Shopping

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General Shopping
1. Yahoo Shopping - shopping.yahoo.com
2. Google Shopping - directory.google.com/Top/Shopping/
3. MySimon - www.mySimon.com - compares prices from thousands of online stores
4. BizRate - www.bizrate.com - good search
5. Shopping - www.shopping.com
6. ConsumerSearch -www.consumersearch.com - ranking of top reviews, analysis, listing of top-rated products.
7. NetMarket - www.netmarket.com - club
8. ProductWiki - www.productwiki.com - free, unbiased product reports written by a dedicated community.
9. PriceLine - www.priceline.com
10. All NY - www.allny.com - has many guides to NYC shopping, dining, ...
11. Frommer's - www.frommers.com/destinations/newyorkcity/ - has guides to NYC shopping, dining, ...
Specific Product Shopping
1. Financial
  1. Citibank - www.citibank.com
    CitibankOnline - www.citibankonline.com
  2. TIAA-CREF - www.tiaa-cref.org
         Retirement Annuities - www.tiaa-cref.org/charts/ra-performance.html
         Custom Graphing - www.tiaa-cref.org/financials/gd/riindex.html
         Choosing an Advisor - www.tiaa-cref.org/pubs/html/choosing_advisor - has references to fee only advisors
  3. Vanguard - www.vanguard.com
  4. Emigrant - www.emigrant-direct.com
  5. TreasuryDirect - www.treasurydirect.gov/indiv/indiv.htm
  6. Bank of New York - www.bankofny.com
    BNY Online Banking - www.bnyonline.com - questions call 800-225-5269
  7. Chase - www.chase.com
    HomePriceCheck - www.chasehomepricecheck.com - input address, receive selling prices of neighboring homes
  8. National Association of Personal Financial Advisors - www.napfa.org - fee only
  9. FinancialAdvisorMatch - www.financialadvisormatch.com
  10. BanxQuote - www.banxquote.com - quotes best rates
  11. Microsoft Money Central - moneycentral.msn.com/home.asp
    Deluxe Stock Screener - moneycentral.msn.com/investor/finder/customstocks.asp
  12. BankRate - www.bankrate.com
  13. MetLifeBank - www.metlifebank.com
  14. Kiplinger - www.kiplinger.com/links/annuityvideo - Episode 4 has longevity insurance
         When to collect Social Security -
               http://www.kiplinger.com/video/index.html?bcpid=572031303&bclid=1437076064&bctid=1614766462
        www.immediateannuities.com - get quotes
2. Clothing
  1. Lands' End - www.landsend.com - 3-D virtual model based on your measurements
  2. L. L. Bean - www.llbean.com
  3. Paul Fredrick - www.paulfredrick.com
  4. Joseph Bank - www.josbank.com
  5. RoadRunnerSports - www.roadrunnersports.com - has good evaluation of running shoes, shoe analysis program.
  6. Cabela's - www.cabelas.com
  7. TravelSmith - www.travelsmith.com - wrinkle-resistant clothes for travel
  8. FootSmart - www.footsmart.com
  9. Sock Company - www.sockcompany.com
  10. Blair - www.blair.com
  11. Stuart McGuire - 800-678-4601
  12. WissotaTrader - www.wissotatrader.com - shoes
  13. BAMason - www.bamason.com
  14. ShopStyle - www.shopstyle.com - clothing
  15. Manhattan
    1. Stapleton Shoe Company - 68 Trinity Pl, 212-964-6329 - 2005Jan - good selection of business shoes. Sign in store says that they probably have the lowest prices in the city.
    2. Syms, 42 Trinity Place, 212-797-1199
    3. Men's Wearhouse, 115 Broadway, at Cedar, 212-233-0675
    4. Alan David Menswear - www.alandavidmenswear.com, 170 Broadway at Maiden Lane, elevator to first floor, NY, NY 10038, 212-577-2747, Mon-Thur 10a-9p, Fri, Sat, Sun 10a-7p, print $50 coupon.
