"If I have $500"

I was given an activity to play around during my CDS Effective Internet Research subject The question was “If I have $500” from activity in Part 2 of Practical 1 of the UIR E-learning package – Introduction to Internet Resources. Below are photos and description of my shopping list items.

a) Shopping list:

1) Refrigerator for my family. Price: $200.
Name: Mitsubishi Refrigerator (Excellent Condition!)
http://cgi.ebay.com.sg/Mitsubishi-Refrigerator-Excellent-Condition-/150436975892?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_216&hash=item2306be1514

2) A fan for my bedroom shared with my older sister. Price: $27.47. Name: Lasko 4000 Air Stik Ultra-Slim Oscillating Fan
http://www.amazon.com/Lasko-4000-Stik-Ultra-Slim-Oscillating/dp/B000MFAOPY/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1272684333&sr=1-5

3) New soccer boots for myself. Price: $60.
Name: Adidas F30.8 TRX FG Green/Blue Soccer boots NEW!
http://cgi.ebay.com.sg/Adidas-F30-8-TRX-FG-Green-Blue-Soccer-boots-NEW-US9-/230466118416?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_216&hash=item35a8d9e310

4) New street soccer ball. My current blue Nike street soccer ball is used every Tuesday evening and Sunday morning. So it has wear and tear here and there. Price: $24.29.
Name: Select Street Soccer Ball (Black/Green/White)http://www.soccercorner.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=EB-SS04-552

5) A bicycle so I can go to street soccer courts at Tampines and east area without taking bus. At least I warm up before I play. Haha. Price: $100
Name: Brand New Cheap Bicycle with front carriage + Free Pump
http://cgi.ebay.com.sg/Brand-New-Cheap-Bicycle-front-carriage-Free-Pump-/120561915945?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_216&hash=item1c120cd829

6) An acoustic guitar. I want to learn to play the guitar. Price: $30. Name: Acoustic guitar
http://cgi.ebay.com.sg/Acoustic-guitar-/190392545649?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_216&hash=item2c5447b171

7) A healthier choice ice-cream birthday cake from Swensens for three of my family members’ birthdays that fall on 5th, 6th and 7th May. It’s my family tradition to celebrate all three members’ birthdays on one day.

Price: $45. Name: 47 Berries Overload
http://www.swensens.com.sg/order.html


Total: $200 + $27.47 + $60 + $24.29 + $100 + $30 + $45 = $486.76

(b) The purpose of the shopping websites I had visited range from bidding items online to selling products at a cheaper price than the market price.

e-bay.com.sg allows online users to bid what items they want starting from reasonable prices. Some of the goods available at this website are used but are still in good conditions. Some are rare artefacts that are hard to find.

amazon.com is very updated in its shipping of merchandises so online buyers are assured that they can get their purchased items as soon as possible. The site is controlled by 6 countries namely Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan and United Kingdom.

soccercorner.com is a US based website and was founded in 1987 with the idea to supply soccer specific product to players, coaches and fans of “the beautiful game”. This website also guarantees users online the shipping time limit of 24 to 48 hours.

swensens.com caters to anyone who is interested to know the promotions and prices of Swensens’ food and desserts. Those who wish to order Swensens’ Ice-cream Cakes online can simply follow the simple instructions found on the website.


( c ) From the above findings and a brief understanding of the online shopping websites I had visited, I learn that

i) I must not be overly excited when I see items online that are selling at a cheaper price than the market price. I have to be aware that the bidding price can mutiply and I would not get my chance of getting the products.

ii) I should not be fooled by the claims that the merchandises are in good conditions. The best way, in my opinion, is to buy the goods only if I have seen them for real. I have to be careful before I make any decisions to purchase online.

iii) I have to check which country or region is controlling the online shopping websites. Security-wise, I believe, is to order things online from a local website. If anything goes wrong, it is easier for me to claim my case with the support of the Singapore Government.

iv) Ordering online makes life easier for this fast-paced modern day society. However, I have to keep the few things in mind before I take advantage of the privileges that we are offered today.