Grey Market

I love new terms from the internets (correction, this is universally know as the Parallel Market). First and foremost is the Grey Market. These are "retailers" who setup websites to sell products they may or may not own and are certainly unlicensed to sell, but offer such great deals you can't resist giving them a try. If you've ever used Google Shopping, your search for a name brand product ultimately gives way to some interesting results. Let's say you search "Playstation 3"....this would give you some of the following hypothetical hits:

$399 - Sony Style
$449 - Best Buy
$378 - Computer City USA
$284 - Refurb Depot

Those last two are Grey Market - unauthorized retailers who offer savings on usually fixed priced products. Shopping grey market can be a mixed bag, but if you follow a couple rules you can shop successfully:

1) First off, never use a check or money order - look for Google Checkout, PayPal, or other 3rd Party credit app service
2) If you use a credit card, make sure you are protected against fraud - this means your credit card company not only has a fraud policy, but have a history of acting quick and siding with the consumer
3) Another credit card tip - some credit cards offer additional warranty protection on certain purchases (i.e. electronics). Here's a list...
4) Don't pay any outlandish shipping/handling fees - if you pay $50 for the iPod and $50 for shipping, and the iPod never shows up - you may only get back your purchase price, not the shipping
5) Check seller ratings on Google or Yahoo shopping. Also do a quick search of the company's name followed by "fraud" or "scam".

As of late, my favorite Grey Market site is Meritline.com.They have scores of accessories for all sorts of devices, and they often ship for free....