Yesterday, the discussion began regarding online shopping and catalogs. Here are some tips to help you make the most of these convenient ways to shop:
First, check out any company you’re considering doing business with to see if they are reputable. Make sure a site is secure before giving out your payment information. Check reviews of websites and catalogs online, check the Better Business Bureau, reseller ratings, or just type in the name with the word “complaints” and see what pops up. You can also ask friends and family to suggest catalogs and websites they trust.
Be aware that some catalogs and websites offer what appears to be an incredibly low price for popular items. If the price seems especially low, you can just about bet that the shipping fee is ridiculous. Many companies charge extreme shipping and handling fees to make up for those “low, low prices,” so be sure to check it out.
I have had excellent results with Amazon.com and Overstock.com, and both offer reasonable shipping. These are two of my favorites.
Another tip is to order as early as possible, especially if you’re shopping with from a catalog company or site you haven’t done much business with in the past. You’ll want to receive your items in plenty of time to check them out before Christmas. Some places can take weeks to ship, and we’re only 9 weeks away from Christmas.
When your order arrives, check it carefully. Make sure you received everything you ordered (good idea to keep a list), and make sure it’s all in the correct colors, sizes, styles, etc. Make sure the quality of each item is what you expected, or return them immediately.
With that in mind, don’t get in such a big hurry that you miss things on your order or find something later that you’d like to add. If this occurs, you’ll end up paying more for shipping.
As far as shipping goes, be aware that some companies will not combine several orders and send one (or as few as possible) packages. Each item will be separate, which can be a pain. Not only because you’ll need to be around to collect the deliveries but also because when companies do this, it’s usually so they can charge individual shipping charges for every item. Personally, I’d seriously rethink using any such company.
That’s another good point to keep in mind. Will someone be available to collect each order as it comes in? You don’t want gifts and other expensive items sitting around. Unfortunately, this time of year, people will steal mail and packages looking for gift checks and Christmas gifts.
Perhaps your delivery service won’t leave items if you’re not at home. They will do so here, because it’s so rural and everybody knows everybody. It doesn’t happen very often anyway, since they usually show up about the same time I pull up from picking up my kids after school.
If it’s US mail, you should be able to pick it up at the post office at your convenience. UPS or FedEx should leave a call slip if you’re not at home.