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Hey, the best way to see India is at ground level on the Indian railway system, and not at 30,000 feet. The 63,000 km of rail route and 6,800 stations of the Indian railway system, the biggest in the world in terms of passenger kilometres can’t just be ignored. Otherwise how else would one enjoy the scenic countryside of the plains and the intriguing ridges and valleys of the Himalayas. Also with the superfast overnight trains like Rajdhani Express covering long distances effectively train travel is not going to be dead pretty soon. Few of our colleagues keep mentioning that these low cost carriers don’t offer any meals which anyways are excellent on Rajdhani. Also just how could any flight compare to that spectacular trip to Darjeeling on the ‘toy train’. Keeping all this in mind, we decided to include another special section on train fares. There’s an exclusive feature on Tolmol which lets you find the comparable airfare simultaneously while you look for the ultimate fare on trains, just in case you changed your mind in favour of air travel just then. Our aim is to put all the information at your disposal to make the choice for that great trip, you only need to make up the mind.

Cheers
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Prices defy the law of gravity! Once they go up, no way would they ever come down is a common refrain. Fare prices for travellers in India however have started to follow laws of Nature. With the continuing fare tussel between the Railways and the no frills, low cost airlines the contemporary scenario has changed a lot (for better!). For hordes of middle class Indians flying now is an affordable reality which not too long ago was confined to the rich and elite only. Finding the best deals on airfares being offered by these numerous airlines is a challange though. It was certainly simple back when there were just a couple of big airlines and standard fares and you could just call up your travel agent and choose amongst them. Circa 2006 and half a dozen airlines criss-cross the skies and most of them offer “dynamic” fares, the options surely have become mind-boggling. We realized this and came up with a special section for Airfares on Tolmol. Here you can search multiple airlines for that ultimate deal. Find for yourself!

Cheers
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Tired of the overcrowded shopping malls with long queues and ever shrinking parking space. That after you drive to them in heavy traffic(is it ever light!) fighting your way through the chaos on the city roads. Ah! I forget to mention the pollution levels which are supposed to be among the highest in the world. By the way ever felt cheated on hearing from your friend that some excellent stuff that you got at a great bargain from your favorite mall could be for got for 25% less at the adjacent one! Most of us make our best efforts to do comparison shopping while hopping malls but how to be sure that the mall that we skipped across the road wasn’t offering a better discount. Such and many similar experiences of this kind shared by friends keep us motivated towards providing a better alternative!

Right from the outset this has been our goal. To provide a one stop search solution for most shopping needs by allowing consumers to search and compare information that enables them to find the right product from the right retailer at the best price available either “online” from their website or “offline” at their local store situated conveniently in the vicinity. Through continued innovation and a consistent focus on providing the best comparison shopping experience on the Internet, Tolmol provides savvy shoppers access to millions of unique products and services from thousands of retailers and sellers in dozens of product and service channels. It gives answer for all the shopping questions viz.

• What to buy & Where to buy online? Tolmol employs a Web-wide search technology which aggregates millions of product offers from thousands of retailers on the Internet through its Online Offers.
• What to buy & Where to buy locally? Do you belong to the tribe that likes to actually see and touch the product before buying. Try Tolmol’s Local Offers, where you can find merchant offerings near to your place.
• What others are buying? Need some valuable unbiased information from an unprecedented community of consumers before actually making the choice. Tolmol has user opinions in the form of Topinions for products they have used.

Need any more tips on saving your scarce time and the hard earned money, wait for the next post. Meanwhile enjoy the day, skip the crowds, and happy shopping!

