Experts Offer Tips To Reduce Your Holiday Shipping Costs
WOODBURY, OYSTER BAY, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- Black Friday might be one of the busiest shopping days of the year, but this Monday, Dec. 15, was to be the biggest shipping day.
As CBS2's Carolyn Gusoff reported, the U.S. Postal Service was managing 640 million pieces of mail on Monday. And in the countdown to the holidays, shipping fee savings are fading.
Hofstra University marketing Professor Joel Evans said it is advisable to seek out retailers that always ship free.
"It's relatively rare," said Evans, of the Zarb School of Business at Hofstra. "You find some places like Nordstorm and Land's End; L.L. Bean, who are known for that; Amazon if you belong to their Amazon Prime."
But if you do not have Amazon Prime, retail expert Andrea Woroch suggested signing up for a 30-day Amazon Prime trial to ship free through the holidays.
You can also find free shipping codes, which are often posted on retailers' social media pages or at FreeShipping.org.
Further, you can price-match for free shipping – that is, ask the retailer to match a competitor's offer – or pick up an item in-store. Walmart, Home Depot and Best Buy offer free site-to-store shipping.
Consumers may also make use of free shipping day – Thursday, Dec. 18 – on which hundreds of retailers will ship free with guaranteed Christmas delivery.
Jewelry business owner Allison Vulips said shipping fees are a turnoff for customers, and that is why she has done away with them.
"I build it into the price, so this way, they already knew they were paying that price, and they feel like they are not paying extra," said Vulpis, owner of Riley Gems. "So they are very happy about that."
And to dodge return shipping fees, you can ask if online gifts can be brought back to the brick-and-mortar store.
If you find yourself stuck with a pricey return shipping fee, ask customer service for a onetime waiver. The retailer may be in a giving mood.
Finally, if you sign up for Amazon Prime's trial offer, remember that you will be charged automatically for the service if you do not cancel within 30 days. But experts said you might want to hold onto the service – it is half-price for students, and it now offers free deliveries on Sunday too.
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