Shopping at Indochino.com just got a little bit sweeter. Indochino is now participating with Mr. Rebates, which means you’ll get 4% cash back on any order. And that’s on top of any coupon codes or vouchers you want to use. As far as i know, this is the only way to combine discounts at Indochino.

Mr. Rebates now offers 4% cash back at Indochino.

Sign up at Mr. Rebates search for Indochino in their list of stores, click through their link, then place your order at Indochino as normal. You’ll be credited with 4% cash back into your Mr. Rebates account which can be claimed via PayPal or paper check. To be clear, it’s not an instant discount, so you’ll pay the original amount at checkout (minus any coupon codes you use), then get a rebate from Mr. Rebates. It’s a fairly easy and sure-fire way to knock about $15 off the price of a new suit.

And Mr. Rebates offers great bash back rebates at tons of your favorite online stores, like eBay (5%), Macy’s (3%), Endless.com (12%), and Groupon (10%). Use it wherever you’re already shopping for extra savings. I’ve racked up over $700 in cash-back rebates from Mr. Rebates since i signed up in 2009.

Xbox Live subscribers, you’re mostly likely aware that Microsoft is upping the annual rate to $60 tomorrow, November 1. However if you act fast, Buy.com has Xbox Live Gold 12 month renewal cards for under $40 shipped. And you can get an additional 3.5% cashback if you click through Ebates. You can order as many as you want — stock up now for $40 each. Letting your account autorenew will cost $60 per year starting tomorrow.

Extra Savings on Local Groupon Deals

Do you know about Groupon? Sign up for daily discounts around 50% off at local restaurants, entertainment and services. Just days after i signed up, i got a Groupon worth $15 at one of my fave burger spots Big Buns for only $7, and i see several interesting deals each week.

Here’s the extra. You can get an additional 6% cashback from either Mr. Rebates (my personal favorite rebate site) or Ebates.

July 30

On July 30th i purchased an item from a seller on eBay using the Buy It Now option. I paid immediately using PayPal as i always do. I received a receipt for the sale via email.

I made two eBay purchases that day. And after 10 days coincidentally i hadn’t received either item and had not been contacted by either seller. So i sent messages to them both.

August 10

Date: Tue, 10 Aug 2010 16:36:57 -0700 (MST)
Subject: a question about item #____________

Dear seller,

Where is my item?! I ordered and payed 10 days ago and have received no
shipping confirmation or tracking info.

One of the items happened to arrive the next day, tardiness due to the seller taking 5 days to put my package in the mail. The other item however, did not. Seven more days, and i sent a final message to the seller of this missing item.

August 17

Date: Tue, 17 Aug 2010 12:00:49 -0700 (MST)
Subject: a question about item #____________

Dear seller,

I’m attempting to contact you one final time before i escalate this issue.
It’s been 17 days since i purchased this item from you, and i’ve not heard
anything about it. Please let me know what is going on.

Apparently i wasn’t the only one having problems. Looking at the seller’s feedback revealed a slew of new negative feedback comments, all apparently related: “did not receive item” and “seller not responding”. Someone who apparently got a call through wrote that the seller said his inventory was stolen. Every feedback comment from transactions since the end of July were negative due to non-delivery.

Just after that, i noticed i had the option to file a claim on the issue by opening a Case on eBay’s website. So i did. Essentially, this is just a “formal” message sent through eBay’s system that offers an ultimatum to the seller: issue a refund or contact me to work it out. Trying to stay optimistic i chose to give the seller one more chance to get in touch because i still wanted the item. eBay’s Case system gives the seller 7 days to respond (even though it does not tell you that while you are filling out the form to open the case). If i had known that i would have to wait a full seven days for this mediation period, i definitely would not have chosen to wait and instead opted directly for a refund.

August 19

Two days later i logged in to eBay for a status update and noticed that the seller was now marked as no longer registered.

