Paradise! -- Shoe Shopping Online (Free Shipping Both Ways!!)
Written: Sep 18 '08
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As with many people, my foot is difficult to fit. I can wander through shoe stores (even large stores such DSW), try on dozens of shoes, and still find nothing that fits well. Talk about a waste of time and a day-killer. I can't believe how liberating Zappos.com is. I can buy shoes, try them on at home, and return them if the shoes aren't right for my foot.
About Zappos.com
This website features shoes for men, women and children. They carry 1, 175 brands and over 2.5 million (yes, million!) products. Not only do they offer shoes, but they also sell some clothing, bags, and accessories. They state that the items are available in their warehouse for immediate shipment.
One of the best features of Zappos is that they offer free shipping ... both ways! They will ship product free to your address, and if something is not right, they will pay for the product to be returned.
Navigating the Website
Zappos.com can look overwhelming when first visiting the website. The page is very busy with images and lots of text links. I recommend starting at the top of the webpage without looking at the other links. You can usually begin a solid search from the few links at the top of the page.
At the Top
The top of the page features these buttons: Shoes, Clothing, Bags, Accessories, Brands, On Sale, Search. Beneath those buttons are text links for: Women, Men, Kids, Gift Ideas, and New Styles.
There are also links to the Shopping Cart, My Account, My Favorites and a Help section. If you wish, you can also type your shoe size into a search box and start browsing the site that way.
Along the Left & Middle
A good portion of the Home Page is filled with a huge array of text links broken by category (ex: Men's Dress Shoes / Men's Athletic Shoes / Women's Casual Shoes / Women's Shoes on Sale). Beneath those headings are more sub-categories.
There is also a "Shop by Lifestyle" section with photos for each category. The links include: Urban Mix, The Gym, Retro, The Strip, The Office, The Park, Skate Park, After Hours.
Scroll further down the page to learn about the Zappo's Visa Card, and to read recent customer product reviews.
To the Right
More buttons and links are listed vertically along the right of the Home Page. One of those is a button for "Live Support". Click the link to open a chat window where you can type messages to a customer support person.
The list of links is long and includes items one would not associate with a shoe store! For instance, there are links to Electronics (including digital cameras and computers), Entertainment (movies), Eyewear, Watches, Housewares (cookware, kitchen appliances, bedding), and Jewelry.
At the Bottom
The bottom of the page features text links to the Zappo's "Safe Shopping Guarantee", Customer Service, About Us, Contact Us, Associates Programs, and Privacy Policy.
There is also a section titled "The Truth about Zappos Coupons". Zappos does not offer any type of coupon, and warns shoppers against being taken in by phony coupons and sites offering them. Zappos feels their free shipping policy both ways, fast shipping, extensive collection and customer service more than makes up for no coupon codes.
Let's Go Shopping!
My current dilemma is that I'm having a foot problem that is taking awhile to heal. For the last six months, I have been wearing Crocs (the "Relief" style). My feet feel great in them, and are slowly healing. However, I live in New England, and winter is approaching. As with many styles of Crocs, the ones I am wearing have vent holes along the sides. I thought to just wear boots and then switch to these Crocs when at work ... but those holes. I know my feel will be chilled.
Zappos offers a variety of Crocs to choose from! My local stores do not carry any Crocs out of the ordinary, so it was with enthusiasm that I browsed the Zappos collection. I selected the link that allowed me to shop by Brand. The brands are listed alphabetically, so it was easy to find the Crocs brand. Then I narrowed my search to women's shoes. Several Crocs shoes looked "winterized", so I made my selection adding the shoes to the shopping cart.
I like it that the search results pages opens with good-size images of each shoe along with the name, brand, SKU number and price. Beneath each image are also the words "Free Shipping Both Ways". Click on an image or text to go to that page.
Each product page displays a larger image of the shoe. If a shoe is offered in more than one color, there are color swatches beneath the image. Click on a swatch to change the color of the shoe in the larger picture. Don't forget to click the "Mulit-View" icon, which looks like a blue asterisk. This opens another smaller window, which offers eight views of the shoe (ex: top, sides, bottom, front, back, closeup). These extra views are indispensable as far as I'm concerned. For instance, from the side images, I could see how tall the arch was.
Back to the main product page. Plenty of information is provided regarding the shoe, including materials it is constructed from as well as care instructions. There is also a toll-free telephone number to call with any questions. Scroll further down the page to read customer reviews regarding the shoes. The reviews are usually short (often only a few lines), but they give a feel for if the shoe is true to size and how the wearer feels about it. There is also a place to select size, color and a button to add the item to the shopping cart.
If you still have questions, definitely try the "Live Support" feature. I wanted to know how Zappos.com would warranty the Crocs. The Crocs website states that they will replace any broken straps or rivets free of charge (my sister-in-law phoned them once, and they asked the shoe type, color, and size then sent the replacement strap without needing to see the shoe). The Zappos.com customer support person told me that Zappos.com would require the Croc be sent to them for examination. If the shoe showed no excessive wear, then they would replace the strap. In the case of my Crocs, I would go through the Crocs manufacturer before sending them to Zappos for assessment.
Checking Out & Payment
Once an item is placed into the cart, the web page changes to show the Shopping Cart page. On this page, you can adjust the quantity or remove an item. The page also tells if the item is in stock and whether the quantity is low. If the item is out of stock, the page changes to indicate the item is out of stock and offers a list of alternative buying options.
The Shopping Cart page displays the order subtotal. Sales tax is charged to Kentucky, Nevada and New York orders. Free Standard Shipping is offered. There is also an area to enter a gift certificate or store credit code.
When you have finished adding items to the cart, click the "Proceed to Checkout" button.
The next page prompts you to enter an email address and a password if you have an existing account. If you are new to the site, you will be asked later to create a password for your account. Zappos.com asks the typical shipping and billing information. They accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express or Discover. You can also select the "Bill Me Later" option. If the item is a gift, there is a box to check so that a gift note can be sent in the package.
Once the order is placed, an email is promptly sent. The email outlines the order. Later a second email is sent indicating the order has shipped and provides a tracking number.
Shipping & Receipt of Items
I always select the Free Standard Shipping. I placed my last order on a Sunday morning and received it on Monday!!!! I am in awe over their quick service.
The shoes arrive in individual shoe boxes packed in a shipping carton. I've always ordered more than one pair of shoes at a time, and they are packed in a sturdy cardboard shipping box with the Zaapos name boldly written on the outside of the carton. Always the shoes have arrived in good condition, complete with tags (if they have any). The Crocs arrived with the two shoes attached to each other with the Crocs plastic clip as well as the tags.
Summary
I am very pleased with Zappos.com and will continue to shop there. Selection of products is extensive, customer support has been pleasant, and you can't beat their shipping policy. I like this place!
I hope you found this review useful.
Enjoy the day,
Dawn
http://dlstewart.com
Please read my other reviews:
Coldwater Creek (online store)
Coach (online store)
Sheplers (online store)
Kohl's (online store)
Old Pueblo Traders (online store)
Copyright 2008 Dawn L. Stewart
Epinions is sponsoring the Soles 4 Souls promotion now through the end of December 2008. Write a review about shoes, and Epinions will donate $5.00 to Soles 4 Souls for each shoe review. Just write the review and post it on Epinions in the Shoes Category! It's a great way to help others. Click here to learn more.
Recommended:
Yes
What product did you purchase or try to purchase? shoes
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