same here hevvur!

xmas shopping is always done on play, cd wow and amazon.....why battle through crowds when you can sit a thome with a brew and do it all in an hour!

My sister is the opposite - she can shop in the SALES!!!!! from 8 am to 6pm....i wonder if we are related!

Alex
xx

Likewise! And, with the availability of comparison sites like "Pricerunner", there's no need to use up 10p of petrol going to the next shop to "save" 1p

I did work out a nice way to get through the crowds on Edinburgh's Princes' Street, but I couldn't get a licence for the Uzi.

Snorri

I do both,i love wandering around the shops but i love shpping online to,all hubby's fishing stuff i buy online because it's cheaper and the shop we had been using for a while were rude to us last time!
I'm terrible for sale's though search everywhere for bargains....lol
Sal

I'm with you Snorri, internet shopping all the way

Totally love it, hunting down bargains through the net is a breeze. I get the majority of clothes from an e-tailer which takes no quibble returns with everything ready for you to do, really easy and can avoid all the traffic and people, except my OH who tells me to get off the ***** internet and do some work

Even though I thoroughly enjoy shopping (even Tesco's!), to me shopping falls into three distinct categories
1. Food shopping - I actually go to Tesco's otherwise I spend a fortune on line
2. Other shopping - pratically every other item I "need" is bought on line
3. "Mooching" - what myself and my mate Jackie do on Saturday's.

One of the benefits of Internet shopping becomes more evident when you live in a place like the Twilight Zone - where there is little in the way of choice, but a great selection of people who don't know what you're talking about!

I went into one local shop recently, looking for Parker fountain pen ink. The assistant directed me to the printer cartridges, saying she'd never heard of Parker printers! When I said it wasn't ink for a printer, but for a fountain pen, she said "Aaaaaaah!......... what's a fountain pen?"

Same shop, same assistant - I was looking for recordable CDs, I had bought them there before. They didn't have any, but said they'd be in stock in a week.
One week later, no CDs. "They'll be here in a week!".

Another week later, no CDs. "They'll be here in a week!"

Another week later, shop shut.

Another week later, no CDs. "They'll be here in a week!"

Snorri goes home fuming, and buys them online at half the price.

Another week later "We've got those CDs you wanted!"
"Too late, I bought them on the Internet."
"That wisnae very nice!"
"Maybe not, but it was a hell of a lot faster! And cheaper!"

End of conversation with incredibly stupid woman, beginning of a great relationship with Play.com

Snorri

Yes I agree Snorri - the shops need to wake up.

They make huge profits, especially the likes of currys/comet etc and needless to say they are much more expensive than leading online retailers.

Its worth noting that its a good idea to pay by credit card because they are half liable if you get any problems with delivery/the goods etc.

Another idea is to get a separate credit card with a lower limit, because if a hacker gets hold of the details, you stand to lose less!

Snorri

I use the net Snorri for various bits of shopping and some sites use drop down boxes for inputting card numbers cause hackers cannot track your finger movements like simple number crunching.I also check for a valid security certificate on the site before giving them my card number to ensure its a legitamate site and not someone sitting in a grotty bedsit waiting for card number...

I agree with Hevvur about Play.com-amazing prices for DVD's and havent found anyone who can come close with brilliant delivery! I bought my washing machine and oven over the net and were much much cheaper than shop!

Oh yes Snorri, good old Cotton Traders, can't beat them for my hubby's stuff, but defenitely not for me, I'm too fashion conscious for my husband's liking!

You've certainly got the shopping trip down to a tee Snorri, 37 shops if not more, or one end of the High street (especially Oxford Street!) to the other, and then back again to the first shop to make our purchase!

Mrs. S sounds just like my mother out shopping, I spend more time hunting her down than doing my shopping!

Anyway, I purchased our new kitchen from various companies via the internet, bit from here, bit from there, finding the cheapest price for the same items. Everything arrived when they said it would, usually at 7.30 am. or within 1 or 2 days, whereas ordering through the shops they wanted 3/4 weeks delivery!! Unbelievable! Dog food is always purchased via the net,not only because it's half the price that the vet charges me, but also it arrives quicker than it does to his surgery, mainly because the receptionist has usually ignored my telephone call when ordering it! That has always infuriated me too! Electrical goods is a definite now, especially since finding an excellent website when I purchased my recent carpet shampooer, again at a lot less than in the shop, with a good customer service department too, which also makes a pleasant change from the shops! As for the food, I'm the same as Vicki (and Mrs. S!) I tend to spend far more, but it's a Godsend when you're ill or housebound to sit in your chair and go food shopping instead of lugging round that heavy trolley!

What worries me though, is if everybody cottons on to it, will it become yet another nightmare like we have with the shops? We'll have to wait and see on that one I suppose!

p.s. I always use a special card with a low limit for all internet purchases too. This is a very good idea I think!