Start at shopping bots such as mySimon, ShopFind, and Shopping.com to find the lowest reliable price. I searched for a Kodak DC200 Plus digital camera.

After sorting by price, I found seven stores that sold the camera for less than Buy.com. (Note: The search for these prices was done January 31, 2000. Sites and prices can change on a daily basis.)

PC Wonders -- CLICK

Clicking on the cheapest one, PC Wonders, I saw that the price on its site matches what's listed on shopping.com. That's a good first start. In addition, there were images, information, and an "Add to Cart" button. That was easy -- exactly what I wanted to see.

Computer4sure.com -- CLUNK

Looking down the list at Computer4Sure.com, the shopping.com's bot says they're selling the camera for $298. However, if I click through to Computer4Sure.com's site, the price changes to $320. Whoops, I didn't need to see that. This is a huge mistake, because not only did Computer4Sure.com lose a sale, they lost a customer. It's going to take a lot to win my trust back.

Buymoreproduct.com -- CLUNK

Then I scrolled down further and clicked through to Buymoreproduct.com. What did I find? Almost nothing. Is this really an e-commerce website? I sure hope they weren't trying to sell me anything. No company name, no picture, and no information. You know what that adds up to? No sale.

BuyDig.com -- CLUNK

My last stop was at BuyDig.com. Here I saw no picture, no price to confirm, but most importantly, there was no buy button. All they've got is an 800 number, so according to BuyDig.com's logic they want me to:

1. Disconnect.
   
2. Call their 800 number.
   
3. Listen to a recorded menu.
   
4. Push my way through to HEAR if the price matches what's on the shopping bot.
   
5. Then they want me to buy.
   

Don't let this happen to you. Make sure you've got what it takes to guarantee price.
Pricing Checklist

1. Become the buyer -- Watch the shopping bots. Price competitively if your operations can afford it.
   
2. Match the shopping bots -- DON'T let your prices differ.
   
3. And finally, include a BUY button.