Ratings Web Sites Make Purchasing Products Easier

When researching a major purchase such as new appliances, a television, or computer, it is easy to get sucked into the press of the latest-and-greatest features, and the multitude of choices can be confusing. Fortunately, several excellent ratings and clearinghouse Web sites are available to help consumers make the right choice.

The reliability of many online stores - whether in delivering the promised product or limiting extraneous selling pitches - is a question for many first time purchasers. Even when operating under the assumption that the web site is secure from hackers, it may still not be the right place to make a purchase. In particular, learning that an online store has aggressive upselling practices before purchasing saves customers invaluable amounts of time and frustration. Upselling is when a customer service representative calls to "verify your credit card for fraud protection" and then proceeds to aggressively push accessories, service plans, or expedited shipping.

The following Web sites are good places to start research to be sure you get the best product at the best price.

Consumer Reports. This well-known site is a trusted resource for searchable ratings and buying advice for just about any kind of consumable. For $26/year, customers can access the Consumer Reports Web site for detailed recommendations and product assessments. The Web site maintains four years of testing data, and breaks down its product assessments by categories including cars, electronics and computers, babies and kids, and appliances. On a limited basis, the site includes recommendations about reputable online sources to buy products; however, Consumer Reports does not necessarily provide information for where to get the best price.

Bizrate.com. All that the Bizrate site does is compare product features and prices, and provide links to Web sites for consumers to purchase. Bizrate has no cost to use. Users can sort by store name, rating, and price, and have access to the plethora of customer reviews of both the product and stores. The access to reviews is particularly helpful as reading comments such as "the box was practically destroyed by the time I received it though the product didn't get damaged" and "I would not hesitate to use this company again especially since the customer service was so pleasant to speak with" provide insight into the potential dealings with a particular site. Using Bizrate is a streamlined method for customers to compare both the product and online stores.

Resellerratings.com. This site bills itself as "discount shopping, store ratings and bargains." Resellerratings has no cost to use. One of the most helpful features of the Resellerratings site is the sorting factor of Best Stores by Best & Worst, Returns, Price, and Shipping. This site needs to be used in combination with other research sites because it has less detailed product comparison information, but is another excellent source for seller feedback.

The Internet has a boon of resources to provide ratings on both the purchase item itself and online sources from which to buy. It's worth taking a little time to be sure you get the right product, at the lowest cost, from the best source, and with the least amount of hassle. The above web sites can help.