This had me angry for two reasons. For one, i received no notice that the seller now essentially did not exist on eBay. Which means we could no longer contact each other. This was both a seller with whom i had a still-pending transaction, and against whom i had also opened a formal case. And i only happened to find out about it because i logged in to my account. Apparently eBay is fine with the fact that if i hadn’t been paying attention, they could have just swept this seller and all his debts under the rug. Absurd! Second, the case i had just opened was now stuck in limbo waiting for the seller to respond (in that 7-day window), which could now never happen because his account was suspended. And eBay’s arcane support system only offered me one option, to close the case, and doing so implied a satisfactory conclusion (either i received the item, or worked out a deal with the seller).

Obviously, eBay’s terribly dumb, automated/scripted website support couldn’t understand this odd situation i was in, so i tried to get in touch with a real person about it. Except i couldn’t. Try it yourself. Nowhere on eBay’s site is there a contact number or email address for customer support. When you click on the Contact us link, you arrive at a search box where you are supposed to “ask” your question, and automated (cataloged) results are revealed. Talk about false advertising. Catching on to this, i type that i need to talk to someone about my case. Oh, but eBay was way ahead of me:

Of course they tell you that you can call or email or chat. But they don’t tell you how. Basically, you are left to your own wits to come up with the special combination of words that triggers a “correct” response and gives you a link to email customer support. I managed to get it right once, but haven’t had any more luck since. I never saw any phone number to call. I sent this message:

Date: Thu, 19 Aug 2010 20:22:19 -0700 (MST)
Subject: Finding out what’s happening with your case

After jumping through your hoops trying to figure out how to contact someone about this, i’m fed up. I need a refund. I opened case #__________ the other day, but now the seller is “no longer registered” and it’s waiting for the seller to respond, so i can’t do anything. I don’t want to close the case as that seems to assume i’m “satisfied” and i won’t be able to reopen it. I have no other options according to your site. Please help. Thanks.

August 21

That was late the night of August 19th. And this is where it dissolves into the super-ridiculous. Almost 48 hours later i received the following reply from Caroline T. at eBay Customer Support:

Date: Sat, 21 Aug 2010 16:30:07 -0700 (MST)
Subject: Re: Finding out what’s happening with your case

Dear Jeremiah,

Thank you for writing eBay in regard to item #____________ (
the item). I understand it can be
very frustrating to have an open case in the Resolution Center to get a
problem resolved, but we appreciate your cooperation in the matter.

Upon checking the case details, I can see that you have filed an “item
not received” against your trading partner “the seller“. In this
situation, we are giving you enough time to work things out with your
seller before escalating the case. Once the case was escalated, eBay
will then take action on the case and requiring you to ship the item
back to the seller.

You can get an update and escalate your case by following these steps:

1. Go to the Resolution Center: http://resolutioncenter.ebay.com
2. Under the “Your cases” section, find the case you would like to review.
3. Click “See case details” to view the case.
4. Click “Send Another Response” button.
5. Then click “Escalate Case to Customer Support”.

If you still have questions, please contact us. You can do that by
clicking the “Contact us” link in the upper right corner of the eBay
home page.

Sincerely,
Caroline T.
eBay Customer Support

I was steaming, because it’s clear “Caroline” did not read or understand the message i sent. Let me break it down. Caroline’s first paragraph is a boilerplate introduction stating the issue at hand. Fine. The second paragraph however was complete a complete waste of time. She says she “checked the case details” and proceeded to explain everything that i already read and understood when i was going through the process of opening the case. She then states that “we are giving you enough time to work things out”, but as i had explicitly detailed, the seller has been suspended and cannot respond, therefore it makes no sense to have to wait 7 days to be able to proceed. She also says that once the case was escalated, i would be required to return the item to the seller. The item that i never received. Right. Caroline then gave instructions that flat-out did not apply to my case. I followed them, and got none of the results she claimed.

But here’s the kicker. After all that rubbish, she then politely recommends clicking on that “Contact us” link so i can jump through all their hoops again if i still have questions. No reply email address. No phone number. No mailing address. It appears that eBay is a facade covering a business that doesn’t really exist. I replied to the address that message came from with the following, though i admit that i have no idea if it arrived anywhere.

