The Internet has done many amazing things, hasn’t it? We just finished our taxes, and I marvel at how quick and speedy the paperwork comes in with the process. Of course, it’s still painful to fill out those forms and cough up the $, but at least it’s speedy. :-p
One of the better things to come down the pike is the online shopping opportunities. I still don’t purchase clothing or shoes online, but we have bought some eyeglasses in past, from Zenni Optical. Clark Howard raves about Zenni. My husband got some glasses from them and they are very nice! And DIRT CHEAP. Zenni Optical crafts and ships the eyeglasses directly to the consumer– no expensive middle man!
We have five people in the family who wear glasses– those things add up! Mine alone cost upwards of $250. Zenni prices are exceptional. We can get new glasses for about $10!!!
There’s a great review at the Examiner about Zenni. I think the writer did a great job:
Zenni sells full prescription eyeglasses starting at just $8 per pair. Yes, that’s right, eight bucks. Talk about cheap prescription eyeglasses, huh? Their prices range up to around $40 and there is an extra charge if you want bifocals or thick lenses. They also charge extra for anti-glare coating (though it’s $4.95 extra as opposed to around $50-$100 extra elsewhere). Shipping is just $4.95 no matter how many pairs you order, so it pays to order for the whole family at one time.
It’s a good review, with good tips. I have yet to see an eye doctor (no insurance yet) to get my new prescription. Believe me, I’d much rather pay $20 for a pair of eyeglasses and do the measuring myself, than pay $250 for a slop job at the eye design place!! It IS possible to get quality eyewear for an inexpensive price.
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I got the following in my email from Clark Howard e-zine:
RIP-OFF ALERT: We’ve gotten several calls from listeners complaining about being ripped off while checking out at many otherwise legitimate Internet selling sites.
Typically, our callers report seeing a message during checkout asking if they’d like to save X amount of dollars on their purchase. Clicking through on the message and agreeing secretly enrolls you in a subscription service that is billed to your credit card or debit account on a monthly basis. And there’s no real notification — other than some mice-type that’s too small to read.
The Wall Street Journal reports New York Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo suspects 22 companies of being involved with this rip-off. Among the companies he’s subpoenaed are Staples, Barnes &Noble, Avon, GameStop, 1-800-Flowers and Orbitz, just to name a few.
No need, however, to wait and hear their side of the story. You know all you need: That supposed instant discount will cost you big-time. Cuomo alleges that three of these discount programs pulled in more than $1 billion annually.
The real question is how will trusted brands that take advantage of this suspect sales ploy gain their reputations back with customers??
You can read the full post here. The comments are really, really enlightening, I think. I had no idea that such reputable companies would do such STUPID things!
When checking out [at CVS], there is a ‘donate $1′ to some so called charity which is very difficult to say no and get this off my bill. If cvs wants to donate, don’t scam me and everyone else for all these dollars that add up to millions. It is quite a scam and has to be illegal. It is very difficult to remove this.
As you check out of VisionDirect, there is a checkbox already checked for coolsavings.com. i did not notice it and began getting charged a monthly fee immediately. I caught it five months later and contacted coolsavngs.com. They reimbursed me all except one month worth – I would have had to fill out some form. Just wanted to be done with the company. Complained to VisionDirect about this and to date no response. Will take my business to a competitor from now on, even if they charge a few dollars more.
In my case, the charges started to hit twice a month for around $33 (each) when I purchased an airline ticket from Travelocity.
I’ve been a victim of this for the past 7 months from freeshipping.com without knowing about it. My wife purchased flowers from Proflowers.com and was enrolled in this service, they make it seem like part of the checkout process so you have no idea what you are signing up for.
For a few pennies per customer, companies are ripping people off by allowing third-parties to scam customers. It’s just insane. Watch the fine print!
Tags: finances, online shopping
This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Yamaha. All opinions are 100% mine.
If you are holding on, STILL searching for perfect gift for the technology geek and audiophile in the family– or looking for a nice music accessory for your home– what have you been waiting for? Check out this classy PDX-60 from Yamaha. It works with your iPhone or iPod. It’s a wireless speaker system with the characteristic Yamaha quality and style. The PDX-60 will allow you to enjoy your games, music, and movies with superior lossless quality, all the while your iPod or iPhone is cradled in the unit. Yamaha uses their new technology yAired, which provides outstanding quality– wirelessly– without the interruptions, delays, and degradation sometimes associated with wireless devices. And yAired allows remote control operations, too, for volume control and and power on.
Plus, the design of the PDX-60 is swanky! It comes in four different colors to compliment your style. I love the teal, and the pink is smashing.
I have four music lovers in the family (the husband is a musician and the children are following his footsteps) and wouldn’t they love this as the centerpiece in the living room! The Yamaha PDX-60 is functional as well as beautiful– the wireless transmitter will recharge the iPod or iPhone as it sits in the charging cradle.
It’s slick, classy, affordable, and a perfect accessory for any iPod fan and music/movies lover. Check out the website for more details, to place an order, or on how to find a authorized Yamaha dealer in your area.
Tags: iPod, music, Yamaha
This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Charter Communication. All opinions are 100% mine.
Charter Communications is at it again. Charter is one of the nation’s leading cable, High-Speed Internet, and Phone services. They are constantly leaving their competitors in the dust with spectacular service, good prices, reliable service, and some very nice giveaways for Charter customers. I think they are outdoing even themselves now! Charter is participating in the Black Friday/Cyber Monday super shopping deals, but they are also extending deals and giving out prizes every day.
Here are the details:
- Charter is sponsoring some outstanding deals with FREE Gift Cards with online savings– $200 gift cards! This is going on from Black Friday (November 27th) to Cyber Monday (November 30). The gift cards are from major retailers and include items like electronics, home accessories, restaurants, clothing, and more.
- After Cyber Monday, Charter will start a 38-day specials spree. They expect to give away tons of gifts, prizes, and great deals every day. Some of the great prizes include iPods, camcorders, GPS units, and lots more.
- Charter is also giving away “Showtime schwag” and special HBO box-sets of some of your favorite shows.
Be sure to check Charter’s Daily Deal Web Site for information on prizes, rules, and how to apply. Charter has made the giveaways very easy, and the prizes are sweet! In the past year, they’ve been extremely generous– giving away such prizes as X-boxes, an HDTV a day, a Tpyota Prius, a Chevy Camaro 2SS, and more. You can become a fan of Charter on Facebook to keep up with all the ways to win.
Charter is really going leaps and bounds over all competition. I think they are a great company, listening to the customers’ needs and having giveaways like these.
Tags: Charter, giveaways, Internet service
The cases are very beautiful. They come in all sorts of colors. In a nutshell, here are the special cases that are being offered: 