    5. VIP Suits, 181 Broadway
    6. Porta Bella, 202 Broadway
  16. Ties - from Forbes Lists
    1. Andrew's Ties - www.andrewsties.com - from $25, 400 Madison Avenue
    2. J Press - www.jpressonline.com - 7 East 44-th Street
  17. Eye glasses
    1. www.AARPHealthCare.com - 30% discount at LensCrafters, Pearle Vision, Sears, Target, JCPenny, Private Practitioners.
3. Books
  1. Amazon.com - www.amazon.com
  2. Barnes and Noble - www.bn.com
  3. BookFinder4U - www.bookfinder4u.com - compare 55 online bookstores, 40,000 sellers
  4. CampusI - www.campusi.com - searches 70 bookstores, 60,000 sellers
  5. www.BookCentral.com - sells textbooks from abroad. NY Times, 03Oct21 - publishers price books lower over seas.
    www.Amazon.co.uk - cheaper than www.Amazon.com.
  6. VarsityBooks - www.varsitybooks.com - new college textbooks at 15-40% off college store prices (as of 02Jul10, no college sampled had booklist)
  7. eCampus - www.ecampus.com
4. PC Systems and Supplies
  1. Dell - www.dell.com - www.dell.com/recycle
  2. Gateway - www.gateway.com
  3. Hewlett-Packard - www.hp.com - for printers
  4. Tiger Direct - www.tigerdirect.com - 04Jul28 - lowest price for FrontPage 2003 Upgrade
  5. PC Connection - www.pcconnection.com
  6. CDW - www.cdw.com
  7. CompUSA - www.compusa.com
  8. DataVision - www.datavis.com - 445 Fifth Ave (at 39 St.), NY, 212-689-1111
  9. Carr Office Chairs - www.carrofficechairs.com - 516-482-2068, 536B Northern Blvd., Great Neck, NY 11021. Can customize (taller cylinder, soft casters, ...) chair.
  10. Computer Furniture Direct - www.cf-direct.com
  11. Office Furniture - www.everythingofficefurniture.com
  12. Digitize Home Movies - www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1618829,00.asp
    Video Conversion - www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1620686,00.asp
    High-end service bureaus, Cinepost and Movi-eStuff.
  13. Recycling
    1. Ebay Rethink - pages.ebay.com/rethink/ - recycle e-waste
    2. NYC Wasteless - www.nyc.gov/nycwasteless - PerScholas - www.perscholas.org - drop off at 1231 Lafayette Ave., Bronx, NY 10474, (718) 991-8400
    3. National Cristina Foundation - www.cristina.org - donate PC with local drop-off and/or pickup
5. Travel and Entertainment
  1. Expedia - www.expedia.com - book airline, car, hotel
  2. Travelocity - www.travelocity.com - book airline, car, hotel
  3. Goldstar Events - www.goldstarevents.com - offers discounts
  4. TKTS - www.tdf.org/programs/tkts/index.html - located at 47-th Street & Broadway, half price tickets. This website has page of current shows.
