From bobrankin@MHV.NET Wed Sep 10 23:01:29 1997
Date: Wed, 10 Sep 1997 15:31:12 -0400
From: Bob Rankin 
Reply-To: TOURBUS-Request@LISTSERV.AOL.COM
To: TOURBUS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM
Subject: TOURBUS - 09 Sep 1997 - Online Consumer Tips

    _________ ____________ ________ __________ _____________ ___ _
   /         |            /        |          |             /   | \
  |     "Why | Surf When / You Can | Ride The | Bus?"      /    |  \
  |__________|__________/__________|__________|___________/     |   \
 /                                                       /______|----\
| GET A FREE WEBSITE NOW - EVEN FOR COMMERCIAL PURPOSES  |//////|    |
| Build your net presence and make $$$$$ with your FREE  |\\\\\\|    |
| WEBSITE!  |//////|    |
\________________________________________________________|______|____|
    /   \  /   \                                             /   \
    \___/  \___/  T h e   I n t e r n e t   T o u r B u s    \___/

           TODAY'S TOURBUS TOPIC: Consumer Sites

Welcome back to another week of the Internet Tourbus!  Today's issue
will cover a variety of consumer topics, including online buying,
where to find product comparisons, and what to do when you have a
problem with an online merchant.


BUY IT ONLINE
-------------

Have you ever gotten frustrated trying to find an online shopping
destination with a general purpose search engine?  AltaVista reports
503130 hits on a search for "jewelry".  But which of those are actual
stores that sell products in your price range, and offer secure online
ordering?

Buy IT OnLine offers cybershoppers an excellent starting point, because
they only links to sites that have products and services for sale, and you
can quickly restrict your search to secure sites only, by price range, as
well as keyword or category.  Visit them at:

   

They also feature Shoppers Specials, Gift Ideas, and Special Occasion
Reminders so you can register birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, and get
a reminder e-mail every year with gift suggestions.  Also helpful: the
Discussion Area, a place to chat about shopping online, and share
experiences with others.  Oh, and don't miss the Trivia Blitz contest or
their Jewelry Sweepstakes!


SOFTWARE BUYINGUIDE
-------------------

Are you looking for a site that offers you all the information you need to
make your software purchases a breeze?  A place where you can get unbiased
information and the most up-to-date facts on thousands of software
products?  Software BuyinGuide may hold the answer to all your PC software
questions.  (Before you Mac lovers start throwing things, I'm told they
will have Mac info on the site soon!)


Software BuyinGuide has an easy to navigate site, fast download times, and
a unique side-by-side layout which allows the user to compare software
products.  They claim to have the most up-to-date, accurate information on
thousands of products, including publishers, prices, features, and
descriptions. BuyinGuide is a free Internet service, and you can visit
their site at:

   

Browse through thousands of software reviews to see what the major print
media gurus think about a particular title.  If you run into unfamiliar
buzzwords, there's an integrated Computer Dictionary to help you out, and
many products can be purchased with just a few clicks. It's a great
research tool for industry professionals, as well as a purchasing guide
for the average computer user.


THE CONSUMER INFORMATION CATALOG
--------------------------------

... is published four times a year and distributed to millions of American
consumers. Each issue has descriptive listings of more than 200 free or
modestly-priced booklets from a variety of U.S. federal agencies. These
publications cover everything from health to housing, from buying cars to
building careers, from food to federal benefits.

The catalog is made available free through schools, libraries, consumer
groups, federal offices and in response to individual requests.  You can
get a free printed copy of the latest Consumer Information Catalog by
sending your name and address to: Consumer Information Catalog, Pueblo, CO
81009.  But why bother?  The whole thing is on the Web here:

   

The full text of most every booklet is available FREE at the CIC web site
- even the ones that have a price tag attached to the printed version.
The printed versions are probably only available to U.S. citizens, but
even if you're from Albania or Zambia, you can visit the CIC web site and
download as much as you can carry home.


CYBERCOP
--------

Have you ever wondered about the integrity of an online vendor?  The
CyberCop site lets you share your experiences, abuses, gripes, or report
suspicious activity on the Net.

You can view the Complaint Archives and Success Stories area for the
lowdown on CyberCop's success in resolving consumer disputes, or check out
Neighborhood Watch for tips and suggestions from experts on how to surf
the net without getting ripped off.  Visit them at:

   

CyberCop is not a law enforcement agency, but they do help to to target
consumer problems on the Internet, assist law enforcement, government
agencies, and other consumer protection organizations.


*----------------------[ BREAK SOME WINDOWS ]-----------------------*

     Switch to Linux, the free version of Unix for ordinary PC's.
   Get your copy of the NO B.S. GUIDE TO LINUX today and learn how.
   Companion CD-ROM includes Linux Pro, Apache web server and tons
       of free software.  New York Newsday says it's "the most
          accessible guide to getting started with Linux".

       Save $5 on your copy - Summer Sale extended until 9/22!

*-------------------  --------------------*

See you next time.  --Bob


=====================[ Tourbus Rider Information ]===================
   The Internet Tourbus - U.S. Library of Congress ISSN #1094-2238
      Copyright 1995-97, Rankin & Crispen - All rights reserved
            Archives on the Web at http://www.TOURBUS.com

 Join: Send SUBSCRIBE TOURBUS Your Name to LISTSERV@LISTSERV.AOL.COM
 Leave: Send SIGNOFF TOURBUS to LISTSERV@LISTSERV.AOL.COM

 Editors: Reprint TOURBUS in your publication for free - Ask me how.
    Send this copy to 3 friends and tell them to hop on the Bus!
=====================================================================

TOURBUS
HOME PAGE
LINUX
TUTORIAL
TOURBUS
ARCHIVES
, viruses, hoaxes, urban legends, search engines, cookies, cool sites
TOURBUS Site Search