Lycos Shopping FAQ

What is Lycos Shopping?

Lycos Shopping is an online comparison shopping search engine, helping you find the right products you want at the lowest price you can get online. At Lycos Shopping, we strive to make your online shopping experience as easy and pleasant as can be, by providing you the capability to easily compare product features and offers from hundreds of merchants. We are here to make online shopping easier and faster and overall a better experience for you, so get started!

Is Lycos Shopping a store brand?

We're not a store brand, but more like an online shopping mall in the sense that we bring together hundreds of stores, brands, merchants and millions of products into one place. It's really a one-stop-shop! All this is accessible from your computer or mobile phones. Your convenience and comfort is our goal.

Is Lycos Shopping safe to use?

Yes, absolutely! Lycos Shopping uses secure servers to protect your personal information, including not but limited to your name, address, phone number, and credit card information. We do not share your personal information for any marketing purpose, nor do we target you with advertising based on that information. According to CNN, "The prevalent opinion is that online credit card use is actually no riskier for consumers than traditional 'low-tech' transactions." So sit back and relax while shopping on Lycos!

How do I find products that I want?

You can either browse the products by category or search for your favorite brand name.

Searching for products

If you know what you want, use the search box on top of the page on Lycos Shopping. To find a specific item, simply enter descriptive keywords in the search box and click Search. You can also enter the UPC code for the particular product you are looking for. If there are no results returned for your search, try one of the following to modify your searches:

• Make sure your spelling is correct
• Remove quotes, hyphens, or apostrophes in the words
• Use different words or synonyms, instead of searching for "chino britches" try "chino pants"
• Use fewer words to broaden your search criteria, instead of searching for "western jean jacket with tassels" try "jean jackets" or simply "jackets"

Browsing for products

You can also browse through the Lycos Shopping categories to find stuff that interests you. Just start on the home page and click on any category you want to explore. Then start checking out the popular products or keep drilling down until you see the products you like. Once you find the right products, use our comparison feature to compare products side-by-side, or apply filters to narrow down your choices until you get to the perfect one!

How do I find anything if I am not sure what I want?

Start with Shop by Category or What's Selling on our front page and discover the popular products that other shoppers like you bought and liked in the past. We compile this information for the exact purpose that when you are not sure what want yet, you can see what others liked and maybe you'll like them, too!

How do I find coupons and other deals?

We have a large collection of popular deals and coupons from brand name stores. You can browse our coupons section and view coupons by category, or search recent deals on Lycos Deals site, which is accessible here or from shopping home page. For the best online deals for a given product, we suggest starting the search on Lycos Shopping but compare prices for similar products on Lycos Deals. We offer both so you can get the best deals anywhere online.

Can I use Lycos Shopping on my iPhone, Android, or BlackBerry?

Yes, absolutely! Lycos Shopping is optimized for iPhone, Android devices and BlackBerry. You can search for products as well as browse through product listings by category. We also have the most popular products and coupons listed. Next time when you are in a store and trying to compare features and prices for that new 3D LED TV, check out Lycos Shopping on your smartphone and let us help you make the purchase decision.

On Lycos Shopping for mobile devices, you can search for the TV, read customer reviews and expert reviews, compare offers from different stores and get the best deal on the web. Some merchants offer free shipping, so you can really save a lot buying online, right from your mobile phone!

Ordering and checkout at Lycos Shopping

Lycos Shopping help you find products available through our participating stores. The products available on the site are sold and shipped by these stores independent of Lycos Shopping. Each store determines its own accepted payment methods and shipping fees. For questions about order status or payment options, please contact the stores directly. Many of the stores represented on Lycos Shopping do ship internationally. Please contact the stores directly in order to determine their international shipping policies.

I have a problem with my purchase. Who should I contact?

All questions about your order (including status, specifications, tax, shipping, payment methods, cancellations or returns) should be directed to the store where you made the purchase. Lycos Shopping do not retain specific information about your order, nor do we handle fulfillment of your orders. Typically within one day of checkout, stores will send you an order confirmation e-mail. The e-mail shall include contact information and your order confirmation number for future order inquiries. Contact the stores directly for any order status and shipping inquiries.

My order hasn't arrived. Who should I contact?

Lycos Shopping helps you find products available through our participating stores. The products available on our site are sold and shipped by these stores independent of Lycos Shopping. For questions about shipping methods and fees, please contact the appropriate stores directly. This includes questions about what shipping companies are available for the order, shipping rates, and order tracking.

Can I return an item after I receive it?

That depends on which store you bought your product from. Each store on Lycos Shopping determines its own cancellation and return policy. For questions about order cancellations or product returns, please contact the appropriate stores directly. You may need to pay shipping fees for returns. Again, each store has its own policy so please check with the store directly.

What are OEM or refurbished products? Are they reliable?

New:

Perfect condition, never used. Item must be delivered in an unopened original package.

OEM:

It is a New item (as defined above) but is in bulk packaging.

Generic - 3rd party:

It is a New item (as defined above) but is of a generic version manufactured by a separate manufacturer.

Refurbished:

It is a New item (as defined above) but it has been refurbished by the manufacturer.

Like New:

This refers to an item that has never been used. It looks and functions identical to a New item (as defined above), but for some reason this item does not qualify as New. Item may not come in the original package. The UPC may have been removed from the item.

Used - very good:

Item looks and functions as if it were new, and has no marks or scratches. All parts, manuals, cables and software are included with the item.