Date: Sun, 22 Aug 2010 05:51:11 -0400
Subject: Re: Finding out what’s happening with your case

All i want is a refund.

Unfortunately, Caroline T, if you are a real person, it’s very obvious
you didn’t bother to read my initial message. I will repeat: the
seller is NO LONGER REGISTERED on eBay. The seller’s
status changed AFTER i filed the case waiting to hear back from the
seller, which now cannot happen because they no longer exist on eBay.
Therefore waiting for the seller to respond at this point is futile.
In fact i should not have to wait any longer for a refund from a
seller that has most likely been suspended.

And, i tried to play along with the steps you provided, but i never
get to any page that offers a “Send Another Response” or “Escalate
Case to Customer Support” option. My only options are “add more
information” or “close the case”.

I need a real person at eBay to escalate this for me because your
website is not smart enough to understand a situation like this. It
is very simple:

- i never received my item.
- the seller is no longer a registered user (probably suspended due to
not delivering items to many buyers)
- i need a refund.

This should need no further explanation. Regards,

-Jeremiah

August 23

That was yesterday. Today the 23rd of August, i vented my frustration on Twitter.

And within minutes, i got a reply.

So i DMd the case number and a summary of the situation. Here’s the response i received via email:

Date: Mon, 23 Aug 2010 17:28:40 -0600
Subject: eBay/Twitter

Thanks for your reply Jeremiah,

I reviewed your claim for ____________, the “item.” When a claim is initially opened, the buyer can escalate the claim once the seller responds. When a seller does not respond, after 7 days the claim can be escalated to eBay. With this in mind, it looks like tomorrow you can escalate your claim. Once escalated, we’ll review the claim, and I imagine quickly issue a refund to you due to the seller’s complete lack of response.

Tomorrow, check the claim, and you should have the option to escalate.

Keep me posted if there are any problems, or you have any questions.

Thanks,
David

Once again, they’re just telling me stuff i already know, and ignoring what i’m asking them to do. It’s like the eBay website is it’s own entity and mere humans are not powerful enough to interfere. It just blows my mind that they cannot see or even acknowledge that the seller was suspended by eBay (either by human intervention or automatically based on negative feedback), and therefore cannot respond, and that waiting this 7-day period is therefore nonsense. So i’ve been stuck in this infuriating loophole for almost a week trying to reason with apparent morons. All i want is my money back.

Date: Mon, 23 Aug 2010 20:03:06 -0400

This is still unsatisfactory. The seller is NO LONGER REGISTERED aka
inactivate aka suspended aka disabled aka does not exist. Therefore i
am left to wait for no one!

I’m pretty sure the seller’s account was suspended due to a torrent of
negative feedback and/or not delivering on purchases. No matter the
reason, the possibility of the seller replying to the case does not
exist.

You people just don’t quite seem to be getting this. I will spell it
out for you:

* Manually escalate this case immediately. The seller is no longer in
the equation, therefore i need a human at eBay to take control of the
situation – your website is too dumb to understand.
* Issue me a refund for the item that was never shipped.

It is that simple.

I’m really disappointed by this experience and continued lack of
understanding by eBay customer service, and i’ve submitted a complaint
to BBB.

Regards,

Jeremiah

I emailed that reply four hours ago and have yet to hear back. Meanwhile i submitted a complaint to the Better Business Bureau for eBay’s utter lack of clear and public customer support options, and for essentially refusing to issue me a refund during this loophole waiting period created by their arcane website.

Boom. Roasted.

August 24

Update 00:25:

Just clicked on the Case details page and see that the case has been escalated within the past 30 minutes. It says that i had escalated the case, which isn’t exactly true. And bewilderingly, i got zero notification of this. Even though, yes, it is what i have been fighting for, someone at eBay escalated it or the 7-day window expired (it wasn’t me going through their case escalation page), and i once again only happened to find out about it.

