Technology Shopping Portal, Techbargains.com(R), Offers Tips to Simplify Online Shopping This Holiday Season

EMERYVILLE, Calif., Oct. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- The holiday season is fast approaching and some people have already started shopping for those all important gifts. So far, the most popular are the new iPhone, flat screen televisions, gaming systems, digital cameras and laptop computers.

While everyone's holiday list will be a little different this year, chances are most will include consumer electronics. This product category can be daunting, especially for the novice gift-giver. The top consumer concerns nationwide are "where to begin" and "how to ensure the best deal."

For insight into how to find the best deals on the hottest tech products, follow these tips from the experts at Techbargains.com(R), a leading destination for trustworthy information and reviews of the latest technology devices and gadgets. They can help you save time, energy and money:

    (1)  Be Patient
         Prices can change on a daily basis, and special deals come
         and go within days or even hours. Patience can help save money,
         especially on larger-ticket items like flat screen televisions and
         digital cameras. To help avoid the "will it go lower" problem, make a
         target price for items, especially higher priced ones. When the right
         price, with the right terms, with receipt guaranteed before the
         holidays is found, take the plunge.

    (2)  Use a Price Search Engine
         Find the lowest price on a particular item with a price search engine
         such as Techbargains.com. When buying from an unfamiliar vendor,
         check various vendor rating sites and search engines to see if the
         vendor is reputable.

    (3)  Don't Forget the Warranty
         Make sure to make big purchases, on items such as TVs or computers,
         from authorized dealers to avoid an invalid product warranty. For
         example, when purchasing computers, the experts at Techbargains
         recommend that consumers buy from a vendor that offers an on-site
         warranty. This will permit the machine to be repaired on-site.
         Consumers should also remember that some credit cards will double
         product warranties up to an additional year.

    (4)  Factor the Sales Tax
         The lowest price on a product may not always be the cheapest buy.
         When buying online, consumers pay sales tax if that company has a
         local presence. Buying from companies that do not have local retail
         outlets could mean that the product may appear to be more expensive,
         but not paying sales tax can make the delivered price more
         attractive.

    (5)  Save on Shipping
         Look for sites that clearly state all shipping and handling charges
         before an order is placed. Some vendors offer great prices, then make
         a large profit on the shipping costs. To save money, try to purchase
         all your items in one transaction. Consumers can also save money by
         shipping the product the slowest way possible, such as UPS ground,
         but this requires buying ahead to avoid last-minute express shipping
         charges to ensure pre-holiday delivery.

"At Techbargains, our staffers are constantly surfing the Web, reading through the periodicals, and visiting trade shows to find the best deals out there, then posting them in one place for all to see. We've gotten phenomenal feedback from appreciative shoppers," says the site's Chief Bargainmeister, Norman Fong.

Since 1999, Techbargains.com has served as an online portal where technology-insiders have found bargains on consumer technology products of every kind. The site also features reviews on tech products, side-by-side comparisons of the features and costs of popular items, and a weekly newsletter filled with offers.

More than 500 different companies' deals are featured on the Techbargains.com site, and they are offered through a wide variety of retailers, including Best Buy, Circuit City and Dell. Buyers can also use gift cards from these merchants and take advantage of deals on the site for increased savings. To comparison shop for this season's best holiday bargains, find trustworthy information and reviews of the latest technology devices and gadgets, or sign up for the deal alerts and free informational newsletter, log on to http://www.techbargains.com.

About Techbargains.com(R)

Founded in 1999, Techbargains.com(R) is a leading online provider of trustworthy product and buying information. Techbargains.com operates an online portal that helps consumers find bargains and low prices on consumer technology products. In November 2006, Techbargains.com launched Planetbargains.com, a comparison shopping and bargain notification destination that focuses on non-technology consumer products. These websites attract over 1 million unique visitors and generate 8 million page views per month. Techbargains.com has been recognized by Forbes and SmartMoney and has received a number of notable awards such as the 2006 PC Magazine Top 101 Websites, Linkshare Titanium Award and Linkshare Best Online Merchandising Campaign. Techbargains was acquired by Exponential Interactive, Inc. in May of 2007.

Techbargains.com is located in Emeryville, California. For more information, please visit: http://www.techbargains.com.

About Exponential(TM) Interactive, Inc.

Exponential(TM) is a technology-enabled media services company that delivers innovative products and services to meet the demands of today's digital advertisers. Through a variety of offerings, the Exponential group of businesses enables online advertisers to reach their target audiences. From premium publishers and CPM advertisers to performance marketing, lead generation and contextual solutions, Exponential delivers results for online advertisers. Each of the businesses -- Tribal Fusion(R), FullTango(TM), LeadGenuity(TM) and EchoTopic(TM) -- brings state-of-the-art optimization technology and years of experience in representing publishers and delivering highly successful campaigns for advertising clients.

Founded in 2001, Exponential Interactive, Inc. is privately held and headquartered in Emeryville, CA and has offices throughout the United States and in London and India. For more information, please visit: http://www.exponential.com.

     Sam Curley
     Trier and Company for Techbargains.com
     sam@triercompany.com
     415-399-1002