Latest news with #Sadovsky
Fashion United
25-07-2025
- Business
- Fashion United
5 Sneaky Online Shopping Fees Consumers may be Unknowingly Spending Money On
The convenience and ease of online shopping today remain unrivalled. As consumers across the world opt for benefits linked to ecommerce, many reportedly remain unaware of the amount of 'hidden fees' associated with it that may silently increase their final bill. To help consumers better understand the costs linked to online shopping, an online platform for prescription glasses, Overnight Glasses, created a checklist of the most common add-on costs and how to spot them, giving consumers more control over their spending. 1) Be sure to check for speedy shipping, rush processing, gift wrapping, and other pre-selected auto add-ons. Online retailers often offer optional extras like extended warranties, gift wrapping, and expedited processing, which can be pre-selected when checking out. 26 percent of online shoppers unknowingly paid for additional services that they did not intend to, by not unchecking pre-filled boxes when checking out, according to a recent survey from Better Business Bureau, making it a must to check these add-ons at checkout. 'People often speed through checkout without realizing they've agreed to optional add-ons,' said Gidon Sadovsky, CEO of Overnight Glasses, in a statement. 'These services may only cost a few dollars each, but across multiple orders, they become a consistent source of unnecessary spending.' Online shopping Credits: Pexels 2) Browse privately to avoid price increases linked to your online activity Did you know that online prices can vary depending on consumers' devices, location, or browsing history? Known as dynamic pricing, research from Northeastern University found that prices on leading retail websites can alternate as much as 10 to 20 percent depending on the consumers' browsing history. 'A returning user or someone in a high-income zip code may see higher prices for the same product,' said Sadovsky. An easy loop is to shop in incognito mode or to use a VPN to hide your location. 3) Check the return policy to avoid paying associated fees Today, it's not uncommon for many shoppers to assume that returns are free or included in the original order price, but unfortunately, that's not always the case. According to a report from the National Retail Federation, US consumers pay over 9 billion dollars in return-related fees annually, as brands and retailers charge for return shipping or ask for restocking fees to cover shipping costs. 'People assume returns are free, but in many cases, the cost of return shipping or restocking can significantly reduce your refund,' warned Sadovsky. Shopping online with credit card Credits: Pexels, Anna Shvets 4) Review your credit card coverage before opting for a product warranty Retailers may offer extended warranties for certain products, especially electronics, home goods, etc. However, many credit cards already include purchase protection, extended warranty coverage, or other benefits that might make buying additional product warranties unnecessary. 'In many cases, your credit card already provides purchase protection, or the manufacturer's warranty is sufficient,' notes Sadovsky. Data from Consumer Reports found that 55 percent of consumers who purchased extended warranties never used them, and an existing plan already covered 38 percent. So, consumers would be wise to double-check credit card offers before spending extra money on protection plans they may already have. 5) Read the fine print of shipping terms to make sure delivery is included Brands and retailers often promote free shipping, but it is usually applicable to a minimum spend and may exclude heavy or bulky items and certain delivery countries. Double-checking the fine print before placing an order can help avoid unexpected shipping fees, which, according to Statista, is the number one reason shoppers abandon their cart before checkout. 'Most hidden fees show up at the very end of the checkout process—so one smart tactic is to simulate a purchase before you actually commit,' concludes Sadovsky. 'Add the item to your cart, go through checkout until the final review screen, and take note of any surprise handling fees, shipping costs, or add-ons. Then close the tab and compare it with other retailers offering the same product. You'd be surprised how often the same item is available elsewhere with fewer fees—and this one-minute check can save you real money.' Summary Online shoppers should watch out for pre-selected add-ons like speedy shipping and gift wrapping that can increase the final bill. Online prices can vary based on browsing history and location, so browsing privately or using a VPN can help avoid dynamic pricing. Consumers should check return policies and credit card coverage to avoid unexpected fees and unnecessary warranty purchases.