Cheers
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When shopping online, it is important to protect yourself from frauds. The internet is the place to find some great deals. However, it is also a great place for thieves to prey on unsuspecting buyers. Here are a few tips that will keep you protected:

before you buy

When shopping online
1) Become familiar with the sellers’ terms of sale, including shipping costs, return policies and accepted payment methods
2) Always verify the validity of any third-party endorsements that a seller claims to have (i.e. guarantees, payment providers, escrow services)
3) If you are unsure about a product or transaction, communicate with the seller by phone or e-mail before making any payment. The inability to correspond with a seller is a bad sign.
4) Make sure that the seller from whom you are purchasing has a good reputation. Get a few references if possible.

while you buy

During checkout and payment
1) Only pay using methods that protect your information as a buyer; some examples are credit cards and PayPal
2) Avoid sharing personal information like credit card and PAN/License numbers with sellers who are not reputable
3) When online, only share personal information over a secure server
4) Avoid sending money orders to people outside of the country or who do not offer other forms of protection like a third-party guarantee
5) Ask for a tracking number / confirmation number on all shipments

after you buy

After payment
1) Communicate with the seller about the status of your transaction
2) Verify that what was sent is what you paid for
3) Save all records of communication with a seller until you receive the product that you paid for

Courtesy: www.buysafe.com

Cheers
Anuj Kanish - Co-Founder & CEO, Avake

With all major global auto makers rushing to the India market - is it easier or harder to zero in on a car that offers your dream ride?

When the choice is more, in our opinion, the decision is tougher. Some have the looks others the efficiency. Some are loaded with latest gizmos while some offer traditional reliability. Also the cars aren’t like shirts that can be changed every month - at least they aren’t that cheap yet and not going to be so in a foreseeable future.

Yet another reality is that friends and neighbors are replacing scooters and bikes of yesteryears. You can’t stay behind while India is racing towards 4-wheeled future. You got to catch your ride and catch it judiciously.

TolMol Auto Comparison is an attempt to help make your decision easier on you. It allows you to compare autos side by side. You can compare the prices of various cars, as well as the detailed features and specifications. Additionally, you’ll be able to find the local auto dealers. We are still adding on to the auto dealer database, soon it will cover all the major cities in India.

Honda or Toyota? SUV or Sedan? Van or a cool sporty? Hope you find TolMol Auto-Comparison useful when you are shopping for your next car. We are also planning to add more features around auto-search in coming weeks so stay tuned. And please do share your ideas/suggestions on how we can improve Auto section further.

Be TolMol-ing, Be Driven
Ramna Sharma - Co-Founder & President, Avake

Website: http://www.tolmol.com

We are a team of young entrepreneurs and engineers who believe that the shopping can be made smarter through smart technology. More options we have harder it is to make the right decision – to find just what we need, to spend just enough for the value we get, and to be happy ever after.

We have just laid the foundation for our envisioned service - TolMol.com, a comparison shopping site.

TolMol is India’s first and leading comparison shopping solution. TolMol enables shoppers to compare and find the best deal on product and service offerings from thousands of online and local sellers.Shoppers can compare product features and prices side by side. Unbiased product and seller reviews and ratings further help shoppers make an informed buying decision.

We believe that TolMol.com will revolutionize the way we shop over the internet. And we seek your help in keeping that promise. Do visit TolMol.com (http://www.tolmol.com) and share your suggestions, your feedback, and your criticism. We are ready to receive it all, learn, and improve.

We look forward to having a dialog with you through this blog on our journey towards envisioned TolMol – India’s first comparison shopping solution.

Team TolMol

Welcome to TolMol Blog, a new blog from TolMol.com (formerly Ultop.com).

TolMol.com is India’s first comparison shopping site that enables shoppers to compare and find the best deal on products and service offerings from thousands of online and local sellers.

In single TolMol search, shoppers can find information on thousands of products and services from popular shopping websites and local sellers across major cities in India. Shoppers can compare product features and prices side by side. Unbiased product and seller reviews and ratings further help shoppers make an informed buying decision. For travelers, TolMol offers airfare vs. train fare comparison along with the special travel deals to choose from.

Shoppers can now TolMol products and sellers before taking their wallet out. Please visit TolMol.com for details.

Through TolMol blog we will keep you posted about new features of TolMol.com, and shopping in general.

Happy Comparison Shopping

Ramna Sharma - Co-Founder & President, Avake
Anuj Kanish - Co-Founder & CEO, Avake
Jay - CTO, Avake

Compare Before You Buy