Monday, November 29, 2010

General Statement about Buying #3

Third in this series, this post tells you how to get free shipping at almost any online store! There are several ways to go about doing this, some easy and some that require more effort.
  1. Shop at stores that offer free shipping on every order. Shoe stores usually fit into this category.
  2. Use a free shipping coupon code. If you're lucky you can get these in the form of an email from the store. The email will usually read something like "Free shipping on any order, no minimum! Use code: FREESHIP10" Another way to find a code is to look at coupon websites. Some worthy of being mentioned: www.retailmenot.com, www.couponcabin.com, www.slickdeals.net.
  3. But what happens if you find a code, but there's a minimum. You can only receive the free shipping on orders of $50 or more, for example. RELAX! Don't worry if you don't plan on purchasing stuff for that amount! Here's an option that will work if the store you're shopping at has a B&M (brick and mortar) location near your location. Make a purchase for the full amount (throw in stuff you don't need to bring your total up to the minimum), and then return the extras to your store! You will not have to pay for return shipping this way. This is an excellent idea when you shop at places like Gap, Old Navy, DSW, Macy's, American Eagle Outfitters, and other stores with many B&M locations. Recently, the Gap stores have added a "free shipping on every order" to their website, but there is a minimum of $50. This idea will help you squeeze around that clause.
UPDATE: Seems to me that Lands' End has had enough with the free shipping. Their offers still include free shipping benefits, BUT with a minimum order. You might still want to take advantage of the offer, so remember to go with option #3 in this post!

12 comments:

  1. I did that (number 3)once! I ordered a ton of shoes on their website and called them first to make sure it's okay (lol, I'm so righteous) and they said it is....

    Thanks for these tips. Shipping is always a deal-breaker for me.

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  2. Which store was this? As far as I know, all shoe stores besides for DSW have free shipping and return shipping with no minimums.

    And I once ordered 6 GAP hoodies (I only needed two) because I had to reach $50! I sold 2 on eBay (made more than if I'd have returned them to GAP), used 1 as a gift, and returned the last one.

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  3. Target. They also needed $50 and I don't know why, but it wasn't easy getting there.

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  4. Although most shoe stores have free shipping, stores like Macy's, Lord and Taylor charge for shipping - even when buying shoes.

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  5. YMK: nobody deserves the punishment of paying for shoe deliveries. I would avoid such stores - or go to their B&M versions.

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  6. Sounds like a good idea but it's such a hassle to find a store to return your items to just so you can get free shipping. Sometimes it's worth the $5 or whatever it costs to get the things you want delivered straight to your door. Think about what it would cost in gas to get to the store and back, the amount of energy it would take to run around the mall all day finding what you want (or returning extra things you bought just to get free shipping) and the parking fees you may have to pay.

    Of course, if I can get free shipping I'd grab it, but I won't always make myself so crazy just for those last few bucks.

    Another thing I'd mention here is that if you order anything from Gap, Old Navy or Banana Republic and include something from Piperlime in your order, you automatically get free shipping! Now that's something I'd do!

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  7. I see your point. However, returning stuff to the store is not always a hassle for most people. Many of us are anyway going to end up at the mall, so we will not incur extra fees by carrying the unwanted item into the store. It's not called wasting gas or parking fees, in this case. I anyway (try to, at least) go to the mall about once a month so it works out fine for me. Where I live, the local mall has almost every store I e-shop at so it's very convenient, but I understand that it may not be the case for every person.

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  8. Those are some good tips. I have found myself buying more and more things online lately and constantly obsessing over finding ways to get free shipping. I just feel like the savings are out there if I look hard enough!

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  9. Thanks, LD. The thing is, people have to be aware that it's 100% doable. There is really no reason a person should pay for shipping. The only exceptions I can think of are:
    - when you buy an item that is only sold at ONE store (such as a replacement part for an appliance)
    - when you're already getting a crazy deal (and going elsewhere will cost a lot more)
    - when you're buying from an auction site (like eBay or Half).

    I can't remember the last time I paid for shipping (on orders outside these 3 exceptions).

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  10. You mentioned 3 top coupon sites for free shipping retailmenot is my favorite among these but you missed CouponRefund.com which is really best coupon site with more than 12,000 online stores.

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  11. Thank you, John. I've never heard of that site but just checked it now and it seems like another good site -- neatly organized, fast, lots of stores, intuitive searches, etc.

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