Posted on 12/20/2006 7:45:18 PM PST by Extremely Extreme Extremist
(CBS 42) -- It's the height of the holiday season, and while thousands of shoppers head to the stores, thousands of others don't want the hassle. They're letting their fingers do the shopping on the computer.
With a click here and a click there, you can shop and earn money at the same time.
Candice Norie likes to shop online. She hunts for bargains for herself and for her employer.
"It's excellent and there's so many options,” Norie said. “I like to search for different stores."
And now, thanks to a slew of online rebate Web sites like ebates.com, fatwallet and cashbackster, Norie actually earns money back on her purchases.
"I get discounts every single time," Norie said.
All you have to do is sign up as a user. The Web sites have agreements with hundreds of major stores. By going to the rebate site first, and clicking through to the merchant, you get money back.
"What we do is essentially give the sales commission that we get from our merchant partners back to our users," said Alessandro Isolani, CEO of ebates.com.
The sites have search keys that help you find the store or product you're looking for. When you click through, you see the amount you'll save.
Rebates typically start at around five percent, but can go much higher.
"You're stretching your dollars, getting an extra, 10, 20 30 percent cash back," Isolani said.
While many sites give cash back, not all do. Some give airline miles, rewards points, or gift certificates. Some sites credit you within days. Some pay quarterly, while others require a minimum amount in your rebate account before they send a check.
Consumer advocate Fran Mitchell also stresses you still have to watch what you spend.
"Don't continue buying things just to get the rebate,” Mitchell said. “A lot of people fall into, 'Oh, well look what I’m saving.'"
As for Norie, she's a big fan and every time she gives money she's saved back to the boss, she looks like a hero.
"I’ve gotten so many praises from my company and supervisors telling me how wonderful I am," Norie said.
The Web sites say they don't release your email address for spam or other emails.
You still shop through the retailer Web site, so you never have to release a credit card number to them.
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