Americans like to shop. But, the trend is moving more from in-store shopping to finding things online. In fact, nearly 40% of all sales are made online in the US. That means shoppers have to be savvy to ensure that they get the best deal on everything they need.
There are countless apps and systems you can use to compare prices and to find online coupons. It is an easy way to get a discount at the time of the sale. But, what happens when the price of that product drops right after you shop.
If you are like most people, you roll your eyes and say “it figures.” Then, you go about your day and don’t give it another thought. But, you could still be leaving money on the table.
Many online retailers offer price adjustments if you buy something and there is a lower price within a certain time frame after you place your order. The trick is that you have to monitor your purchases and continue to watch the prices. I don’t know about you, but I don’t have time for that.
Fortunately, there is a free service that you can use that will watch your purchases and alert you if there is a price drop. It’s called Paribus.
HOW DOES PARIBUS WORK?
The idea is simple. There are many online retailers offer a price guarantee. If the item you buy sells for a lower price within a certain period after you made your purchase, you can get the difference back.
The only catch is that you have to ask them for it. I don’t have time to keep checking to see if that happens – – and neither do you. Enter Paribus. They help you with this.
They monitor and compare price changes for items, all in real time. If they find something that may be eligible, they will alert you. If the online retailer allows for it, they will even file the claim on your behalf, requesting the refund. (Keep in mind that some retailers have differing policies, so additional action may be required on your behalf).
Once the online retailer is alerted, the purchase is reviewed. If it meets the terms for the refund, then it is issued, based upon their policy. That means you may get either cash back or store credit.
How sweet is that!?!
MY PARIBUS REVIEW
I have used the application for a few years and honestly, I had not really seen much happen. I usually shop at Amazon and they do not offer any type of price adjustment.
Over the years, I have I had a few emails hit my inbox with notices of price adjustments, but there were always reasons why the retailer would not give me a refund. I was really not that impressed….for a while.
Until it happened.
One evening, I opened my email to find a patio umbrella we had purchased from Home Depot had dropped in price. And, not by just a little …. but by a LOT. By nearly $90 to be exact. This what my email said:
I was shocked! The rest of the email told me exactly who to contact to see if I could get a refund on the difference. They even gave me tips on how to start the conversation.
I called Home Depot and shared my order details and sure enough – we qualified! We received nearly $100 back (due to sales tax being refunded as well).
Had I not been using Paribus, I would have never known that there was an adjustment that I may be able to get. That would have cost me nearly $100 more than it should have!
WHERE DOES PARIBUS WORK?
Paribus watches purchases from countless retailers including, The Home Depot, Target, Staples, Gap, Old Navy, J. Crew, NewEgg, Macy’s, Bloomingdales…and more! You don’t need to do anything more than just sign up.
There is no need to change any shopping habits. You do not have to shop through a certain link. You simply buy as you normally do and then they start working for you. There is truly no risk.
IS PARIBUS SAFE?
The one question I get is about how safe the application is. After all, they need access to your email. That means they are going to read all of them.
Nope. they aren’t.
First off, Paribus is not “live” in your inbox. Your account is still secure. In fact, they don’t even save your password to your account. Instead, when you grant access to your inbox on Gmail or Microsoft, Paribus is provided with a token. That is presented when the Paribus Receipt Fetcher is activated.
If you use another provider another one of these platforms, the passwords are stored using multi-level security including firewalls, VPN services, intrusion prevention systems and stringent access controls on all information. They also transmit all data securely via 256 bit SSL (which is bank level encryption). Your data is always safe.
And, they aren’t looking for anything other than purchases. They don’t read, store nor even look at emails that do not include purchase details.
HOW DO I GET SIGNED UP?
Create an account at Paribus, using your email address. Make sure it is the same one you use for your online purchases as well as emails, as that is how it watches for your purchases. Next, make sure your email and your Amazon accounts are linked (you will find this in Dashboard – Settings, in your account).
That’s it! You are done!
When you shop, make sure the email address used for the purchase is the same one as on your account (as mentioned above). As you buy, Paribus will scan your inbox and look for any purchases you have made and adds them to your account.
Then, the fun begins.
They start to monitor that purchase for you through that retailer. If they find that there was a pricing adjustment, they go to work for you. If allowed, they will electronically submit the refund request on your behalf. Some retailers do not allow this, so you may need to finalize the paperwork yourself – but they will alert you so you can take care of it easily.
So, what are you waiting for? Why not give Paribus a try. You are out nothing at all — except for getting MONEY BACK!
Paribus compensates us when you sign up for Paribus using the links we provided.