Instead, head for FindPrice.

FindPrice was launched by Jump Shopping to meet the need for a comprehensive, accurate, fast and user friendly online price comparison portal. All the best practices learned from running Jump Shopping have been incorporated in the new site. Plus, some important novelties were instituted:

• New, extensive filters make it possible for shoppers to search by brand or by shop and to filter the results by price, popularity or relevance. Shoppers can also choose to see only the shops that offer free shipping for a specific product by clicking on the image of the little truck in the Compare prices view.
• The customer security has been improved with the introduction of Verified shops.  For a shop to become verified, it has to meet a strict set of criteria that practically guarantee a hassle-free shopping experience.
• Price alerts and price history graphs, available in a specific product page, allow the shoppers to keep track of price movements.
• While on a product page, shoppers can also save the product to a list and come back to them later, without having to search all over again.

“Times are tough and life is too short to waste searching for a good deal”, say the Jump Shopping and FindPrice guys in their press release. They also promise that this is only the beginning and add: “As consumer needs evolve, FindPrice will continue to expand. One of the upcoming new features to look forward to is FindPrice Mobile, offering added convenience for on-the-go shoppers.”

That’s in line with current shopping trends that tend to blur the divide between “online” and “offline”. So, the next time you visit a real-life shop you might be able to take out your smartphone, navigate to FindPrice, quickly check the product you are interested in, and then goad the shop assistant into giving you a hefty discount. (Love it!)

And what about Jump Shopping?

Jump.co.za will remain active as a price comparison site for the next few weeks, until the transition to FindPrice is completed.  Afterwards, it will become a content site focused on ecommerce, brimming with news from the budding South African online shopping space. And yes, Jump will continue with the tradition of conferring annual South African ecommerce awards.

#1. The Red Satchel

– Even if you don’t get to ride a vintage bicycle through cobbled pathways to work, you can still feel like it, with a buckled, red-leather satchel

#2. The Statement Shoe

– There is no more classic a statement-piece than a sexy, bright red heel

#3. The Red Dress

– The LRD (Little Red Dress) is for those with a little more zing

#4. Red Specs

– When your usual office wear gets a little boring, try these on for size

#5. DKNY Perfume

– Keep it fresh and fruity with this Red Delicious scent

#6. Red Lingerie

– Spicy unmentionables under any outfit can bring out your self-confidence

#7. Red Tunic

– Flowing fabrics can round-off the harshness of a bright red colour, making it more wearable

#8. Red Strap Watch

– Red accents on a classic silver design; it’s chic and sophisticated

#9. Red Crop Jacket

– With autumn on it’s way, find something to keep you a little warmer in the evenings in the colour of the changing leaves

#10. The Red Ball Gown

– For very swish soirées, a gorgeous red dress is classic and memorable

Red, red, lovely red…!

Vidette Tromp has been selling on bidorbuy as Eccentric Beads  for about two and a half years. In that time, she has managed to accumulate over 5000 “selling” rating, the majority of them positive. Her rating percentage currently stands at 99.98%.

An enviable record for any seller, wouldn’t you say?

And yet, when we approached her with the request to tell us her success story, Vidette said: “Lol! I am still trying to get there!”

Vidette sells mainly beads and beading requirements and describes her bidorbuy venture as quote, business, unquote.

What first prompted you to sell on bidorbuy?

I was spending all my money on bidorbuy! So, I thought it was only fair to get something out (smile)!

What are the biggest benefits that you find selling on bidorbuy?

I have four children and my retired mom with me, not to mention my husband, who for all intensive purposes counts as another child. My oldest two, now 9 and 10 years old, do have special needs, and my younger two, who are 3 and 5 years old, are just downright busy. BOB allows me to make money from home and still be available to my family whenever they need me – which they do a lot!

What sets your company or products apart from the rest?

What sets me apart? I am trying to motivate sales by offering the monthly competition, as well as Buyer Rewards. I also offer a 10% discount on every order as a free gift. And I always do my best to try and make sure that my customers are happy.

How do you promote your products?

I list on specials on BOB, and post regularly to my Facebook page, “Eccentric Beads”.

What has been the biggest lesson you have learnt?

Networking works!! And never out your eggs in one basket. That’s more like a not to self: I am at present trying to diversify a bit, to include non-beading items.

What advice would you give to sellers who are new to bidorbuy?

To new sellers: you WILL have bad weeks, you WILL want to scream from frustration, but never give up! The busy periods are worth the quiet times!

What are your favourite features on bidorbuy?

I truly cannot answer that. I love bidorbuy in just about every aspect. I would have to say my favourite feature would be BOB itself!

Additional comments about bidorbuy?

If it were not for bidorbuy, we would be in serious financial sticky. Admittedly, when thing are quiet on bidorbuy, things do get sticky anyway, but I wake up every morning knowing that anything can happen… orders may come in… There is always hope that tomorrow I will be in a better position! Frankly speaking, if it was not for BOB I would not be able to survive!

