IN THE NEWS

PJStar.com

December 20, 2010

Cell Phone Users Dialing Up Sales
By Steve Tarter

Smart phones were ringing up cash registers along with the calls in 2010. . . .

Consumers also can check prices via their smart phone, a smart move this holiday season, said Jeff Trester, chief economist for PriceSCAN, a price comparison service based in Pennsylvania.



ConsumerReports.org

November 19, 2010

Money Blog: Nine Tips to Black Friday Savings and Sanity
By Tightwad Tod

... Try to get it for less online. If you spot an eye-popping deal in a circular, visit a price-comparison Web site to determine whether you can get it cheaper elsewhere from a reliable seller. Some sources worth checking [include] PriceSCAN.com.



Variety

October 28, 2010

TechBytes
By David S. Cohen

... A PriceScan report said prices on 3D Blu-ray players have dropped 26% since April ...



HDTVExpert.com
HDTVMagazine.com

October 27, 2010

The 3D Fire Sales have Begun
By Pete Putman

PriceSCAN has just released its latest 3D Blu-ray Player Index, and it’s a doozy.

The 3D BD Player Index is a composite of all models currently at retail, and the average price for those models has dropped by 26% in six months, with a 10.6% drop in just the past week.

PriceSCAN listed Sony’s BDP-S570 as a good example of aggressive discounting. This player, which required a firmware upgrade to support 3D playback, has fallen from a retail price of $250 to $170 since late February.



CEPro.comm
3DTVFools.com
HomeTheaterSpot.com
Smarthouse.com

October 26, 2010

3D Blu-ray Player Prices Down 26% Since April
PriceSCAN.com's 3D Blu-ray Player Index fell 10.6% last week.
By CE Pro Editors

The average price for a 3D Blu-ray player has fallen 26 percent since April 2010 – 10.6 percent in the last week – when the category was first tracked, according to PriceSCAN.

PriceSCAN, a research company, doesn't report the average price, but instead converts the wide range of Blu-ray players on the market into a single proprietary scale that represents the entire category.

"Despite sporadic periods of price support, PriceSCAN's 3D Blu-ray Player Index has now fallen some 26 percent since it's inception in mid-April of this year," says Jeff Trester, PriceSCAN co-CEO and chief economist. "The recent acceleration in the pace of discounting speaks to the continued difficulty retailers seem to be having finding a price level at which they can drive sustained sales volume for this still relatively new technology. These price cuts are all the more significant coming as they do ahead of the holiday shopping season."

The report throws a bit of a wet blanket on integrators' visions that 3D was going revive pricing on video products. For example, PriceSCAN says the price of the Sony BDP-S570 has fallen from $250 to $170 since late February.



The Wall Street Journal

November 24, 2009

TV Price Drops Help Retailers Tout Deals
By Mary Ellen Lloyd

Retailers are trumpeting great deals on televisions heading into Black Friday, but the steepest discounts this year are limited to a few sets as promotional activity is less frantic than a year ago. . . .

"Television prices are definitely off from the same time last year by, I'd say, roughly speaking, a third to a half in many cases," said Jeff Trester, co-chief executive and chief economist at price-comparison Web site PriceScan.com Inc.

Last year, an oversupply of TVs and dismal demand following the financial markets meltdown combined to prompt steep price cuts during the holiday season that savaged profits for retailers and manufacturers alike.

But this year, retailers have planned inventories cautiously and have had longer to plan their promotions. For example, Mr. Trester said, prices on TVs 20-inches to 29-inches have held up better than other sizes so far this year. So some chains are offering Black Friday deals on those smaller sets as a way of showing off steep discounts without hurting margins too much.



ConsumerReports.org - Money Blog

November 23, 2009

Black Friday Survival Guide: 11 Ways to Shop, Save, and Keep Safe
Posted by Tightwad Tod

From a one-day event, Black Friday has morphed into shopping four-day extravaganza, and 51 percent of Americans say they plan to hit the mall or the keyboard sometime between the Friday and Monday after Thanksgiving. . . . Regardless of how much shopping you have left to do, here's our advice for Black Friday and beyond: . . .

Is it cheaper online? If you find a seemingly good deal in a flyer, visit a price-comparison Web site to determine whether you can get it cheaper elsewhere from a reliable seller. Some sources worth checking [include] Pricescan.



myfoxphilly.com

September 7, 2009

Upgrade Blu-Ray?
By Michelle Buckman

I've had a lot of people ask me, "Should I upgrade to a Blu-ray DVD player?"

Trying to answer that question just got a lot more complicated.

The price tags have never looked better. But that's not the whole story!

PriceSCAN.com tracks the price history of all sorts of products and they've watched the price drop 50% in recent years. Lately there have been some pretty sharp drops and two weeks ago there was a dramatic 8% drop in the Pricescan Blu-ray index. The CEO of PriceSCAN tells me Blu-ray is in a war with both video on-demand and now in a sense it's own future.

Here's what he means, last week came the announcement that 3-D Blu-ray players are in the works and maybe out as early as next year! This may bring the Blu-ray price down even further but it could also turn consumers off completely. CEO Jeff Trester says, "it's not clear what the level of back capability will be, whether you'd get any 3-D effects on the existing Blu-ray players. As as a consumer you really have to think in your mind, is this something that's going to be around 3, 4 years from now, do I really want to make this financial investment, not just in the player but in the discs themselves."

I found Blu-ray players at Best Buy last week for as low as $149. If you want to continue to track the price of Blu-ray players, or anything else for that matter, check out www.pricescan.com



The Wall Street Journal

August 4, 2009

TV Prices Still Falling, But Shopper Interest May Be, Too
By Mary Ellen Lloyd

Televisions are among the few big-ticket items that recession-weary consumers have been buying this year, but shoppers' interest may be faltering as worries over rising unemployment take a toll. . . .

Jeff Trester, an economist and co-chief executive of price-comparison Web site PriceScan.com, said flat-screen TV price declines have accelerated in recent weeks.

"People who are concerned about their jobs, their first instinct is not to go out and buy a TV," he said.

During the last week of June, PriceScan's price index for 52-inch TVs with full high-resolution resolution dropped 9% after falling less than 1% throughout the earlier part of the second quarter. The price index for 40- to 49-inch plasma TVs has fallen 15% since late April after showing no overall change from January through April.

One factor may be that sales leading up to broadcasters' switch to digital signals have now tailed off. The sheer steepness of some recent price drops, however, leave Trester ascribing a substantial portion to flagging demand.



myfoxphilly.com

July 13, 2009

Real Deal: Flat-Screen TV Bargains

If you are in the market for a new TV, now may be the time to buy. Advances in technology and shifts in personal taste are having an [e]ffect on price tags. . . .

Check out PriceSCAN.com . There, you can track TV prices over time. The price on one 50-inch Panasonic plasma dropped $500 in the last four months!



Business Journal, Youngstown, OH

March 1, 2009

Go Online for Savings
By Monnie Ryan

. . . There are quite a few comparison shopping sites out there . . . [such as] PriceSCAN.com . . . .



The Enterprise, Brockton, MA
The Patriot Ledger, Quincy, MA

February 18, 2009

Do Homework Before You Shop
By Dan Rafter

One of the most effective ways to save money in these financially difficult times is the age-old practice of comparison shopping. . . . Don't overlook the internet. Several sites–places such as PriceSCAN.com . . .–allow shoppers to search for bargains on everything from beauty supplies to electronics.



CEPro.com

February 9, 2009

PriceSCAN: 50- to 59-inch Plasma Index Drops 6%
By Steve Crowe

The price index for 50- to 59-inch plasmas dropped 6 percent last week, according to PriceSCAN.

PriceSCAN also recently found the price index for 40-inch plasmas dropped 3.4 percent in one week, after falling 2 percent during the holidays.

Shipments of plasmas fell 12 percent year-over-year (Y/Y) to 3.8 million units in Q4 2008, the first Y/Y decline since Q2 2007, according to DisplaySearch.

"Vendors seem to have attempted to hold the line on large plasma pricing through the holidays. Some may have hoped for an early '09 buying surge, bolstered by pent-up demand and inauguration-fueled good feelings," says Jeff Trester, PriceSCAN co-CEO and chief economist.

"With these hopes now vanished, it appears merchants are throwing in the towel. If this weakness continues, we may see some manufacturers exit the flat-panel television business."

Pioneer, makers of the highly-rated Kuro plasmas, is one of those potential manufacturers. The company plans to exit the TV market and spinoff its DVD operations into a joint venture with Sharp, according to Japan's Nikkei newspaper.



AssociatedContent.com

December 26, 2008

Great Online Deals for After Christmas Bargain Hunters
By Tara Parrott

The day after [Christmas] is a "Black Friday" in its own right. Many stores will be slashing their prices to get rid of excess stock and holiday items. Make sure you price compare. . . . There are . . . great price comparison sites that you can use [like] . . . PriceSCAN.com.



Computer Shopper

January 2009

Geek Speak
By Matthew Murray and John Burek

. . . And TV prices are falling – a lot. . . . PriceSCAN reports a staggering 12 percent drop on 40-inch 1080p sets in the third quarter of '08 alone.


AssociatedContent.com

December 26, 2008

Great Online Deals for After Christmas Bargain Hunters
By Tara Parrott

The day after [Christmas] is a "Black Friday" in its own right. Many stores will be slashing their prices to get rid of excess stock and holiday items. Make sure you price compare. . . . There are . . . great price comparison sites that you can use [like] . . . PriceSCAN.com.


Bloomberg.com

December 24, 2008

Discounted Electronics May Top Apparel in Weak Shopping Season
By Jeran Wittenstein

Retailers have cut prices this holiday season on many electronics products more than they did last year in an effort to attract customers hurt by the U.S. recession. Electronics may displace apparel in 2008 as the most popular gift partly because of cheap pricing . . . .

"High-level electronics have been cut down to price levels normally associated with mid-range apparel, which could be giving electronics an edge," said Jeffrey Trester, co-chief executive officer and chief economist for price comparison Web site PriceSCAN.com.

