1. Ask for a lower price. This is the most painless way to lower your bills. Simply call up your cable company, for example, and ask them to lower your bill. Before you call, do a little research. Find out what the competition is charging and what your provider is offering new customers so you know what you can expect to get. Tell them that you're thinking of switching to another provider and explain that you can save money if you do.

   Here's a success story: Threatening To Cancel Comcast Saves Man $238.92 Per Year

2. Eliminate what you don't use and can live without. Bundling your services with cable or telephone companies might save you money— but it might not. Take some time to do research and find out which combination works for you. Maybe it's "dry loop" or "naked" DSL and a bigger cellphone package. Maybe it's cable internet and phone with no cable. Maybe its Netflix instead of cable. An HD antenna and GameFly? Splitting the cost of internet by sharing WiFi with your neighbor? Switching to a pay as you go phone? Getting a family cellphone plan? Be creative.

   Here's a success story: iTunes + Netflix = Cancel Cable?

3. Shop around. When your cellphone contract has expired you are in a position of enormous power. You are in demand. Do not waste this opportunity by renewing your contract for a free phone. Shop around. You're likely to get the best deal from a new company. Even if you're happy with your current provider, there's no reason not to negotiate. Also, make sure that you're taking advantage of all the discounts that are available to you. You might be eligible for a discount simply because of the company you work for.

   Here's a success story: How Joe Saved Hundreds Of Dollars Using Confessions Of A Cellphone Sales Rep

Good luck! Share how you saved on your "information age" bills in the comments and we'll round up the best ideas in another post.

(Photo: darabidduckie )

The Nash Finch stores Avanza, Food Bonanza and Wholesale Food Outlets add the 10 percent charge to food at the register and specialize in serving Hispanics, according to store workers.

However, the Nash Finch stores Sun Mart Foods, Econo Foods, Family Fresh Market, Pick N Save and Prairie Market stores do not charge extra at the register and do not cater to Hispanics, according to the store workers.

"Jim," a store manager, told the news station that the fee is to offset other costs, but it's clear that the 10% charge is at least partly a way to offer steeper "discounts" throughout the store that are effectively removed when you pay.

Nash Finch denies it's doing anything skeevy or illegal with its unclear pricing, but 9News points out their attempt at full disclosure is confusingly worded, perhaps deliberately so:

"The 'shelf-plus' pricing program is only used in certain store formats. These stores tend to be located where consumers are more price-conscious, as compared to our more conventional supermarkets," said Brian Numainville, Public Relations for Nash Finch Company. "The pricing policy is explained, not just in English, but also in Spanish, so that no customer is caught unaware at the cash register."

The stores do advertise that they are going to add a 10 percent fee in signs posted across the store, on the store shelves below the price of a food item on the store shelf and in flyers and circulars. However, the wording is confusing to many. For example, the flyers read, "A great way to save - Plus 10 % at the Register."

What do you think—is this an acceptable way to price groceries? In a series of questions Nash Finch answered for 9News' story, they claim that they're not the only chain to do this, and that it's not just Hispanic markets. Here's their final justifaction for the practice:

Question 9: Wouldn’t it be more honest/up front to just add 10 percent to the price of all of the products—so that people can see the actual price on the shelf and on the sticker?

Answer: The grocery industry is extremely competitive. Stores vie for customers. Customer loyalty is highly valued. Given the need to attract and retain customers, our stores cannot afford to alienate its customers by charging unexplained fees or unanticipated mark-ups. Our pricing is attracting customers—rather than losing them—demonstrating that the pricing policy is in fact fair, obvious, and well-understood by our shoppers.

"Some grocery stores add 10 percent fee" [9News.com] (Thanks to Randy!)

The deep discounts backfired, says the WSJ:

When they report September sales this week, many retail chains are expected to show big drops in sales at stores open at least year, a key measure of retail performance, according to analysts polled by Thomson Reuters.

Shoppers, it seems, have become jaded:

Some consumers are becoming hardened to retail claims of "last chance" and "final sale." Katie Ertel, 30, a La Jolla, Calif., counselor, said she's begun to tune out. "Every week it's the same 'last minute sale.' Eventually it's like 'Ha, ha. You are not getting me this time,'" said Ms. Ertel.

Big Discounts Fail to Lure Shoppers [WSJ]

"It's discriminatory," Peters said. "How do you put an age on a grandparent or a mother or a father, for that matter?"

