Can I save money on consumer electronics buy purchasing online?

Although purchasing on-line can save money on some products and is a great way to buy and sell second-hand goods, there are some issues and risks.

First of all, you cannot examine a product before you buy it, to check its quality or condition. This may not be a concern with some goods, but it most definitely is with others, particularly pricey second-hand goods. I have bought and sold many items on-line and have never had a problem so far, but I don't make a habit of purchasing big-ticket items on-line. Shipping damage is always a risk, since it depends completely on how much effort the shipper has put into the job of packing the product and how it is handled during shipping. Buying items from places like, for example, Russia and Ukraine do pose more of a risk to the consumer, because of the protracted shipping times and distances involved.

There is also an issue with the warranties that are, or are not, provided with new goods that you purchase on-line or through mail order. Many retailers sell grey-market goods, which often carry an "international" warranty that is not supported in countries like Canada or the US. Some grey-market goods provide no warranty coverage at all. I have only encountered a couple of retailers who identified the products they sold as grey-market goods, so caution is required. Even if a warranty is provided, if you live in a different country from that of the business that sold you the product, the warranty may be invalid. I have often seen this with goods from the US that are sold to consumers in Canada: the warranty is not valid outside of the US, so the products must be returned to the US for servicing. This can be very inconvenient.

Another problem arises if you deal with a retailer who is not an authorized dealer for the product you have purchased. Many companies will only honour their warranties on products purchased from an authorized dealer, particularly with audio / video equipment. The retailer may have obtained these products through creative purchase arrangements with an authorized dealer or, sometimes, by theft. Always check with the manufacturer to ensure the retailer you are dealing with is listed as an authorized dealer.

And whatever else you do, don't exploit brick-and-mortar retailers by using their assistance to review and compare equipment and then turn around and give your business to someone who doesn't provide such services. This costs the retailer both money and time, which affects the prices they must charge, and doesn't win you any friends. If a salesperson has spent two or three hours working with you on a purchase, they will not be very appreciative if you buy the same product from somewhere else to save a few bucks and you might not get such good help the next time around. Some retailers provide very good before- and after-sales service, something which some on-line retailers have no interest in doing.

Another advantage to buying online is that it is often a way to get around sales taxes. On big ticket items these can add up to a significant amount of money. Note, however, that companies with a presence in the state to which the item is to be shipped usually do have to charge sales tax and some states (Utah for example) require you to report the value of items ordered through mail-order and pay the sales taxes on those items. (Utah has a place for doing this on their income tax forms.)

Definitely, most of my electronics for my house and truck were bought online. I saved a LOT of money. Ebay is a GREAT place to get stuff. Just be careful and remember "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is" And also like the previous person who answered said, watch out for S&H prices. I have seen things that sell for 10 bucks but they charge 40 to ship it to you. Even though the post office only charges them about 8 bucks.

Yes. Purchasing consumer electronics onlinbe is a great deal. There are often online deals and sales that are much cheaper than store/ retail prices. But be aware that shipping and handling does add to the original amount of the item being purchased.

Yes you can save the money by opting a service of free delivery from online retailers such as blueunpugged.com as they offering variety of christmas gifts and christmas games