"After a period of fairly significant discounting in the spring through September, they felt the need to cut at a much more accelerated pace" during the holidays, he said. "They didn’t want to get caught with any inventory and were very worried about what the world would look like tomorrow." . . .

Manufacturers have given price promotions on many Blu-ray players because of excess inventory, allowing retailers to offer bigger discounts . . . . "Perhaps the steep discounting of past months has made Blu-ray an attractive alternative for economically challenged consumers," PriceScan’s Trester said in a press release Dec. 18. "Especially those planning to ‘cocoon,’ cutting back on travel and entertainment outside of the home."


Home Cinema Choice

December 24, 2008

Blu-ray Player Prices Begin to Rise Stateside, Reversing Months of Cost-cutting
By HCC News Team

After a flurry of cut-price deals to kick-start the US selling season, the cost of Blu-ray players across the States has begun to rise. Since their Black Friday low, standalone decks have risen by 12 per cent, according to data from retail monitor PriceSCAN.com. . . .

Jeff Trester, PriceSCAN’s chief economist, says the "high-def disc standard has at least temporarily broken its downward price trend, which is all the more impressive in what’s been an anemic holiday shopping season. It’s worth noting that, even in a recession, technology prices do not always go down."


Home Media Magazine

December 23, 2008

Report: Blu-ray Player Prices Up 10% Since Black Friday
By Erik Gruenwedel

Following widely publicized discounts of Blu-ray players last month on Black Friday, prices have increased 10%, including 2% last week, according to a new report.

PriceSCAN.com said BD player prices dropped 12% in September and 7% in October after topping out at about $400 in 2007. Consumers spent more than $30 million purchasing about 150,000 BD players – many priced below $200 – on Black Friday.

Average BD player prices now range from $200 to $250, according to PriceSCAN. "Sony’s high-def disc standard has at least temporarily broken its downward price trend, which is all the more impressive in what’s been an anemic holiday shopping season," said Jeff Trester, PriceSCAN co-CEO and chief economist. "It’s worth noting Sony’s high-def format has demonstrated that, even in a recession, technology prices do not always go down."


CEPro.com

December 22, 2008

Blu-ray Price Index Jumps 10% Since November, Says PriceSCAN
By Steve Crowe

The Blu-ray price index has increased 10 percent, including a 2 percent hike in one week, since the beginning of November, according to PriceSCAN. . . .

According to PriceSCAN, the Blu-ray price index dropped more than 7 percent in October and more than 12 percent in September.

"Whatever support Blu-ray pricing saw following the demise of Toshiba rival HD-DVD standard did not prevent sharp markdowns through the summer and early fall, but it appears Sony's high-def disk standard may finally be getting some traction," says Jeff Trester, PriceSCAN co-CEO and chief economist.

"This is all the more impressive in the context of an anemic holiday shopping season. Perhaps the steep discounting of past months has made Blu-ray an attractive alternative for economically-challenged consumers, especially those planning to 'cocoon' [or cut] back on travel and entertainment outside of the home."


Daily Press, Newport News, VA

December 8, 2008

Shop Online and Save Money This Holiday
By Michael Rau

. . . Although the price of gas has come down considerably, you can save fuel, as well as wear and tear on your vehicle, by trying to do all your shopping online. . . . Sites like . . . PriceSCAN . . . constantly scan retailers' Web sites to compile comparisons on prices for most anything you can imagine.


The Columbus Dispatch, Columbus, OH

December 5, 2008

Good Reception
By Margaret Harding

. . . Manufacturers expected solid sales during the holiday shopping season, in part because of the digital transition in February. But the financial meltdown changed all that, and now consumers' reluctance to spend has helped create an inventory glut that retailers are desperate to unload.

"Retailers are hurting, and I think they're attempting at this point to work down inventory. It's not so much profits for them as it is not taking too big a loss," said Jeffrey Trester, co-chief executive and chief economist of PriceSCAN, a shop-and-compare service.

TVs are definitely cheaper now than they were even a few months ago, Trester said. But he thinks those prices will continue to drop, and if you aren't determined to have a big screen under the Christmas tree, it could pay to be patient.

"Right after the holidays, there will be some extraordinary bargains for the people who can wait," he said. "If you can't wait, you're still going to get a pretty good deal."


ABC15.com, KNXV-TV, Phoenix, AZ

December 1, 2008

Tips to Make Sure You Get the Best Deals on Cyber Monday
By Denise Naughton

With the current recession looming, more and more Americans will try to stretch their shopping dollars this holiday season. . . . Before you place your order, use a price comparison website like . . . PriceSCAN.com to make sure you're getting the best deal.


Electronic House

December 1, 2008

A Number of Things

If you're in the market for a flat-panel TV, you could hit the jackpot this holiday season. Market watchdog PriceSCAN noted that the average price of a 40-inch 1080p LCD – right in the living room's sweet spot size – dropped 12 percent in Q3 of this year. The price index for that display fell 6 percent in September.


The Wall Street Journal

November 26, 2008

Count on TVs Being Cheaper For the Duration
By Christopher Lawton

Good news, shoppers: This year, you may not have to get up at 3 a.m. the day after Thanksgiving to get a good deal on a flat-panel TV. . . . Indeed, some vendors and retailers have already started discounting their wares. Prices of 32-inch LCD TVs – the TV industry's most popular size – and 37-inch LCD TVs fell 2% during September, a month when there was no price decline last year, according to PriceSCAN, a price- and product-comparison service. In October, prices fell an additional 5%, compared with a 1% decline in the same month last year.


Consumer Reports.org

November 21, 2008

11 Ways to Strike Gold on Black Friday
By Tod Marks

. . . Check to see if it's cheaper online. If you find a product in a flyer at a seemingly low price, go online first to determine whether you can get it elsewhere for less. Some sites that compare prices among Web retailers include . . . PriceSCAN.com . . . .


CE Pro

November 14, 2008

Price Index of 50-inch LCDs Drops 6%, PriceSCAN Says
By Steve Crowe

The price index for 50-inch LCDs has dropped 6 percent since the start of October, according to PriceSCAN.

PriceSCAN says the index for Sharp LCDs has fallen 12 percent over that period, the largest decline of any of its competitors.

"In an LCD market that's showing rapid overall price deterioration, it appears some brands are being marked down more quickly so as to preserve a competitive position at the low end of the price range," says PriceSCAN co-CEO and chief economist Jeff Trester.

"The greater price cuts for Sharp screens may be an example of getting ahead of the curve, and a harbinger of things to come for LCDs in general."


The Wall Street Journal

October 15, 2008

High-Def Options Vie With Blu-ray
By Christopher Lawton

Blu-ray became the standard for high-definition content when it defeated the HD DVD format in February. But Julie Johnston is still on the fence about buying a Blu-ray high-definition DVD player.

"Lately, there are so many ways to get" high-definition content that " it's not necessarily about just buying a DVD player anymore," says the 30-year-old graphic designer in Denver. . . .

Overall, prices for Blu-ray players dropped 12% in the third quarter to $350 after adjusting for new introductions and old models pulled from the market, according to PriceSCAN, a price and product comparison service.


HusbandTribe.com

October 10, 2008

Report – "Stunning" Pre-holiday HDTV Price Drop

Sometimes a crappy economy can have a silver lining for gadget-hunting husbands. In this case, it’s coming in the form of a huge price drop for HDTVs. YES!!!

A recent report found that prices for 40-inch 1080p LCD HDTVs fell 12 percent in the third quarter of 2008, including eight percent in September alone.

According to Jeff Trester, PriceSCAN Co-CEO and Chief Economist, "This is a fairly stunning drop in the price of state of the art high-definition televisions of a size sought by many households. One would have to consider 40-inch 1080p LCD televisions a bellwether of the consumer electronics market, so this current accelerating price decline may be indicative of the economic slowdown and financial crisis affecting the retail sector."

With price drops this drastic well before the holiday-shopping season, the question for us husbands considering a new HDTV is, "How low will prices will go?"


GPS Obsessed

October 14, 2008

PriceSCAN: Average PND Price Drops 8% Since Beginning of September
By Justin

Bad news for OEM’s but great news for end users of GPS users like us: since the beginning of September the PriceSCAN Automotive GPS With Voice Activation Index has dropped 8%. Deciphered this essentially means that the average retail price of a PND now is 8% less than it was at the beginning of September. Looks like Black Friday and the holiday season are looking good this year. Says Jeff Trester, PriceSCAN Co-CEO and Chief Economist,

"That GPS units can save consumers money on gasoline may have contributed to their earlier relative price stability. However, it appears that economic softness, bringing with it both lower gas prices and general retail weakness, is now catching up with the GPS market."

Of course, once our ailing markets correct themselves demand for GPS units will once again increase, supply will equalize and we’ll probably see prices go back to normal.


First Coast News, Jacksonville, FL
October 9, 2008

Website of the Day
By Precious Goss

One website is helping consumers comparison shop. PriceSCAN compares prices and also gives a review of items.


HDTV News

October 9, 2008

Stunning Pre-Holiday Price Drops for HDTVs
By Franz Bicar

For those wanting to buy a new LCD TV, rejoice! PriceScan reported that LCD TV prices will fall fast for this coming holiday shopping [season]. 40-inch 1080p LCD HDTVs fell 12 percent in the third quarter of 2008, including eight percent in September alone. For a device with this size and sought after by many household, this price drop is staggering and would definitely attract lots of people.


Marketplace - Public Radio

October 8, 2008

Even with Price Cuts, Retail Is Down
By Jaime Bedrin

. . . With the economy on the rails, many retailers are cutting prices like it's the day after Christmas. Jeff Trester is co-founder of PriceScan.com, which tracks consumer prices. He says stores are turning to extreme markdowns to reach consumers before things get worse.

Jeff Trester: "They are already behind the eight ball. They are looking to get all the sales they can as economic conditions deteriorate. They know unemployment is rising and people are losing their jobs and I think, to some extent, they are trying to get ahead of the curve."