Used - good:

Item works as new. Minimal cosmetic damage to product. Some wear and tear but not excessive. All parts, manuals, cables and software included.

Used - acceptable:

The most important functions of the item work as new. Functions that don't work should be described in detail in the description. May have some damage; some non-basic components may be missing.

How many merchants are represented on Lycos Shopping?

Lycos Shopping works with thousands of online stores from all over the country, including big name store brands like Target and BestBuy, as well as specialized mom and pop stores and other small business owners. We have over two thousand categories of products organized into an easy navigating structure for your convenience. Some merchants have thousands of products spread across dozens of categories, other only a few in one category. Our merchant directory pages provide a brief introduction and in some cases, user rating and reviews, for these stores, as well as their payment methods, shipping methods, and return policies.

What are the merchant ratings? Who rated them?

We hope the merchant ratings and reviews information help you make more informed decisions about which store to buy from and improve your overall online shopping experience. Merchant star ratings provide a glimpse about how other users have liked or disliked a merchant based on a one to five star scale. Not all merchants have been rated.

Merchant ratings and reviews are provided by third parties and are for informational purposes only. Lycos Shopping do not represent or warrant the accuracy, completeness or reliability of this information, and is not liable for any errors, omissions or delays in this information or for any losses or injuries arising from its display or use, including for any offers or transactions for products and services resulting from this information.

I have a customer service question. Who should I contact?

When you make a purchase through Lycos Shopping, you're placing an order directly with the merchant. Lycos Shopping do not have any specific information about your order, nor do we handle fulfillment of your order. All questions about your order (including order status, specifications, tax, shipping, payment methods, cancellations or returns) should be directed to the merchant.

Typically within one day of checkout, the merchant should send you an email confirmation. The email shall include your order confirmation number and contact information for any order inquiries. Contact your merchants directly for any customer service questions or to inquire about your order status.

Who should I ask about shipping and handling questions?

Lycos Shopping help you find what you need from participating stores. The products are sold and shipped by these stores independent of Lycos Shopping. Each store determines its own shipping and handling fees for different products and different locations. For questions about order status or shipping methods/shipping fees, please contact the stores directly. Many of the stores represented on Lycos Shopping do ship internationally. Please contact the stores directly in order to determine their international shipping policies. You may need to pay shipping fees or restocking fees for product returns.

Something is not working on the site. What do I do?

The team at Lycos Shopping work hard to provide the best online shopping experience for our users. We also work closely with third party data providers and merchants to make sure the information we provide is as accurate as possible. If you see a price error or misrepresented product information, please let us know by sending us via feedback.

If you experience any other technical difficulty or have any suggestion to the site, please tell us as well via feedback. We'd like to know your thoughts about our product and appreciate all comments from our users!

Do you have review guidelines?

Describe your own experience with the product

• Why did you buy this product?
• What do you use it for?
• What do you like about this product?
• What do you dislike about it?
• Would you recommend it to others?
• What tips do you have for other consumers?

Be relevant and specific

• Stay on topic about the product you're reviewing.
• Make factually accurate statements about the product.
• Be objective, this is not a place for marketing your own products.

Be original and respectful

• Do not copy reviews from other sites or users.
• Do not use profanity, threats, or any offensive language.
• Do not use this as advertising or SPAM.
• Do not write in ALL CAPS.

All reviews are subject to the terms set forth in Lycos Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Lycos reserves the right not to post your review, or remove your review from the site at any time without notice, if it contains any of the following types of content.

• Profanity, obscenities, offensive remarks or other language not suitable for a public forum.
• Advertising, marketing material including email address or phone numbers for your website.
• Commercial solicitation, chain letters, mass mailing or any form of SPAM.
• Single word reviews that's not helpful and not specific.
• Solicitations for votes, contributions, donations.
• Crucial plots (spoilers) if you're reviewing a movie, a play, or a book.

How do I write a review?

On any product details page, click the Write a Review link/button. You will be taken to a form where you can write your review, preview it, make any edit, then submit to be published on the site. You must be logged in to submit your review. You can login with your Lycos account, or using your Facebook, Google or PayPal account.

Can I write about a product or service that is not listed?

Currently we only support reviews for a product listed on Lycos Shopping.

Do my reviews have to be positive?

No. We want you to be very honest in your reviews, even if it means saying negative things, if your experience with the product is not pleasant. Consumers who are trying to decide whether or not to buy a product need to know its good and bad in order to make an informed decision. Your honest and objective reviews will help other users in their purchasing decision.

Can I post the same review for multiple products?

Each product should have a unique review ideally. Although many products may share a lot of features and similarities, such as different sizes of the same TV from the same manufacturer, there usually is enough difference to warrant two reviews.

If the only difference between two products, or among a few products, is color or size, as in different pairs of shoes, then the same review will apply to all of them. In this case, yes, you can use the review and post it multiple times.

Can I include links in my review?

No. You cannot include hyperlinks in the review. No links to your website, your blog, or other products. All links will be removed from review content before published.

What is the character limit for review?

For strengths and weakness, the limit is 10 characters to 1024 characters. For review summary, the limit is 20 characters to 5000 characters. We encourage users to write specific reviews using their own experience with the product. State what works well, what doesn’t, and any tips or recommendations for other users who may be considering buying the same product.

Does Lycos Shopping edit or delete reviews?

Lycos Shopping does not edit your reviews except to strip away all links in the review summary and remove all words that are on the censored list. We reserve the right to delete any review that doesn’t meet our guidelines, without notice to the user.