Update 19:41:

The absurdity continues! I received the following today:

Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2010 09:38:51 -0700 (MST)
Subject: Re: Finding out what’s happening with your case

Dear eBay member,

Thank you for contacting eBay. To better serve our members, we’re
changing the way we work with
you when you have a question. If the information below doesn’t answer
your question, a Customer
Service agent can assist you more quickly by chatting with you online.
To chat with an agent about this issue, go to [link].
To ask a different question, go to http://contact.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ContactUsNextGen.

Thanks for letting us know you had a problem with an item.

You’re a valued member, and we want you to enjoy shopping on eBay.

We reviewed your case about an item not matching the seller’s
description. As a courtesy, eBay would like to take care of this today
by issuing you a full refund (for the cost of the item plus shipping).
You don’t need to send this item back to the seller. You’ll also receive
a follow up email about our decision, along with the item and case
details for reference.

You should see the money in your PayPal account within 7 calendar days.
If you don’t have a PayPal account, please register for one using your
eBay email address. Once you’ve created a PayPal account, confirm your
email address in PayPal. If you don’t confirm the email address, you
won’t be able to receive the refund.

Here’s how to confirm your email address in PayPal:

1. Log in to your PayPal account at www.paypal.com.
2. Place your pointer over “Profile,” and then select “Add or Edit
Email.”
3. Select your email address, and then click the “Confirm” button.
4. Check your email account for an email from PayPal.
5. Open the email and follow the instructions to confirm your email
address.

To check the status of your case, go to the eBay Resolution Center: http://resolutioncenter.ebay.com

We hope this is helpful. If you have any problems receiving the payment,
please let us know.

It is my pleasure to assist you. Thank you for choosing eBay.

Sincerely,
Gracel J. J.

eBay Customer Support

Once again, i’ll break it down. “Dear eBay member”? Seriously? I have a name. Both a user name and a real name, both of which are in your system. I am not “eBay member”. The first paragraph is interesting — they’re finally acknowledging there’s a problem with their support network and offering a direct link to followup via chat on their website. But then the usual eBay senselessness continues. Two lines of hollow fluff.

The second big paragraph is mind-blowingly bizarre. It says they reviewed my case about an item not matching the seller’s description. I never once said anything about the item’s description; the problem as i stated clearly in every single message was that i never got an item. But finally they are issuing a refund for my undelivered purchase, as a courtesy (?), and i’m not expected to send the item back to the seller. I’m curious to see what their followup summary says.

The third paragraph is troubling. At first it says i should see the refund in my PayPal account within 7 days. But then it has instructions to create an account if i don’t have one. What?! First of all, how on Earth would you issue a refund if someone didn’t have a PayPal account? It’s contradictory and more confusion for customers. Second of all, when issues have been escalated to this level, how can eBay’s support personnel not know whether i have a PayPal account or that i used it to make this purchase? This cookie-cutter garbage needs to stop. I can log into my account and see within 10 seconds that i had paid via PayPal on this transaction. How is it acceptable that eBay’s staff either doesn’t know or have access to this information or simply ingnores it? It also would have been nice to see an actual dollar amount of the refund they were issuing that i could corroborate with my records, and which would further personalize this message, rather than it being stuffed with generic form content.

So this email was almost completely rubbish, half of it filled with useless, irrelevant information because Gracel J. J. was either not enabled or too ignorant to truly appreciate the factors of the situation. Sometimes it’s better to not say anything if you don’t know what you’re talking about.

I didn’t think i could be even more shocked and disappointed, but eBay proved me wrong. I’ll be keeping this updated until everything is settled.

August 25

And finally the case is closed. Just after midnight i got this automated email:

Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2010 21:18:36 -0700 (MST)
Subject: Case # __________: Customer Support made a final decision

—————————————————————–
eBay Customer Support made a final decision on your case
—————————————————————–

Hi username,
Good news! eBay Customer Support has reviewed the case and made a final
decision. We issued you a full refund of $116.48 on Aug 24, 2010 through
PayPal. The refund includes the purchase price plus original shipping.
Please [link] to get your refund.