But it won't be easy. Some stores are still trying to unload summer leftovers. Fall merchandise is barely moving. And holiday inventory is on the way. Trester says retailers are in a bind.

Trester: "No one wants to sell at a loss. But given the choice between selling at a loss now or at a complete loss when items become obsolete and the holiday season ends and so forth, a lot of retailers will choose to blow out inventory."


LCD TV Chicago

October 8, 2008

LCD TVs Get Cheaper Despite Economic Downturn

Prices for 40 inch LCD TVs dropped 12 percent in the third quarter 2008, and an astonishing 8 percent in September alone according to a report by PriceScan. The Consumer Electronics Association has even predicted that sales will rise 4.7 percent for flat panel TVs and 3.5 percent for gaming hardware this holiday season, despite the ailing economy. All this combines into our crystal ball to forecast that it might be time for you to buy an LCD TV… or perhaps a second one.


Crave: The Gadget Blog

October 8, 2008

Report: "Stunning" Pre-holiday HDTV Price Drop
By David Katzmaier

A PriceScan report entitled "LCD TV Prices Fall Fast in Advance of Holiday Shopping" has found that prices for 40-inch 1080p LCD HDTVs fell 12 percent in the third quarter of 2008, including eight percent in September alone.

According to Jeff Trester, PriceSCAN Co-CEO and Chief Economist, "This is a fairly stunning drop in the price of state of the art high-definition televisions of a size sought by many households. One would have to consider 40 inch 1080p LCD televisions a bellwether of the consumer electronics market, so this current accelerating price decline may be indicative of the economic slowdown and financial crisis affecting the retail sector."

With price drops this drastic happening well before the holiday-shopping season, the question for customers considering a new HDTV concerns how low holiday prices will eventually go.


BNET.com

October 8, 2008

Industry Association Says Consumer Electronic Sales Up, But Why?
By Erik Sherman

. . . As for the 40 percent that flat panel television sales are supposed to be up, th[e] economics on that are downright scary. First of all there’s the transition to digital television that is undoubtedly driving a lot of these sales. Second is the "stunning" price drop in HDTVs reported by PriceScan.

A PriceScan report entitled "LCD TV Prices Fall Fast in Advance of Holiday Shopping" has found that prices for 40-inch 1080p LCD HDTVs fell 12 percent in the third quarter of 2008, including eight percent in September alone. According to Jeff Trester, PriceSCAN Co-CEO and Chief Economist, "This is a fairly stunning drop in the price of state of the art high-definition televisions of a size sought by many households. One would have to consider 40 inch 1080p LCD televisions a bellwether of the consumer electronics market, so this current accelerating price decline may be indicative of the economic slowdown and financial crisis affecting the retail sector."

In other words, sure, people may be buying, but when margins have to take body blows to support the sales, it isn’t good economic news for the industry.


CEPro.com

October 7, 2008

Average Price of 40-inch LCD Drops 12% in Q3, PriceSCAN Says

The average price of a 40-inch 1080p LCD dropped 12 percent in Q3 2008, according to the latest price index from PriceSCAN

The price index dropped 6 percent in September alone, according to the company. PriceSCAN says there was a 6-percent decline in Q2 2008 and no decrease in Q1.

PriceSCAN co-CEO and chief economist Jeff Trester says the price decline is a bad sign for the coming holiday season.

"This is a fairly stunning drop in the price of state-of-the-art high-definition televisions of a size sought by many households," says PriceSCAN co-CEO and chief economist Jeff Trester.

"One would have to consider 40-inch 1080p LCD televisions a bellwether of the consumer electronics market, so this current accelerating price decline may be indicative of the economic slowdown and financial crisis affecting the retail sector."


jarabanet.com

October 5, 2008

Blu-ray Prices Just Keep Dropping

Just in time for the holiday shopping season Blu-ray player prices are expected to fall according to PricSCAN. With the popularity of Blu-ray movies and HDTVs it’s no surprise that the price of Blu-ray players will fall as well. Blu-ray is also facing increased competition from online HD format downloads online so to stay competitive they must lower prices. iPhone 3G Accessories says the price index for Blu-ray players fell just 12 percent over all of Q3 2008, according to the company. The PriceSCAN Blu-ray player index is a price-weighted index comprised of the average retail price of Blu-ray players.


Centre Daily Times, State College, PA
The Courier, Findlay, OH
Deseret News, Salt Lake City, UT
The Dispatch, Moline, IL
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth, TX
Houston Chronicle, Houston, TX
Independent Tribune, Concord, NC
The Janesville Gazette, Janesville, WI
Journal Inquirer, Manchester, CT
Journal Record, Oklahoma City, OK
Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, CA
The Mercury, Pottstown, PA
Miami Herald, Miami, FL
News Tribune, Jefferson City, MO
The News Tribune, Tacoma, WA
The Punxsutawney Spirit, Punxsutawney, PA
The Sacramento Bee, Sacramento, CA
Sandusky Register, Sandusky, OH
The Sun News, Myrtle Beach, SC
The Sunday Journal, Albuquerque, NM
SalesHQ.com
San Antonio Express-News, San Antonio, TX
The Times-Picayune, New Orleans, LA
Weekend Daily News, Beloit, WI
October 2, 2008

Fear Shifts from Wall Street to the Mall
By Anne D'Innocenzio, Assocated Press

Alarmed by the financial meltdown, stores nationwide are slapping sale signs on everything from fall sweaters to furniture–frantically trying to attract shoppers who are cutting back. . . .

Prices in consumer electronics have come down dramatically on everything from flat-panel TVs to Blu-ray DVD players in the past few weeks as stores appear to be reacting to a sharp falloff in demand, said Jeff Trester, co-founder of tracking firm PriceSCAN.com.


Union-Sun & Journal, Lockport, NY
July 10, 2008

Use These Tips for Safe Online Shopping
By Kim Komando

Use price-comparison sites. Many sites aggregate prices from other sites. Enter a product name and sort through the results. . . . PriceSCAN.com [and others] all offer price-comparison searches.


Saginaw News, Saginaw, MI
April 26, 2008

Online Bargains

Compare prices at www .pricescan.com.


Money
March 2008

When Getting a Deal Just Isn't Worth It
By Jean Chatzky

It's no exaggeration to say that a large chunk of my early winter was wasted trying to buy a wide-screen TV. . . . I started online: Consumer Reports.org, CNET.com and a dozen or so reviews from magazines and newspapers. Then, more confused than before, I went shopping: Costco, Best Buy, Sam's Club, Costco again, where I discovered that none of these sets would come close to fitting in my car. Back to the computer, where I decided to let PriceSCAN.com, with its star ratings from consumers and search engine for the best prices (including shipping), have the final word.


PC World
February 1, 2008

The Best Places (and Times) to Buy
By Jeff Bertolucci

. . . The Internet is a great shopper's tool even if you don't buy online. Pricing engines such as . . . PriceSCAN.com . . . work in pretty much the same way, allowing you to search by product category, vendor name, or another criterion to find the best deal. Some sites, such as PriceSCAN, even let you enter a target price and will notify you via e-mail . . . when the service locates a price that hits your target.



Minnesota Lawyer, Minneapolis, MN
December 10, 2007

Technie Holiday Gift Recommendations
By Barry D. Bayer

. . . Of course, you're going to purchase your gifts online. The process is fast and as safe as handing your credit card to a waiter in a restaurant . . . I suggest using a pricing service such as . . . PriceSCAN to see who has what for how much.



Indianapolis Woman, Indianapolis, IN
December 1, 2007

Avoid the Holiday Blues
By Elaine E. Cedel, CFP, MBA

. . . According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, 36 percent of Americans use the Internet to search for products. Many comparative shopping sites, such as . . . PriceSCAN.com, provide prices for specific products from a variety of vendors. Even if you plan to shop in a local store, check the prices first.



Press-Enterprise, Riverside, CA
November 21, 2007

Planning is Key to Successful Post-Holiday Shopping
By Dave Ammenheuser

Know your product: If you plan to make a big-ticket purchase, make sure you do your research in advance. Don't buy a 57-inch plasma television from a manufacturer you've never heard of. . . . [P]riceSCAN.com compare[s] products and prices before the sales begin.



Honolulu Advertiser, Honolulu, HI
November 1, 2007

Ins and Outs of Online Holiday Shopping
By Robbie Dingeman

Price cutting can be easier at comparison shopping sites that offer a choice of places to find the items you select. . . . They include . . . www.pricescan.com.



NBC10.com, Philadelphia, PA
November 2007

Avoiding The Mall? Shop ONLINE - Here's How!

Comparison shopping is a great way to find the best deals and with the internet it only take seconds! . . . [G]reat sites for online comparison shopping [include] PriceScan.com.



Post and Courier, Charleston, SC
October 30, 2007

Holiday Shipping Can Get Tricky, If You Get My Drift
By Lisa Brown

You can find some great discounts online. One really cool site out there is www.pricescan.com. This site returns a handy table where you search for an item sorted in descending order by price that shows where you can purchase whatever you want for the least amount of money, the cost of shipping (because you have to add that into the overall price) and a vendor rating (to give you a warm fuzzy that you are not buying from a disreputable source).



Communications of the ACM [Association for Computing Machinery]
August 1, 2007

A Classification of Product Comparison Agents
By Yu Wan, Satya Menon and Arkalgud Ramaprasad

From the very beginning of the development of business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce, comparison-shopping has been a popular activity among consumers due to lower search costs in the online environment. . . . .

In the last decade, a large number and variety of product comparison agents have emerged to assist consumers making choice decisions in online envornments. The earliest of this breed that gained wide popularity was the bargainfinder introduced by Andersen Consulting in 1995. It allowed a shopper to enter the name of a desired music CD and the software would then search for the selection at nine online stores and return the price list to the shopper. Subsequently, many other types of comparison agents have emerged, such as PriceSCAN.com . . . , operating in very different ways to assist consumers in the same task.