Toys R Us tells 3 On Your side they always have to set guidelines when they have promotions and for this one, they say establishing an age requirement was appropriate.

But Peters disagrees and says Toys R Us may claim to love grandparents, but what they really mean is that they love "old" grandparents.

"To assume that someone over 50 is a grandparent and that someone under 50 is not a grandparent, it's not fair," Peters said.

We're old fashioned—to us, anyone with a grandkid is a grandparent. What do you think?

Young grandmother feels shortchanged by toy store [AZFamily.com]
(Photo: ThatBeeGirl) (Thanks to Greg!)

Maybe you should tap into your home's equity and buy a couple while they're so affordable! Ha ha, we kid.

"Incentives: GM Employee Pricing Sale" [KickingTires]
(Photo: Getty)

Sara says:

I wanted to let you know what happened to our dog when we took him to get groomed at Petsmart today. We've taken our Lab and Boxer there many times in the past and never had a problem, but today we got a call that they had "nicked" our Boxer's toenail and were having the on-site vet take a look at him "just in case." We went up there to find out what was going on.

We went to the grooming salon to check out both dogs. They give you the bill before they release your pets to you and you go in the checkout line to pay. The woman in the salon looked at the bill and said she wanted to check something and told us to go over to the vet to see what was going on with Winston, the Boxer. We noticed smeared bloodstains on the tiled floor both inside and outside the salon. The vet was called out to see us after we waited about ten minutes. He said that the grooming technician accidentally cut the nail to the quick and it was bleeding. He said that the Boxer was full of energy and during the short walk from the salon to the vet's office the dog "knocked against something" and it started to bleed again. There is an unobstructed path between the salon and the vet's office. He said that our dog was anxious and his blood pressure was up and he hoped to keep him there while he calmed down and that if we took him home he would probably continue to bleed. He said we could BUY a product to help stop the bleeding. The vet said that nobody was at fault except the dog for "wiggling."

They blamed the "accident" on a black nail. Boxer's nails vary between black and white depending on the color of the skin of the toe. When we finally got the dog back to examine, it is very apparent to us that the nail was not a black nail. You can see clearly that the nail was not "nicked" but in fact there is very little left of it. This is definitely a painful condition for a dog and leaves our pet open to infection until it heals.

When I went back to pay, the bill was for full price, without a discount that I thought was forthcoming after the tech wanted to "check something." I asked, "You are going to charge me full price after hurting my dog?" An assistant manager was called since the manager was not there. While the manager was apologetic, he said the best he could do was offer to give us the doomed nail clipping free because "your dog still got a bath and we didn't charge you for the vet's time." He went on to tell us that in addition to the bleeding from the cut nail the nerve was also damaged. Nice. He eventually did give us the product to stop the bleeding for free.

I understand that nail trimming, especially with an energetic dog, is a difficult task but that is the reason we take our dogs to a professional groomer. We are not brave enough to undertake that task ourselves because we are afraid of injuring our pets. We understand that the vet was consulted for our dog's injury but we feel that injury was completely preventable if care was taken. Our dog can't be the only energetic dog the groomers see. When the vet offered to sell us the product to stem the bleeding we were enraged. We also appreciate that the assistant manager offered to get our "trust" back by whatever means he could, but the fact that no meaningful discount was offered was galling. After they hurt your dog and probably make it impossible for him to ever allow his nails to be trimmed again, what could they possibly do?

We were so upset that we didn't accept the nominal discount for the nail trimming as we just wanted to get our dogs home. I don't think this is an across the board condemnation against the groomers at Petsmart but this really shouldn't have happened.

Ouch! Poor puppy. We suggest launching an EECB (executive email carpet bomb) on Petsmart to see if there's anything more they can do for you. Accidents happen, but haggling over a product to stop the bleeding that they caused is, well, rude.

For more information about launching an EECB, click here.

Also, you're probably in the market for a new dog groomer, so be sure to check out this information from the Humane Society of the United States.

What do you think Petsmart should have done in this situation?

(Photo: Jenna Belle )

From CNN:

During the presentation, Stephen and Jean were told they could get discounted condo rates and other travel benefits around the world. They decided to join — for $7,500. Jean said they were assured they could cancel within three days.

Before Stephen and Jean even left, they were offered a discount coupon for Red Lobster.

