Sandra Carrico has made a living being a developer as well as a successful, self-proclaimed "eBay power affiliate." She also runs a Web site to educate online consumers about which products to buy online and where to get them for the best price. From tires to expensive shoes, Carrico knows where to go.

But that hasn't stopped her from finding even more ways to spur e-commerce in her own unique ways. During eBay Live, Carrico pressed the flesh while promoting her new (and free) service, DealCloset Search and Alerts.

According to Carrico, DealCloset Alerts is a service that sends you automatic e-mail alerts based on certain criteria that you've predetermined. For example, you receive an e-mail alert when new products match the search terms you determined, cost less than your highest set price, and when the time remaining for the auction is less than the time you selected. The search functionality, which she programmed herself, lets you search all popular auction sites, including eBay and Overstock.com for any particular items.

"I'm promoting it because people like using it and enjoy the value it offers them," Carrico told ECommerce Guide.

Carrico said that while she expects to earn very little from this new program, she plans to share whatever she makes from the venture with Habitat for Humanity — a favorite charity of hers.

Meanwhile, DealCloset customers receive plenty of "expert" insight into a variety of products, all courtesy of Carrico. "I think I do a good job of explaining how to buy tires online," she said. "Another item that's popular right now is high thread count sheets — for cheap. Eight hundred-to-1,000 thread count, not the stuff you find in most stores."

Cerrico also said that most of her customers are looking for higher-end, luxury goods. "I also love shoes, like Zappos and Mephistos (which cost roughly $250 a pair)," she added.

DealCloset Alerts' target market is people who already use eBay. "The service is useful and for my customers and for me. I run the site myself because I like to do it," she said.

Devin Comiskey is managing editor of ECommerce-Guide.com

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