~~KMART.COM~~HIGH SHIPPING COST IS NO BLUE LIGHT SPECIAL, THAT'S FOR SURE!!
Written: Jun 19 '03
|
| Full Review |
A few times a year, I find myself shopping at the KMart Online Store even though their shipping charges are rather high in my opinion. My most recent experience happened last week, so while it's fresh in my mind, here goes the review :-) Just one short week ago, my youngest son turned 3, and one of his birthday presents was to be a new "big boy" bedding set including a Buzz Lightyear comforter and pillow. But because my local brick and mortar KMart store only had Buzz Lightyear sheets in the full size only (I needed the twin), I reluctantly resorted to ordering them online for a price much higher overall than what I would have paid in the store had they been in stock the day I went shopping for Tristan's gifts. But then again, it saved me another trip way across town to search for the correct sized sheets in the future, so finding them online was certainly convenient if not inexpensive. Read on to find out more about this average, "ho hum" online store.
~~~The Online Store~~~
KMart.com offers many of the same products that can be found inside their brick and mortar discount stores. Items such as clothing, baby & toddler items, health & beauty, electronics (including music and movies), sports equipment, toys, items for the home, and even jewelry can be purchased here. Some of the major brands you'll find at this online store include Martha Stewart (for a limited time obviously due to her legal troubles), Joe Boxer (the teenagers love this one), Sesame Street (my 3 year old preschooler has lots of play clothes with his favorite characters on them), and Disney Kids just to name a few. Of course the selection is very limited when compared to shopping at my local Big KMart, but I found the sheets I needed rather quickly and easily (Yes! They were in stock! LOL) as this online site is very easy to navigate with fast page loads. Shopping is secure here, so at least I'm not worried about typing my credit card number in when making a purchase at KMart.com.
~~~Ease of Ordering~~~
Ordering items at KMart.com is rather easy. Once you've placed your selections into your shopping bag, it's time to check out just as with most other online sites. First time users must register information such as both a shipping and billing address, phone number, and credit card. Methods of payment include American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa, and the KMart Gift Card. Once you've saved your information on their secure site, future purchasing transactions go much smoother and quicker. A confirmation email will arrive in your inbox soon after, and they'll also let you know when your order has been shipped. Just hang on to your tracking number just in case an error is made somewhere. Returns can be mailed back to the company, or take the merchandise back to any KMart store with the enclosed packing slip for a refund or exchange. Just remember that the high shipping charges when ordering from KMart.com will NOT be refunded, so order with caution!
~~~Shipping Costs~~~
According to information posted at the KMart.com website, shipping costs are determined by weight. So larger items will naturally cost more to ship than lighter ones will. Tristan's Buzz Lightyear sheets in the twin size cost over $6 to ship, bringing the total price for a $19 set of sheets plus tax up over $26, which is almost what I paid for the larger comforter itself! The shipping costs are tallied as you go (with each item placed into the shopping bag), so you shouldn't be extremely shocked once you are ready to check out and see a large shipping charge. Orders shipped USPS Media Mail take anywhere from 7 to 14 days to reach their destination in the 48 continental United States. Standard Ground will take anywhere from 3 to 8 days, while Third Day should arrive in 3 days and Overnight shipping takes 1 day. I placed my order on a Monday and received my package on a Friday, shipped Standard Ground via the USPS. While I've had much timelier orders to arrive from other online sites, I must say that I'm fairly satisfied with the delivery time as it was right in the middle of the time frame promised by KMart.com when my order was placed.
~~~Overall Recommendation~~~
Since the selection is rather limited at KMart.com and the shipping charges are far from affordable (it IS a discount store, right?), I'm giving this online store an "average" rating. My order was delivered in a timely manner and the merchandise came in good condition and was exactly what I'd purchased. But other than that, nothing spectacular about this website really "wowed" me. Sure, I would shop here again, but only after exhausting a few other resources first. And perhaps if they offered a few "free shipping" deals every now and then to keep me interested, I'd be more likely to browse around their website a bit more. Sorry KMart.com, but if you don't want to go "bust" like many of your brick and mortar stores have recently, those high shipping costs will HAVE to go! Especially for items shipped standard via the USPS as mine was. Give me a break on the shipping, and I'll definitely be back. Otherwise, see ya later! Good luck and happy online shopping :-)
Looking for cheap internet access?? Bluelight internet services is offered from this online website for just $9.95 per month. Copy and paste the following URL into your computer's browser for more information:
http://www.kmart.com
Customer Service:
1-866-562-7848
Recommended:
No
|
|
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2008 Shopping.com, Inc.