"We really enjoy Red Lobster," Jean said. "We thought it was a bonus for joining."

They were asked to sign a piece of paper after they received the card. The Liangs didn't think much about it.

"We thought we needed to sign it to show we'd gotten the card," Jean said.

But, unfortunately, Stephen and Jean didn't realize that by accepting the Red Lobster card, they had used the services of the travel club. And by signing that piece of paper, they were waiving their right to cancel their membership.

But the couple soon found out the next day when they tried to cancel.

Jean said they felt deceived. "This is really, really wrong. A person's word is what they are." The couple found out the hard way that it doesn't always work that way.

The BBB warns consumers that they receive lots of complaints about these travel clubs. Here's what they have to say about them:
“Vacation clubs, special travel agent training and bargain-finder software, often aren’t good deals because initial costs are rarely recouped by any future savings on travel costs since the bargains and special deals don’t really exist as portrayed in the sales pitches," said the BBB's spokesperson. “Consumers need to be very wary of travel club offers and research the companies extensively before committing any money or giving out credit card or bank account information.”

It's better to save your pennies than bet them on a deal that may never come.

Watch out for the 'free' stuff [CNN] (Thanks, prameta1!)
(Photo: danesparza )

Target says:

Our goal is to always surprise and delight our guests with great values, and we are disappointed that some of our guests may be inconvenienced by our need to respond to this fraudulent tampering and transferring.

The customers who originally received the coupon will be compensated with a $5 gift card. (Target says you'll be notified by email.) Target has also placed signs near the registers indicating that the coupon is no longer valid.

Target Coupon Fraudulently Tampered with and Transferred [Target]

Before we get to the typical bad-company shenanigans—in this case, Dell's $599 discount mysteriously shrank to $400 between when he placed it in his shopping cart and when he reached the confirmation screen—we want to share this bit of ridiculousness. Dell's CSR Vanessa gives us the scoop on Dell's sophisticated order fulfillment system:

Jack: Can you look at sales history today and verify whether you sold this system at $599 off today? This was to be my third dell purchase, now I will not purchase again!
ATG Vanessa: There isn't a cart history unfortunately.
Jack: Sales history! Actual people who purchased this system today!
ATG Vanessa: We don't keep record of that.
Jack: You're telling me dell does not know what it has sold today?
ATG Vanessa: Remember this is done online and there's some confidential information we usually erase to protect customers.
Jack: Like what computers you have to build?
ATG Vanessa: So no, there isn't a record where you can see how much have been sold.
Jack: How do you know what you have to ship?
ATG Vanessa: It depends on what we have available at the moment.

Aside from that nonsense, the problem here is that Dell enticed Jack with a weird bait-and-switch, and worse still, they snuck it in at the very last moment before he hit submit.

I had found a link for an XPS system that had a $599 instant savings. I configured my system and added it to the cart and the $599 savings still was applied. I chose to then apply for financing beacuse there was no payments for 12 months. Once I was approved, i proceeded to checkout. Once I reached the confirmation page to submit my order I saw that the price had risen by $200.00 when I went back to check what happened the instant savings had dropped to $400. Confused I then initiated a live chat which led to nothing.

---

ATG Vanessa: Thanks for holding, I have checked and the instant savings changed. Please be aware that configuration, pricing, tax, shipping & handling and monthly payment information that appears in your cart is estimated and presented for your convenience only, and is subject to change without notice.

Not only was Vanessa less than helpful, but she was pretty apathetic at the end, too:

Jack: Well dell just lost a customer.
ATG Vanessa: Is there anything else I can help you with at this time?

Umm, no.

(Photo of computers: Extra Ketchup)

I saw this today at the Toy"R"Us store in Elizabeth, New Jersey and though you folks would be interested. This Lego kit (the Exo Force Sentai Fortress Battle Set) has a sign that indicates its original price was $19.99 and that it is on sale for $69.98. The sign helpfully indicates that this is a savings of negative $49.

AOL lies to their customers and has a policy of refusing to escalate to supervisors:

If you refuse to pay your bill, AOL will threaten to ruin your credit (with AOL):

AOL's abusive relationship with its "members" is not new, but it is surprising how enthusiastically they have embraced the standard lies and deceit peddled by the debt collection industry. According to our tipster, the guide is from 2006, but the tactics and policies remain unchanged.

The only way to fight back against scummy collectors is to know your rights under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.

