By Julie Ramhold, DealNews Senior Staff Writer/Consumer Analyst
When you shop online, you may not be thinking about where your items are coming from. But if a retailer utilizes drop shipping, the result could be higher costs for you. So what does drop shipping mean and what should you know about it?
By Julie Ramhold, DealNews Senior Staff Writer/Consumer Analyst
Every year, a handful of retailers offer free shipping for the holiday season. This year, Amazon offered truly free shipping for everyone — no Prime required — and is extending this benefit through the end of January.
By Julie Ramhold, DealNews Senior Staff Writer/Consumer Analyst
Many shoppers have boxes delivered during the holiday season, leading to a higher risk of package theft. Check out how one city and company are fighting it, and learn what you can do to prevent your goods from being stolen.
By Stephen Slaybaugh, DealNews Contributing Writer
UPS recently announced that this year it would be instituting shipping surcharges during its busiest time of the year: the holiday shopping season. Should you factor these price increases into your November and December budget?
UPS has now delivered a residential package via drone. Here's the lowdown on UPS drone deliveries: the reasons they could help the company, how they work, which customers will benefit the most when they become the norm — and why that won't be for a while.
By Julie Ramhold, DealNews Senior Staff Writer/Consumer Analyst
Avoid the stress of a last-minute mall stop and exorbitant shipping fees by checking out our list of cut-off dates for Christmas delivery. We've collected deadlines for the season's most popular retailers, and some of them will even upgrade your shipping if you meet certain requirements.
Walmart and Best Buy have begun the daunting task of trying to beat Amazon Prime at its own game. But what exactly do their new services offer, and can they stand up to Amazon's bevy of extras? Let's look at how they compare.
A lot of online stores will ship your orders for free, but those bargains often come with limitations. To help you navigate, we've put together a list of 48 retailers that offer free shipping, and some tips on how these deals work.
By Stephen Slaybaugh, DealNews Contributing Writer
Amazon Prime members are guaranteed a free 1-month Prime extension if their 2-day shipments are late. But our readers tell us the mega retailer is sometimes denying those claims. We looked at Amazon's seemingly confused policy, and what you can do about it.
By Julie Ramhold, DealNews Senior Staff Writer/Consumer Analyst
Most retailers require a minimum purchase before an order can bag free shipping. Staples was one of the holdouts, offering members of its rewards program unlimited free shipping on every order. Now, the policy has changed, and members are required to spend at least $14.99 before they qualify.
The big holiday retailer players are fully in the game, announcing free shipping, rolling out the commercials, and even offering a new take on curbside pickup. But one key retailer is missing from the free shipping mix: Walmart.
This holiday season saw a record number of retailers offering free shipping, often with no minimums, and shoppers responded by placing orders with free shipping in equivalent record numbers. But as this service shifts from a perk to an expectation, will retailers be able to maintain it? Or will consumers end up paying another way?
Amazon announced that it will start charging $99 a year for Prime, but there's still time to lock in the lower rate. Today is your last opportunity to subscribe and pay just $79 for the shipping service.
By Michael Bonebright, DealNews Former Senior Blog Editor
Amazon announced that it will raise the minimum purchase requirement to qualify for Free Super Saver Shipping from $25 to $35. This comes just a week after Best Buy upped its minimum purchase too. So how will this affect customers this holiday season?
Living in the age of online shopping and m-commerce, it has become arguably harder for stores without an online presence to compete with the lower prices of many online merchants. But still, are there any items you'd never consider buying online? From clothing to groceries, we discuss how potentially problematic purchases are made easier through online shopping.
This is a busy week for UPS, but it appears as if the shipping giant isn't up to the task. When entering an order number on the UPS tracking page, a message is displayed that says UPS Ground delivery guarantees are suspended until December 26. Are any of your orders affected by this delay?
The pressure is on to get all of your online shopping done in time for Christmas, but what happens if you miss all the standard shipping deadlines? Our deal archives show that soon enough, many online retailers will begin to offer discounted expedited shipping. But when can you expect these promotions, and from what stores?
Shopping online can make buying gifts for the holidays much easier, but it also requires some advance planning to account for shipping times. As we near Christmas, you should start taking into consideration the potential risks that come along with online shopping for the holidays. Inside, we've got a list of stores to avoid if you're looking for a 100% risk-free Christmas purchase.
Amazon's bargain prices and its logotype A to Z arrow (or customer satisfaction "smile") have earned the company worldwide notoriety. But if you've been reading The Seattle Times' scathing series of reports, Amazon isn't as idyllic of a company as some may have thought. With purported grievances from sales tax evasion to a glaring lack of philanthropy, the Times suggests that Amazon's image has become a source of contention amongst the community, the company's peers, and even its employees.
When you shop online as much as we do at dealnews, you're going to experience the occasional snafu with delivery. In particular, we've encountered many complaints about the service provided by UPS. So we want to know: how often has your excitement over an arriving UPS delivery turned into anger resulting from a missing package or terrible customer service?