  5. EntertainmentLink - www.entertainment-link.com
  6. Ticketmaster Online - www.ticketmaster.com
6. Healthcare
  1. DrLeonards - www.drleonards.com
  2. FirstStreetOnline - www.firststreetonline.com - for boomers
7. Food
  1. Heidelberg Bread - www.heidelbergbakingco.com - good cracked wheat
  2. Peapod - www.peapod.com - delivered groceries
8. Photo Processing
  1. ABCPhotoLab - www.abcphotolab.com - in Mystic, CT 866-720-PHOTO, previous Mystic employees.
  2. PhotographicMagazine - www.photographic.com - has ratings?
  3. Kodak - www.kodak.com - www.kodakgallery.com
  4. YorkPhoto - www.yorkphoto.com
  5. SnapFish - www.snapfish.com
  6. www.Ofoto.com - Forbes best pick
  7. www.Shutterfly.com
  8. www.Konicaonline.com
9. Residential Real Estate
  1. For Sale By Owner - www.forsalebyowner.com
  2. MyNassauProperty - www.mynassauproperty.com - has assessments
    OysterBayTown - www.oysterbaytown.com - Department of Buildings
10. Phones
  1. Verizon - www.verizon.com - www.verizon.com/billview - Customers with Disabilities - Verizon Adaptive Equipment, Encore - www.verizon.com/verizonencore
  2. MyWalker - www.mywalker.com - amplified phones
  3. Jitterbug - www.jitterbug.com - basic cell phone
  4. www.ConsumerCellular.com/AARP/103
11. KillerApp - www.killerapp.com - software, has lists of top sellers
12. Mead - www.at-a-glance.com - pocket calendars
13. Cashs - www.cashs.com - Waterford chrystal
14. GasBuddy - www.gasbuddy.com - lists lowest gas prices by ZIP
15. USPS ShipFromHome - www.usps.com/shipfromhome - need scale
16. Tribute Direct - memorials.tributedirect.com - headstones
17. Store of Knowledge - www.storeofknowledge.com - Channel 13 store, good hand tools
Identity Theft
1. If you are a victim, call Federal Trade Commission - 877-438-4338
2. If you are a victim, call Fraud Departments of:
  1. Equifax - www.equifax.com - 800-685-1111
  2. Experian - www.experian.com - 888-397-3742
  3. TransUnion - www.transunion.com - 800-916-8800
3. AnnualCreditReport - www.annualcreditreport.com - 877-322-8228 - can receive free report every 12 months from each of the 3 national credit bureaus.
4. Opt Out of pre-approved, unsolicited credit offers - call 888-567-8688 - I did this on 06Jan10.
Websites of Local Businesses
1. P. C. Richard - www.pcrichard.com - appliacnes
2. Radio Shack - www.radioshack.com - 1-800-TheShack
3. Brookstone - www.brookstone.com - in Roosevelt Field
4. Sears - www.sears.com
5. J. C. Penny - www.jcpenny.com
6. WalMart - www.walmart.com
7. Macy's - www.macys.com
8. Kohl's - www.kohls.com
9. Jones Family Farms - www.jonesfamilyfarms.com - cut your own Christmas tree, blueberries in July and August
Home
1. Consumer Protection
  1. Better Busniess Bureau - www.newyork.bbb.org - metro NY - (212)533-6200, 257 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10010 -7384
  2. NYC - Dept Consumer Affairs - www.nyc.gov/html/dca/home.html - to learn if there are complaints about a home improvement contractor, call 311.
  3. NYS Attorney General - www.oag.state.ny.us/ - Consumer - www.oag.state.ny.us/consumer/consumer_issues.html
    Prescription Drug Prices - www.nyagrx.org
2. General Home Improvement
  1. Lowe's - www.lowes.com
  2. Home Depot - www.homedepot.com
  3. TrueValue - www.truevalue.com - free ship-to-store
  4. Ace - www.acehardware.com - free ship-to-store
  5. ImprovementsCatalog - www.improvementscatalog.com
  6. Perimeters - www.perimetersli.com - 217-14 Northern Blvd., A Riverhead Building Supply Company
3. Contractor Recommendations
4. Appliances and Parts
  1. PartSelect - www.partselect.com
  2. Maytag - www.maytag.com
  3. GE Appliances - www.geappliances.com
  4. Alfano -www.alfanoplumbingparts.com - faucet parts - 104-78 Roosevelt Avenue, Corona, NY 11368, 718.899.6500, SW corner of 108th St & Roosevelt Ave.