Read AOL's full collections guide, complete with other despicable practices, here.

PREVIOUSLY: EXCLUSIVE: Old AOL Cancel Script vs. New
AOL Retention Manual Revealed
Quit AOL By Fax, Mail, or Phone

"Restaurant gives 25 percent discount for bugs" [Reuters]
(Illustration: Getty)

Michael Roskell, 33, a technology project manager from Jersey City, N.J., said he and a friend from high school periodically visit electronics stores. While Mr. Roskell expresses interest in buying an item, his friend acts as though he is dissatisfied with the price and threatens to leave.

"We play good cop, bad cop," Mr. Roskell said.

In February, he said, the friends got $20 off a pair of $250 speakers at 6th Avenue Electronics in the New York area. Earlier, he and the same friend negotiated to buy two 46-inch high-definition Sony televisions at P. C. Richard & Son, a New York-area electronics chain.

List price: $4,300. Price after negotiation: $3,305.50.

"My parents never did this," Mr. Roskell said. "But once you get it, you realize there's a whole economy built on this."

The strategy can even work when buying pants. At least it did for David Achee of Maplewood, N.J., who said he went to a Polo Ralph Lauren store in the SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan last month and became interested in a pair of pants on the clearance rack for $75. He told the salesperson that he had seen a similar pair on the Internet for $65, adding that he thought the pair on the rack looked worn (even though he did not really think so). He got the pants for around $50, he said.

Among his other tactics, he said, he sometimes threatens to walk out of a store and go to a competitor, as he did recently to get a price break on a drum set at a music store. But, mainly, he relies on researching prices and coming armed with information — prices he finds on the Internet and in ads from competitors.

"You can negotiate, but you have to do your research," said Mr. Achee, who works for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. "When I'm bargaining, I'm bargaining with information."

Of course none is this groundbreaking or new; it's just becoming more accepted and widespread. What are your best haggling tactics? Share in the comments.

At Megastores, Hagglers Find No Price Set in Stone [NYT]
PREVIOUSLY: The Rebirth Of Haggling?
Pick Up Some Haggling Tips At HowToHaggle.com
(Photo: Getty)

Regarding Amazon Prime, I have always touted and encouraged others to purchase Amazon Prime because I thought it was an incredible savings. Two-day shipping was ALWAYS two-day shipping with no delays. Of course, it boosted the amount of products I purchased on Amazon, but I always believed they offered the best prices. However, when shopping for my sister's birthday present for a Tom Tom One XL Navi system for her car, I noticed something incredibly shocking. As an Amazon Prime member, I was being quoted a HIGHER price for the same exact item a person who was NOT a member of Amazon Prime was looking at. A friend who would have been splitting the cost of the gift saw the item as $250, whereas I only had the option of adding the product for $300. I was incredulous.

But this does raise a question—is Amazon Prime a valuable product to purchase? This is the strongest example we've seen yet of its limitations. Sure, you may save on shipping over the course of your membership (provided you order enough from them)—but you're stuck with Amazon's inventory and prices if you want to use Amazon Prime, even when there are vendors who can offer better deals.

The appeal behind Amazon Prime is that Amazon's prices are good enough to make this whole scheme work. Then there are gotchas like the TomTom.

Update: Based on the comments below, it appears a lot of readers feel that I'm saying that Amazon Prime customers can't see or take advantage of the better deals on the site. This is not the case. I've edited the headline slightly and added more text to make some assumptions very explicit, and to better focus on the issue of whether or not Amazon Prime is valuable. —Chris

The reader, Gizmo Sprocket (we'll call him GS), noticed the price difference on the PS3 bundle.

The implication is that Toys R Us is discounting the console further from the list price, but GS knew that the list price is now $499 no matter where you buy the console—hence, this was no discount at all. He decided to ask Toys R Us what was going on:

There was no option for simple pre-order questions or to report problems with the website.... So I navigate phone-tree hell and finally get somebody on the phone. They insisted that the list price was $599. I explained that the initial launch PS3 bundles were indeed listed at this price, but the item they mentioned was not $599. There was some discussion surrounding that the launch PS3 was an entirely different model and SKU- including a 60gb model (not 80) and didn't include Motorstorm as indicated in this online listing. In fact, this sku was always $499. [see image at left. -Consumerist] They went to the Sony store online and told me they searched on SonyStyle for "PS3" and again insisted that the list price was $599. I repeated the search on my end of the phone call and saw what they saw.

