Actualis



December 2006

Caveat emptor for Christmas

The pre-Christmas frenzy can sometimes lead to unwise purchasing decisions… but a little bit of reading before you buy can make a huge difference.


There is a wide range of online resources, not to mention magazines, designed to help consumers make informed choices when it comes to their purchases. While we don't think twice about referring to these resources when buying a big-ticket item for ourselves – from a digital camera to a new car – we tend not to have the foresight to do a little research ahead of time when things are hectic and Santa's list is getting longer and longer.


This is obviously not the best way to go about things since, as we know, many a Christmas gift ends up in the trash after January 1st. The following websites can help you make enlightened purchases.

Websites

Epinions
[www.epinions.com]
An American site on which "ordinary" consumers give a personal review of products they've purchased and assess them based on various criteria.

Consumer Reports
[www.consumerreports.com]
A must-have reference to find out what the experts have to say about a wide range of products, with a very comprehensive holiday shopping guide.

ConsumerSearch
[www.consumersearch.com]
An extensive product evaluation site that identifies the best purchases in each category for each type of need.

HowStuffWorks
[products.howstuffworks.com/buying-guides.htm]
The "Consumer Guide" section of this U.S.-based site explains what you need to know before buying.