How to find the best bargains online

From price comparison sites to researching post and packaging costs, these top tips will help you get the best value when shopping online

Before you do anything, do your research. If you feel you need to see and touch a specific product before you buy it, go and find it in-store, choose what you want, and then shop around for the best deal online.

If you prefer to do your research on the net, search Google for consumer reports and product reviews to find a product that you know others are happy with (Google Product Search is great). Comparison sites like Amazon often include a consumer rating.

If you think they might be biased, www.ciao.co.uk is an excellent option as it doesn't actually sell anything itself. It's a reader review site, on everything from cameras to cars, and carries links to websites that sell the products, so you can immediately compare how much it will cost at a range of online sellers. A great site for fashion and beauty products is www.reviewcentre.com.

Once you know what you want, shop around. Being able to hunt around for the best bargain is half the joy of online shopping. Make use of fantastic sites like eBay and Amazon that do all the comparison work for you.