It’s hard to believe that not so long ago, the final game of the Super Rugby 2011 took place. On the morning of the 9th of July 2011 the final game saw a clash between the Aussie Reds and the New Zealand Crusaders, with the latter winning 18 points to the Reds’ 13 points. So what’s happened to the South African teams you may ask? Well, in the last five years of Super Rugby (2007-2011), South African teams have featured in the finals five times in four of the finals and won the trophy three times; with the Bulls taking the trophy on all three occasions (in 2007, 2009 and 2010).

Previous Finals Winners (2007 – 2011)

With such a long season and aggressive game schedule, it’s no wonder that the team make-up will be changed up somewhat. Some of the top players in each team have either retired, or opted to pursue their sport in another country. Victor Matfield, who after 12 years of rugby including Captaining the National team for four years, has retired from play. He is still coaching the Bulls side on a consultancy base, however.

“It’s been good so far…Today is all about finding my feet and fitting in. What makes it a bit easier is that I know the systems the guys work with and even though they’ve been training on their own for two months, it’s just a case of looking for small adjustments at this stage. I want to make a contribution to make a difference for the team.” Victor says, (News24).

Another loss to the team is that of Jacque Fourie, who played for the Stormers, and who is said to be chasing the yen this year. Other great players to leave are: Fourie du Preez, Danie Russouw, as well as Bakkies Botha who now plays for a club in France, to name but a few.

On a lighter note, the new Super Rugby season is almost here and everyone is getting revved up to support their teams. This is the second of its kind to host not 12, not 14, but 15 teams in the fight for the ultimate championship. Your calendar for all the fixtures for 2012 is available below, just make sure you don’t miss out.
Also, check out our rugby apparel shop for your teams apparel, or get into the game with balls and kits from our rugby store.

Super Rugby Fixtures 2012

Tell us why you love bidorbuy in a comment to this blog and you will be entered into our Valentine’s Day 2012 competition.

Prizes:

• First prize The Lover’s Bliss Couples Package at the private couple’s suite of the Renaissance Day Spa (Nelson Mandela Square, Sandton, Gauteng). The massage lasts three and a half hours and is valued at R2400. He gets a hot stone massage and an Indian head massage. She gets an aromatherapy massage and a sole revival. Both get a glass of sparkling wine and a fruit platter.
• Second prize: R1000 cash to spend on bidorbuy.

So, go on, and don’t be shy! Tell us why bidorbuy is the best!

Terms and conditions

• To enter the competition, tell us why you love bidorbuy in a comment to this blog post, from now until midday 14 February 2012
• bidorbuy will select 5 best comments
• From morning 15 February until morning 16 February, there will be a public voting for one of the 5 comments on the bidorbuy Wall on Facebook
• The comment that gets the most votes wins the Spa treatment.
• The runner up wins the R1000 to spend on bidorbuy.
• The prizes must be used within three months from the date the winners are declared.
• General bidorbuy competition terms and conditions apply.
• By entering the competition, you accept the bidorbuy competition terms and rules.

 The various changes made to the game-play have ruffled some die hard FIFA players’ feathers. The tactical defence system really engages with the player; Gone are the old days of charging strikers with your defenders and winning the ball. The new defence system requires the player to time every tackle. If the timing is out, the striker will breeze past defenders. Jostling for the ball, once beaten by a striker, is another part of the new system. Defending has its challenges, but with a bit of practice players will become accustomed to the new system.

This game is much more challenging than previous versions, and new comers to FIFA, may become disheartened by it. Luckily, you can revert to the old control systems if you are unhappy with the new defending system. On the Attacking front an exciting addition is precision dribbling. Just like their real life counter parts, players with the ability to dribble will do so.  Whipping the improved AI is not as easy as it once was, especially when you are up against the bigger teams. The dribbling system is quite realistic: Ronaldo will punish players with his blistering pace; long range efforts from Steven Gerrard will be converted, and so on. This adds to the realism. As does the new physics engine which makes player impacts and injuries look and feel like the real deal. Although the referee does make decisions based on the new system, he can sometimes seem unfair, just like in real life.

The new engine that FIFA runs on has definitely improved the visuals of the game. For the first time the PC version of FIFA is running on the same engine as the console versions. If you are looking for the best visuals possible, the PC version might be the place to look. In addition to the new engine the various game modes are, of-course, still available and have been greatly improved. If you are not playing FIFA online(and you should be) the manger mode has become the ultimate alternative FIFA experience. You can select to play as a manager or a player or a player-manger. You can now even chat to the media.Plus a new countdown to transfer deadline adds to the realism of the game. Multi-player is still as addictive as ever. Connecting to EA’s servers is quick and seamless if you have the right broadband connection, so try it out if you haven’t already.

Overall FIFA 12 is the best football simulator available. PES still has its fans but I believe FIFA is king of the football sims.

FIFA 12 is available on Xbox 360, PS3, PC, Wii, PS2, PSP & 3DS.

What is your take on the game?

What’s Samare Retail Group’s M.O?

SRG aims to bring South African fashion to the fast emerging online market, with products ranging from every day wear to high fashion items.

