Buying and returning to Zappos? I hate my feet...

[AnnE-girl]

I have short, fat feet that seem to have only gotten wider with each pregnancy. I love shoes but I hate shoe shopping because it's so hard to find cute shoes that fit me well. My one pair of slightly dressy sandals fell apart on Friday so I need to replace them and find some good everyday shoes for fall that aren't boots.

 

I've been thinking of ordering a bunch of different pairs from Zappos and then returning what doesn't fit. Has anyone else done this recently? Does it work well? Or do you have other suggestions for where to find wide sizes that don't look more appropriate for my grandma than a 35 year old?

[zoobie]

They're awesome. So easy. Amazon's shoe returns are painless too when it's part of their free return.

[MercyA]

Yes, I use Zappos and Amazon all the time for buying shoes. I return more shoes than I keep. It works beautifully. I can't remember the last time I tried on shoes in a store.  :)

[domestic_engineer]

Another vote of confidence in Zapppos and Amazon.  The prices at Zappos may be a bit more expensive than IRL, but I'm willing to pay it so that I don't have to go out shoe shopping.  Plus their selection is so much greater than what I have available to me locally.   Additionally, Zappo's search allows you to filter on foot width. 

 

The return process at Zappos is easy, and they have a long window for returns.  Their customer service is excellent.  I highly recommend them.

 

Try it; you'll like it!!!  :)

 

 

 

[J-rap]

Zappos is great, especially if you kind of know what you want.  I'll sometimes order 6 pairs at a time to try on, and then return all but one (or sometimes all of them).  Postage is always free (both ways) and fast, and you have a year to return them.  This works perfectly for us since we live nowhere near a city with a variety of shoe stores.

 

They don't usually have the sales or discounts that other shoe stores have, and that's probably the only drawback.

 

 

[ErinE]

I only use Zappos because I too have short, fat feet. I won't get any bargains there, but at least I know my shoes will fit. I've never had a problem returning shoes. In fact, when the kids were younger, I would buy two sizes in a particular style and return the one that didn't fit.

[Reefgazer]

I have only bought from Zappos for the past 6-7 years or so because I also have ugly, hard-to-fit feet.  I recommend Zappos to everyone, whether they are hard to fit or not.  The ease of shopping and returning is unmatched, the shipping is fast, the customer service is excellent, and the selection is huge.  Go for it - you won't ever go back to shopping in a brick and mortar for shoes.

[Rachel]

Zappos is great, returns are easy. They don't do any promo codes though.

 

My brother recently ordered 9 pairs of shoes at the same time and sent 8 back. I asked if his account got flagged because I felt like that was a lot, but he said he hasn't had any trouble at all.

[cave canem]

My feet are hard to fit. 

I shop at zappos.com.  I buy every size/width combination that seems plausible.  Large boxes full of shoe boxes arrive.  I try everything on, keep one pair.

I have been doing this for years.  No problem from zappos.  I think their business model anticipates this behavior.

Reboxing can be a pain, but at least I get a pair of comfortable shoes out of the process.

[KatieJ]

Zappos and shoe buy.com. have free shipping both ways. They carry different selections, so try them both.

My only caution is that ALL shoes from one order have to be returned at the same time. They will only give you one return label.

[cave canem]

Zappos and shoe buy.com. have free shipping both ways. They carry different selections, so try them both.

My only caution is that ALL shoes from one order have to be returned at the same time. They will only give you one return label.

 

I don't know about shoe buy.com, but zappos shoes don't have to be kept together by order for returns.

 

[KatieJ]

I don't know about shoe buy.com, but zappos shoes don't have to be kept together by order for returns.

 

Since I order from both, that is what I recall, but it very well could be just Shoebuy.

[Forget-Me-Not]

I do it frequently.

[AnnE-girl]

Thanks everyone! I guess I have some online shopping to do tonight :-)

[Rachel]

Shoebuy has changed policies recently. The last time I ordered from there I believe I only got credit for a return instead of a full refund unless I paid return shipping. I don't remember the details, just that the policy was changed.

[Acadie]

Zappos customer service once told me they *encourage* people to think of them as "the shoe store at home," which is just what pp's described--order 10 pairs and keep only what fits, if anything. 

 

I try to time this in the middle of our credit card cycle, since it would be tough for us to swing payment for 10 pairs even if I get the credit back the following month. Zappos does process returns and credits quickly, though.

 

You can filter for foot width, and also read lots of reviews. It's super helpful to hear what other people say. 

 

Have fun!

 

Amy

 

 

[fraidycat]

Zappos is super fantastic and easy to do returns. I absolutely recommend them. Awesome customer service.

[Guest]

Another vote for zappos for really wide, hard to fit feet :)

[magnificent_baby]

Zappos is super fantastic and easy to do returns. I absolutely recommend them. Awesome customer service.

 

There are some really cool stories out there about the customer service. I couldn't find a site to link that did not have a ton of pop ups, but one rep sent the customer flowers after the death of her beloved pet. They also do not read from a script. Customer service is huge for me....I wouldn't hesitate to try them out.