I purchase locally whenever possible, but there are many items that simply aren't available locally. Shoes are one example; I wear a 10 1/2 4E and it's not worth the drive into Des Moines just to find out they don't have any in stock. I can order them from Zappos, have them here in a day, wear them around in the house to make certain they fit, and return them if they don't. No gas used, minimal time spent, no crowds to deal with and plenty of options in my size.
why are people ordering everything online?
- Thread starter JustinH
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My Best Buy adventure involved the laptop I bought there. Store A had it marked on sale, but none available. I headed up to Store B which had it in stock but not on sale (even though I showed them the flyer I picked up at Store A). I drove back to Store A and insisted I wanted to buy it, can they ship it over from Store B? Sure, it'll be here tomorrow and at the sale price too. So when I returned the next day I found it had come in - and sold already to someone else! Eventually I was able to get the laptop at the sale price but it involved jumping through many hoops.
I've become a fan or ordering online for in-store pickup. I do this because I earn airline points for doing so. I get 4x points for buying from Advance, for example. Sears recently had a special where I earned 9x points so I got something like 1100 points for the new Die Hard battery I bought. Best Buy is only 1x points but that's better than nothing and it avoids any disagreements with the sales staff.
Flying free round-trip to California makes it all worthwhile.
I've become a fan or ordering online for in-store pickup. I do this because I earn airline points for doing so. I get 4x points for buying from Advance, for example. Sears recently had a special where I earned 9x points so I got something like 1100 points for the new Die Hard battery I bought. Best Buy is only 1x points but that's better than nothing and it avoids any disagreements with the sales staff.
Flying free round-trip to California makes it all worthwhile.
I went shopping for a mini fridge at walmart, lowes, and home depot. they all had a mini fridge in stock, just two or three of one brand. yet, when I go to their online site of walmart, lowes, and home depot, they have 10 different brands of mini fridge models that can be shipped to my home free. granted, these fridges are 60 pounds minimum. so it looks like shopping online for a mini fridge is the best and I can compare prices to amazon and read online reviews to make a decision.
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Originally Posted By: whip
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
I buy almost everything online too. But,when it comes to shoes,I'm my experience you always have to try them on. Last time I bought shoes online,even though they were the right size,they were cut wrong,and didn`t fit :^( I had to go through the hassle of dealing with the sleazy post office to mail them back. I never want to go through that PITA ever again!
Try Zappos for shoes. Free shipping both ways, and no hassle returns.
Right on,thanks! I've never heard of Zappos,I'll have to check it out!
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
I buy almost everything online too. But,when it comes to shoes,I'm my experience you always have to try them on. Last time I bought shoes online,even though they were the right size,they were cut wrong,and didn`t fit :^( I had to go through the hassle of dealing with the sleazy post office to mail them back. I never want to go through that PITA ever again!
Try Zappos for shoes. Free shipping both ways, and no hassle returns.
Right on,thanks! I've never heard of Zappos,I'll have to check it out!
I just order a pair of shoes from Zappo 2 weeks ago; got some Fila trail shoes/low top hiking shoes. 25 bucks shipped. They fit awesome. Retail for over 60. They don't even carry them in stores anymore and the closest name brand show to that price locally are HiTec, which IMO, are absolute garbage for the money.
Zappo will for sure be my go to online shoe retailer in the future. Excellent selection, fantastic prices.
Zappo will for sure be my go to online shoe retailer in the future. Excellent selection, fantastic prices.
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"herring boxes without topses, sandals were for Clementine." 4E . Gosh, I love my Carolina boots. 10 1/2 wide. roomy enough for 2 pairs of socks. What do you get for 100 bucks? In US made boots that is the bottom end. I am using Duco cement to patch my daily work shoes, a pair of Rockport 5 hole oxfords, They are Chinese. Please let me know where you find a good pair of mocs/ boat shoes. US made preferably.
Sometimes, there's just no substitute for buying in person. I just bought an Airhawk 2 for my Burgman...wanted to test before I bought. So, I went up to Whitehorse Gear in Conway, NH. Was able to test-fit, talked to one of the guys there who was familiar with it.
Also, it was an excuse for a nice ride.
Also, it was an excuse for a nice ride.
