In these tough economic times, it is not only important to find new sources of income but also to cut down on expenditure. Online group buying is now extremely popular, with one well-known group buying Web site's revenue jumping from NT$13 million last August to NT$27 million at the end of last year, and an average of more than 700 new groups being established each day. These figures demonstrate that more and more people are using the Internet in smart ways to save money.
By using online group buying, it is easy to find more people in a short period of time to share freight costs and to buy in bulk so as to lower prices. It is also easier to get bigger discounts when more people take part in a group purchase.
Taiwan's earliest form of online group buying can be traced back to Bulletin Board Systems (BBS) in universities. Taiwan's largest BBS site, PTT, has a group buying board that was established in 2004 and has done a lot to help people locate and buy various gourmet foods from around Taiwan.
PHOTO: TAIPEI TIMES
Liu Ching-hao, sales manager from group buying Web site Ihergo said that the lackluster economy has made people think hard about how they can save money, making online group buying suddenly very popular. Liu said that record amounts of people are visiting the Web site and that the site's takings have doubled. Chia Ching who sets up more than 60 group buys per month said: “Group buying is especially convenient for nuclear families. Not only do they not have to worry that their family isn't big enough to warrant buying certain items, but they can also get speciality dishes that don’t cost an arm and a leg.”
Chia said the largest purchase she ever made was a massage chair that had a market price of approximately NT$200,000. Chia got the chair for NT$140,000 after buying three of them with her friends.
She suggests doing some research before taking part in a group buy and that the only way to save money smartly is by staying aware of the price of the goods you want to buy.
There have been recent reports of fraud rings getting involved in group buying and setting up group buys to swindle legitimate buyers. This has made buyers worried when they make their payments. Chia said the best way for buyers to protect themselves is to be familiar with the rules of each group buy, the related laws and not to be greedy.
(LIBERTY TIMES,TRANSLATED BY DREW CAMERON)
景氣不好，除了開源，節流也很重要。網路合購現正當紅，知名合購網合購總金額從去年八月的一千三百萬元暴衝到去年底的兩千七百萬元，平均每天開團數達七百多團，顯示透過網路聰明省錢的民眾越來越多。
網路合購容易在短時間找到更多「團員」來分攤運費，以量制價，爭取的折扣也會比較多。
追溯網路合購的起源，最初來自校園BBS，國內最大BBS站批踢踢合購板於二００四年開板，五年來造就不少「合購美食」的傳奇。
合購網站「愛合購」業務經理劉謦豪表示，不景氣讓民眾苦思如何省錢，網路合購頓時成為焦點，不僅網站瀏覽人數屢創新高，交易金額也成長了一倍。每月開超過六十團的主購佳靜表示，「合購對小家庭尤其方便，不但省去人口少、不易採買的困擾，還能用很經濟的價格吃到各種名產。」
佳靜說，她買過最誇張的一次是買按摩椅，市價約二十萬元的按摩椅，跟朋友合買三台，一台降到十四萬元。
她建議參與團購前最好先做功課，對想買的東西價格要保持敏銳度，才能聰明省更多。
不過，近期傳出詐騙集團滲入合購，借發起團購騙走款項，讓團員付款時心裡怕怕。佳靜建議，熟悉團購規則及相關法律，還有不要太貪小便宜才能保護自己。（自由時報）
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