News-Democrat, St. Louis, MO
May 10, 2007

Web Sites Give Consumers a Fighting Chance
By Roger Schlueter

Whether they're looking for coupons, wanting to swap junk or wondering how much a neighbor's house is worth, consumers can have a field day on the Internet. . . . Smart consumers will want to comparison shop, and there's no end to that on the Internet. Try . . . www.pricescan.com.



Marketing Science
April 2007

The Effect of Cultural Orientation on Consumer Responses to Personalization
By Thomas Kramer, Suri Spolter-Weisfeld and Maneesh Thakkar

The advent of the Internet and electronic commerce has enabled consumers to select from among a seemingly endless variety of products. However, consumers can only benefit from this plethora of choices if they have an efficient way to evaluate their options . . . . Internet recommendation agents, such as those found on . . . . PriceSCAN, have been developed to help consumers cope with this potential information overload and to make their search for the best option more efficient.



Birmingham News, Birmingham, AL
East Valley Tribune Mesa, AZ
Erie Times-News, Erie, PA
Express-Times, Easton, PA
Fort Pierce Tribune, Fort Pierce, FL
Greenville News, Greenville, SC
Herald (Broward County Edition), Miami, FL
Herald and Review, Decatur, IL
Lima News, Lima, OH
Modesto Bee, Modesto, CA
Scottsdale Tribune, Scottsdale, AZ
St. Petersburg Times, St. Petersburg, FL
Stuart News, Stuart, FL
Sun News, Myrtle Beach, SC
December 3, 2006

Finding Deals Online

Shopping robots, or "bots," offer a convenient method of comparing prices on products and finding deals online: . . .

www.pricescan.com
Search for a low price on an item or for a specific retailer.



Denver Post, Denver, CO
Detroit Free Press, Detroit, MI
Florida Today, Melbourne, FL
Journal News, White Plains, NY
Lansing State Journal, Lansing, MI
Livingston County Daily Press and Argus, Howell, MI
Poughkeepsie Journal, Poughkeepsie, NY
Sunday News Journal, Wilmington, DE
Tribune-Review, Greensburg, PA
Tribune-Review, Pittsburgh, PA
Tulsa World, Tulsa, OK
Visalia Times-Delta, Visalia, CA
November 27, 2006

Safeguard Your Internet Shopping Spree
By Kim Komando

Each year, more people do their holiday shopping online. Nothing beats that convenience. But before you buy anything online, make sure you're staying safe . . . and getting the best deal. . . .

Use price-comparison sites

Many sites aggregate prices from other sites. . . . PriceSCAN.com . . . offer[s] price-comparison searches.



Newsday, Long Island, NY
November 24, 2006

Shop, But Not 'Til You Drop
By Keiko Morris

Hard-cord shoppers already know to search the circulars, advertisements and flyers in the newspapers on Thanksgiving, but most retail experts say using comparative shopping Web sites, such as . . . PriceSCAN . . . could help save time, money and aggravation.



Nevada Appeal, Carson City, NV
Standard-Times, New Bedford, MA
November 23, 2006

Experts Offer Tips for Shoppers
By Keiko Morris

For those who relish the quest for find the ultimate bargain, retail experts are offering a few tips to enahnce the fun and manage the less savory challenges that await on Black Friday and this weekend – the traditional start of the holiday shopping season. . . .

Shoppers can also use sites such as . . . PriceSCAN.com . . . to compare prices among retailers, said Tod Marks, Consumer Reports senior editor. Consumers can then judge whether the advertised deal is worth the trip.



Monroe Evening News, Monroe, MI
November 22, 2006

Hints for Strategic Post-Thanksgiving Shopping

Make sure it's a bargain. If prices [at retailers] seem low, go online to make sure. . . . PriceSCAN . . . [is] worth visiting.



The Washington Times, Washington, DC
November 20, 2006

For Web Sites, A Reason to Give Thanks
By Jen Haberkorn

After the plate of turkey is cleared and the football games are over this Thanksgiving, many Americans will turn their attention to the Internet. . . . Holiday shoppers have many Web sites at their disposal this season. . . .

Price shopping: . . . PriceSCAN.com



South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
November 12, 2006

Web Sites

http://www.pricescan.com

This site gathers prices from Web sites but also gets product and pricing information from vendor magazine ads, catalogs and daily faxes from vendors.



The New York Times, New York, NY
November 11, 2006

Testing the Shopping Bots

A test of the most popular shopping bot sites looked for the lowest price for a Canon PowerShot SD550 7.1 megapixel digital camera, which sells at Circuit City for $350. The sites found lower prices, but were mixed on ease of use. . . .

PriceSCAN.com - $275 [best price] - 19 [listings] - E-mails alerts when product hits price target.



Ventura County Star, Ventura, CA
November 6, 2006

Take a Holiday from Crowded Malls and Shop Online
by Dave Peyton

PriceSCAN at http://www.pricescan.com says it goes the extra mile to find the best deals. It claims that the Web site's staff not only gathers prices from Web sites, but also gets product and pricing information from vendor magazine ads, catalogs and daily faxes from vendors. The information is entered into a searchable database that . . . is updated daily.



Consumer Reports
November 2006

Digital Cameras: Some Big-Camera Features Come in Strikingly Small Packages

When shopping, compare prices by using an Internet shoping "bot," which gathers prices from a number of retailers. . . . [B]ots include . . . PriceSCAN.com . . . .



E-Commerce Times
October 13, 2006

Do It Yourself E-Commerce, Part 4: Comparison Shopping Engines
By Andrew K. Burger

One of the big incentives for smaller e-tailers to become adept at using comparison engines is their potential to level the playing field and help them compete with their larger cousins. "CSEs create something of a central marketplace, " said Aaron Rosenthal, director of channels research at Marketing Experiments. . . .

There are . . . several . . . companies fighting for market share, including . . . PriceSCAN.com . . . .





Entrepreneur.com
August 4, 2006

101 Top Tech Solutions: Get Up to Speed on Cutting-edge Business Technology

71. Shopping Online

Bargain hunting over the Internet doesn't have to be time-consuming. Web sites such as . . . PriceSCAN.com . . . are hubs for price comparisons. They're especially handy if you already know what you want and are just looking for the lowest price.



Black Enterprise
August 2006

Become A Better Buyer: Five Tips for Smart Consumerism
By Tanisha Sykes

. . . Comparison shop . Buying the first thing you see might be the case if you're in a rush, but these days you can find anything at the right price by shopping around. Try sites like . . . www.pricescan.com, and don't forget to [g]et more than one quote, price, or estimate.



Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Little Rock, AR
July 11, 2006

Scent-sational Past
By Helaine R. Williams

Charlie, Aviance, Brut and other fragrances of yore still linger as memories tweak the noses of sentimental consumers. . . . PriceSCAN.com [shows] a 2.6-ounce spray of Aviance Night Musk for $17.89 . . . .



Newspapers and Technology
May 2006

Pay Attention!
By Rosemarie Monaco

In fact, over the past few months, headlines have revealed the closings of one magazine after another. Reeling from slumping newsstand sales and ad revenue, shopping magazines Budget Living and Cargo recently shuttered. [This] should not have come as a surprise. Web sites sites such as PriceSCAN.com address the budget conscious, while more secure gateways and identity protection software encourage shoppers of all income levels. Over the 2005 holiday season alone, consumers spent more than $30 billion online. Already, two out of three consumers who have Internet access shop online. Who needs a print magazine about shopping?



Orlando Sentinel, Orlando, FL
December 11, 2005

Gift Buyers Flock to Web
By Chris Cobbs

If the thought of browsing for bargains online sounds exasperating, consider using comparison sites that do the shopping—or at least some of it—for you.

[Among] the better-known ones: . . . PriceSCAN.com



Consumer Reports
Antigo Daily Journal, Antigo, WI
Blytheville Courier News, Blytheville, AR
Buffalo News, Buffalo, NY
Coast News, Encinitas, CA
Courier-News, Elgin, IL
Daily Breeze, Torrance, CA
Daily News-Sun, Sun City, AZ
Daily Reporter, Greenfield, IN
Morris Daily Herald, Morris, IL
Register-Mail, Galesburg, IL
Sheboygan Press, Sheboygan, WI
South Idaho Press, Burley, ID
Spirit, Punxsatawney, PA
Vicksburg Post, Vicksburg, MS
December 1, 2005

Don't Get Zapped when Shopping for Electronics
By the Editors of Consumer Reports

Research product and price. . . . [W]e suggest you gather product information from the Internet, by phone and in the press before you set out shopping on foot. . . . Then shop for price. Internet shopping "bots," which gather prices from a number of online retailers, can be a good tool. Popular bots include . . . PriceSCAN.com.



USA Today

Advocate, Newark, OH
Asbury Park Press, Asbury Park, NJ
Big Sandy News, Louisa, KY
Burlington Free Press, Burlington, VT
Battle Creek Enquirer, Battle Creek, MI
Cedar City Daily News, Cedar City, UT
Chillocothe Gazette, Chillocothe, OH
Chronicle-Tribune, Marion, IN
Daily Record, Morristown, NJ
Democrat and Chronicle, Rochester, NY
El Paso Times, El Paso, TX
Ft. Collins Coloradoan, Ft. Collins, CO
Greenville News, Greenville, SC
Ithaca Journal, Ithaca, NY
Journal News, White Plains, NY
Lancaster Eagle-Gazette, Lancaster, OH
Lansing State Journal, Lansing, MI
Leaf-Chronicle,Clarksville, TN
Oshkosh Northwestern, Oshkosh, WI
Pensacola News Journal, Pensacola, FL
Poughkeepsie Journal, Poughkeepsie, NY
Press & Sun-Bulletin, Binghamton, NY
Spectrum, St. George, UT
Statesman Journal, Salem, OR
Topeka Metro News, Topeka, KS
Tulsa World, Tulsa, OK

November 25, 2005

Price-Comparison Sites Make Online Shopping Easy
By Kim Komando

Want to find the best price for holiday purchases online? You don't have to surf one Web store after another. Tap into the power of a price-comparison site. . . .