I buy local when I can. Guns and gun parts, motorcyle parts and accessories, electronics, alcohol, clothing, sporting goods, hardware, movies, you name it.
I want to feel it in my hand, gauge its quality, compare to the old piece/part, try it on, and support local business.
I try to have patience with the store, its employees, and its limitations. I give them the opportunity to make a sale and pay their wages. I don't have to wait for what I want, and can return it quickly if something is amiss.
Is it me, or is the world losing the concept of patience and personal interaction?
I want to feel it in my hand, gauge its quality, compare to the old piece/part, try it on, and support local business.
I try to have patience with the store, its employees, and its limitations. I give them the opportunity to make a sale and pay their wages. I don't have to wait for what I want, and can return it quickly if something is amiss.
Is it me, or is the world losing the concept of patience and personal interaction?
~90% of the items I buy online are from the USA, and shopping at my computer is an introvert's dream.
No parking hassles, I can check reviews and prices, and get everything I need from one spot (the computer).
I also think Big Boxes of all types will be dying slow deaths, esp in Vancouver area. Real estate is very expensive vs cheap warehouses out in low rent districts.
No parking hassles, I can check reviews and prices, and get everything I need from one spot (the computer).
I also think Big Boxes of all types will be dying slow deaths, esp in Vancouver area. Real estate is very expensive vs cheap warehouses out in low rent districts.
Originally Posted By: Drew99GT
Zappo will for sure be my go to online shoe retailer in the future. Excellent selection, fantastic prices.
Thanks for the tip.
Zappo will for sure be my go to online shoe retailer in the future. Excellent selection, fantastic prices.
Thanks for the tip.
Originally Posted By: NJC
~90% of the items I buy online are from the USA, and shopping at my computer is an introvert's dream.
+1 - And I have the added luxury of driving 5 minutes over the border to pick up parcels I have shipped to either UPS or FedEx customer locations, so I save a bundle on automatically-processed (read: incorrectly processed) duties and tariffs and various taxes. I also usually recoup the border-crossing costs by filling up my car if I can time a near-empty gas tank properly.
"Plan A" is always to to buy local; but if that is not possible or feasible I see brick-and-mortar chains as being the worst of both worlds.
~90% of the items I buy online are from the USA, and shopping at my computer is an introvert's dream.
+1 - And I have the added luxury of driving 5 minutes over the border to pick up parcels I have shipped to either UPS or FedEx customer locations, so I save a bundle on automatically-processed (read: incorrectly processed) duties and tariffs and various taxes. I also usually recoup the border-crossing costs by filling up my car if I can time a near-empty gas tank properly.
"Plan A" is always to to buy local; but if that is not possible or feasible I see brick-and-mortar chains as being the worst of both worlds.
Best Buy is the worst.
They supposedly price match amazon...they dont always. When I asked for a manager to explain why, I was treated with mumbling [censored].
My offer was simple, honor your price match policy and make a sale, or... I order the tablet in front of you, and file a conplaint with the BBB from in the store and file a complaint with your corporate office.
The idiot chose to not discount the tablet 22$... and I got to wait 14 hours to get my tablet.
Brick and mortar stores that arent privately owned...suck.
They supposedly price match amazon...they dont always. When I asked for a manager to explain why, I was treated with mumbling [censored].
My offer was simple, honor your price match policy and make a sale, or... I order the tablet in front of you, and file a conplaint with the BBB from in the store and file a complaint with your corporate office.
The idiot chose to not discount the tablet 22$... and I got to wait 14 hours to get my tablet.
Brick and mortar stores that arent privately owned...suck.
I like to support my local merchants and in Germany i buy almost exclusively local for everything including my tools.
I am within 15 min of some of the worlds largest MB, VW, BMW dealers and parts warehouses in the world.
Hazet and Stalwille have huge warehouses and shops near me and sell to the public. Home furnishings and construction, hand made and high quality clothes and shoes, electronics, you name it are all local and numerous.
In the US i can find almost nothing local, honestly nothing at all except for nuts and bolts and cheap Chinese goods, cheap clothes and shoes i wouldn't throw into the used clothes bin.
Even a trip to Boston didn't result in finding a decent pair of shoes, i waited till i got home to buy from a store.
