PCWorld today posted an article on circumnavigating hassles while shopping online.

• "Short technology-product cycles may be a fact of life, but some retailers aggravate the problem by knowingly foisting older gear on customers--or at the very least, by not making clear to buyers whether the items in stock are nearing obsolescence." This is a good point. Make sure you don't buy a new iPod two weeks before the next model comes out. No, we never did that. (Yes, we fucking did.)

• Watch out for bogus reviews. "The problem of bogus reviews has arisen even at well-known sites such as Amazon.com." Oh, so true.

• Complain to the Better Business Bureau if something goes horribly wrong. "The good news: Amazon usually issues a refund to consumers who complain to the BBB about shipping delays."

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