Search sites Google (froogle.google.com), MSN (shopping.msn.com) and Yahoo (shopping.yahoo.com) have gotten into the price-aggregating business. All three do a good job of keeping an eye on prices at dozens of stores. In fact, the quantity of stores they return can be overwhelming. Froogle's site is still in testing, so it is not as user-friendly or complete as the others.

But what happens when you know you want a digital camera but are unsure of what to buy? Sites like . . . PriceSCAN (www.pricescan.com) . . . allow you to narrow down choices. You can generically search for items by category, such as apparel, books, computers, digital cameras, movies, and so on.



Stanford Daily
Stanford University, Stanford, CA
October 25, 2005

Web Bargains for the Whole Bunch
By Andrew Leifer

. . . There is nothing special about buying from Amazon. If other book stores have the right book, they will generally offer comparable service. Mosey on over to http://www.PriceSCAN.com to compare book prices and shipping costs across . . . smaller online book sellers.



Bloomberg News
Bucks County Courier Times, Levittown, PA
Honolulu Advertiser, Honolulu, HI
Miami Herald, Miami, FL
New York Sun, New York, NY
August 9, 2005

"Fed Is Running Just to Stand Still," Adviser Says
By Craig Torres

The Federal Reserve's nine straight interest-rate increases since June 2004 failed to change one fact: Money is still on sale in America. . . .

"The Fed is running just to stand still," an advisor to the Philadelphia Fed from 2002 to 2004 and founder of price comparison Web site PriceSCAN.com, Jeffrey Trester, said. The rate increases"haven't substantially raised long-term mortgage rates, nor have they slowed spending or slowed the economy."



Black Enterprise
August 2005

Tips to Help You Become a Better Consumer

Comparison Shop

Buying the first thing you see might be the case if you're in a rush, but these days you can find anything at the right price by shopping around. Try sites like . . . www.pricescan.com . . . .



Galveston County Daily News, Galveston, TX
July 27, 2005

Back-to-School Goes High-Tech
By Rachel Hunter

As students hit the stores for back to school shopping, the latest high-tech gadgets will probably be at the top of their wish list, next to backpacks and binders. . . .

Experts recommend comparison online shopping before purchasing the latest high-tech devices. There are several Web sites that offer easy cost comparisons, including . . . http://www.pricescan.com.



Buzzle.com
June 9, 2005

Save Money and Time By Comparison Shopping Online
By Deborah Lambeth

. . . The crown jewel of comparison shopping sites is most likely PriceSCAN, which offers all of the same features as the other shopping sites, but also lets you search for "functionally equivalent" products–items that meet the exact same specifications as the item you?re researching, but that might save you money while delivering exactly the same quality and service. PriceSCAN offers price comparisons, product reviews, and vendor ratings, just like the other shopping sites, but it also has blogs where site visitors can discuss hot topics and consumer issues.



Chicago Tribune, Chicago, IL
May 22, 2005

Handy Resources Add to Smart Approach
By Gregory Karp

Being smart about spending money is one of the best ways to improve your household finances. But who can be an expert in every category of spending, from buying groceries to TVs to insurance?

Fortunately, many resource in print and online can help. However frugally you live your life, everybody could use ideas, advice and inspiration. Here are some excellent resources for spending smart: . . .

Comparison sites. Comparing prices is fundamental to smart buying, and the Web makes it easy to find out what things cost, regardless of whether you intend to purchase online or at a store. [Among] several: . . . PriceSCAN.com . . . .



Post-Standard, Syracuse, NY
Saginaw News, Saginaw, MI
May 21, 2005

Organization, Persistence Are Key to Winning the Rebate Game
By Bill Lubinger

Retailers rarely are beaten at their own game. They count on us consumers to be lazy and undisciplined, and mostly, we comply. Except for Andy Zamborsky, a guy I'll call Mr. Rebate . . . [H]e saves thousands of dollars every year with rebates. . . .

Zamborsky compares prices on the Internet to see whether the product offered with a rebate is really a good deal. He recommends www.pricescan.com . . . .



Washington Post, Washington, DC
May 13, 2005

When Shopping for Grads, Consider the Gift of Gadget
By Ellen McCarthy

. . . If you want to get graduates something they'll really use, look to the digital world. Computers and cell phones are obvious first choices for young people going off to college or into the real world. . . .

Here are some Web sites for comparison shopping: . . .

PriceSCAN
www.pricescan.com



The Activist
Raymond Walters College, Cincinnati, OH
May 2, 2005

Internet Review: Don't Buy It Before You PriceSCAN It!
By Blake Castetter

Recently, I purchased a brand new TV from a popular electronics store. I swear no more than two weeks later I saw the exact same TV for a few hundred dollars less.

In my disgust and anger, I decided never to buy on an impulse again. For those who have learned the hard way, like me, there is a website called PriceSCAN.com.

This recent discovery of mine has saved me a lot of money, and hopefully it will do the same for you. You can find the lowest prices on anything you can imagine, from electronics to perfumes. There is even a link on the website that can help you find stores that carry a product you are looking for.

The website claims that it has unbiased price comparisons and will provide the consumer with honest product reviews.

The next time you need to compare quality and prices on a new washer and dryer go to PriceSCAN.com. It has a four star review from me.





Bottom Line-Personal
April 15, 2005

Big-Screen TV Buys
By Gary Krakow

Flat-screen TVs are getting bigger and less expensive. . . . Panasonic's discontinued 50-inch TH-50PHD7UY can be found through PriceSCAN.com . . . for less than $4,000.



Today's Pawnbroker
Spring 2005

Psychology Drives Online Bidding
By Bill Kunkel

[Professor Utpal "Paul" M. Dholakia] pointed out that most online bidders claim that searching for items in online auctions consumes far too much of their time.

"People consistently say that they prefer not to search because they have too many other things to do in their life. So they're going to go to a search engine such as PriceSCAN.com or a similar site, compare all the sellers and buy from the one with the lowest price."



South Bend Tribune
March 4, 2005

Coupons Can Make All the Difference
By Gwen O'Brien

You work hard for your paycheck, but making it stretch week to week for the things you need and want can be difficult.

Sometimes you have to work yet a little bit more to find the real deal. . . .

The Internet also offers comparison pricing without having to drive all over town. . . .

Where to look online . . . PriceSCAN.com



Computer Shopper
March 2005

E-tailers with Multiple Identities

Finding the best price online has become something of a low-impact, noncontact sport. The only problem: The online retailers keep changing the rules without telling us, and we always seem to be three points behind with no time left to play. . . .

To make sure real competitors are vying for your business, check the sites' Contact Us or About Us Links, and search for an address. If you can't find one, try a site such as PriceSCAN.com (www.pricescan.com), which usually lists a site's physical address. The Better Business Bureau (www.bbb.org) also often lists the other names a company operates under and the name of the owner or president.



Computer Shopper
January 2005

Pry Before You Buy

Buying a PC from a Lesser-known vendor has its risks. Worse yet, the usual network of friends and relatives you rely on for recommendations may not be any help because they may never have heard of these companies. Fortunately, you'll find plenty of resources online to help you ferret out information on a vendor's track record. . . .

You can also find customer-generated vendor ratings at shopping sites such as PriceSCAN.com . . . .



Anchorage Daily News, Anchorage, AK
Beaver County Times, Beaver, PA
Colulmbus Dispatch, Columbus, OH
Des Moines Register, Des Moines, IA
East Valley Tribune, Mesa, AZ
Gazette, Colorado Springs, CO
Green Bay Press-Gazette, Green Bay, WI
Herald (Broward County Edition), Miami, FL
Lawrence Journal–World, Lawrence, KS
Miami Herald (International Edition), Miami, FL
News and Record, Greensboro, NC
Poughkeepsie Journal, Poughkeepsie, NY
Reading Eagle, Reading, PA
Record, Stockton, CA
San Antonio Express, San Antonio, TX
Scottsdale Tribune, Scottsdale, AZ
Sunday Capital, Annapolis, MD
Times, Hammond, IN
Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, PA
Vidette Times, Valparaiso, IN

December 3, 2004

Sources for Online Shopping Information

Shopping robots, or "bots," offer a convenient method of comparing prices on products and finding deals online: . . .

www.pricescan.com
Search for a low price on an item or for a specific retailer.



The Record, Hackensack, NJ
December 5, 2004

Scissors No Longer Required: Going Online for Your Coupons
By Kevin DeMarrais

Online shopping has changed the face of retailing, allowing consumers the freedom to comparison shop and buy from merchants across the nation—without leaving the comfort of their homes. . . .

Internet shoppers are already familiar with the wide range of comparison shopping sites such as . . . pricescan.com . . . .



Family Tree Magazine
December 2004

Shooting Stars: Gear Up with the Season's Hottest Digital Cameras
By Nancy Hendrickson

There's no better tool for capturing family get-togethers, heirlooms and old documents than a digital camera. And now's an excellent time to buy. Dozens of new cameras small enough to fit in your shirt pocket and packed with features have hit the market. Best of all, prices are lower than ever, and you can find great deals on Web sites such as PriceSCAN.com . . .



Sunday Oregonian, Portland, OR
November 21 2004

Keeping Holiday Cheer in Check: Americans' Holiday Spending Plans Tend to Exceed Prudent Planning Guidelines
By Julie Tripp

The average American household expects to spend about $900 on gifts and related holiday cheer this season–and many of us can't afford the splurge. . . .

To make the most of your holiday spending, check out these Web site for further information on smart ways to plan and budget: . . .

www.pricescan.com , to comparison shop from your computer, offering prices for hundreds of products, from electronics and computers to CDs and books.



Newsday (Nassau Edition), Long Island, NY
South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Star-Banner, Ocala, FL
November 14 2004

www.pricescan.com

PriceSCAN says it goes the extra mile to find the best deals. It claims that its staff not only gathers prices from Web sites but also gets information from ads, catalogs and vendors. The information is entered into a searchable database.



