“I need to touch things and see them myself,” says my friend Phyllis about the idea of shopping online. I think she’s crazy; I'd rather imagine what the products are like than deal with the crowds, long lines, and parking issues that come with pre-holiday mall shopping.
Online Shopping or Bust
I prefer shopping online to shopping at the store anytime. It eliminates the hassle of searching for sales assistance or asking uncomfortable questions like, “Excuse me, do you have this in a medium? I only see large.' Plus, there's no chaos of jumbled sweaters and tangled scarves that the staff at stores like The Gap or J Crew struggle to manage. You also won't have to send out a search party for a salesperson who may go missing in the shoe stockroom for so long that you’re unsure if you’ll even recognize them when they return, often only to say, No, we do not have the size you need.
Done in 30 Minutes
From lipsticks to lawnmowers and gifts for kids to fine jewelry, online sales across almost any category are experiencing significant growth. Black Friday sales also continue to rise each year. In just 30 minutes, I managed to order a variety of items, including a pair of little girls' pink studded cowgirl boots with a matching skirt, a personalized Patriots team jersey, a Shun Santoku knife, and a pair of leather gloves. It feels great to efficiently complete my shopping!
Online Shopping Tips
If you are a new online shopper or getting ready to take the plunge, here are some tips:
Google Auto-fill
It is not necessary to manually fill in all the required order information each time you make an order. Google has an auto-fill tool that allows you to fill all of it in with a click. The icon on the Google toolbar looks like a piece of paper with a yellow pencil on it. See what it looks like and download the Google toolbar.
Online Order Form
When your order is complete, print your order form even though you will get a confirmation email. If you do not get an email confirmation within 24 hours, call customer service to verify that your order went through, and you’ll have all the information you need right in front of you.
Confirmation Email
Read your confirmation email carefully. If an item is on backorder, some sites tell you that as you are placing your order, but most do not. You will learn that annoying fact when you get your email so be sure to check. In years of online ordering, this has only happened to me once, but it is fresh in my brain because it happened today, which is why my granddaughter is now getting studded pink boots instead of fringy ones!
save with coupon codes
Some sites are not charging for shipping during the holiday season but most do. If you are buying something available in many places, don’t unnecessarily pay for shipping or full price. Search online for a coupon code to save yourself a few dollars or even score free shipping! Or, do what I did. I called customer service (you can also choose to chat with them online) and asked if they had a coupon code I could use to save on my order. Guess what? Without a pause, the representative said, “Yes we do! It's xxxxx.”
Skip the gift wrap
If you are buying a gift that you are going to hand-deliver, save yourself money by not choosing the gift-wrap option and be a do-it-yourselfer. Save even more, I've found some beautiful gift wrap rolls at the dollar stores, you can't beat the price!
eBay
Buying for a collector of vintage items? You can feel safe ordering from eBay. Because those who sell on eBay are rated by consumers who have ordered from them, you can see just how pleased – or not – other customers have been. I have never ordered from someone rated less than 97%, and I’ve never had a problem.
Returns
Returns are so easy. The store you are buying from provides postage-paid return labels which you can affix directly to the box or envelope in which your order came.
Whether you are buying a gift for someone else or a gift just for yourself, give cyberspace a chance. As the old – and newly revived – Alka-Seltzer commercial says, “Try it. You’ll like it.”