  5. EssickAir - www.essickair.com - humidifiers, purifiers, ...
  6. Air Water - www.air-n-water.com - heating, cooling, purifying
  7. Iallergy - www.iallergy.com -
  8. Sylvane - www.sylvane.com - better air
  9. Humidifiers - www.humidifiers.com
  10. RepairClinic - www.repairclinic.com - good appliance diagnosis (Consumer Reports)
  11. PCApplianceRepair - www.pcappliancerepair.com - good appliance diagnosis (Consumer Reports)
  12. Aircraft AC - www.aircraftac.com - portable air conditioner, must vent hot air
5. Bathroom
  1. Tub Surround
    1. Transolid - www.transolid.com - 704-660-7660
    2. The Swan Corp - http://www.theswancorp.com/ - 314-231-8148
    3. DuPont - Corian�, http://www.corian.com/
  2. Shower Body
    1. Grohe
  3. Grab bars
6. Gutters
  1. GutterWorks - www.gutterworks.com - supplier, www.gutterworks.com/catalog.html - has drain guards (internal and self cleaning), 3x4 to 4" white offset PVC for back dry well.
  2. EGutter - www.egutter.com - supplier
  3. Gutter Supply - www.guttersupply.com - supplier
  4. Volko - www.volko.com - supplier, located 205 Herricks Road, Garden City Park, NY 11040
  5. Berger - www.bergerbros.com - extensive supplier, wholesale only?
  6. Bradco - www.bradcosupply.com - carries Berger, local
  7. Gutter Shutter - www.guttershutter.com - contractor
  8. Gutter Guy - www.gutterguy.com - contractor, 1-888-424-8883
  9. Brothers Roofing - www.brothersroofingsupply.com - local supplier, custom fabrication of sheet metal
  10. Island Gutters - www.islandgutters.com - contractor
  11. Long Island Gutters - www.longislandgutters.com - contractor
  12. DMR Gutters - dmr-gutters.com - dmr-gutters.com/fs/FSfaq.htm - leaf catcher - a gutter debris strainer. Mounted in downspout near the ground for easy access. Protects underground sewer pipes.
  13. RainDrains - www.raindrains.com - has leaf catcher
  14. Gutter Filter - www.gutterfilter.com Gutter Brush - www.thegutterbrush.com
Auto
1. Consumer Information +
  1. Edmund's - www.edmund.com - new and pre-owned pricing, online community
  2. Kelley Blue Book - www.kbb.com - new and pre-owned pricing, links to dealer sites with local inventory and sale prices on actual vehicles
  3. WhereOnline - www.where-can-i-buy-a-car-online.com - ratings of auto info sites
  4. Yahoo Autos - autos.yahoo.com
  5. Federal Trade Commission - www.ftc.gov
  6. SaferCar - www.safercar.gov - signup for recall notifications
  7. National Highway Transportation Safety Administration - www.nhtsa.dot.gov - has link to recalls from homepage
  8. Highway Loss Data Institute - www.hldi.org - based on insurance claims
  9. DOT Fuel-Economy Guide - www.eren.doe.gov/feguide/fegselect.html
  10. National Motorists Association - www.motorists.com
  11. National Automobile Dealders Association - www.nada.com
  12. Allstate - allstate.digitalcars.com - has links to vehicle info with dimensions
  13. US Auto News - www.usautonews.com
  14. IntelliChoice - www.intellichoice.com
  15. J. D. Power - www.jdpower.com
  16. CarFax - www.carfax.com - history of VIN - free from www.fox5ny.com (00Nov14)
  17. Auto Club of NY - www.aaany.com
2. Magazines +
3. Manufacturers +
  1. Daimler Chrysler - www.chryslercars.com
    1. Daimler Chrysler Answers - www.dcanswers.com - customer service info
  2. Mazda - www.mazda.com - Tom Apollonia - Mazda of Great Neck - www.mazdaofgreatneck.com www.mymazda.com
  3. Ford - www.ford.com
  4. General Motors - www.gm.com
  5. Carchip - www.davisnet.com - data logger that plugs into car's OBDII port
4. Buying services +
  1. Autosite - www.autosite.com - top rated for car info
  2. CarsDirect - www.carsdirect.com - America's #1 way to buy cars online; has reviews, specs, color choice palette, and 360 degree views. Allows you to compare up to 3 cars at a time.
