• PC World
• »Consumer Advice

Steve and Angela continue the shopping-advice onslaught with a third tip: If you're thinking of giving an e-tailer your business, before sealing the deal you should check around the site to be sure it includes contact information--specifically, info about where the site is based in the offline world. Sites that hide that information may be hard to contact if something goes seriously wrong. A legit site, emphasizes Steve, will tell you where it's based. Knowing the business' location also makes it possible to check its track record through the BBBOnLine.

Fourth, say the Duo, check out the store's return policy. Sure that green sweater looks good on your computer screen, says Steve, but what happens when it arrives and it's a puce that makes you want to puke? Good stores on and off the Web are upfront about their return policies.

The fifth guideline is what we'll call Angela's Golden Rule. Some people, notes the erstwhile ethics columnist, like to check out products in the store before they go home and buy them online. That's fine if you're simply wandering around a store. However, many salespeople still work on commission, especially for high-ticket items. Don't hog their time if you're just looking for a demo before you go home and spend your money online; spending time with you when they could be working with a paying customer literally takes money out of their pockets. As Angela puts it, you have the right to great bargains--but not at the expense of other people's paychecks.