Where did your inspiration come from?

The lack of MADE IN SA fashion is a huge problem in the Clothing and Textile Industry, with most products being sourced or produced internationally.  Adding to that is the fact that the local manufacturing market has shrunk significantly, which is an industry in which the majority of middle to lower income South Africans are or were once employed.

What was your very first introduction to the world of Fashion?

With the majority of my family being employed in this industry, it was hard not to follow suit. I landed my first job being a  P.A. to a very well-known South African swimwear designer. This was the starting point of my hunger to pursue a fashion related busi

ness.

South African has many talented designers, Who are your favourites?

Stoned Cherrie by Nkhensani Nkosi, I love her designs for the way she blends vibrant colours into her pieces, and her beautiful silhouettes which are never ‘over the top’. My current favourites are Michelle Ludek’s maxi and midi dresses.  I also loved the lingerie designed by Coconut Jazz.

What excites you about the South African fashion industry?

It’s always changing; it’s always fun seeing our interpretation of global fashion trends.

What kinds of clothing are you into?

My key drivers are comfort, versatility, longevity, or for that special piece, I try to find something that is fun and unique but compliments my personality.

What’s it like being an online start-up in the clothing industry?

It is difficult, especially when you compare the size of the industry now to what it used to be.  But currently there is a huge growth in the numbers for online shoppers, with a significant shift to the trend of convenience shopping.

When you put together an outfit, are there rules you follow?

Always wear something that compliments your figure and that you are comfortable in. There is nothing worse than seeing a woman ‘schlepping’ along in stilettos when it is clear she is not comfortable in them, and never over accessorise: rather wear one piece – whether it’s a scarf, earrings, a bracelet or a necklace — that is eye catching.

How many pairs of shoes is too many?

 Really? A very tight kept secret is that women NEVER have enough shoes!!!!

What do you believe? Fashion should:

• follow the trends
• be about personal experimentation
• be wearable and classic
• be a form of art

Fashion should be wearable and classic, the term OVER THE TOP exists for a reason.

See Samare’s gorgeous fashion here! 

What do you think? Answer the poll yourself

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post’s poll.

Chinese manual? European power plug? The globalisation presents bidorbuy buyers and sellers with new challenges. Here’s our take on how to deal with them.

Let’s face it. Practically everything nowadays is Made in China (or thereabouts). And we are not talking only about clothing and trinkets. Many high-tech brand names have moved their production to Asia. Naturally, cheap and (more often than not) nasty brand-name look-alikes are also mushrooming. Sometimes, it can happen that the very same factory that manufactures brand-name goods rolls out similar-looking OEMs, and markets them at the fraction of the cost. With a very good reason: the OEMs do not have to pass the stringent quality controls.

Buyers (on bidorbuy and elsewhere) should always bear that in mind.

As for bidorbuy sellers who offer imported goods, globalisation presents them with new challenges. We suggest that they rise up to them by adhering to a few simple rules (do note that some are compulsory, while others constitute best practice):

• Never misrepresent an OEM product and try to pass it for the “real thing”. Not even by the means of a brand-like logo discretely placed on the product or the product’s box. This constitutes a trade mark breach. That contravenes the bidorbuy rules. It is also illegal.
• If the product comes only with the manual in the language of the country of origin, make sure to supply an English version.
• For products with non-standard power plugs, go the extra step and throw in an adapter, so that your customer is able to use them in conjunction with South African sockets.
• Always put yourself in the position of your customer and try to service them to the best of your abilities. Or you will lose out in this globalised marketplace.

This is one of the most gorgeous perfumes to wear on Valentine’s Day, and any other day for that matter: the playfully pretty Miss Dior Cherie.

With a congruently shaped bottle and similarity in the base notes, this perfume is reminiscent of the 1947 Dior release, Miss Dior. But Miss Dior Cherie is much more unusual, more playful and more interesting than its predecessor. It is able to stand its own, in all it’s fantastical femininity, just like the lady who wears it.

When to wear it

Wear it during the day time or late afternoon. It works during any season but it’s at its best during summer time.

On the Nose

This popular perfume is sweet and cheeky.  The fantasy in femininity is brought out with notes like caramel-popcorn, cherry and rose but the scent is still chic and sophisticated with base notes of honey-like amber and fresh patchouli.

Base: amber, patchouli, musk

Middle: violent, rose, jasmine, caramel popcorn

Top: strawberry, cherry, pineapple, orange

The Advertising

Get the Look

• Keep is cute and chic with bows and ballet flats
• Bubble skirts are the ultimate in sophisticated girlishness
• Play with candied, muted brights in multicolours
• And of course, don’t forget a spritz of Cherie
• Click the image to see these gorgeous pieces

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post’s poll.

What’s your favourite perfume?

The Nokia Lumia 800 is sleek at only 12.1mm thin.

The Nokia Lumia 800 is joined by the 710 in the Lumia family. Both have the best of what Windows Phone 7 has to offer and, with some Nokia propriety apps, it is set to become a top seller. Have a look for yourself!