This case is now closed.

Refund information:
We have issued refund of $116.48 to the PayPal account you used to purchase
this item.

Decision:
This case has been decided in your favor.

If you still have questions or concerns, please
[link]. You can also view the complete details of this case in the Resolution Center

Well that makes it official. I checked my PayPal account and was sent the refund at the same time as this message. I think it’s a bit silly that including the subject line, they had to state “made a final decision” three times by the first paragraph. And of course i’m nitpicking, but the email really did say “Please http://payments.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?… to get your refund”. Apparently now long URLs count as verbs. And they did it again at the bottom: “If you still have questions or concerns, please http://res.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?….” Sorry, i’m not a computer. And i should note that the first link 404d to some page at https://www.paypalobjects.com/. The second link went to an Appeal the Case page in eBay’s Resolution Center. The most surprising part being that in big, clear type in a yellow box at the top of a page was a… wait for it… a toll free phone number. I couldn’t believe my eyes. But reality surfaces quickly: along with the phone number there is a seven-digit pin that expires in 15 minutes. Without that, the phone number is probably useless.

Summary

Almost a month later and this is finally resolved. I got my money back, but not before it was needlessly held by eBay for almost a week, after their website and customer service personnel stacked failure upon failure.

To make a long story short, here are the problems i observed in all of this.

• eBay did not disclose that i would have to wait 7 days when i chose that i wanted the item in their case submission form.
• eBay did not notify me when a seller with whom i had pending business had been suspended.
• eBay did not review or escalate my pending case when the seller was suspended.
• eBay’s site creates a loophole where cases are left unresolved when users are suspended.
• eBay does not have clearly and publicly published customer support contact information.
• Customers must literally jump through hoops with their “ask me” system in order to get in touch with customer support on eBay’s site.
• eBay’s “Contact us” link is merely a searchable index of answers — normally referred to as Help. There is no contact information whatsoever at that page. Calling it “Contact us” is misleading, frustrating, and in my opinion should be illegal for an online business of this magnitude.
• eBay’s customer support personnel repeatedly misunderstood or intentionally did not address the issues i clearly outlined.
• eBay told me i would have to return the item that i never received to the seller.
• eBay’s customer support personnel were either not educated or not empowered to properly handle my case.
• eBay again did not notify me when my case finally was escalated.
• eBay’s escalation followup email provided an incorrect reason for the case.
• eBay instructed me to keep an item that i never received.
• eBay’s system or customer support staff did not know or ignored the fact that i already have a PayPal account.
• eBay’s automated emails use improper grammar when referring to links.

It’s ironic that i generally get 2–3 emails immediately whenever i purchase an item on eBay, but received zero when a “trading partner” was suspended, effectively cutting off transactions and cases without warning.

It’s also criminal that eBay is allowed to refer to their customer Help system as “Contact us” when it has no contact information.

On every occasion eBay’s customer service reps ignored or misunderstood what i was telling them. They need to be better educated and empowered to help me, or simply state that they cannot do what i ask or do not understand instead of leading me on and wasting everyone’s time.

The only positive i’ve had in this is the quick and interactive response i got from eBay’s representatives on Twitter — the closest thing i had to real human contact. Unfortunately, they were about as much help as their email support counterparts.

One, simply, was floor mats. The very first thing i bought for my car over five years ago was a good set of thick rubber floor mats. These so-called Monster Mats have never worn out and catch everything i’ve managed to throw at them in five years of winter blizzards, sandy beaches, and everything in between. Saturday i vacuumed up all the winter and spring accumulation, and the carpet underneath still looked pretty new. Not a simple feat for a 10-year-old car with a light tan interior. The mats were a one-time cost of $90, and i’ve never had to worry about scrubbing or shampooing. They also clip into place so they don’t slide up under the pedals (ahem, Toyota), and they also look pretty cool. Should i ever sell this car, i think they’ve more than paid themselves off.