Gainesville Sun, Gainesville, FL
November 8 2004

Price Comparison Search Engines Make Shopping from Home Easier
By Tom Meek

November and December are the biggest months of the year for gift purchases both online and off. Web shopping has grown by leaps and bounds over the past five years by offering a huge selection and the convenience of shopping from home. Somewhat less well-known, however, is that online customers can utilize various price comparison tools to find the best prices from major online retailers. . . .

[P]rice search engines worth checking include . . . PriceSCAN (www.pricescan.com ). PriceSCAN is notable as one of the few services where vendors don't pay a fee to have their stores listed.



Cargo
October/November 2004

What's Your Game Plan . . . for Finding Deals on Electronics

Site Seeing

Before you pull the trigger—or click Submit Order—give these hot spots a shot:

Price comparisons: . . . PriceSCAN.com



Virginia Gazette, Williamsburg, VA
September 8, 2004

Your Own Personal Online Shopper
By Jim Edwards

Imagine you find yourself in the market to buy a new digital camera and, before you part with your money, you want to comparison shop for the best price online. If you do a search for "digital camera" on Google, the Web's top search engine, you'll get back more [than] 7 million page results. . . .

Even though the web makes it easy to search out the products we want to buy, sometimes that mountain of information makes it almost impossible to find the best deal. To solve this problem there are "personal online shoppers" which help you seek, find, and comparison shop multiple offers for just about any product you want to buy, online or offline.

An online personal shopper-type service enables you to log on to a single site, enter the product details you want to search, and then have the website give you back a list of prices and places where you can purchase the item.

The personal shopping assistant sites that rate the best don't accept commissions for the sale of items through their services because getting paid based on what the customer buys would eliminate unbiased product comparisons.

The best services make their money by selling targeting advertising to merchants and only displaying products in their search results based on price and features. . . .

PriceSCAN.com does not accept accept money from advertisers to manipulate their search results, though they will show targeted advertising on the search results pages. A very nice feature on this site involves the ability to enter features you want in a particular item (such as a computer) and then search all makes, models, and manufacturers matching those features.

You'll find this especially valuable when comparing things like computers, which often carry many different variables and configurations.



WABC, New York
August 14, 2004

Sree's Top Three Sites for Finding Bargains Online
By Sreenath Sreenivasan

Here are some sites that will help you find good deals online. Remember to do your research and shop around!

• ConsumerWorld.org
• LowerMyBills.com
• PriceScan.com

Dental Economics
July 2004

Shopping Online
By Jeffrey B. Dalin, DDS, FACD, FAGD, FICD

Everybody knows that you can always find a better deal on something . . . if you are patient and persistent. The Internet can prove to be an ecellent tool to use in your quest to shop, but you need to be prepared and do your homework. . . .

Here is a complete listing of Web sites that can be used in your search for the perfect product: . . .

www.pricescan.com



Bloomberg.net
June 30, 2004

Fed Raises Overnight Bank Rate to 1.25%, Keeps "Measured" Pace
By Craig Torres

Federal Reserve policy makers raised the U.S. benchmark interest rate by a quarter-point to 1.25 percent and said further increases can come at a "measured" pace based on "economic prospects."

The first increase since May 2000 was a unanimous vote, a sign that no Federal Open Market Committee member saw enough of an inflation threat to seek a more aggressive move now. . . .

"I don't think a quarter-point rate increase is likely to change inflation expectations significantly,'" said Jeffrey Trester, co-chief executive officer at price comparison Web site Pricescan.com and a business council member for the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. "There is the fear that if you were to do something more about this rising inflation, it might trigger some kind of economic smack-down."



Newsweek
March 22, 2004

Money: Wanna Deal? Click Here
By Linda Stern

Last fall some 85 million shoppers spent $1.5 billion a week at Web sites that promised fast, cheap and easy. Naturally, new retailers are flooding the Web. That's great for getting deals, but it also makes them harder to evaluate. It's easy to comparison shop when there are five sites selling a particular pair of jeans; but how do you find the best price among 5,000 sellers? Call in the portals. The biggest shopping sites aren't retailers at all, but services that lure shoppers with price comparisons, discounts and rebates and then point shoppers to specific retailers. Some tips on smart clicking:

Disloyalty pays. The best sites for comparison shopping include . . . PriceSCAN.com.



Vida Actual, San Juan, PR
March 4, 2004

Consique los Mejores Precios en Línea

Encuentra los mejores precios en la Internet visitando páganos que comparan los costs de múltiples tiendas en línea.

Ejemplos: . . . www.pricescan.com te permite buscar los mejores precios de distintos artículos con las mismas características.



Brandweek
February 2, 2004

Priced to Go: A Quick Search for Soda
By Valerie Merahn

While ignorance or laziness may encourage an otherwise rational shopper to purchase a 2-liter bottle of soda for triple the price offered by a store down the street, shopping bots are offering consumers the opportunity to fully research their options without any additional work. The Internet has successfully done away with the need to visit multiple stores or spend hours on the phone.

In fact, even clicking from site to site is no longer necessary thanks to other sites such as . . . PriceSCAN.com . . . . With pricing information so readily available in one spot, will online consumers soon start setting the prices? Will online retailers step up to the challenge of redefining "excellent service" and identify new ways to distinguish themselves?



Be Your Own Boss
February 2004

Back to Basics
By Amanda C. Kooser

Speaking of finding good deals, never pay more for home-office hardware than you have to. . . . Bargain hunting over the Internet doesn't have to be time-consuming. Web sites such as . . . PriceSCAN.com . . . are hubs for price comparisons. They're especially handy if you already know what you want and are just looking for the lowest price.



Consumer Reports
February 2004

Battle of the 'bots'

PriceSCAN . . . had the top privacy policy. It saves no information beyond 60 days and shares nothing with anybody. Shopping.com requires you to give permission before it shares your information, while BizRate, NexTag and mySimon have you make a special opt-out request. PriceGrabber said it might share information with partners but offered no opt-out provision.



Saginaw News, Saginaw, MI
January 24, 2004

Money Concerns Worth Knowing: Online Bargains

Deals, discounts and savings await shoppers on the Internet. . . . Here are just a few opportunities: . . .

Compare prices at www.pricescan.com .



MSN Money
January 2004

Where to Find the Deals in 2004
By Jennifer Mulrean

Ballooning bargains in flat-panel TVs

It seems like every year for the last couple of years has been touted as the one in which flat-panel TVs would finally become affordable. So is 2004 the year? . . .

Where to look: . . . Try shopping bots such as . . . PriceSCAN to compare prices on TVs. PriceSCAN makes it especially easy to target your search by type of TV, size, price and manufacturer. . . .

Video recorders: finally time to junk your VCR?

If you?re simply looking for something to play movies on, plenty of affordable DVD and VCR players exist. But when it comes to recording, VCRs are still the affordability king. For now, you?re still talking about a $250 price difference between a new, decent-quality VCR and a DVD recorder.

Where to look: For now you have to really dig for DVD recorders under $300. Searches on PriceSCAN, however, turned up a number of models in the $340-$365 range.



PC World
January 2004

The Art of the Deal
By James Oliver Cury

If there's a golden rule of shopping, it's that you can always score a better deal. But finding real bargains on PCs, digital cameras, and other types of tech products takes skill, patience, and persistence. To help you get started, we've compiled a list of insider shopping secrets that can save you money, shield you from shady retailers, and help you recognize a genuinely good buy. . . .

Let decision trees guide you: Instead of researching every feature, follow an automated decision tree to find product candidates. Activebuyersguide.com employs an on-screen question-and-answer process that explains key features and ends with recommended products. PriceScan.com offers a similar weeding-out engine for pinpointing the product that matches your needs.



American News, Aberdeen, SD
Freeman, Waukesha, WI
News-Sentinal, Ft. Wayne, IN
Times-Union, Warsaw, IN
Tribune, San Luis Obispo, CA
December 20, 2003

Smart and Safe Ways to Holiday Shop Online
Edited and compiled by Chuck Myers

Shopping bots offer a convenient method of simultaneously comparing prices on a particular product at several retail sellers. Some bots feature a range of product categories, while others focus on specific types of goods.

Here are a few to consider: . . .

PriceSCAN.com, www.pricescan.com



Plain Dealer, Cleveland, OH
December 19, 2003

Online Sales May Help Some Niche Businesses
By Chris Seper

Sites that filter or organize Web-based stores are becoming a trend in online shopping, analysts say. Among the more popular sites: . . .

PriceSCAN.com : Search product categories or get reviews on certain items.



Tribune, Tampa, FL
December 8, 2003

Favorite Web Sites
By Sarah A. Knupke

Shopping online for the holidays this year? Don't get that credit card out just yet, check these sites out for price comparisons. . . .

A Prescription for Savings

www.pricescan.com . . . . What sets this site apart is the comparisons include prescription [drug] prices.



County Times, San Mateo, CA
Oakland Tribune, Oakland, CA
December 8, 2003

Net Price Sites Give Shoppers Reality Check
By Francine Brevetti

Shopping comparison sites generated to make shopping easy have grown incredibly numerous. . . .

After reporting that online holidy shopping would jump by 21 percent this holiday season, Jupiter research analyst Patti Freeman Evans confirmed the growth of price comparison sites. She said this more accessible info is "enhancing consumers' ability to make more concerted well-considered puchasing decisions" by providing mountains of particulars.

. . . PriceSCAN . . . stand[s] among the growing phalanx of sites where you can compare prices for that new CD burning computer.



Chronicle, Muskegon, MI
Saginaw News, Saginaw, MI
The Star Ledger, Newark, NJ
Today's Sunbeam, Salem, NJ
November 29, 2003

Online, Compare More than Price
By Allan Hoffman

The Internet has supercharged comparison shopping, transforming what was once an arduous task, involving phone calls and store visits, into an activity requiring nothing more than a quick trip to Web sites such as PriceSCAN.com . . . .