They then conceded there was a problem (finally) and said it would be looked into. I asked if they would honor selling me this PS3 for $100 off the list price as Toys R Us Dot Com showed they were selling it (the list price actually being $499 not $599 as listed) and they said they would not.

I am not sure this is illegal or unethical- as a consumer I was prepared to buy it for $399 if they would honor that price. I am still prepared to buy the 80gb motorstorm bundle for $399 if they would honor that price, but that is besides the point.

So- it is definitely illegal to indicate an inflated list-price in NY State and probably other areas. As I live in NY State and this product would be shipped to NY State. Toys R Us Dot Com markets in NY State and it would seem that this consumer protection applies. This could be an innocent mistake, but part of me thinks it would be reasonable for them to honor their posted discounted price in either proportion ($100 off of $599 is a discount of 16.66667 percent) or as a drop of $100 off off the $499 actual list. Either way I'd buy it..

What are your thoughts?

I check Techbargains.com occasionally. At lunch i noticed a clearance sale over at Toys R Us dot com. I wondered if the list price issue was fixed on the PS3 so I clicked through techbargains and then clicked for items over $100 and found the 30gb Zune listed.. the list price is noted as $249.99 and then, below it- Our price: 199.99... I just checked on http://www.zune.net/en-us/products/compare.htm and found the 30gb is listed at $199.00. The price was dropped when the new Zune models were announced. Now what is really troubling is that this page is supposed to show things on a clearance sale! It says so at the top of the page.
 

As to the legality of it (we're getting there, we just had to get through a lot of backstory first), here's the actual law in New York City:

Rules of the City of New York -
Title 6
Department of Consumer Affairs

§5-91 Reductions Based on Advertiser's Own Price; "Formerly," "Regularly," "Reduced," "Percent Off," "Save," and Similar Terms.

(a) Immediately preceding price. If an advertiser uses the words:

          "percent off"
          "formerly .., now ..."
          "reduced"
          "reduced to"
          "regularly..., now ..."
          "now only"
          "save $ ..."
          "was ..., now ...,
          "item now $ ..."

or any similar term implying a reduction from a prior price charged by the advertiser, the price to which the reduced offering price is being compared must be the advertiser's bona fide selling price for that item or service unless the advertiser clearly discloses another basis of comparison or qualification.

(b) Intermediate reductions. If the term "originally," or any similar term, is used in any advertisement, the price stated as the "original" price must be the advertiser's bona fide selling price for the same article or service prior to intermediate reductions, and the price immediately prior to the current reduction must be disclosed, unless intermediate reductions are clearly indicated by the language used.

Example: "Originally $75; then $68; now $65"; "Earlier this year $75; now $65"; "Further reduced to $50."

(c) Comparison not recent. If a claim is based on a past bona fide selling price of the advertiser prior to the recent, regular course of business, the advertiser must clearly disclose that fact.
Example: "Last year $40, now $20."

RELATED
"You Can't Discount The Past, Apple"
(Photo: Getty)

The reader, Patrick, had a little chat with an Apple rep and tried to get him to go off script and admit the true discount, but Josh was too crafty:

You are chatting with Josh, an Apple Expert
Hi, my name is Josh. Welcome to Apple!

Josh: Good afternoon.
Josh: How may I help you today?

You: why is the refurb iphone 8gb listed with an original price of 599 and a your price of 349?

Josh: One moment while I research that for you.

You: are those the right numbers seeing as the 8gb sells for far less new

Josh: One moment please.

You: ok thank you

Josh: You're welcome.
Josh: The original price was $599.

You: 8gb phone original prices are $399 though? [Patrick pasted a link to the 8gb Apple iPhone for sale on the Apple site]

Josh: Not quite.
Josh: The original price was $599.
Josh: They were re priced at a later date.

You: oh so it is more crafty marketing wording than a mistake on the website?

Josh: Let me explain...
Josh: The 8GB original price was $599.

You: i understand completely i just believe it to be a misleading way to sell a customer a refurbished phone at $349 when you can buy the phone new for $399 or even $499 for a better version

Josh: OK.

You: and i don't hold it against you it's just personally i would rather buy new for only $50 more
You: so i was just wondering if the prices were off at all

Josh: I completely understand.

You: but thank you for clarifying

Josh: My pleasure and thank you for asking.
Josh: This refurbished model was probably the older $499 version. [Consumerist: What? We're confused.]

