The savvy shopper

Learn what the pros know and get the best deal every time

You've made your holiday shopping list, done all your price-comparison and coupon research, and now you're headed out the door—or you're firing up your computer—to bag some bargains. So you're all set, right? Stop right there! There's a lot more to being a truly savvy shopper than getting the lowest price. And now's a good time to learn what it really takes to go pro before you get into shopping-overload mode, when it's easy to make costly mistakes. Think of our guide on the next six pages as a three-step advanced shopping course. Here's the syllabus:

Step 1 Know your rights

You have all kinds of rights as a shopper, with the right to get what you pay for first and foremost. Beyond that are all kinds of consumer laws created to protect you from being fleeced. We've rounded up some of the most important rights you should know about and traps to avoid. Your consumer-rights education starts here.

Step 2 Pay the right way

There are more ways to pay for merchandise than ever before. Is a credit card, with the extra protections it offers, always the best way to go? Or might one of the alternative payment systems such as PayPal or Twitpay be a smarter choice for certain purchases? See the answers here.

Step 3 Learn what a good—and a bad—return policy looks like

Some are so bad that you might want to avoid those retailers, because even the most carefully chosen gifts are sometimes the wrong size, and you don't want your loved one to get hassled at the returns counter. We took a close look at the policies of 88 top online retailers. Check out our best and not-so-hot lists.

This article appeared in Consumer Reports Shopsmart Magazine.