Buying Shoes Online

[ExFlyBoy5]

I purchase through Amazon. The returns are VERY simple...now for the most part, you just tape the box back up and put it on your front porch...no decal needed, the UPS guy does it for you, with no return fee. The couple of times I have had to return shoes/clothing for sizing issue, the replacement item was on my front porch the NEXT day.

To me, the convenience to going to a B&M is not even a consideration anymore.

Speaking of Amazon, if you are a Chase Freedom card holder, they are doing 5% cash back from 1 Oct through the end of December for Amazon purchases.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

I have to think that kind of approach will kill Zappos (or any merchant) generous return policy for all of us, and force higher costs to consumers. Seems consciously unfair to me, even worse than showrooming, but the merchants will decide. YMMV

Nah. It's built into the cost already. You're welcome.

 

[Midpack]

Don't worry, there are plenty of us who have done that in the past and through that process, found shoes that we especially like.

Now, when I order I know exactly the model and size that I want, so I haven't returned any shoes at all in quite some time. So, Zappos is making back any money they lost on my excessive initial returns back in 2001.

Nah. It's built into the cost already. You're welcome.

Making a best guess and buying a pair of shoes, then returning them for the right size if they don't fit is one thing. And of course some percent returns, presumably less than 100%, is built in. Nothing wrong with that, some level of returns come with the territory even for B&M merchants.

Ordering a dozen pairs of shoes intending to keep only one pair, is something else, and I doubt that's built in for all buyers. YMMV

 

[Bestwifeever]

Nah. It's built into the cost already. You're welcome.

Definitely. Most customers will never return anything, I bet, and Zappos would surely factors the occasional overorders and returns into its pricing.

 

[Midpack]

Definitely. Most customers will never return anything, I bet, and Zappos would surely factors the occasional overorders and returns into its pricing.

Again I was referring to RetiredGypsy's practice. Other Customers all pay for the folks who deliberately order a dozen and send back 11 pairs, not Gypsy's friend. If Gypsy's friend had to pay shipping on a dozen pairs, and return shipping on 11 pairs, would she do it without a care? Somehow I doubt it. If everyone did it, returns wouldn't be "free" for long...and shouldn't be.

 

[Bestwifeever]

Sure, if everyone did it, then Zappos can raise its prices or charge for shipping or change its return policy. But Zappos knows everyone won't do it, though, so has no doubt factored in the cost of the expected returns (and knows there is inertia in its other customers who won't bother to return anything--Goodwill etc. stores are full of original products with the price rags still on them). The company obviously knows what works, and now RG's girlfriend knows what size fits her and may be more likely to order again. I probably would not do what RetiredGypsy's girlfriend did with Zappos because of my inertia factor re mail order returns, but I have very infrequently ordered multiple things with free shipping from Nordstroms online and physically returned several of them to a nearby store. I don't feel like it's hurt that store. I don't feel guilty about it.

I don't think I've ever ordered from Zappos so it's safe from me .