You: is there a difference in the models?

Josh: The only difference was the price.

Please, Apple, just be honest with us. A lot of us like your products and keep wanting to buy them. Why, just tonight this writer watched a CNET video clip of how to set up multiple screens on the iPhone and got iPhone fever all over again, eight months after it came out! Please just be honest.

(Thanks to Patrick!)

Here are some sample tips:

• The one way you can really succeed in the world of haggling is to research prices beforehand. Go from store to store and compare prices, go online; check out auctions and whole seller prices - know what you are dealing with. This information is extremely essential as it does give you a firm backing.


• Before you start to haggle, set a price for yourself - if this price is exceeded in the haggle battle, simply say 'thank-you' and walk away. Most of the times the vendor will come after you and agree on your price.


• Keep your cool at all times. The second you become angry, you are no longer haggling but are arguing.


• Point out any imperfections in the product - it will get you a lower price.


• When the vendor quotes a high price, look at him in astonishment. For the most part he may feel that he has scared you and will back down on the price.

howtohaggle.com

...research suggests that much of the time it's not the companies offering rebates that are creating the problem. It's the customers. Their tendency to procrastinate and inability to follow multistep directions—albeit often explained in tiny print—result in as many as half of all rebates going unfulfilled. "It's their own inability to have self-control and say, 'I'm going to get this done,' " says Tim Silk, assistant professor of marketing at the University of British Columbia.

Because people tend to believe they will redeem the rebates and then they don't, they often pay more for items than they expect. "You see something that has a rebate associated with it, and you are overly optimistic that you will do all of what's required," says John Gourville, professor of marketing at Harvard Business School.

...promotion managers informed us that redemption rates tend to be "very low" when the reward is below $10, that rebates of $10 to $20 on a $100 software product range between 10% and 30%, and that redemption rates on consumer electronics average approximately 40%.

Why Shoppers Love to Hate Rebates [U.S. News & World Report]
Why we buy but fail to redeem? (PDF) [Tim Salk]
Managing Mail-In Rebate Promotions (PDF) [Tim Salk]
PREVIOUSLY: Rebate-Processor Parago Caught In A Lie
HOWTO: Rebate Whore
Redeem Rebates With Hard Work And Luck
(Photo: Mecha Wendy)

I realized that it was gone when my boss came in and said the monitor was gone. And I said the monitor was gone. So I just jumped up and saw that the monitor was gone. That was pretty much it.

"TV stolen in during peak shopping hour" [WALB.com]
(Photo: Getty)

According to a survey last week for Discover Financial Services, 42 percent of those questioned said they had either not started their holiday shopping, or had completed some—but not much—gift buying.

Getting shoppers into stores for the final days of the season is crucial for retailers. According to ShopperTrak, December 21-24 last year accounted for 13.6 percent of holiday sales.

The drop-off, which the credit card company described Sunday as "surprising," bodes poorly for chains like Chico's FAS and Ann Taylor, which specialize in women's clothing, and could result in steeper-than-expected discounts on their merchandise in the final week before Christmas.

PriceProtectr will help you take advantage of any price-matching guarantees at 72 different stores. "If we notice the price drop any time within the price protection period, we'll send an email your way (and we'll keep sending them if the price keeps dropping)."

The founder of Spendfish has a collection of deal-related websites posted on his personal blog. It's a great place to start if you're not sure where else to look.

"A Universe of Gadget Advice" [New York Times]

Just a few hours earlier today I had spoken with a T-Mobile CS rep and he didn't mention it to me. At that time he recapped my entire plan and the cost of each item, including my $29.99 internet plan.

I'm pretty sure they would not have
lowered my rate if I hadn't seen it on the website and called in to
ask for it. I'm sure a lot of people would like to know they can save
$10 a month without a change in service.

(Thanks to Bamboozler!)

(Photo: tonystl)

You might recognize most, if not all, of their suggestions—places like PriceGrabber, Pronto, Froogle, and FatWallet—but hey, looking is free, so why not check it out before your big gift shopping sprees begin?