CBC
27-03-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Reigning champion Ilia Malinin of U.S. leaps to early lead at figure skating worlds in Boston
Social Sharing Reigning world champion Ilia Malinin delivered a season-best short program on Thursday night, giving the young American star a slim lead over Japan's Yuma Kagiyama in what has quickly become a two-man race to this year's title. The 20-year-old Malinin delivered a pair of quads and a brilliant triple axel to score 110.41 points, just over three points off the world record set by Nathan Chen at the 2022 Winter Olympics. It was enough to keep Malinin in first when Kagiyama followed him with a resplendent program that resulted in a score of 107.09 — about a point off his career-best. Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan was a distant third with 94.77 points heading into Saturday night's free skate, which will wrap up the final world championships before the Milano-Cortina Olympics next year. The high-flying Malinin, who has not been beaten since 2023, has become the clear-cut favourite to succeed Chen at the Winter Games. And he certainly doesn't seem to mind the pressure, performing with a sort of swagger that belies his age. As Malinin wrapped his short program, set to "Running" by American rapper NF, the TD Garden crowd stood in ovation. American 'quad god' Ilia Malinin jumps out to big world championship lead in Boston 2 hours ago Duration 6:34 Malinin set a new personal best score of 110.41 points to win the men's short program, at the world figure skating championships in Boston. Canada's Sadovsky just misses season-best score Roman Sadovsky of Vaughan, Ont., posted an 80.25, just shy of a season-best, to rank 15th after his solid skate to "Unconscious" by Charlie Winston. "Overall, a really positive experience, really good energy here in the crowd — lots of Canadian flags," said Sadovsky, who placed 19th at worlds in Montreal last year. The 25-year-old qualified for Saturday's free skate and secured one men's event entry for Canada at the 2026 Winter Games. He'll need to climb into the top 10 to earn his country a second provisional spot. WATCH | Sadovsky sits 15th after men's short program: Canada's Roman Sadovsky sits in 15th place at the world figure skating championships 3 hours ago Duration 6:02 The world championships continued Thursday night, when the first medals were to be awarded following the pairs free skate. Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara of Japan had a nearly two-point lead over Sara Conti and Niccolo Macci of Italy after their short program as they try to win back the world title they held two years ago. Defending champs Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps of Canada have work to do. They earned negative grades of execution for their twist, throw triple loop and spin in their short program, leaving them in seventh with 67.32 points. One of the subplots to the world championships is how many spots each country can secure for the Olympics. The formula is relatively complicated, but for countries such as the U.S. with three competitors at worlds, the top two placements must total 13 or less for that nation to receive the maximum of three spots at the Winter Games. Malinin is certain to give the Americans one good score. The other will depend on the performances in Saturday night's free skate for Andrew Torgashev and Jason Brown, the 30-year-old, two-time Olympian who continues to defy his age. Ilia Malinin overcomes nerves to win men's world championship short program 2 hours ago Duration 1:11 American Ilia Malinin spoke with CBC Sports' Devin Heroux, after setting a new personal best score of 110.41 points to win the men's short program, at the world figure skating championships in Boston. Torgashev spent a while atop the leaderboard Thursday night after a short program that scored 87.27 points and left him in eighth place. Brown wound up 12th with 84.72, a total that would have been better had the perennial fan favourite not overshot his triple axel or double a planned triple toe loop in his combination with a triple lutz. Nevertheless, Brown was all smiles after a solid skate amid a trying season. He's been dealing with boot issues that forced him to withdraw from the U.S. championships in January, and only recently did he finally get his equipment sorted out. "You know what? It felt great," Brown said. "I'm proud of the fight that I gave this season. You know, every single time I got knocked down, my coaches and sports psych and my family would like, rally behind me, like, `No, we're going to keep pushing. We're going to figure it out.' And so out of that, oh my gosh, it's so special." That Figure Skating Show | Previewing the 2025 world championships in Boston: That Figure Skating Show previews Boston 2025 2 days ago Duration 29:52 The 2025 World Figure Skating Championships are in Boston where Amber Glenn and Ilia Malinin get to compete on home soil. Piper Gilles & Paul Poirier look to win elusive world gold and Deanna Stellato-Dudek & Maxime Deschamps defend their title. Olympic quota spots are on the line for Canadian single skaters and we hear from Devin Heroux, our man on the ground at Worlds.
