As you do your Christmas shopping, you may have seen the ads - "if we drop our prices during the next 30 days, bring your bill in and we'll give you the difference." The truth is, nothing is quite so annoying as buying a product and seeing it go on sale two weeks later for a lot less than what you just paid.
Many stores offer something they call a "price protection guarantee", vowing that if they reduce the cost of an item, they'll give you the difference within a limited time frame. That sounds like a fair policy and it is - until you realize that in a life filled with work, your kids' endless activities and the general rushing around we do at this time of year, it's almost impossible to keep track of when that price actually drops.
Add to that the fact most of us stop looking at ads for something we've already purchased and suddenly that money back guarantee becomes more like a burden than a blessing. But an online service can do the work for you - and it's free.
A site called
Price Protectr.com (without the last "o") tracks a growing list of retailers. You simply sign up for the service, enter the URL of the site where you bought something and let them do the rest. "If we see the price drop within the item's price protection period, we'll send you an email with detailed information on how to get your money back," the site promises on its
FAQ page.
So far there are 68 large chains monitored and while many are American - good for those who buy online - there are enough Canadian outlets to make it worth your while. Amazon, Best Buy, the Apple Store, Costco, Future Shop and Staples are among the Canuck outlets tracked here.
Some of the price drops featured on Wednesday: A recent
$5 reduction in the cost of the new video game "Guitar Hero 3" at Amazon.ca and
$30 off the cost of a Pentax 6.31MP ditigal camera at Future Shop.
The site's mission is to see that the merchants honour their commitments - and that you find out about it before the time is up.
You can sign up for the freebie here.