Online Holiday Gift Shopping

If you're like most parents, you're busy enough already. Adding lots of holiday gift shopping to your already-crowded schedule is likely to cause major headaches. Crowded parking lots, long lines, and high prices all add up to holiday shopping stress!

One way to avoid some of that holiday stress is to try shopping online. There are lots and lots of companies able and eager to sell you merchandise over the Internet. Some offer good deals, some don't. Some offer great merchandise, some don't. And the security of your credit card transactions may be a concern. (More on security in a moment.)

Here's some information about a few popular, well-established Internet sites offering merchandise especially interesting to parents at this time of year:

First, there's Amazon.com, which started out as an online bookstore. They recently added music CDs to their offerings, and now have a gift center where you can purchase toys, games, puzzles, and so on. From their home page, click on "gifts," then choose a category and age range, or select from other options. Amazon.com also has gift certificates, in both e-mail and paper versions, available - these might be a great choice if you're buying gifts for teenagers. Pay for your purchases online, using their secure server, or offline. Information on payment options and security issues is readily available to help you decide.

Another site for online gift shopping is eToys, an online toy store offering over 400 brands. Besides toys, eToys also carries software, music, videos, and video games. This site was established in October of 1997. Features that make shopping easier include recommendations, award winning toys, an "under $20" category, and age-based listings. You can search for a particular toy, search by brand, and search by type of toy, too. You'll see a picture of the item, along with a description and price. They also sell gift certificates. Etoys only allows purchases to be made online using their secure software.

Next, a few words about security. It is generally accepted that it's never a good idea to give your credit card number to strangers (over the phone, etc.). The same rule applies to online purchases. Using your credit card to make a purchase online could potentially result in someone else getting your number and using it themselves. Therefore, experts recommend only making credit card purchases using secure software, so that your transaction information is protected from unauthorized viewers. Always check the Internet site's security arrangements before purchasing. If you're not satisfied that your information will be safe, arrange to make payment in another way. Why take chances with your hard-earned money? (By the way, I'm not a security expert, I'm just a careful shopper! The point here is that every buyer must exercise some judgment and make a decision.)

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