But a certain degree of know-how is required to make good use these shopping "bots," named for their price-seeking software robots.

Just consider a search for a popular digital camera, the Fuji FinePix 3800, at Yahoo Shopping (shopping.yahoo.com). As at other shopping bots, a search generates a list of prices from assorted merchants. The first store sells the camera for $400, followed by merchants offering it for $289, $325, $320, and $297, and on and on. The site lists 79 stores offering the product.

Wouldn't you rather see these listed by price?

Of course. . . .

Which brings us to a matter these sites don't exactly advertise. The initial listings at comparison- shopping sites often reflect their business relationships with merchants. Stores typically pay on a "cost per click" basis to be included in these listings; when a potential customer clicks on a store's product listing, that store pays a fee for the referral. Those willing to pay higher fees, or to be included in special "preferred" merchant programs, are listed higher in the rankings, sometimes with a logo.

Not all comparison shopping sites accept fees from merchants [for placement]–PriceSCAN, for instance, doesn't–but it has become the accepted practice among many of the industry leaders, including BizRate.com, mySimon.com, NexTag.com, PriceGrabber.com and Shopping.com.

Other features vary from site to site . . . . One handy feature, available at . . . PriceSCAN, lets you view a graph tracking a product's price during a period of time. This is particularly useful when you want to get a bargain by purchasing an older model. Check out the graph for a personal computer, for instance, and you may learn you can get it for just $500, when it was selling for more than $1,000 just six months ago.



MSN Money Central
November 24,2003

How Shopping Bots Really Work
By Jennifer Mulrean

More people are spending time and money online--and they're using shopping bots to save on both. But what few realize is that the results they see often aren't the best deals available. . . . [Y]ou might be excused for thinking that the search results on [a shopping bot] are sorted by store rating or best prices. In actuality, results are primarily sorted by which merchants have paid for the honor of appearing at the top of the list. . . . Most other shopping bots similarly sell the prime real estate at the top of their results pages. . . . [And] they make it rather difficult to tell whether someone is paying to be there. . . .

A lone ranger?

Indeed, PriceSCAN is possibly the only bot that doesn't sell its results to the highest bidder. Co-founders Jeff Trester and David Cost are somewhat baffled by this.

"If you're only showing people that pay you to be threre, how can you show who has the best deals?" Cost wondered. "If you really want to have a free market and market transparency, you have to show everyone. Our thought is, this is the best way to do this."

The default display for PriceSCAN's "lowest price" results (the blue links at the top of the page) puts the best prices at the top of the list, regardless of merchant relationships.

"Consumers need to know who has the best price," Trester says. "I think serious buyers will and do care about that."

. . . With is laser-beam focus on the lowest prices, PriceSCAN begs to be used.



Forbes
October 14, 2003

The Revolution That Wasn't
By Victoria Murphy

The hoarde of Web sites that once sprouted up for price-shopping is down to a hardened handful, including Shopping.com, PriceGrabber, NexTag and BizRate. Last month Yahoo jumped into the business, too. They all now rig search results so that the best placements go to the highest bidders, even if a site's digital cameras, say, cost 30% more than the cheapest alternative.

Most shoppers don't realize the rankings are bought, says Jeffrey Trester, co-founder of PriceSCAN, a six-year-old search service that still lists only according to the seller's price. "You can fool a lot of the people a lot of the time," he says.





Woman's World
June 24, 2003

Ask the Money Expert: "How Do We Get the Best Deal on a Digital Camera?"

Q: My husband and I want to buy a digital camera, but all the features are confusing. What do we need to know to get the right one for us–without paying too much?

A: You're smart to buy a digital camera, because it'll allow you to view photos as soon as you've taken them, then transfer the pictures to a computer and e-mail them or just print them out. But with so many available features, you can pay hundreds more than you need to. . . . So where can you get a good deal? Compare prices at www.pricescan.com . . . .





Capital, Annapolis, Maryland
Clarion-Ledger, Jackson, Mississippi
CNN Money, New York, New York
The Dominion Post, Morgantown, West Virginia
Express-News, Morning Edition, San Antonio, Texas
Free Press, Detroit, Michigan
Gazette, Colorado Springs, Colorado
Herald, Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Journal, Poughkeepsie, New York
Journal-World, Lawrence, Kansas
News, Buffalo, New York
News-Democrat, Belleville, Illinois
Northwest Indiana Times, Munster, Indiana
Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Washington
Sun-Herald, Biloxi-Gulfport, Mississippi
Sun-Sentinel, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
Times, Hammond, Indiana
Tribune-Eagle, Cheyenne, Wyoming
Vidette Times, Valparaiso, Indiana
June 22, 2003

General Shopping Bot Sits

Shopping robots or "bots," offer a convenient method of comparing prices on a particular product. Not all bots are alike. Some feature a range of product categories, while others focus on specific types of goods. If you'd like to do some serious cyberspace shopping or just a bit of Web window browsing, you may want to visit one of these sites: . . .

PriceSCAN.com
www. pricescan.com. Search for a low price on an item or for a specific retailer.





Kiplinger's Personal Finance
June 2003

Fast Forays for Finding Deals

Bargain hungers looking for easy pickings turn to shopping bots–seach engines that compare prices, including shipping fees. In our tests, PriceSCAN.com turned up the lowest prices among the broadest range of retailers. It also ranked the stores in an unbiased order, while other bots, such as BizRate.com, stack their results to favor merchants who pay to place their wares.

We searched PriceSCAN for the latest John Grisham novel and learned that Buy.com was selling the thriller for $15 (including shipping)–which trumped Amazon's discounted price by $5. In fact, PriceSCAN beat a half-dozen rival bots in finding the lowest price among the most bookstores.





KOMO-TV Channel 4, Seattle, Washington
January 17, 2003

Northwest Afternoon Tips for Saving Money

There are lots of ways to use the Internet to save money. Here are just a few examples: . . .

Compare prices for all sorts of purchases by using what's called a "Shopping Bot." They include . . . www.pricescan.com.





About.com
January 4, 2003

Shopping & Price Comparison Engines

With the infinite variety of online stores to choose from, finding the best price online can be a huge undertaking. This round up of shopping related search engines will provide you with the best one-stop comparison pricing web sites available. . . .

PriceSCAN
One of the few shopping search engines that does not charge merchants for listings, this web site culls information from magazine ads, catalogs, web sites and other resources to provide product comparisons for products available at online and offline merchants.





New York Post, New York, NY
December 26, 2002

Tech is Cheap, Say the Pricing Analysts
By Caroline Waxler

Keeping up with the Gateses is getting easier.

Well, sort of.

A basket of "state of the art" tech goodies, like the latest digital cameras, printers, notebook computers–the essentials to impress your neighbors about what a tech-savvy macher you are–costs 80 percent of what it did five years ago. In November 2001, that cost would have been even lower, at 70 percent.

Not all price drops are created equal: Digital camera prices have been relatively steady, while desktop computers, laptops, flat-panel screens and PDAs have been plummeting.

Jeffrey Trester, the co-founder of price comparison Web site PriceSCAN, worked with Drexel University professor Edward Nelling and Harvard senior Daniel Fehder to put the site's economic data into an index made up of 50-plus goods in 12 categories.

They charted the index back to 1997, when PriceSCAN was founded. The results are a consumer's delight.

"It's very obvious–the prices are falling across the board for what are now considered state-of-the-art products," said Trester. "The downward trend over the past years is clear."

The drop is even more precipitous in the PriceSCAN industrial index, which removes the more consumer-oriented items, like digital cameras. That index shows that businesses can spend about 30 percent less to purchase the hottest products than they would have in 1997.

"When the dot-coms and telecoms stopped buying equipment, the effect may have depressed prices," said Trester.

The precise composition of the indices changes often, as hot new products are added and older technology dropped.

One group of products that doesn't seem to be going anywhere in the next couple of months, however, is computers.

"There hasn't been a huge amount of innovation in this area," said Trester. "There's no pressure to get anything hotter than what's on your desk."

When charted against the Dow, the indices showed that falling prices appear to actually foretell a falling market.





New York Post, New York, NY
December 24, 2002

Retailers Ringing in the Blues
By Caroline Waxler

Post-Christmas should look better for both consumers and retailers because of good sales. . . . Jeffrey Trester, co-founder of price comparison site PriceScan.com, said that while sales volume at online retailers appears to be comparable to last year, "there's definitely pricing pressure." He expects huge sales after Christmas.





The Sacramento Bee, Sacramento, California
December 15, 2002

InterActive Family: The Web's a Natural for Comparisons

This site is a "shopbot" that comparison shops from sites all over the Web at the click of a button. . . . [S]hopbot sites . . . include . . . PriceSCAN.com.





Black Enterprise Magazine
CNN Money
December 4, 2002

Enlist Online Allies for Shopping Help

The never-ending search for online deals can be made easier with resources like . . . PriceSCAN, which search the Internet for . . . price comparisons . . . (by vendor) so you can get the highest value for the lowest price. On PriceSCAN, you may also name a price for an item and see what pops up.





Morning News, Dallas, Texas
November 28, 2002

Park at the PC Instead of the Mall: Online Comparisons Can Save Your Feet as Well as Your Dollars
By Tim Wyatt

PriceSCAN
www.pricescan.com
You can window-shop from the store directory, then compare prices in a dozen categories. Again, electronics is the big-ticket category, but PriceSCAN also includes comparisons for home and garden, sporting goods, watches and prescription drugs—just for those folks who might want to refill their Valium prescriptions before heading out to the malls. . . . Shipping costs are highlighted in the results.





The Kansas City Star, Kansas City, Missouri
November 24, 2002

Web Sites Make Bargain Hunting Easier
By Angela D. Curry

With the start of the holiday season upon us and the country reeling with economic uncertainty, consumers may want to stretch their dollars as far as possible. . . . One way consumers can save is through online comparison shopping sites. . . .

