Enigma DVD

How To Buy DVDs, TVs, PCs And Other Gizmos

After a car and a house, electronics are often the most expensive goods we buy. People crave them, yet they go obsolete so fast. So how can you save some money yet still get the latest gear?

1. Buy The Second-From-The-Top-Of-The-Range.

The top of the range is the most expensive by a mile. It's also probably not much of an improvement on last year's best. Manufacturers work to 'add value' by changing specifications unnecessarily. This is so they can sell to neophiliacs i.e. people fixated on having the latest product.

Also, the latest thing may have some bugs. If you get something that's been around a while, either the manufacturer will have corrected these, or enthusiasts will have discovered word-arounds.

2. Buy Second Hand.

Electronic goods depreciate in value the moment you buy them. Even if they're perfect, you can often buy them second-hand for a third less than cost price. Source them online at sites like Craigslist, Gumtree or eBay, or check your local classifieds.

3. Buy Local.

If you have free online local ads, you could place a 'wanted' ad for the item you want. You can determine the price you're prepared to pay by checking other ads for the same item. Offer a little more than the average, and the offers should come flooding in. This has worked very well for me in the past.

Otherwise, check the local 'for sale' ads. If the price is near the second-hand standard for the item, pay it. Don't haggle. This used to really irritate me when I was a seller. I used to put the price up a few quid just to let hagglers beat me down!

Try to buy near where you live. Then, if there's a problem, you can take it back.

4. Buy Name Brand Items.

No-name cheapo brands will lose their resale value fast. It's all about marketing. A name brand will likely have more support and be more reliable. This is especially true of electronics. There are cheap Third World knock-offs of every successful Western good you can think of, even batteries!

5. Find Independent Item Reviews.

Go to a search engine and type in the item name, model number and the word 'review'. You may find that you're onto a good thing, or that there's a better model available.

Product comparison sites are good for this. You can read what real purchasers of the item think about it.

6. Pay By Credit Card.

If you can, pay by credit card e.g. online. This puts an extra layer of protection between you and the vendor. If you get ripped off, you can instigate a charge-back.

7. Avoid Buying From Abroad.

The postal costs will be high. They are more likely to be scams. You'll not be covered by your country's consumer laws. You'll have to wait weeks for the item. You may have to pay import duty. If you have to post it back, it'll cost a fortune. If it's damaged, and you have to post it back, you'll have a long wait before you get a refund.

Using the tips above, you should be able to get a bargain easily. You can then annoy your friends by telling them how much you saved in comparison to their shop-bought, over-insured ripoff!

Niccolo Svengali is the webmaster of electronics ( http://electronics.arooty.com ), health ( http://health.arooty.com ) and education ( http://education.arooty.com ) web sites in Palermo, Sicily.

ENIGMA DVD
Remember the Future, MCMXC a. D. - The Complete Album

MORE ARTICLES:

1 Click Dvd Copy - Dvd Copy Software Creates Entertainment
As computers continue to unfold so do the software programs for computer users. DVD copy software is one type of program that is becoming an industry standard. With this type of program even beginners can easily make copies of their favorite DVDs.

DVD Sales Peak in 2006 Resulting in Large Market for DVD Storage Albums
Record DVD sales and the public's insatiable demand for DVD movies, video games, TV series and music, has created a massive demand for DVD storage albums. Laserline leads the way with products that are functional, stylish, durable and inexpensive.

Controversial DVD Copy Software Website Reborn as DVD Burning Software Review Site
DVD X Copy was once the market's best-selling DVD copy software. After being banned for sale in the US in 2004, DVDXCopy.com has re-emerged as a leading consumer information website specialing in DVD burning software programs.

New DVD Software Site Ends Debate on DVD Copy & DVD Ripper
DVDShrinkNow.com also includes reviews of DVD Ripper and DVD Copy software.

CD DVD Duplication and CD DVD Replication
CD DVD Duplication DVD duplication also remains dominant, despite the emergence of new formats, CD/DVD duplication has not experienced any slowdown or loss in market share. With the advantage of high install base and high compatibility, companies most often opt for CD/DVD duplication when delivering content to the end-user.

Math Tutor DVD Releases Advanced Calculus Help DVD Series
The Advanced Calculus 2 Tutor and Calculus 3 Tutor DVD series have been released at MathTutorDVD.com.

Best DVD Copy Software: DVD X Copy Reviews Ranks DVD neXt Copy Pro (with iPod and PSP Support) as the Top-Rated DVD Copying Program for Power Users
Best DVD Copy Software: DVD X Copy Reviews ranks DVD neXt Copy Pro (with iPod and PSP support) as the top-rated DVD Copy program for Power Users. The site had previously ranked 1 Click DVD Copy Pro (also known as 1Click DVD Copy) as the best premium-featured DVD copying software program.

AVS DVD Authoring 1.3: An Easy Approach to Home DVD Creation for PC Novice
Online Media Technologies Ltd. - a developer dedicated to the production of quality video and audio software - has just released a new DVD-burning and authoring software - AVS DVD Authoring 1.3 (http://www.avs4you.com/AVS-DVD-Authoring.aspx). A new software allows to organize video files of most various formats into professionally-looking DVD-projects and burn DVD disc. AVS DVD Authoring 1.3 is specifically designed to simplify home DVD-creation to the maximum and make work with video for computer beginners more comfortable.

DVD to AVI Rippers: How to Rip DVD to AVI
If you want to watch DVDs on your computer, you may have a need to conver them to .avi format. This article will cover how to convert or rip DVD movies to play on your computer in AVI video format.

DVD Barnyard: Online Retailer Offers Over 60,000 DVD Movies
DVD Barnyard (www.dvdbarnyard.com) is announcing its re-opening. This online store specializes in the sales of DVD movies (as well as other movie formats). Unlike most online stores that sell DVD movies, DVD Barnyard has over 60,000 titles available with more titles being added daily.

Share Your Best Underdog Stories and Win Rocky Balboa on DVD and a DVD Player
isporty - the social sport site - is running a competition to find the best stories of underdogs overcoming all the odds to win. This competition is timed with the release of Rocky Balboa on DVD (the ultimate underdog story?). The best story submitted will win a DVD player and Rocky Balboa DVD, there are four further copies of the DVD for the runners-up.

On Demand Printing and CD/DVD Duplication Firm Offers Video-to-DVD Conversion
Coptech Digital, a leading provider of on demand printing and CD / DVD duplication in the Boston area, now offers home video to DVD conversion services.

A Review Of KaraokeStar DVD - Karaoke DVD Tracks
Are you looking to build your library of karaoke CDs It can be a time consuming and expensive task to acquire a good selection of karaoke songs

PowerPoint show to DVD slide show--- PPS to DVD
Most PowerPoint users know that PowerPoint presentations are usually saved in PPT format. Some of you may have received presentations that can be played directly when you click to open. Those files are in PPS format, namely PowerPoint show. A PPS is just a PPT file with a different file extension that tells PowerPoint opened directly into the slide show view pattern, not the editing view pattern. You can change it by renaming the file extension.

DVD Copy Software: DVD X Copy Reviews Announces the Top Ranked DVD Burning Software for 2008 - DVD neXt Copy & 1 Click DVD Copy: dvdxcopyreviews.com
DVDXCopyReviews.com, the Internet's leading consumer website for DVD Copy Software, announced today its updated DVD burning Software rankings for 2008: DVD neXt Copy holds its title as the industry's best software for copying DVD movies. 1 Click DVD Copy has tied for 1st place as the best DVD burning software. For a complete ranking and review chart please visit: http://www.dvdxcopyreviews.com