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Jose Gomez Marquez can sometimes be spotted in elec tronics outlets near his home in Cambridge, Mass., using his iPhone to methodically photograph items on the shelves. He s taking pictures of barcodes, so he can use a mobile phone application called ShopSavvy. Once he s taken the photo, the app searches a database of …

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Of course, much of the new technology has practical and even ethical kinks to work out. The tools give retailers more ways to track users locations and habits, bringing up privacy concerns among consumer advocates. And some consumers are already reporting getting inundated by local retailers offers. (Joel Osman, who heads a mobile technology group …

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5. Know store price matching and return policies. Some retailers relax their return policies during the holiday season, according to ConsumerAffairs, but don t count on it, and always learn the rules before buying. Some companies have different return policies for in store, online, or mail order purchases.