The other case is not always a clear decision, but in my case it’s more than paid off. Insurance. Specifically, an AppleCare extended warranty for my MacBook Pro. I’ve had a battery and the entire upper display lid replaced, and last week it was back at the Apple Store for a new logic board after the video card fried as well as a second battery. They let me know it would have cost me $1,375 if not under warranty. All together i’ve had about $2,450 in parts and labor covered. That’s almost $700 more than i first paid for it in December 2007. And i managed to get that AppleCare 2-year warranty extension for only $115. Extended warranties are a bit of a gamble, but in this case, it’s a true warranty extension direct from the original manufacturer, and you don’t have to jump through hoops when something happens — just drop it off at the closest Apple Store or authorized repair center. And that peace of mind has been well worth the price.

This, after several weeks of researching and going back and forth between the T2i which was half the price and the 7D with a few more “pro” features — namely it’s heftier body and weather proofing. I’m not particularly rough with my gear. In fact, i tend to baby all of my expensive possessions. But when it comes to a camera, i’m likely to take it to places and climates where consumer-grade gear can’t keep up, because you have to be there to get the shot. I don’t want to have to worry about dust or a light drizzle ruining my new camera, let alone whether or not i can take it out into extreme cold and snow like this guy:

Canon 7D winter test from Ole Jørgen Liodden on Vimeo.

I’ve been spending all my time the past week or so on glass. Lenses. Researching, reading, looking at photos, video, numbers, bokeh, prices, eBay. It turns out with these latest digital SLR cameras that capture 1080p high-def video, some of the most sought-after lenses come from decades-old manual focus systems. Just because it’s a Canon camera doesn’t mean you have to use a Canon-brand lens. With the right adapter, you can use a host of legendary glass from makers like Zeiss, Leica, and even Canon rival Nikon. There are also dozens of options from Olympus, Pentax, and Minolta manual focus SLR systems that are far cheaper than Canon’s current plastic lenses and with superior image quality. This alternate glass, as it’s called, is a movement fueled both by photographers and this new crop of cinematographers using DSLRs to produce video, all in search of lenses with character and usually on a budget. Generally the only sacrifice is lack of auto focus and auto aperture, which for video is a non-issue. Lenses that came bundled with cameras in the 70s are now in high demand driving prices up on eBay and camera forums. Invest in glass. That’s my financial advice of the month. This “Top Primes for Video” topic at cinema5D was what got me hooked.

I now have a Minolta 58mm MC Rokkor PG 1:1.2 whose large aperture creates beautiful out of focus bokeh and is plenty fast for low-light and available-light situations. It comes highly-recommended on the cinema5D forum and almost every other place i could find that mentions it. I also have a Pentax Super-Takumar 50mm f1.4 on the way. I’m still undecided on a 35mm (which would become a “normal” 58mm with the 7D’s crop factor); i’m leaning toward a Nikkor as it’s the least expensive f1.4 in that size — if money were no object, i’d grab the Zeiss Distagon. Also on my list, and probably the lens i want most is the Zeiss 100mm f/2 Makro Planar, but it’s not in the budget right now (it costs more than the camera body). I think i’ll fill in the gaps with less expensive primes from Olympus to get things going.

This lens shopping can be extremely addicting. One of the issues i keep struggling with is upgrading. With lenses, if you want a better lens, you can’t upgrade it or add something to make it better — you just have to get a better lens. Say i have a 24mm f2.8 lens but i want a faster f2.0 lens — i’d have to buy a new lens and figure out what to do with the extra. So of course i’m trying to find the very best i can to eliminate obsolescence and overlap. But again, it’s just not in the budget.

I haven’t even started looking at supports, lights, and other accessories. That stuff is also not in the budget, so i’ll have to get creative when the need arises, until i have more time and money to fill out my kit.

