It sounds pretty simple — it’s Free Shipping Day today (now you know), so one might think a bunch of retailers are offering up complimentary shipping, for delivery by Christmas Eve. One would be right, because there are a lot of stores dangling that bait, though not all of them will just hand it over without a little song and dance first. [More]
SHIPPING
39% Of All U.S. Money Spent At Online Stores Goes To Amazon
By 12.17.15
If you’ve placed an online order for a gift or for a self-gift this holiday season, it most likely came from Amazon. How likely is it? According to statistics released this week, 39.3% of all money spent by Americans shopping online is spent at Amazon, which is more than the next 20 biggest sellers in e-commerce combined. [More]
CPSC Intensifies Investigation Into Exploding “Hoverboards,” USPS Restricts Shipments
By 12.17.15
One of the holiday’s hottest gifts has gotten a bit too hot, literally. Following claims that so-called “hoverboard” scooters have caught fire while charging, retailers have pulled the popular devices to ensure they’re safe. In the meantime, the country’s top product safety regulator says his agency is working “non-stop” to find the root cause for the fire hazards linked to the self-balancing scooters. [More]
Want Your Package To Make It Under The Tree? You Better Get Shipping Soon
By 12.14.15
The busiest shipping and mailing day of the year is upon us, with the U.S. Postal Service expecting to process more than 600 million cards, letters, postcards, periodicals, catalogs, and packages today alone. Gift givers who have already sent off their goodies shouldn’t encounter too many issues with their packages making it on time, but for the rest of us procrastinators, we might want to head to the post office, UPS or FedEx store sooner rather than later. [More]
UPS Having Trouble Handling Holiday Avalanche Of Online Orders
By 12.11.15
We already know UPS is renting additional vehicles to help with the onslaught of holiday deliveries, but it seems that’s not enough to help the company stay ahead of the avalanche of online orders this time of year. [More]
FedEx Expects To Handle A Record 317 Million Packages Between Black Friday And Christmas
By 10.26.15
As consumers continue to rely on online retailers to fill their holiday shopping needs, FedEx says this year will be busier than ever before: between Black Friday and Christmas, the company says it expects to handle 317 million packages. Which is a pretty impressive number — but what’s FedEx going to do to make sure those packages actually reach their destinations in time? [More]
Report: Target Will Also Offer Free Shipping On All Online Orders Throughout The Holiday Season
By 10.23.15
Best Buy won’t be alone in offering free shipping on anything customers order online this holiday season, as Target has also apparently jumped on the special deal bandwagon: a screenshot from their leaked toy catalog shows the Minnesota-based company will offer free shipping and returns. [More]
Best Buy Offers Free Shipping For All Orders During The Entire Holiday Season
By 10.22.15
Sometimes it’s just easier to bypass the hustle and bustle of the local mall and do all your holiday shopping from the comfort of your own home. One big problem with that: the sometimes costly shipping fees. Best Buy is hoping free shipping turns into more online sales this year. [More]
Amazon Kicks Brooklyn Out Of The Country
By 10.22.15
Consumerist reader C.W. was on a simple mission to buy some permanent markers — or so he thought: he made it impossible for Amazon to ship him the desired product because he happens to live outside the United States…. in Brooklyn, which as we all know, is its own country. [More]
UPS Increasing Fees, Fuel Surcharges For Larger, Oversized Packages — Just In Time For The Holidays
By 10.16.15
Shipping that new bike to your niece this holiday season will cost more than it did last year if you’re using UPS: the company announced that it’s upping the fees it charges customers to ship large, oversized packages as well as raising fuel surcharges on those items. [More]
Kohl’s Hops On The Same-Day Delivery Testing Train
By 9.23.15
The seemingly never-ending list of retailers wading into the same-day delivery game grew by one this week: Kohl’s will test a quick-delivery service in two markets in an attempt to revamp its digital presence and attract customers who want their purchases to arrive as quickly as possible. [More]
FedEx Increasing Some Shipping Rates Just In Time For The Holiday Season
By 9.16.15
People gearing up to ship extra-large packages this holiday season might want to save a few more pennies (or think about buying smaller gifts) before heading to the FedEx store, as the shipping company says it will be increasing some rates starting November 2. [More]
Amazon Lets Third-Party Merchants Limit Where They’ll Ship Prime Items For Free
By 8.28.15
Amazon’s Prime program includes third-party merchants, whose shops let the online Everything Store expand its inventory without building more warehouse space. While the company is experimenting with making these merchants part of the Prime program for items that already have free shipping, However, some of these merchants get to limit how far they will ship an item for free. [More]
Target To Test Program That Gives More Specific Delivery Window For Online Orders
By 8.19.15
Back in February, Target upped its shipping game by reducing the amount of money consumers had to spend to qualify for free shipping from $50 to $25. Now the big box retailer is taking its quest to attract more online shoppers a step farther, by testing a system that better pinpoints just when customers can expect deliveries to appear at their doorstep. [More]
Here’s Why Amazon’s Stupid Shipping Gang Wrapped Some Bubble Wrap In Brown Paper
By 7.10.15
Earlier this week, we were amused to see a reader’s submission of a roll of bubble wrap in a massive box, protected with a substantial wad of kraft paper. While we laughed, though, a reader who is quite familiar with shipping procedures pointed out why Amazon needed to wrap up the bubble wrap. [More]
Amazon Reportedly Working On New Shipping Service That Turns Ordinary People Into Couriers
By 6.16.15
Looking to pick up a few dollars while making your way around town? Then Amazon’s latest attempt to quickly and cheaply deliver packages might be right up your alley, that is if the consumer-turned-courier program comes to fruition. [More]
UPS Making It More Expensive For Retailers To Ship Your Large Purchases
By 6.16.15
When online retailers like Amazon began making a big splash with free or discounted shipping, a lot of what customers bought were books, DVDs, video games — items that didn’t take up much room. But now people are buying TVs, refrigerators, grills, furniture, and other large items online, and UPS is apparently tired of giving retailers a discount on these shipments. [More]
Stupid Shipping Gang Sends Three Tiny SIMs In Three Separate Giant Boxes
By 6.3.15
Even if you’ve never opened your mobile phone up, you probably know what a SIM card looks like: they’re the fingernail-sized chips that have your phone number and carrier details. When reader TJ’s employer bought some recently, they employed classic Stupid Shipping Gang tactics to make sure that these cards didn’t go missing. [More]
