may have to pay though.
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Finding the right place to purchase something from…
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Use local sources first.
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Don’t forget hidden costs.
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Expensive items often have a warranty.
Some vendors offer “package deals” that may include consumables that you will ultimately be
purchasing anyway.
Be wary of “mail-in rebates.” Some rebate procedures are obnoxious and take months to pay you
back, if they ultimately do at all. I avoid them.
Compare the total cost of something rather than just the base price.
Remember, you have already decided what exactly you want.
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Shipping is a big factor in mail-order or Internet purchases. Some vendors charge excessive
shipping fees so their base item prices looks attractive.
“Handling” charges vary among vendors. Don’t expect these charges to be about the same for all
vendors – some business basically make their profit off excess shipping and handling charges
alone.
Weigh the importance of “extras.”
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It is very easy to exchange if you don’t like it or to return if it is broken.
Support your local economy if you can afford to.
You are just shopping for that one item right now. Don’t be swayed by “bait and switch” tactics to
buy something other than what you are really after. This is called “up-selling.”
Always make sure you can live with whatever return policy your chosen vendor has.
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There are no standards with return policies, so check it out.
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Internet Price Comparison Sites
• Have your brand and model number ready
and these sites can be helpful.
– These sites only list vendors they have contracts
with. You can get more results by typing the
brand and model into a regular search engine.
• The Big Three
– http://www.nextag.com
– http://www.pricegrabber.com
– http://www.bizrate.com
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Paying your vendor…
• Shop high-tech, pay low-tech.
– Use the Internet to find the product and vendor
you want to use, then use the phone to make the
purchase. It is just safer. More reputable
vendors will have phone order lines.
• If you pay over the Internet, only use secure
servers.
– A secure server will have a https:// or shttp:// in
front of their address, instead of just http://.
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Paying your vendor…
• Use a proper shipping address for your shipper
– Most vendors will want your billing address to ensure that you are a
legitimate customer. It often must be exactly what is on your bill.
– Most vendors prefer that you use your billing address as your
shipping address. You may have your bills sent to a Post Office box,
which most shippers cannot use. You can either choose to use
USPS (Postal Service) as your shipper or ship to the alternative
address you established with the credit card company previously.
• Print out anything that looks like a reciept.
– Most vendors will send an email receipt after you are done paying,
but a few don’t. Print out whatever confirmation page you are
presented with when they say your order is completed.
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Finishing the job…
• When is the transaction over?
– The exciting p-card paperwork is done.
– You have the item in your hands and working the
way you want it to.
• Never delete correspondence between
yourself and the vendor and the shipper.
Archive it in case you need it later when
problems crop up.
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Outlook Signatures
• Working with Signatures
– In Outlook, click on the Tools menu,
select Options…
– At the Options window, click the Mail
Format tab.
– In the Signature Section
• Choose your account (you likely only
have one account) here.
• Chose the signatures to use for the
selected account here.
• If you want to change how a signature
looks or if you want to create a new one,
click on this button.
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Outlook Signatures
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When you click the Signature button, you get
the Create Signature window.
– You can edit an existing signature by highlighting
its name and clicking here.
– You create a new signature by clicking here.
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The Edit Signature window appears!
– This box is where you type in your signature text.
You can change fonts and such with the buttons
just below.
– The Advanced Edit… button opens Microsoft
Word and your signature can have many
elements that Word can produce.
– Click the OK button in both windows when you
are done.
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Make sure you select the signature you want to
use on emails at the Options window!
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CAHE Technology Help Desk
Do you need help right now,
especially with software or
“How do I do this?” concerns?
MAKE THE CALL!!
(505) 646-3305
If they don’t already know the answer,
They will GET the answer!
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