Keep in mind that not every advertiser offering their prices is authorized, and that most products require authorized resellers to advertise at a specific price (called Minimum Advertised Price, or MAP). If you see one price advertised repeatedly in a shopping comparison, that’s probably the MAP price, and those are probably authorized resellers. That means to see the lowest prices from the authorized sellers you will need to click through to the respective websites, or call the resellers for their lowest selling price.

If you are shopping for a projector, ProjectorCentral.com has a good comparison shopping area as well as product reviews and an archive of older model projectors. ProjectorReviews.com also includes in-depth reviews and product information.

How can consumers assure they are getting the best prices for the products?
Calling a salesperson is recommended if a price is listed without a discount. Many buyers would rather not speak to a salesperson, but for some products it’s the only way to find the lowest price. This may be truer for higher ticket items like displays than it is for a simple cable or DVD player, but you might find a better deal on a cable with a phone call too.

It’s also good to keep in mind that chasing technology is never a money-saving proposition. The folks who find the best deals are the ones that wait patiently by while the stuff they want becomes readily available and prices drop. For example, you can find some fantastic deals on 720p projectors right now, with a new Panasonic PT-AX200U coming out at a street price of $1,299. That’s a $700 drop from its predecessor released just one year ago. The patient purchaser saved $700 for waiting as little as six months to buy. Of course they missed out on six months of fun too. So, whenever you buy, set your budget and stick to it. Then enjoy your purchase without regrets. Watching prices drop is best left to those waiting to buy.

Any other tips you can think of for getting the best possible experience online?
Don’t shop while intoxicated! And by that I mean don’t shop while you are so excited about buying something that you can’t think straight.

Displays are a purchase that many would consider to be fun rather than necessary. You can dream about getting your brand new display home so much that you don’t think about whether the product you are getting a great deal on is the product you need. You want to avoid those unhappy surprises - like “This projector won’t connect to my DVD player.” Or “This TV is too big for my living room!”  You avoid them with proper planning on your part, or by chatting up an experienced sales person to walk you through all the important stuff.

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