Free shipping

[KitchenQueen]

I'm just curious. I am spoiled. If I need something , I will shop kitchen equipment/culinary sites for free shipping.

If you register on the site most of them will offer it sooner or later anyway.

I used to be a touch and feel person. I had to see it first. No more.

Do you have any places you particularly like and are you partial to no tax,no shipping charges , and it gets delivered to your door internet shopping too?

[jrshaul]

I've been ordering some raw parts and composites straight from a supplier in China. There's no free shipping and the delay is enormous, but it's half the price of anyone else. Often, the best deal isn't a "deal" at all.

Unless the promotion is obviously run at a loss or you have a strong vendor preference, there's a good chance you can get the same thing elsewhere for less. Also consider that brand-name goods frequently have large retail mark-ups, and the ugly and questionably named generic model may well be the better product.

Edited October 30, 2011 by jrshaul (log)

[RobertCollins]

Some venders offer free shipping but the over all cost is most important to me although I also do not discount user ratings of that vender.

I just remember figuring out sometime during my business life that free lunches almost always weren't.

[andiesenji]

I register on the various sites of food and kitchen supply vendors as they do offer free shipping for brief periods, usually with a stated minimum purchase that can vary widely.

Amazon is the place where I check first for an item. I pay the annual fee for prime membership which gives me free two-day shipping (often, if the distribution center is close, it is one day) I know some people resent paying a fee but for me it certainly pays off. I don't yet have the final total for this year but during 2010 the MINIMAL shipping charges for things I ordered from Amazon would have added up to more than 450.00 and if some had been sent 2-day or next-day the cost would have been more.

Deducting the $79.00 annual fee shows that I saved at least $371.00 and it was probably more as I am usually anxious to get something and want the 2-day shipping.

King Arthur Flour Catalog, The Prepared Pantry, Chefs.com, Cutlery and More, ChefTools, Cooking.com are vendors from whom I get regular emails indicating specials, including free shipping on selected items or site wide for a limited time.

These are just the vendors for common kitchen stuff. I also get many offers from other vendors and take advantage whenever possible.

Compact Appliance offers free shipping without a minimum purchase only a couple of times a year and as these are heavy items, I wait for those events as their discounts are also great and the items are usually for gifts. They do have free shipping at other times with a minimum purchase.

Edited October 30, 2011 by andiesenji (log)

[janeer]

Yes.

I do pay $79 a year for Amazon Prime as well. My ROI is huge. I love ordering something for $5 and getting it shipped for free in 2 days guaranteed. Something has to be very, very unique for me to pay for shipping.

[andiesenji]

I was checking back in my Amazon account and noted that in 2009, when I purchased several expensive items and my total outlay was well over 5K, my annual fee was waived. There doesn't seem to be any mention of this in the explanation of benefits except to state that from time to time there may be changes and additional benefits to the Prime membership holder.

Back when this service began, I took them up on the Free Membership offer and was more than happy to pay the fee after my 30-day trial.

[pastameshugana]

I was checking back in my Amazon account and noted that in 2009, when I purchased several expensive items and my total outlay was well over 5K, my annual fee was waived. There doesn't seem to be any mention of this in the explanation of benefits except to state that from time to time there may be changes and additional benefits to the Prime membership holder.

Back when this service began, I took them up on the Free Membership offer and was more than happy to pay the fee after my 30-day trial.

Amazon Prime is a huge deal - I love it and recommend it to anyone I run across. I'll order silly things (like screen protectors for my phone) and have them shipped free rather than go to the mall and deal with the snotty kid at the kiosk any day!

If you're a big movie/TV fan (I'm not) it also includes thousands of free on demand movies/videos/tv shows.

I just ordered a whole grip of espresso parts (steamer jug, thermometer, syrups, etc) and I always sort my searches by which are 'prime eligible' - it's certainly worth it.

[janeer]

Back when this service began, I took them up on the Free Membership offer and was more than happy to pay the fee after my 30-day trial.

Me too; that's how a great a return it offered from the start. And I've had my fee waived too.

[Viktoria]

Amazon also offers super saver free shipping. So it takes a little longer, but it's a still free. There is a minimum purchase, but it's rarely a problem for us.

[lindag]

Due to my location I find that I do most of my shopping for dry goods on Amazon. There simply is no shopping here that can approach their selection. Like you folk, I opted for Prime several years ago and it has saved me lots on shipping though I've no way of knowing just how much but I do buy a LOT from Amazon and they have waived my annual fee as well. It's a wonderful deal for my situation. I also have received truly amazing customer service from them, unlike that which I've gotten anywhere else. One of my Kindles stopped working and they replaced it at no charge plus overnighted it to me...no questions asked, just that I return the old one to them (also at no charge)...this was a value of over $400.

Edited to correct spelling error.

Edited November 1, 2011 by lindag (log)