"Amazing Holiday Deals Online" [Kiplinger's]
(Photo: Getty)

Mitsubishi Raider
Percent Discount: 29%
Average MSRP: $24,777
Average Discount from MSRP: $7,233

Jeep Commander
Percent Discount: 29%
Average MSRP: $35,527
Average Discount from MSRP: $10,232

Dodge Ram Pickup 1500
Percent Discount: 28%
Average MSRP: $34,995
Average Discount: $9,713

Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Classic
Percent Discount: 27%
Average MSRP: $24,850
Average Discount: $6,643

GMC Sierra 1500 Classic
Percent Discount: 26%
Average MSRP: $25,548
Average Discount: $6,687

Isuzu Ascender
Percent Discount: 26%
Average MSRP: $25,246
Average Discount: $6,584

Jeep Grand Cherokee
Percent Discount: 25%
Average MSRP: $33,466
Average Discount: $8,470

Lincoln Town Car
Percent Discount: 25%
Average MSRP: $46,711
Average Discount: $11,776

Dodge Durango
Percent Discount: 25%
Average MSRP: $34,769
Average Discount: $8,748

Dodge Dakota
Percent Discount: 24%
Average MSRP: $27,788
Average Discount: $6,674

Chrysler Aspen
Percent Discount: 24%
Average MSRP: $39,009
Average Discount: $9,199

Mercury Grand Marquis
Percent Discount: 23%
Average MSRP: $28,012
Average Discount: $6,468

Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD Classic
Percent Discount: 22%
Average MSRP: $34,553
Average Discount: $7,678

Chrysler Pacifica
Percent Discount: 22%
Average MSRP: $31,343
Average Discount: $6,918

Saab 9-7X
Percent Discount: 22%
Average MSRP: $40,664
Average Discount: $8,837

Dodge Grand Caravan
Percent Discount: 22%
Average MSRP: $28,986
Average Discount: $6,299

Buick Rendezvous
Percent Discount: 22%
Average MSRP: $28,893
Average Discount: $6,263

Isuzu i-Series
Percent Discount: 22%
Average MSRP: $20,603
Average Discount: $4,442

GMC Sierra 1500HD Classic
Percent Discount: 21%
Average MSRP: $35,845
Average Discount: $7,686

Chevrolet TrailBlazer
Percent Discount: 21%
Average MSRP: $31,128
Average Discount: $6,667

America's Most Discounted Cars [BusinessWeek]

The site was started by the Goodwill in Orange County, California, and now has 71 member stores that participate.

Shopgoodwill.com

RELATED
"Goodwill launches online shopping" [Dallas Morning News]

Besides, is using a discount code posted on a website that only some people will see really any different than publishing it in a newspaper only some people will read? They both seem to meet basic conditions for "general public" availability. In fact, if you consider that newspapers usually charge a fee for their papers, then a free website is arguably more available to the general public.

Here are the full details of their price guarantee as of Friday, October 19th 2007:

110% Price Guarantee

If you find a product for a lower price on another website, we will refund you 110% of the difference between the lower price and Shoebuy's price. We'll even refund the difference if we lower the price at Shoebuy.com!

Rules:

• The item must be in stock in the same style, size and color that was purchased from the Shoebuy.com website.
• The website where you find the lower price cannot be an auction site.
• The final price that would have been paid at the other site will be compared to the final price on your order with Shoebuy and will be included when calculating the difference.
• Offer is valid for 10 days after you make your purchase.
• Offer is valid on orders/items shipped to destinations within the United States.

There are lots of caveats, however. Most round-trip tickets will require the originating point to be within that country, so you'll have to already be there in order to take advantage of cheap flights. There can also be hidden costs in extra liability fees that don't show up until the car rental company realizes you're a non-citizen. And many websites will require a local credit card to make a purchase, so the article suggests you have friends, your company's local office, or even a local travel agent make the purchase for you—the agent's fees will likely be worth the extra savings.

"When the Best Deals Don't End in .Com" [New York Times]

My girlfriend and I were booking tickets to fly between Los Angeles and San Francisco. For one reason or another, I was flying round trip with Virgin, and she was only doing the end, San Francisco to Los Angeles leg.

We were booking the tickets at the same time, to make sure we'd be able to sit beside each other. When we started the process, the price of the tickets were $44 each way. After selecting the flights and the seats, we were presented with the option of finishing the purchase, or signing up for the Virgin America frequent flier program, and then finishing the purchase. Both of us chose to sign up for the program.

