Online bargain buys
If DealsDirect.com.au is not on your online radar, it should be. It’s Australia’s leading online department store and one of my favourite shopping destinations. I have been buying from there regularly since it first became a fixed-price retailer off the back of eBay Power Seller, Auction Brokers — coinicidentally, that was the seller I made my first eBay purchase from many years ago.
DealsDirect.com.au offers over 5,000 products for sale from hundreds of categories at discounts of up to 80% on recommended retail prices. The site also provides first-rate security for transactions, so you can shop with peace of mind. Payment options are PayPal, Visa, MasterCard, American Express and BPAY.
You can search for products via category or keyword, or you can search via the Quick Links categories of Most Popular, Top Rated, New Arrivals, Clearance Bin and Free Shipping items. When you find a product that you’d like further information on, just click on it. You’ll be presented with a picture of the product (normally several, which you can view larger if desired), a general description of the item, and detailed specifications including size, weight and other pertinent details. Warranty and returns information is also displayed.
You can also see ratings and reviews by customers who have already bought the product. The shipping cost is displayed and, if you buy more than one item, shipping for the second and any subsequent items is discounted — you’ll get the combined shipping cost at checkout.
You will need to register with the site to make a purchase (it’s free) and you can sign up to receive email notification of featured specials. Periodically, those paying with PayPal will received free shipping, and the site itself also offers free shipping on selected items from time to time.
On the customer service front, click on the Contact Us link at the bottom of the home page for answers to commonly asked questions, contact Deals Direct via email, or if you want instant gratification to a problem, you can chat with a a real live person online.
Gail Lipscombe has worked for some of Australia's hottest tech magazines for over 10 years. In her blog, she focuses on demystifying technology, gadgets and the web for average consumers.