I’m filing this one under shopping, even though it’s about video and photography, cameras, and lenses. As such i should mention, that since the majority of these used lenses are found on eBay, a big part of my shopping strategy is using Bing cashback for 8% back on Buy It Now items, and Mr Rebates for 3% back on Buy It Now and winning bids. All that goes through PayPal to my new credit card where i get 1% cashback rewards, and currently have 0% on purchases with a $5000 limit for 12 months. So i have some time to spread all this out (even though i could cover it if i dipped into savings, so don’t worry, i’m not getting myself into debt).

As my friend Harris suggests, with craigslist you can examine the gear in person before money exchanges hands. But pickins is slim on craigslist in NoVA, so it’s eBay, a handful of camera sites with classifieds, and a few online stores that deal used equipment. KEH probably has the biggest selection, and brick-and-mortar big shots B&H and Adorama both have used sections with decent inventory. I’ve yet to cruise the local pawn and camera shops.

Anyway, all that is the long way of explaining what i’ve been up to the past couple of weeks. I can’t wait to unbox my camera and start playing.

Black Friday is all about getting you to spend money, even it’s on stuff you don’t really want or need, or money you don’t really have. Know what you want to get, know how much you want to spend, and stick to it. Sometimes “deals” aren’t. Often you’re better off finding the same thing online (cheaper with no tax), or a better quality product than the cheapo stuff they practically give away at midnight in stores. Wisebread has 5 tips for things you shouldn’t buy.

Know What You Want

Knowing specifically what you want to get and how much it’s worth and what you’re willing to pay is the single best thing you can do to make you a better shopper and keep money in your pocket. Going out to the malls “just to shop” this weekend can easily be either a waste of time or waste of money. Find specific items you want then research and comparison shop ahead of time. I start at Google and Amazon to get a baseline of a “good price” on most things. I also like Bountii for comparisons on electronics. Bountii lets you track item prices and will automatically send you alerts when prices drop, so you don’t have to check back periodically — it’s practically shopping for you. Don’t forget to factor in state sales tax, shipping, and any other fees (will you have to carry a credit card balance to buy it?). When comparing the same item at different retailers sometimes a higher initial price ends up being cheaper because there’s no tax or shipping charges and you could get some cash back bonuses.

Go Cheap

Don’t overlook refurbished and used items or auction and trading services. eBay and craigslist have incredible deals on perfectly good items that some people are just trying to get rid of (some perfectly new). Video games often go for half price slightly used and work just fine. I picked up a sealed copy of Forza Motorsport 3 for 25% off through craigslist because a guy got it for a gift and didn’t need it. “Certified refurbished” products are usually just like brand-new items and often come with similar warranties but at big discounts simply because they aren’t “new.” Just do your homework and make sure you know what you’re getting.

Get Money Back Guaranteed

If you’re going to shop online this weekend, make sure you take advantage of all the “free money” out there. I’ve saved about $200 just by using cashback services for purchases i’ve made online this year — and it was all stuff i was going to buy anyway. I’ve previously mentioned Ebates for really simple cashback when shopping online, but my current favorite is Mr. Rebates. Every time i buy something on eBay i use Mr. Rebates to get 3% cashback which can be combined with Bing cashback (10% during the holidays) for a total of 13% back on almost anything on eBay. They also have higher percentage rebates on many stores — i just got 8% back at Endless.com on a pair of shoes using Mr. Rebates. Just sign up for an account in seconds, click through to shop at thousands of online stores, and get money back. Most rebate sites will quarterly send you a paper check or a direct deposit to a PayPal account. Another cool thing about Mr. Rebates, Ebates, Spree, and many others is they offer referral bonuses when your friends sign up and make purchases. There are dozens of cashback sites, that all work about the same, so check who’s offering the biggest rebates where you’re shopping.

Bing cashback works similarly, you click on store links from the Bing site after you sign up and get percentage rebates on certain items or from certain retailers. Bing cashback at eBay has a few rules: it must be a Buy-It-Now purchase, not a regular auction and you have to pay via PayPal. But like i said, they’re currently offering 10% back that can be applied to almost anything you can find on eBay (just search at Bing.com and look for the gold coin icon). You can “stack” this with Mr. Rebates by first searching on Bing.com to activate cashback in eBay (save the item to My eBay to make it easy), then click on the eBay link in Mr. Rebates, find the item in My eBay and complete the Buy-It-Now purchase. Sometimes you get instant cashback without the 60 day waiting period.

