Overstock.com - Think long, think wrong.
Written: Nov 03 '02
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Think long, think wrong. I never really understood that statement before. My Dad says it all of the time when we play cards. You'd try to decide if you should pick something up, or what to discard and he'd say that saying. Used to get on my nerves. Now I know what he meant.
I heard about Overstock.com on a shopping forum. I caught the words "cheap" and "Wiggles" in the same sentence, so I clicked thru to the thread. Sure enough, someone found The Wiggles on VHS very cheap. I wanted to see if they had the one we're missing, so I clicked thru the link they provided. Sold out. Figures. Since I couldn't get The Wiggles, I figured I would snoop around.
While everything, for the most part, is broke up into categories, it is still a VERY busy webpage. There are pictures and links down the sides, in columns, as well as front and center. I tend to use the tabs across the top in blue. They break the site up into categories so items are easier to find. They have Home & Garden, Electronics & Computers, Books, Movies & Music, Jewelry & Apparel, Sports, Travel & Toys, and Worldstock: Global Designs. I tend to use these links as what I usually am not looking for anything specific. I may be looking for DVDs, but not necessarily a certain one.
Going down the left hand side is another way to navigate the site. Is has the same "stores" as they are listed on the tabs, but also offers "New Stock". It has five links, the bottom one being "New Items within 5 Days". There is also, right now, an ad for $5 off your first purchase listed under it.
If you are looking for a specific item, such as a movie title, you can use their Search feature. You can put in the item and then what department it is in, if you know, and hit "go". Default is "All Stores", so it will check the whole site. I have found, though, that if they are out of stock, your item will not be found.
What did I mean about "Think long, think wrong"? Well, if you find an item on Overstock.com that you want but you want to think about, don't think too long. Once they sell out, they may or may not get them back in again. And even if they do, you could pay more. You might pay less. I know there was a VHS tape I was going to buy Zacky, but when I went back to order it, they had sold out. They had an option to notify me if they got it in again, but I instead bookmarked the exact page, once again if they don't have it you can't bring it up with an exact link to that item, and check back once in a while. It wasn't a big deal, but it was a Christmas Rugrats tape I would have loved to get him.
So far my purchasing experience has been limited to videos. I have thought about purchasing other items, but they either don't have exactly what I want (model wise) or I don't have the money. They have some GREAT prices on carpet cleaners, but my husband is brand and model specific, so unless I get lucky and they get in Hoover Widepaths, I have to go to Wal-Mart and pick one up.
Some of the products, such as the carpet cleaners, can be "Factory-Reconditioned" products. They are clearly labeled, though, with a picture of the red recycled arrows and it says "Factory-Reconditioned". This is what they have to say about "Factory-Reconditioned" on the site:
A product is labeled 'Factory-reconditioned' for any number of reasons:
~Open Box: Items cannot be sold as new if product packing is removed without a purchase.
~Returns: Consumers can return products for any reason. Perhaps the consumer didn't like the product or had difficulty getting the item to work. Whether it's the very next day or months later, these items must be identified as 'reconditioned' or 'refurbished' to be resold.
~Scratch and Dents: Some items are returned with visible wear and tear. Overstock.com makes every effort to ensure that our reconditioned merchandise does not include 'Scratch and Dents.'
How are products reconditioned?
Every product targeted for reconditioning must pass a thorough examination. After repairing any defect and sanitizing, the product is repackaged. Reconditioning may be performed by the original manufacturer or a reputable professional outside firm. All products are returned to like-new or almost new condition.
Shipping and handling fees are very good for the most part. They charge a flat rate of $2.95 per order within the continental US. Of course there is a little "*" next to this. There always is, isn't there? They are exclusions. For media items they charge $1.40 if you buy only one media (book, movie, etc) item and nothing else, $2.80 if you order only two media items or it is the $2.95 for anything else, no matter how many items or in what department you buy from. I ordered three VHS tapes for my first order and it was the $2.95 for shipping. I ended up paying, for all three movies including shipping, the cost of one of the movies at Amazon.com without shipping charges. I thought this was a very good price. At this time they do not ship outside of the US. They will, however, ship to some areas of Alaska and Hawaii, but at a higher shipping cost.
They do have a $50 handling fee on all oversized items, and they say it is clearly marked on the product pages as well as during checkout, but I looked all over, even at the dining room tables, and didn't see anything marked "Oversized", so I am not sure how they are "clearly marked" or what exactly they consider "Oversized".
Checkout was very similar to checkout at other websites. The first thing you have to do, if you haven't already, is register. They want your name, address and email. If you have already registered they ask you to log in so they can retrieve your information.
They accept many forms of payment and they have a "Guaranteed" secure checkout to help keep your information from being intercepted and stolen. You can pay via Visa, Master Card, American Express, Discover, and even PayPal.
Once your order is placed they give you a confirmation screen and send you an email with information about your order. My three VHS tapes were shipped in two padded envelope-type mailers. All three movies arrived quickly and in excellent condition. They were all in original packaging and plastic wrapped. They came via USPS. According to the site only oversized items are delivered via UPS and Fed Ex. You can track your packages from the "My Account" page.
All in all I had a great experience with Overstock.com and plan to shop thru them more often. I didn't notice until after I had placed my order, but if you do reward programs, Memolink is one of their partners, so you would receive points for clicking thru the Memolink website. I am sure they are partnered with other programs as well, so you might look into this a little bit before you order.
I can't comment on their customer service, however, because I didn't need to use them. Everything I needed to know was found in the FAQs or right on the product pages. My order wasn't late or lost and there was nothing wrong with it, so I had no reason to need their help.
My only major caution is like I said, if you're thinking about purchasing thru Overstock.com, don't wait to long. When you go back the item could be gone, and maybe gone for good.
Recommended:
Yes
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About the Author
Member: Lisa D
Location: Back home in Indiana!
Reviews written: 552
Trusted by: 268 members
About Me: Proud SAHM, Navy wife and member of SHLEPS!
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