  3. MSN - autos.msn.com
  4. Autoweb - www.autoweb.com
  5. CarSmart - www.carsmart.com
  6. Auto-By-Tel - www.autobytel.com
5. Charitable Organizations that Accept Donated Cars
  1. St. Vincent De Paul Society - 718-491-2525
  2. Chabad of Great Neck - 516-487-4554
  3. Association for the Help of Retarded Children - Suffolk Chapter - 516-374-7193
  4. American Children Cancer Association - 888-505-3353
  5. Coalition Against Breast Cancer - 800-692-4274
  6. Long Island Foundation for the Elimination of Breast Cancer - 631-841-3800
6. Auto Insurance +
  1. Insure - www.insire.com - insurance info for consumer
  2. www.4freequotes.com
  3. www.4insurance.com
  4. www.netquote.com
Insurance
Web Hosting
1. Directories of web hosting firms +
  1. dir.yahoo.com/Business_and_Economy/Business_to_Business/
    Communications_and_Networking/Internet_and_World_Wide_Web/
    Network_Service_Providers/Hosting/Web_Site_Hosting/Directories
  2. WebHostMagazine - www.webhostmagazine.com - has Editors' Choice Awards using a multiple criteria evaluation of web hosts. This site has the best explanation of their ratings.
  3. SearchWebHosting - searchwebhosting.techtarget.com - many links
  4. Burlee Awards - www.burlee.com/webhosting/advantage_burleeawards.asp - has links to many web hosting rating sites
  5. About Directory - webdesign.about.com/compute/webdesign/cs/hostdirectories/index.htm
  6. HostIndex - www.hostindex.com - features 850 hosts, has monthly ranking
  7. AceHosts - www.acehosts.com/host.shtml - has rating list with date established, current number of customers, . . .
2. Evaluated Hosts - the following appeared in multiple directories listed in A above. +
  1. HostPro - www.hostpro.com - third choice and current host. Won WebHost Magazine Editors' Choice Award (see above). So far, has very responsive and knowledgeable technical support.
    HostPro System Status - www.hostpro.net/company/noc/system_status.asp
  2. Burlee - www.burlee.com - was my first choice, but because they charge $10/month for each subweb (patlyons.com has six), I looked elsewhere.
  3. Interliant - www.interliant.com - was my second choice because the salesperson was very responsive. However, technical support was not.
  4. C I Host - www.cihost.com - the following I did not evaluate in detail, but seem worthy of future consideration, if necessary.
  5. HostWay - www.hostway.com
  6. WebHosting - www.webhosting.com
  7. Cedant - www.cedant.com
3. Website Performance - two help utilities to measure website performance are: +
  1. Ping - a utility that lets you verify that a particular domain name exists and can accept requests. It also displays how long it takes to get a response back (from www.whatis.com).
              If you have Windows 95, 98, or NT, try ping by
                     clicking on Start-->Programs-->MS-DOS Prompt, and
                     then at the C:WINDOWS prompt, enter:
                     ping www.whatis.com
                     or whatever domain name for a destination host computer you want to enter.
  2. Traceroute - a utility that records the route (the specific gateway computers at each hop) through the Internet between your computer and a specified destination computer. It also calculates and displays the amount of time each hop took (from www.whatis.com).
              If you have Windows 95, 98, or NT, try traceroute by
                     clicking on Start-->Programs-->MS-DOS Prompt, and
                     then at the C:WINDOWS prompt, enter:
                     tracert www.whatis.com
                     or whatever domain name for a destination host computer you want to enter.
4. Note: beneficial to have Web Usage Reports that contain Hits by Response Code including Code 408 - Request Timeout. Timeouts may indicate too much other traffic on your shared server, although timeouts can be caused by other bottlenecks.
5. Internet Service Providers
Professional Service Exchanges - not evaluated
1. HelloBrain - www.hellobrain.com - provides tools for online collaboration, evaluation, verification, delivery, and security of IT work
2. Collab.Net - www.collab.net
3. eLance - www.elance.com
4. Guru.com - www.guru.com
5. WorkExchange - www.workexchange.com

(This page was last edited on November 30, 2011 .)