I got $187 instant cashback from Bing on eBay.

• Bing cashback has increased holiday rebates like 10% back at Best Buy, Macy’s, and eBay.
• Ebates is offering double cashback at many retailers only on Black Friday.
• Mr. Rebates also has a long list of special rebates and coupons.

Another way to get money back is to use a rewards credit card on your purchases. It’s a simple way to get 1–3% back without doing anything extra. It can really add up on bigger purchases like TVs and computers. I personally use my rewards card to pay for everything i can to maximize my rewards, but of course i pay it off every month so i don’t run up balance fees.

The game just came out last Tuesday, so i’ve been keeping an eye out for who has the best price. Buy.com has Forza 3 for only $52 with free shipping, which is 13% off the usual $60 (even more if you add in tax).

A masterpiece of game interface design. Simple, nearly invisible. Rewind is genius. And cockpit view—finally!

I’m also thinking about getting a steering wheel and pedals set. Unfortunately there’s only two options for full Forza 3 features with force feedback: the official Microsoft Wheel set, or the hardcore Fanatec set with Porsche steering wheel, pedals, and shifter that goes for $500. The going price for the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel seems to be $90 everywhere, which is a little more than i’d like to spend. I’ve seen one or two used on craigslist for closer to $50, but that’s always hit-or-miss.

• Forza Motorsport 3, $51.99 at Buy.com
• Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel, $89.49 at Amazon.com

Next week i’ll be looking for the best deal on Modern Warfare 2.

Gilt Groupe's Preview for PUMA Watches Sale

I hope i have time to catch this sale when it starts at noon, because from the looks of this preview i’m likely to want every PUMA watch Gilt Groupe has.

Here’s the cool part: when you sign up using this referral link, you and i will both get a $5 bonus after your first purchase. Then keep racking up the rebates when you shop online — just remember to click the store link on Ebates.com first.

The great thing about all this is that it’s free money! Why not get some cash back if you’re going to buy stuff online anyway? Even better is that this is on top of any cash back or rewards you might get when using your credit card. Don’t forget to follow @Ebates on Twitter for special rebate rates and offers. And if you’re a really shrewd consumer like me, shop comparison sites like Bountii and Google Products to see who has the lowest price, then check Ebate’s list of stores to see how much cash you’d get back.

If you’re worried that this sounds like a scam, it’s completely legit — shoppers have received over $40 million in cash back through Ebates since 1998 [via retailtouchpoints.com].

I feel like i have a ton of shopping tips because i’m always out to squeeze every last bit from my dollars, and usually manage to do a pretty well for myself. I’m gonna try to post tips and ideas a little more often. So in summary:

1. Click on this link.
2. Sign up at Ebates (it takes 15 seconds).
3. Get a free $5 bonus.

There was no special “In-Store Pickup” line as advertised on your website and the emails i was sent–i had to wait in the regular customer service line behind people returning things.

The clerk couldn’t find my item behind the counter–it was never pulled and reserved.  So another employee went and grabbed one off the shelf in the showroom.  While i was waiting at the counter.  DO YOU SEE THE PROBLEM WITH ALL OF THIS?

In-Store Pickup is supposed to be a convenience service that offers a shortcut.  Instead, i had to wait in line, and then wait again for the item that was supposed to be ready for me to pick up.  I could have just walked into the store, picked one up off the shelf and paid in the regular checkout in less time.  That is a big FAIL.  I also still think it’s ridiculous that a photo ID is required to pick up an item, when anyone can basically anonymously order and ship something online with just a credit card number, or swipe any card in the regular checkout without ID.

Basically, your In-Store Pickup service is pointless.  It makes it MORE difficult to make purchases.