I finished my application first, and proceeded to finish my purchase. When my girlfriend finished the application a minute later, the ticket price had gone up to $79. Keep in mind, this is after we'd selected the flights and the seats, and had been prompted by Virgin to sign up for the program before finishing the purchase. Essentially, Virgin America was adding $35 to my girlfriend's ticket price, for the luxury of signing up for their frequent flier program.

She immediately got on the phone with Virgin customer service, who initially offered to bring the price down to $59. When she accepted the offer, the customer service person told her that they (Virgin) wouldn't actually be able to offer the discount, and it would still be $79.

Do you have any contact for Virgin America's executive team? I'd really like them to be aware of the irony over losing a customer because of the frequent flier program.

(AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Yes, even though she bought a few dresses and not a Harrier Jump Jet, her receipt claimed that she'd saved $1,818,234.50 by shopping Value City.

We accept this at face value with no backtalk. —MEGHANN MARCO

(Photo: Sassenach1)

While half of Jack's products inherently cost around $1 (frozen food, Hawaiian Punch), dollar stores are also quietly fed products manufacturers want to expose to a more down-market demographic. "Companies figure that customers aren't going to overlap from department stores to dollar stores, so they sell the same product at both," says one analyst. Of course, Jack's vice-president, Ira Steinberg, can't tell you who these manufacturers are. "Part of my agreement with national brands is that I don't admit that I carry their brands." The week we went, Jack's had Black & Decker coffeemakers, Hormel salami, and Hamilton Beach blenders.

A Discount Store [New York Magazine via BoingBoing]
(Photo: New York Magazine)

Taxes and fees apply: add on about another $10 per leg.
Limited amount of $10 seats. Others may be $25, $50, or $75.
Want to check luggage? First two backs are $5 each. Next one is $50.
Outside food and drink are prohibited (good luck enforcing that one. I'm sorry sir, we're going to have to turn this plane around if you don't dispose of your sandwich).
Inflight entertainment: "Bring a book."
Customer service: "We don't have a phone number. Seriously. We'd love to chat, but those phone banks are expensive. And a good website like skybus.com is even more convenient."
Gate staffing: "You probably won't see any agents at the gate until boarding time."
Seating: Choose your own, but jump to the head of the line for $10.

Right now all flights route through the hub of Columbus, OH. If that isn't your origin or destination point, you'll have to buy an extra ticket for the second leg.

Sounds like an interesting concept. Pay only for the services and accommodations you actually want and use. We'll see whether the Ryanair style approach to air travel "takes off" (we know, shoot us now) with consumers. — BEN POPKEN

Skybus [via Upgrade: Travel Better]

I could picture my husband buying tickets online. I could imagine one of those annoying direct-marketing offers popping up. I could even picture him clicking on it. But I couldn't see him entering a credit card to subscribe.

It turned out he didn't have to. Tempted by a $10 cash-back award offer ("Good for your next Fandango purchase!"), he had typed in his e-mail address.

Unfortunately, he skipped over the fine print: "By entering my e-mail address as my electronic signature and clicking yes, I authorize Fandango to securely transfer my name, address and credit or debit card information to Reservation Rewards for billing and benefit processing."

"Cancel it," I said to the representative.

"I'll also refund the $10 charge," she said.

The next day, it got worse. That was when my husband received an e-mail message telling him that he had been a Reservation Rewards member since November 2005.

He phoned from his office to read the message: "We have issued a refund of $160."

Read everything you input personal information into. Oh, yeah, and check your credit card statements every month . In fact, why not check your statement for "Reservation Rewards" right now.

It looks like this:
WLI*RESERVATIONREWARDS.CO. If you don't want it, call and get your refund. Then tell us about it in the comments or at tips [at] consumerist [dot] com.—MEGHANN MARCO

Who Charged This? You, That's Who. [NYT] (Thanks, James!)

Since September, I have been sending emails and making toll-free phone calls to manufacturers who make the products we like. The email I send is nearly the same for each company. First, I let them know how much our family likes their product. Then I mention that I am a stay-at-home mom who needs to stick to a budget. Next, I politely ask if they have any coupons available. Finally, I thank them again for such a great product. Here are the results of my little coupon request experiment:

• Emails and phone contacts made: 74
  
• Companies that sent coupons: 51
  
• Companies who refused: 20
  
• Companies that have not responded yet: 3
  
• Face value amount of coupons sent: $200.30

Looking for Great Grocery Coupons? Try Flattery! [The Dollar Stretcher]
(Photo: eschipul)