Online everything is available at decent prices so if i need something here in the US i buy online.
IMHO greed, rock bottom price, not caring for the guy next door and the insatiable lust for cheap Chinese junk has been the demise of Main St and the American merchant.
I am within 15 min of some of the worlds largest MB, VW, BMW dealers and parts warehouses in the world.
Hazet and Stalwille have huge warehouses and shops near me and sell to the public. Home furnishings and construction, hand made and high quality clothes and shoes, electronics, you name it are all local and numerous.
In the US i can find almost nothing local, honestly nothing at all except for nuts and bolts and cheap Chinese goods, cheap clothes and shoes i wouldn't throw into the used clothes bin.
Even a trip to Boston didn't result in finding a decent pair of shoes, i waited till i got home to buy from a store.
Online everything is available at decent prices so if i need something here in the US i buy online.
IMHO greed, rock bottom price, not caring for the guy next door and the insatiable lust for cheap Chinese junk has been the demise of Main St and the American merchant.
Originally Posted By: Trav
In the US i can find almost nothing local, honestly nothing at all except for nuts and bolts and cheap Chinese goods, cheap clothes and shoes i wouldn't throw into the used clothes bin. Even a trip to Boston didn't result in finding a decent pair of shoes, i waited till i got home to buy from a store.
Don't get me started. I try to buy locally as much as is possible, but some local brick and mortar stores don't help. When I had the Audi, everything was bought online, since the online supplier was quicker and way cheaper than the Audi dealer. Other local parts places weren't getting their stuff from Woldpac (some finally switched), so their prices were off.
As for shoes, yep, it's terrible here, too. The Bay is okay if you want something fairly high end or dress shoes. Sears is finished. I went to the local store recently, and it's swirling the drain. They don't have signage indicating where anything is, even though the store is spread over three floors. Their shoe department is absolutely tiny. They have a great online selection, but nothing actually in the store. Given sizing disparity, I'm reluctant to buy shoes online. I've done it once with success, but really don't want to press my luck.
In the US i can find almost nothing local, honestly nothing at all except for nuts and bolts and cheap Chinese goods, cheap clothes and shoes i wouldn't throw into the used clothes bin. Even a trip to Boston didn't result in finding a decent pair of shoes, i waited till i got home to buy from a store.
Don't get me started. I try to buy locally as much as is possible, but some local brick and mortar stores don't help. When I had the Audi, everything was bought online, since the online supplier was quicker and way cheaper than the Audi dealer. Other local parts places weren't getting their stuff from Woldpac (some finally switched), so their prices were off.
As for shoes, yep, it's terrible here, too. The Bay is okay if you want something fairly high end or dress shoes. Sears is finished. I went to the local store recently, and it's swirling the drain. They don't have signage indicating where anything is, even though the store is spread over three floors. Their shoe department is absolutely tiny. They have a great online selection, but nothing actually in the store. Given sizing disparity, I'm reluctant to buy shoes online. I've done it once with success, but really don't want to press my luck.
Originally Posted By: Trav
I like to support my local merchants and in Germany i buy almost exclusively local for everything including my tools.
I am within 15 min of some of the worlds largest MB, VW, BMW dealers and parts warehouses in the world.
Hazet and Stalwille have huge warehouses and shops near me and sell to the public. Home furnishings and construction, hand made and high quality clothes and shoes, electronics, you name it are all local and numerous.
In the US i can find almost nothing local, honestly nothing at all except for nuts and bolts and cheap Chinese goods, cheap clothes and shoes i wouldn't throw into the used clothes bin.
Even a trip to Boston didn't result in finding a decent pair of shoes, i waited till i got home to buy from a store.
Online everything is available at decent prices so if i need something here in the US i buy online.
IMHO greed, rock bottom price, not caring for the guy next door and the insatiable lust for cheap Chinese junk has been the demise of Main St and the American merchant.
Yes. I find it absolutely appalling the demise of 'retail' and the proliferation of junk these days. I've been one of those "perhaps I can find it local" types, but with gas at $3.50/ga., horrible traffic, clueless employees and poor merchandise, I've realized I'm "out of date with the new world order". The Surebonder glue gun I mentioned in the tools thread is a perfect example.
