The process of buying online is like a huge multinational corporation: it makes a lot of people nervous. Perhaps you would like to tackle these fears by reading Guardian columnist Naomi Klein's critique of globalised capitalism, No Logo, while striking a blow against the corporations through buying it as cheaply as possible on the web? Read on.
Last week, the best price Online found for No Logo was from the well-known anti-corporate organisation Tesco, of £7.84 (£5.39 plus £2.45 postage) compared with £8.99 recommended price. We ordered the book at 3pm on Wednesday, and it arrived in Friday morning's post. Thank goodness for huge multinational corporations.
Step-by-step
1. You will need a debit or credit card handy.
2. Tesco's online bookshop, like most e-commerce sites, has a search box on its front page www.tesco.com/books. Enter "Naomi Klein" in the box, and click the arrow on its right-hand side.
3. The site offers you two versions of No Logo (the second is a more expensive, larger format). You can click on More for a short description, or just click Buy. It is £5.39 - bear in mind postage and packing is extra.
4. The site now wants you to log on. If you are a new customer, click on the Register & sign in button.
5. You are asked for your name, postcode, and Tesco Clubcard number. If you have a card, and you don't mind Tesco linking your reading matter and your groceries, enter it now; or click on the box marked "If you don't have a Clubcard." Click on the Next button when you've finished, then OK if asked if you're sure you don't have a Clubcard.
6. Choose your postcode from the drop-down menu on the left, or click 'here' if your address isn't shown. This page also asks for your work, home and mobile phone numbers. Just one will do, so the firm can call if there are difficulties. You also need to provide an email address, before going to the next page.
7. You then choose a password, and enter this in both of the two boxes. If you forget it, Tesco can email it to you.
8. The screen marked Your Data holds a potential danger, if only to your patience. As with any UK firm, Tesco must get your permission before bombarding you with junk-mail and phone calls. If you don't mind, click Next. Otherwise, scroll through the box at the bottom of the screen using the arrows at its right-hand side, and click on the five boxes, such as the one reading "I do NOT want to be contacted by phone with any offers or information." You can change your mind by emailing online@tesco.co.uk
9. You can ignore the screen asking how you heard about the service. Click Next.
10. You have to accept the terms and conditions. There's nothing too scary, but use the scrollbar on the right-hand side to satisfy yourself of this before clicking Accept.
11. Clicking on shop online now button at the page bottom takes you to your shop ping basket, which already holds No Logo. If you want one copy, click on checkout.
12. You pay by entering your debit or credit card details. At this stage, the postage and packing charge of £2.45 is shown, making £7.84. If you give up now, no sale is made. How do you know it is safe? On many sites, a little padlock symbol in the bottom bar of the browser, or a web address beginning with https:// means that your data is being electronically scrambled. Tesco uses a different way of performing the same data-scrambling, which doesn't cause the padlock or an 'https://' address to appear. But the supermarket giant, which sold £237m of goods online over the past year, is confident enough to offer customers compensation if they are hit by a breach of this security.
13. That's it! But you can change your mind, by clicking on Order History, then on Cancel Order, as long as the book hasn't been posted.
14. Tesco, like most online retailers, lets you return books for refund by post. Sites will usually offer you a refund for something you don't want, but you pay the postage both ways unless it sends you a faulty or incorrect product.
Do's and dont's
• Do use comparison sites such as ShopSmart.com, Kelkoo.com and EasyValue.com to get a feel for prices. But don't assume they are completely accurate or comprehensive: see www.guardianunlimited.co.uk/online/story/0,3605,420517,00.html. Try more than one if you want to be sure of the lowest price.
• Do ensure that cookies are enabled on your browser, at least for the site you want to use. (If you've never adjusted the settings, cookies are probably already enabled.) Many e-commerce sites will only allow you to shop with this facility, which allows them to leave electronic tags on your computer with which to recognise you.
• Do use a credit card for orders above £100. You are then covered by your card-issuer if the goods are faulty and the vendor won't or can't help.
• Don't buy from sites you don't trust, or that don't use security. The online versions of shops such as WH Smith, Blackwell's or Tesco should be safe bets, along with well-established online retailers such as Amazon and BOL.com. If you really don't feel happy about giving card details online, sites including Amazon.co.uk accept cheques, along with card details read over the phone or faxed.
• Don't assume online is cheaper. When postage and packing is included - usually not shown until you're about to buy - it may well cost more than on the High Street. You might consider buying more than one item, as P&P is then usually proportionately cheaper.
• Don't set up express checkout services - called 1-Click Ordering by Amazon - unless you trust everyone who uses your computer. These allow you to buy items without re-entering card details, placing temptation in the path of any child/spouse/cat.
