Eddie Bauer.com-Not quite perfect yet.
Written: Oct 26 '01 (Updated Feb 15 '02)
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The Bottom Line
Overall, I think this site is very good. It just bears mentioning that some things could be better, and the products have not disappointed me yet.
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| Full Review |
After placing a recent order I decided to update this review with some new information pertaining to return shipping and 2 day express delivery.
For those of you that haven't had the pleasure of shopping at an Eddie Bauer store at your local mall, I'd like to take a moment to tell you what kind of merchandise they offer. The stores sell casual and business attire for men and women as well as outerwear, all backed with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Eddie Bauer online sells the same store merchandise, as well as children's clothing and furniture/office and home products such as bedding (available in Eddie Bauer home stores locally).
The online site is one of many that I have shopped frequently since it's inception, and it's a mostly very good site with a few exceptions that I will tell you about. It also offers the same 100% satisfaction guarantee as it's brick and mortar counterpart with one exception to follow in the review. It also carries a wider selection of sizes and in stock availability; a big plus.
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Shopping-
When one first logs on to the site www.EddieBauer.com you will find a pleasant and easily navigable layout. The home page welcomes the shopper with a tab-style that allows you to browse the 3 main stores Clothing, Home and Outlet. Underneath these tabs there are sub-categories that will guide you quickly to Men, Women, Gear, Boy, Girls, or Sales. These all have a nifty drop down feature that will break these areas into such things as pants, shorts, etc.
Pretty easy so far, but once you've selected your category, here is where I find an exception the the shopper friendly feel to this point. The category you select (i.e. mens t-shirts) will bring up a list of all the mens t-shirts currently offered on the site, but in a noticeable difference from other sites, there won't be any pictures. You'll just get a description like Men's cotton mock neck logo tee and a price (maybe a sale flag as well). Then you must wade through the entire list and click on each product's link to see a photo. It's not exceptionally difficult but rather time consuming if you are trying to browse. I personally prefer reverse layouts with all the photos up that you can click on and then find a more detailed description.
Once you've got your link selected, you will see the product displayed with very convenient dropdown menus to select the size, color, and quantity. You also see all the color swatches under the photo and can change the display photo to the color you are considering (very handy). I also like the links provided to Eddie's size charts that are located on every item's listing.
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Checkout-
Once you've picked your product(s) and placed them in your cart, you're given the option to checkout or keep shopping. At checkout, the routine is standard. Sign in as a returning customer or register at the site if you're a first timer.(A fairly simple process to enter your name, address, phone, e-mail addy, and select a password). The only thing you can't do as a returning customer is to have your payment info saved as many sites do. You'll need to re-enter credit card information each time you checkout. This is not a plus in my opinion.
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Payment-
Eddie Bauer.com accepts a wide array of payment option, Visa, Mastercard, Discover, Optima, AMEX and Spiegel, Newport News or Eddie Bauer cards. You do not have the option to mail in a check as some companies offer.
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Shipping-
The shipping options vary from USPS to to overnight delivery and the selections are up to the consumer to make, the prices vary. I recently ordered using the 2 day express option. It costs an additional $12.00. I placed an order on Wednesday morning and had it via UPS by Friday afternoon. Customer service informed me that orders placed by 3:00p.m. pacific will be guaranteed delivery in 2 days.
Upon checking out you will find another thing I consider to be a detractor from the site, a $3.00 shipping charge in addition to your standard shipping fees. This $3.00 charge is non-refundable no matter how you return your product. Meaning even if you take your item back to a store you are still out the original shipping costs. Eddie Bauer recently started sending postage return labels to use if you'd like to make an exchange via mail. I dislike the $3.00 handling charge immensely, and I do not recommend shopping here if you aren't sure of your size.
If however, you do know your size, and are like, let's say my husband who wants one in every color once he finds an item he likes, this is the way to go. The site also offers a much wider array of sizes than are available in the stores. There are talls and petites available for no extra charge, and women's plus sizes as well. The sizes run true once you've found one that works for you.
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Notable Mentions-
I also have to mention that on the initial home page are some nice features. There is a catalog item box where you can type in a number and zip right to your item. I also love the order tracking feature, and great selection of services right on the home page without having to hunt around the site like many e-tailers. You can buy a gift certificate, find a nearby store or contact customer service to name a few. Speaking of customer service, you have the wonderful options of speaking with a live person on the site, e-mailing them, researching the archives of frequently asked questions or calling toll free 24 hours a day.
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Final Thoughts-
Overall, I think this site is very good. It just bears mentioning that some things could be better, and the products have not disappointed me yet.
Thanks for reading.
=) Erin
Recommended:
Yes
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