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SmartShopIt Help FAQs

How do I get started?

Go to Getting Started for an overview of how to get started. We recommend you first fill out your profile and invite some friends to participate along with you. Once you’ve don’t that, some of the more popular things you can do are:

How do I look up prices?

Prices can be found in several places. On your Shopping List, Product Look-up and Favorites are some of the more popular. We give you Smart Buy Price ranges, My Best Prices and Average Prices. The most important question we try to answer with our price information is one we hear often. That is, “What is a good price to pay for this item?” All the price information SmartShopIt delivers answers this for you.

On the Product detail page we also give you the retailer, in your area that has been reported with the best price. You will be able to make a smart price buy decision armed with all this information.

For advanced users: A powerful feature is to set a Price Alert on your Favorite items. Set a low price for the item and turn the alert on by clicking on the check box. Any time a price is entered that is lower then you set, we will notify you! How cool is that!

How do I create a shopping list?

First, click on Shopping Lists. Once you’re on the Shopping Lists page, under the list column enter a new list name (max. 14 characters) in the blank field. Then click on the Add Icon to create this new list. You can have a maximum of eight (8) lists.

Next select either Quick List (easy) or SmartShopIt Shopping List (more advance) to add items to your list. Quick Start has some quick tips to get you going.

How do I enter my prices?

Entering prices is a very important part of this site. Sharing of prices is what this site is all about. While it’s not the only influencing factor, price is the number one factor determining what and where we buy our Products.

The easiest way to enter prices is to go back to your Shopping List. We have provided you a column for just this reason. Once you’ve entered all your prices, press submit and you’re done. Earn a point for each price entered. Use these points for free membership. In addition, you can go to the Price Entry option from the Main Menu and enter prices there. This is a good place if you just happen to note the price of an item(s) and want to enter them.

In addition, you can go to the Price Entry option from the Main Menu and enter prices there. Prices can also be entered from your Favorites list, Product Detail page or mobile web device.

How can I find valuable coupons?

In several places in our site you will see items that are emphasized and underlined in green. This means there is a coupon associated with this product or word. Mouse over the word and a coupon pop-up box will appear with more details of the coupon. Click on the coupon name to print and follow the instructions. (This will require registration with Coupons.com.)

On your Shopping List, if the SmartShopIt system thinks there is a coupon that may be for any item entered, a Coupon icon will appear. Click on the icon to view the coupon.

You can also go to our coupon section under products to see all coupons available.

How do I compare products?

You can compare products from several areas. Just look for the Smart Compare Icon next to any product name. Click on the icon and that product will be selected as the target product. You can then select the comparison operator (price, value, calories, sodium, etc.). SmartShopIt.com will then run a comparison of similar products and sort them by the comparison operator.

How do I access SmartShopIt.com from my mobile phone?

First your phone must be web enabled. From your mobile web phone’s browser go to http://m.SmartShopIt.com.

How to I invite my friends?

To us, shopping is a community activity. We can all remember a mom, aunt, neighbor or co-worker who would always tell us where to find the good buys and always seem to have great shopping tips. We can recapture those days on SmartShopIt.

First decide what information you want to share with your friends (Shopping Circle) and the general public and set those in My Profile. Then start inviting friends to join your Shopping Circle. Encourage them to share their tips for saving money. Send a message to your Shopping Circle if you find a Hot Buy!

You can also set your preferences to better allow SmartShopIt.com to work for you. Enter what zip code you frequent the most. Also indicate whether you want to search items by the Lowest Price or the Best Value. Define your Favorite Retailers.

You can also tell a little about yourself by adding some comments and descriptions of your shopping experience. Most of all, have fun.

How and Why Should I have My Item tags?

As you continue to use the system, My Item tags are a way to teach SmartShopIt.com what products you like best. People usually don’t shop by saying they want to buy Acme Brand White Sandwich Bread 24 0z. They usually just put “bread” down on their list. My Item tags are a way to show SmartShopIt.com what you mean when you write "bread" or "sandwich bread".

Go to the My Item (tags) option from the Product Menu. Here you can define the products you prefer when you go shopping for “sandwich bread”. So from thereon whenever you enter that tag on your Shopping Llist, SmartShopIt will know what to look for.

What are the Forums for?

To promote our community environment, we have provided a forum for our Members to discuss SmartShopIt and shopping issues in general. We believe that it is this dialogue that will help make this site the best it can be and to also help our Members maximize their shopping knowledge.

How do I earn Membership points and what can I do with them?

You earn membership points by sharing the prices you paid for an item. Also by referring your friends, family, associates and co-workers to become Members too. Lastly you can earn points by reviewing products and retailers. Right now during the early phases of this site, Membership is free. However, in the future there will be a charge for Membership. You can use points to pay for this Membership. In that way, those who contribute to the quality of this site get to participate for free. In addition, in the future we hope to be able to offer gifts and awards that you can receive by redeeming points.

Where can I view points earned?

By going to My Profile and clicking on the summary tab, there you will see your current point standing. To see detail of how you earned those points, you can click on My History, which is in the same box as your photo. This will display all your transactions and will show individually how you earned your points.