Kohl's Cash and online Power Hours.
Written: Aug 07 '07 (Updated Aug 21 '07)
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I had no idea how difficult it would be to decorate a teenage boy's room. Of course our son wanted the best room ever but couldn't come up with a single idea. We've looked through every shelf in the city for the ultimate comforter and room decorations without any luck. The back to school season is the best time to get some stylish things so I went online to see what was on sale for the week.
Shopping experience
My intention was really just to see what was on sale to see if it would be worth the drive to town. Lucky me, there was a special on shipping so I figured I'd save the gas and shop online for a change.
I suppose Kohl's is more of a clothing store but they do offer things like bed and bath, kitchen, and home decorations. I chose the “homestore” link which lead me to the bedding department.
I was able to find a teenage-approved blue guitar bed set but was concerned that we wouldn't be able to find other things that matched it. Typically websites offer suggestions for what may match the item but this site only offered other bedding choices in pink.
I found it to be odd and disappointing that other items didn't appear so I kept on searching mostly because I had to spend more to get free shipping and because I knew they had to have new dorm merchandise out for this time of the year. I eventually clicked the “Back to School” link and found matching items in that area but had to click through every single link to find them.
The website nearly matches what they have in stores. I found it disappointing that the site didn't indicate if items were also available in stores. Nor did it give the option to see the nearest store that has the item in stock. Since they didn't offer this service I have had to call the local store myself. After being on hold for 25 minutes I gave up and purchased from a different store that could offer these basic features.
Pictures
To zoom in to see the details of the picture I had to exit the “larger image” and then click the “zoom”, wait, then click the “+” and again wait. This was very time consuming. I became frustrated after the hunting and constant picture clicking.
I also didn't like how most of the clothes were photographed. It's just a flat view of the clothes. I like the option of the clothing item modeled. For instance, Capri length. It's nice to know at a glance how short the Capri length is.
Shopping by Brand
I do like the option of searching by brand. At the very bottom of the main page there is a link for “our brands”. Our family usually sticks to certain brands because we already know how they will fit. If you scroll down further you cans search by kitchen and home brands too. The only way I can find what I'm looking for quickly is by using the brand search.
Price and Value
Kohl's is like most other department stores. If the item is not on sale, you're paying too much. Their sales are pretty significant and are well marked.
I signed up for the email messages and receive periodic sale notices. Generally I don't like such messages but have been rewarded greatly with notifications of major sales.
If you are familiar with the brick and mortar Kohl's you know how packed the store is during “power hours”. Power hours are early morning and late evening sales where you can find door buster prices. I was tickled to find online power hours because I can avoid the crowd.
My favorite time to buy is when they offer “Kohl's Cash”. The first week you can shop the power hours and get great deals and earn $10 worth of “Kohl's Cash” for every $50 you spend. You return the next week to spend your “Kohl's Cash”. The beauty is, you don't have to spend a minimum to use the cash. For example, you could buy some clothes and earn $50 in “Kohl's cash”. The next week you can can go back in and get something for nothing...like a free pair of tennis shoes.
Coupon codes can also be found on search engines.
Sale Ad
Even if I don't intend to purchase online, I do visit their web page to view the sale circular. I think all stores offer this option online now. I really hate how small the ad is. But their ad does offer the original price which I find important and many retailers leave out. You can also add the sale item to your “list” if you want to shop in stores.
Shipping
Currently the fee for standard ground is $6.95 then $1.50 for each additional item and takes approximately 7-10 days in the mail.
Priority air is $15.00 plus $3.00 for each additional item and takes 2-3 days in the mail.
The good news is that Kohl's clearly marks on their front page when shipping is free with minimum purchase. You'll get your items just as fast with the “free” shipping benefit as you would have if you had paid for the standard shipping.
They do not offer overnight or expedited shipping.
Returns
Yes! You can return your purchases to the local Kohl's store. Major bonus.
Returning by mail requires printing out a return form and paying for postage. Details can be found at the bottom of their website.
Personal Order Experience
My first personal experience online wasn't a very good one. After spending a lot of time searching I proceeded to checkout. Checkout was easy and I was able to use a new user online coupon code in addition to the advertised shipping special. I received an email that the order had been placed and that it would be shipping soon.
A few days had passed when I received an email that one of my items were canceled. I had to look through the purchase list to determine which item had a “canceled” in the status column. Turns out they had canceled the comforter that I based the whole order around. Now I didn't get an option to make another selection or put the item on backorder. It was just canceled even though I had already paid for it 5 days prior. Do they not have real time inventory? I was willing to wait if the item was on backorder, but wasn't given the option. And why did it take a week before they processed my order? I didn't even get a decent apology email. Whatever the reason, the damage is done and I will definitely not order from them during the holidays or use them to order a gift for fear they may cancel my order again.
A few weeks later I used the website again. I always get my tennis shoes on sale at Kohl's. The problem with shopping for shoes when they're on sale is that they are often out of my size. I was able to order the styles and size that I wanted from the website. The items shipped much sooner and I didn't have any problems finding what I wanted or with the ordering process this time.
Overview
All things considered, this site was more complicated and less impressive than the numerous other department store sites that I have used. The most important thing to me that the site lacks is customer ratings and short reviews from previous buyers. I really feel more comfortable ordering from sites that offer customer feedback. I have found that to be the best way to to make up for not being able to actually “touch” the product before buying it.
Having one of my key items canceled for no apparent reason by Kohl's a week after it was ordered was not impressive. I would definitely not recommend the site for gift giving.
I will only be using Kohl's online as an alternative shopping option. I prefer the brick and mortar Kohl's store better. However, I do think the sales and free shipping offers will make up for any little complaints that I have and I do appreciate the option to return online items in the store.
I feel the site and shipping service deserves 2 stars. The sale prices and return option bumps it up to 3 stars.
Recommended:
Yes
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About the Author
Location: Nashville, TN
Reviews written: 723
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