I'm reminded of a story about poor quality steel being procurred for use in the Navy for rivets. Seems things were beginning to come apart because of poor quality rivets. Don't know if it's true or not, but the lesson is that when the underpinnings begin to fail, everything above it soon follows.
Very sad to see....
I like to support my local merchants and in Germany i buy almost exclusively local for everything including my tools.
I am within 15 min of some of the worlds largest MB, VW, BMW dealers and parts warehouses in the world.
Hazet and Stalwille have huge warehouses and shops near me and sell to the public. Home furnishings and construction, hand made and high quality clothes and shoes, electronics, you name it are all local and numerous.
In the US i can find almost nothing local, honestly nothing at all except for nuts and bolts and cheap Chinese goods, cheap clothes and shoes i wouldn't throw into the used clothes bin.
Even a trip to Boston didn't result in finding a decent pair of shoes, i waited till i got home to buy from a store.
Online everything is available at decent prices so if i need something here in the US i buy online.
IMHO greed, rock bottom price, not caring for the guy next door and the insatiable lust for cheap Chinese junk has been the demise of Main St and the American merchant.
Yes. I find it absolutely appalling the demise of 'retail' and the proliferation of junk these days. I've been one of those "perhaps I can find it local" types, but with gas at $3.50/ga., horrible traffic, clueless employees and poor merchandise, I've realized I'm "out of date with the new world order". The Surebonder glue gun I mentioned in the tools thread is a perfect example.
I'm reminded of a story about poor quality steel being procurred for use in the Navy for rivets. Seems things were beginning to come apart because of poor quality rivets. Don't know if it's true or not, but the lesson is that when the underpinnings begin to fail, everything above it soon follows.
Very sad to see....
Originally Posted By: Trav
I like to support my local merchants and in Germany i buy almost exclusively local for everything including my tools.
I am within 15 min of some of the worlds largest MB, VW, BMW dealers and parts warehouses in the world.
Hazet and Stalwille have huge warehouses and shops near me and sell to the public. Home furnishings and construction, hand made and high quality clothes and shoes, electronics, you name it are all local and numerous.
I am envious to hear of that .. my favourite countries of MFG product are Germany and Japan. I have European roots and feel displaced living in a culture of cheap and disposable [censored], where $$$ is King instead of pride of workmanship.
I just bought a pair of German-made Wusthof knives - they are beautifully made tools and will last 100yrs.
I like to support my local merchants and in Germany i buy almost exclusively local for everything including my tools.
I am within 15 min of some of the worlds largest MB, VW, BMW dealers and parts warehouses in the world.
Hazet and Stalwille have huge warehouses and shops near me and sell to the public. Home furnishings and construction, hand made and high quality clothes and shoes, electronics, you name it are all local and numerous.
I am envious to hear of that .. my favourite countries of MFG product are Germany and Japan. I have European roots and feel displaced living in a culture of cheap and disposable [censored], where $$$ is King instead of pride of workmanship.
I just bought a pair of German-made Wusthof knives - they are beautifully made tools and will last 100yrs.
Originally Posted By: 285south
Originally Posted By: NJC
I just bought a pair of German-made Wusthof knives - they are beautifully made tools and will last 100yrs.
No offense but knives made in Japan are far superior.
I got you both beat - my Chinese made $.99 Store knives can still cut things.
Originally Posted By: NJC
I just bought a pair of German-made Wusthof knives - they are beautifully made tools and will last 100yrs.
No offense but knives made in Japan are far superior.
I got you both beat - my Chinese made $.99 Store knives can still cut things.
Originally Posted By: surfstar
Originally Posted By: 285south
Originally Posted By: NJC
I just bought a pair of German-made Wusthof knives - they are beautifully made tools and will last 100yrs.
No offense but knives made in Japan are far superior.
I got you both beat - my Chinese made $.99 Store knives can still cut things.
Who needs knives when you can just gnaw through whatever you need to cut.
Originally Posted By: 285south
Originally Posted By: NJC
I just bought a pair of German-made Wusthof knives - they are beautifully made tools and will last 100yrs.
No offense but knives made in Japan are far superior.
I got you both beat - my Chinese made $.99 Store knives can still cut things.
Who needs knives when you can just gnaw through whatever you need to cut.
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