Shop till you crash

The alternative to malls, mobs, and Muzak? Your Web browser.

by Jumana Farouky

If the thought of smushing your way through hordes of rabid shoppers throws you into convulsions and the sound of Muzak Christmas carols turns you into a quivering, wailing heap, you, my friend, are ready for the next step in holiday gift buying: online shopping.

Thanks to the wonders of modern technology -- and your plastic pal, the credit card -- it is now possible to shop for everyone you know without leaving the comfort of your own computer. Every day, hundreds of new shopping sites are born, offering the cyber-consumer more for less and making the often coronary-inducing thought of gift-giving pleasurable again.

Be warned, however, that online shopping is not the answer to all your present-buying prayers. For one thing, you can't touch. The photo of that cashmere sweater can tell you what color it is, but it can't tell you how soft it feels, or whether it smells like cat. If size matters, be sure to remember that on-screen everything looks two inches tall. And with so much to choose from on so many Web sites, just browsing is almost an impossibility -- unless you like the way it feels when you stare at the computer until your eyes bleed.

Superhighway safety Anyone with a computer and one working finger can create a Web site, so it pays to be cautious before forking over your e-cash to the cyber-checkout clerk. Below are some tips to help you survive your shopping excursion in the digital jungle. Be secure Look at the bottom left corner of your browser. See that little padlock? That tells you whether the site you're in uses security software to protect your information from falling into the wrong hands. If the lock is closed, the site is secure and you know your credit-card number won't wind up feeding some hacker's Magic addiction. Keeping records Usually, a shopping site will ask you to print out the last page of your sale as a receipt. If it doesn't, do it anyway. That page should contain all the relevant information about your purchase: date and time, names of items, prices, and confirmation numbers, which will prove very handy if you ordered a plush Pikachu and got a stuffed yellow sock with googly eyes instead. Returns Although the virtuality of e-stores makes getting things easy, it also makes giving them back much harder. Just like with real-life stores, you'll need a receipt to return any unsatisfactory merchandise. You'll also need everything that came with it: packing slips, boxes, envelopes, foam peanuts, whatever. And most places will make you pay for postage on a return, so if you're prone to changing your mind, buy light. Personal information Never give out your Social Security number or Internet password. The only information a legitimate shopping site will ask for is your name, address, credit-card number, phone number, and e-mail address (sometimes this is optional). And don't go throwing that information around willy-nilly, either, because when marketers get their hands on it you'll be buried under mountains of junk mail. If a site asks for the combination to your safe or the addresses of the richest people you know, you might want to find somewhere else to shop. Go with your gut In the end, it's best to trust your instincts. If a bargain sounds too good to be true, it probably is, and if a certain site gives off a bad vibe, move on -- there are so many Web shops out there, you're bound to find what you want somewhere else. Read all the small print carefully and look for a telephone number, because behind every legitimate cyberbusiness there should be a non-cyber human waiting to take your call. -- JF

But if you know what you're looking for and you want it delivered right into your hands, shopping online will make your holidays a whole lot happier. There are several sites that operate like personal shoppers, dedicated to showing you where you can get what you want for the lowest price. At mySimon (http://www.mysimon.com), just type in what you're looking for -- anything from a CD to a pair of sneakers -- and Simon will tell you which sites sell it, how much it costs, and how long it will take to get to you. One more click and Simon leads you straight to the order form.

Sometimes you can know a person really well but still have trouble thinking up the perfect present. Gift Planet (http://www.giftplanet.com) lets you shop according to the person's interest. If your gift recipient is into gardening you can pick up a vegetable wall clock ($12.95), or if she likes hockey you can get a table lamp bearing her favorite team's logo ($39.95). If you're still stuck for ideas but you know some aesthetically pleasing home decorations wouldn't go unappreciated, the Museum Company (http://www.museumcompany.com) offers a variety of items -- like Tiffany-style place mats -- that look as if they belong in, well, a museum. If earthier décor is called for, try Sundance (http://www.sundance.net), where a seasonal introduction from founder Robert Redford welcomes you to a catalogue of nature-
inspired gifts such as a balancing candleholder, handcrafted in Mexico ($48), and a globe with black oceans that shows what dusk looks like from space ($55).

Though a gift of socks has long elicited the same reaction as would a gift-wrapped box of worms, most people do need new clothes, and nothing says "I care" like a well-chosen garment. Bluefly (http://www.bluefly.com), is an online outlet store stocking clothes for men, women, and kids by a seemingly endless list of well-known designers. Duds by Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, and Gucci, to name a few, are available, some for more than 50 percent off their in-store price. Shipping is free in the continental US, and everything comes with a 90-day money-back guarantee. If, however, your wallet is annoyingly fat this year, you can dress your friends and family in the best vestments at Designermale (http://www.designermale.com), a self-proclaimed "gentleman's boutique" where clothes and accessories by the likes of Versace and Cartier are waiting for a good home. For more intimate apparel, Frederick's of Hollywood (http://www.fredericks.com) is the place to go. Would that special woman in your life like a Santa bustier set with vinyl bootlets to match ($34)? Or maybe she'd prefer the Santa's-little-helper two-piece complete with jingling bells (use your imagination) and a fur-trimmed cap. Less seasonal attire is also available.

When shopping for the young folk, hipness is of deadly importance. You can't go wrong with Abercrombie & Fitch (http://www.abercrombie.com) for the guys, with fleeces, sweaters, and jeans galore, most proudly displaying the familiar AF logo. For the girls, dELiAs (http://www.delias.com) has become the buzzword of fashion-savvy teens everywhere, and items like the fireball skirt ($36) only begin to explain the definition of "cool." And if you don't think you're fly enough to pick out the dopest threads, why not avoid the closet altogether? My Freaky Family (http://www.myfreakyfamily.com) already has all the phattest teen-living accessories picked out for you. Bottlecap belts ($34.95) and soaps infused with sage, cedar, and sweetgrass ($12.95 for two 6-oz. cubes) are sure to prove you're still hip. You can even get gift baskets assembled for you. Words like "neat," "rad," and "groovy" should not be used when filling out the card.

