Careful with Amazon.com purchases
I recently bought several books for my DD on Amazon.com for $.01. I thought I had gotten a great deal until I got to the checkout and realized that shipping was several dollars a piece. I got them anyway since I had purchased a car seat base as well and got a discount on shipping. The total shipping was not too bad with the discount so I justified it. Just watch out for the hidden costs like shipping and handling. They can bite you in the butt and you will loose the great deal you found.
That is certainly true. I always try to purchase items that qualify for “Super Saver” free shipping. If you purchase at least $25 then you receive free shipping. Its also important to look at what store you are actually purchasing from as you can purchase items via the amazon website from Target for example.
Something else to consider: When online vendors move costs from the price of the item to the shipping, this puts the consumer at a big disadvantage when it comes to returning the item. If you pay $20 shipping on a $.01 item and you don’t like it, you can’t get more than $.01 from a refund if you don’t like it and decide to return it.
So true! I like to save a dollar or 2 but I also hate paying S/H. So I always try to get it local if I can to avoid it but sometimes you just get a better deal online.
I refine my search by “seller” and choose “Amazon”. That way I get free shipping on $25. Other sellers on Amazon offer free or reduced shipping for a minimum amount. Check the seller’s shipping prices by following the link on the item page.
Great tip, Susan. Thanks.