Here are a few comparison shopping sites to check out: . . . www.pricescan.com.





The Wall Street Journal Sunday
November 24, 2002

Comparing Prices on the Internet Is No Snap
By Dexter Webb

With the holiday season approaching, you may be thinking of turning to price-comparison Web sites to ferret out bargains.

These are sites such PriceSCAN.com . . . where specialized search engines promise to make it a cinch to compare the prices charged by competing online vendors for that weed trimmer or digital camera you want. . . .

Trolling for Bargains. A sampling of price-comparison Web sites: . . . PriceSCAN.com.





Nashua Telegraph, Nashua, New Hampshire
November 20, 2002

With the Holiday Spirit in Mind, a Few Spending Tips
By Sherman Smith

Just because Johnny says he wants a particular PS2 game, one for a Sony PlayStation2, or an MP3 player, a device that produces sound from digital audio files usually through headphones, it doesn't mean you need to grab the first one pictured in the first flier you open or buy the first one you see in the first store you visit. Here's where you can stretch that dollar and get your money's worth.

Check out the online comparison-shopping sites, such as www. pricescan.com . . . .





Time
November 18, 2002

Click Smart: Web Shopping Guide
By Maryanne Murray Buechner

Tip. Make sure the price is right. . . . [C]omparison shopping "bots" include . . . PriceSCAN.com.





Family Fun
November 2002

A Visit from St. Click
By Leslie Garisto Pfaff

If you've never used an Internet shopping engine, this is the time of year to try one. Shopping engines help you find the best price on the Net for pretty much anything you're hunting down, whether it's games for the computer or a wreath for the front door. . . .

If you care more about value than brand name, you'll love PriceSCAN.com (www.pricescan.com), which gives you the chance to search for the best prices on "functionally equivalent products"– different items with identical features, sorted by price.





Consumer Reports
November 2002

Digital Imaging 2002: More than Megapixels

Some general advice: Check prices at comparison-shopping sites such as www.pricescan.com . . . .





The Kim Komando Radio Show
October 5, 2002

Online Shopping

PriceSCAN is a Web site devoted to comparison shopping online. Just pick a category and product, and check out the features and specifications for all similar products. The site gives instant price-comparison reports from several vendors. You may also name a price for the item and see what pops up. Become a smarter shopper by finding the lowest price on any item.





Dispatch, York, PA
August 26, 2002

Some Favorite Sites for Freebies, Advice
By Jan Purnell

Once you find a product, you'll want to find the best price. Price[SCAN] can include both online and offline vendors who can offer you the best price for merchandise. They guarantee that their price and product information is unbiased.





Advance-Register, Tulare, California
Advocate, Newark, Ohio
Baxter Bulletin, Mountain Home, Arkasas
Californian, Salinas, California
Central Journal News, White Plains, New York
Chronicle-Tribune, Marion, Indiana
Cincinnati Enquirer, Cincinnati, Ohio
Clarion-Ledger, Jackson, Mississippi
Courier-News, Bridgewater, New Jersey
Courier-Post, Camden, New Jersey
Daily Journal, Vineland, New Jersey
Daily Record, Parsippany, New Jersey
Daily Southtown, Chicago, Illinois
The Detroit News, Detroit, Michigan
Eagle-Gazette, Lancaster, Ohio
Enquirer, Battle Creek, Michigan
Free Press, Burlington, VT
Gazette, Chillicothe, Ohio
Herald, Wausau-Merrill, Wisconsin
Herald-Dispatch, Huntington, West Virginia
Home News Tribune, East Brunswick, New Jersey
Journal, Ithaca, New York
Journal and Courier, Clarksville, Tennessee
Leaf-Chronicle, White Plains, New York
News, Greenville, South Carolina
News Herald, Port Clinton, Ohio
News Journal, Mansfield, Ohio
News Journal, Pensacola, Florida
News-Leader, Springfield, Missouri
News-Messenger, Fremont, Ohio
News-Press, New York, New York
North Journal News, New York, New York
Northwestern, Oshkosh, Wisconsin
Observer-Dispatch, Utica, New York
Post-Crescent, Appleton, Wisconsin
Press, Asbury Park, New Jersey
Press, Sheboygan, Wisconsin
Press-Citizen, Iowa City, Iowa
Putnam Journal News, Carmel, New York
Quad-City Times, Davenport, Iowa
Rockland Journal News, Nyack, New York
South Journal News, New York, New York
Spectrum, St. George, Utah
Star, Marion, Ohio
State Journal, Lansing, Michigan
Sun, Jackson, Tennessee
Tribune, Coshocton, Ohio
Times, Salisbury, Maryland
Times, Shreveport, Louisiana
Times-Delta, Visalia, California
Times Herald, Port Huron, Michigan
Times Recorder, Zanesville, Ohio
Tribune, Coshocton, Ohio
Tribune, Wisconsin Rapids, WI
August 19, 2002

Battle of the Online Stores
By Russell Shaw

Comparison-shopping sites can help you find the best deal from among discount retailers. . . . [Some] popular comparison-shopping engines include . . . PriceSCAN.com.





MSNBC.com
July 4, 2002

How to Pick the Best Barbecue Grill
By Jennifer Mulrean

Shipping costs (both time and money) are the big deterrent to buying a grill online, though it's a great place to research your purchase before walking into a brick-and-mortar store. . . . Try a shopping bot such as . . . PriceSCAN to quickly hunt down the best online deals.





Eagle-Tribune, Lawrence, Massachusetts
May 3, 2002

UltraBar Integrates with IE Browser Toolbar
By Bill Dubie and David Sciuto

What makes [UltraBar IE Toolbar Companion] ultra-cool though, is its ability to let you customize any search-oriented site. Using its simple programming script, we added dictionary.com . . . and PriceSCAN to satisfy our verbal and value urges.





Reader's Digest
May 2002

Bot and Paid For
By Kathleen McCleary

To save on Web merchandise, visit a "bot"–short for an on-line robotic personal shopper. Type in what you want, and the bot lists sites that sell it. Most bots, however, showcase merchants that pay to display. So what's the top unbiased bot? Kiplinger's says PriceSCAN.com, which simply ranks products you want from cheapest to costliest.



Computer Shopper
May 2002

Price-Comparison Sites

PriceSCAN.com is an unbiased source for comparison-shopping that includes both brick-and-mortar sellers and Web merchants. Categories include office equipment, sporting goods, watches, and health, plus computers, digital photography, and electronics.



Pocket PC Magazine
May 2002

Best Sites for Windows Powered Pocket PCs and Handheld PCs

PriceSCAN.com named among best "sites optimized for small screens" in category "Shopping/Price Comparison Search Engines."



Argus, Rock Island, Illinois
Dispatch, Moline, Illinois
March 2, 2002

Let 'Bots' Help You Find the Best Price
By Jeff Dick

Call it the battle of the bots. Price-comparison Web sites are duking it out to become the "shopping (ro)bot" of choice for bargain hunters trying to find the best deals online. . . .

PriceSCAN.com doesn't limit its searches strictly to vendors with Web sites, but also includes prices from catalogs, ads and other sources which the site claims to update daily.

Besides letting users search for a specific product, PriceSCAN.com also allows searches for "functionally equivalent" products. Shoppers can enter their desired specifications for, say, a notebook computer, then get a list of qualifying models sorted by price.



Working Mother
March 2002

How to Live Large in Lean Times
By Amy Debra Feldman

For household and and car purchases, whether they're neccessities or splurges, find what you want for less. . . . Comparison-shopping sites (also known as "shopping bots") will get you low prices on everything from appliances, DVD players, digital cameras, even tires. (Try . . . PriceSCAN.com . . . .)



Gourmet Retailer
February 2002

The Visionary or The Bean Counter: Who's the Most Effective Leader Now?
By Marshall Marcovitz

Good bargain-seekers compare prices and savvy shoppers can check prices among the Net's many online retailers quickly by using price comparison sites, usually by doing nothing more than typing in the name of the product they are seeking.

On the following sites, savvy shoppers can compare the prices of dozens of online merchants: . . . www.pricescan.com.



Florida Times-Union, Jacksonville, Florida
January 26, 2002

Web Watch
By Rich Ray

Online shopping

PriceSCAN says it "goes the extra mile to find the best deals." The site's staff not only gathers prices from Web sites, but also gets product and pricing information from magazine ads, catalogs and daily faxes from vendors. The information is entered into a searchable database that . . . is updated daily.



MSNBC.com
January 9, 2002

Hot Bots and Warm Cream
By Teri Goldberg

Many consumers are drawn to these price-comparison Web sites or shopping "bots," short for robots. . . . [A] shopping bot is a good place to start your search if you are not familiar with Web sites that sell the product you're interested in, or if you can limit your search to a specific price range or brand. The bots work best the more information you have to start with.

. . . [F]or those of us drawn to simplicity (including myself), PriceSCAN.com not only has the most streamlined Homepage but also offers a separate search engine, where consumers can locate different venues for products sans the price comparison. For example, the so-called red guide contains 50 shops that sell writing instruments, from lesser-known shops such as Woodpens.com—known for wooden writing pens made of exotic and domestic wood—to high-end shops such as Tiffany & Co., where fountain pens range from $375-$425.



Kiplinger's Personal Finance
January 2002

55 Great Personal-Finance Ideas

The drawback to internet shopping bots (search engines that trawl Web stores for bargains) is that they often only sleuth a sliver of merchandise. Worse, they sometimes stack the results in favor of merchants who pay to put their deals in prime positions.

So the best bot is a broad and unbiased bot, and the bot that's tops in that regard is PriceSCAN.com. In our tests, it most often fetched the lowest prices. For example, we recently found a new NEC PlasmaSync PD1 50-inch TV on PriceSCAN for $7,550, far below the $12,999 suggested retail price and $246 less than the next-best bot's deal.

Another plus: PriceSCAN ranks products from the cheapest to the costliest. Most bots sell top placement in their search results, so the first deals you see may not be the best.





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