Another sure-to-please present? Toys. Who doesn't love toys? For those of you who think six-year-olds still wear diapers, eToys (http://www.etoys.com) makes finding age-appropriate toys easy by organizing its catalogue according to age. You can also set up a gift registry for your own children, ensuring they get everything on their wish list (except maybe the pony). To find a gift for the child who performs autopsies on G.I. Joes, check out Natural Wonders (http://www.naturalwonders.com), where the nature and science toys are more educational than Teletubbies, and a lot easier to understand. The tiny desktop ecosphere ($70) is an entire ecosystem encased in glass, complete with self-reliant micro-organisms -- perfect for the young environmentalist. And with the rocket kit ($20), a wanna-be astronaut can shoot a mini space shuttle 100 feet into the air. When you get to a certain age, toys are called gadgets, but the folks at Sharper Image (http://www.sharperimage.com) refuse to accept that playtime is over. The site is eye candy for the person who wants everything -- and with the appropriate plug-in you can even view certain gizmos in 3-D. There is a list of recommended gifts and a list of products according to price: from the trainable robot puppies for $29.95 to the wide-screen TV glasses equipped with surround-sound earphones for $899.

But some people watch too much TV already, and for them the most humane present would be a good book. One of the biggest online bookstores is Barnes & Noble (http://www.barnesandnoble.com), which sells books and magazines from all over the world. And while you're deciding between the latest Stephen King or one of Oprah's picks, you can also purchase a Dali poster or a pound of Starbucks coffee. If you're looking for a copy of your aunt's book The Beauty of Raccoon Cuisine, or something similarly hard to find, Alibris (http://www.alibris.com) specializes in rare, used, signed, and first-edition books. Type in the title and author of the book you're looking for and Alibris uses its worldwide network of booksellers to tell you where you can buy the book, what condition it's in, and how much it costs. You can order the book straight from the site, but be aware that delivery time depends on where the bookseller is in relation to you. If you live in Boston and order a book from New York, expect it to be in your hot little hands within three to five days. If the book has to come all the way from a bookstore in Japan, however, give it a few weeks. Regardless of how far the book has to travel, shipping is always $3.95 per book, and that goes for international delivery, too.

If books are too academic, there's always the sound of music, and at CDNOW (http://www.cdnow.com) you can find the biggest selection of CDs online, including singles and imports. And if you believed your mother when she said the best presents are the ones you make yourself, try your hand at a custom-made compilation CD. At $17.95 for 12 songs (from a selective list of titles), it costs about the same as a regular CD and works a lot better than a Play-Doh ashtray. Got a film buff on your shopping list? Reel.com (http://www.reel.com) has the Web's biggest selection of movies on VHS and DVD. And if you still can't find the perfect stocking stuffer, it won't hurt to hop on to eBay (http://www.ebay.com), where you can sift through the world's biggest garage sale and bid on anything from a Scooby-Doo lunchbox to scuba-diving goggles. But remember to read the seller profiles before you hand over your cash, because not everyone subscribes to the season of giving.

Eventually you're going to be faced with buying a gift for the person who has everything. Instead of giving her more stuff, give her something that will disappear almost as soon as she unwraps it. Food. Mrs. Fields Cookies (http://www.mrsfields.com) offers a mammoth array of cookies and brownies that you can personalize, or for a more romantic touch you can simply send over a bunch of long-stemmed cookie roses. At Shari's Berries (http://www.berries.com) the emphasis is on chocolate-dipped, with strawberries wrapped in little chocolate tuxedos ($64.95 a box) or arranged as a dozen roses. But Shari doesn't stop at strawberries: a chocolate-dipped bottle of Dom Pérignon Champagne ($154.95) has a pull cord that makes it easy to break chunks of chocolate off the bottle. Delivery is $10 because, to arrive fresh, the merchandise has to go Priority FedEx.

Of course, once your edible present vanishes, that doesn't mean it can never come back. The gift that truly keeps on giving is a membership to an "Of the Month" club. Starr Organic Produce (http://www.dogtech.com/starrorganic/month.htm) will deliver fresh organic fruit -- grapefruit, mangoes, oranges, and tangerines -- to the recipient once a month for a year. For 10 pounds of fruit, they're asking $220. Serenading Grapes (http://www.serenadinggrapes.com) will send any wine lover one bottle of American wine and one bottle of imported wine every month for as long as you can afford, at $34.95 (plus shipping and handling) per month. And if your givee likes libations in a frothier form, Beer of the Month Club (http://www.worldbeerdirect.com) can send over two six-packs (one American, one international) for $19.99 a month, or 24 microbrews for $29.99 a month. Obviously, for the alcoholic gifts, both you and the recipient must be 21 or older.

Although millions of people have already made the switch from pavement pounding to mouse clicking, many others are still reluctant to send their credit-card numbers hurtling through the ether, for fear they might end up buying some stranger a trip to Bermuda. Beginners should first be aware that if an unauthorized charge shows up on your card, you can only be held responsible for up to $50. Since most of us don't even have 50 clams to spare, online-shopping rookies and veterans alike might want to check out Safeshopping.org (http://www.safeshopping.org/shopping_tips/index.html), where sensible tips -- such as shopping only at sites that have security software installed and keeping a printed record of every purchase -- as well as advice on how to return faulty merchandise will help you make the move from annual shopping maul to virtual shopping mall.