How to Negotiate a Cheaper Price on Anything

The company offering the lowest price is often the one with the fewest customer service agents and the highest shipping rates. How can you find a reliable Internet merchant? Here are a few tips:

1. Shop with companies you already know or those recommended by someone you trust. You can often get good online deals from retailers that also have brick-and-mortar stores.
2. Don't shop with any company that doesn't list a physical or mailing address on the Web site.
3. Is the company listed on the manufacturer's Web site as an approved retailer? For example, if you're buying a Canon camera, is the company listed on the Canon Web site? It should be.
4. Do a quick check with the Better Business Bureau and Ripoff Report to find unhappy customers. Not finding complaints is no guarantee of good service, of course. I found nothing on Alpha Omega Fitness Equipment. But if there are complaints, take them as a caution flag.