zap zap!

Ok, I just want to state for the record that Zappos.com is equally totally awesome and crappy all at the same time. Here is why:

Well, first off they have an incredible selection. But they aren't exactly a bargain, they are about the same as every other place, only usually they tack on about $4 which is why I assume they can offer free shipping and returns. A good thing is that in Washington, since they have no location here, I don't have to pay any tax, so that makes up for some of it. I work at Nordstrom, though, and therefore get a discount on shoes purchased at work. So usually it is much cheaper and easier to walk downstairs to the store and buy a pair of shoes. UNLESS they are a brand we don't carry, which seems lately to be the case as I am completely obsessed with Blowfish shoes.

There are a number of buying options for Blowfish shoes, but I decided to go with Zappos because of their reliability in the past and also because the prices were the same everywhere else and they didn't offer free shipping. Here is where the issues I have with Zappos really comes in. When you purchase anything from them, at the point of sale you are asked to decide between different shipping methods and the only two I remember were the free 4-5 day shipping advertised all over the site as their big deal and for $25 extra I could have 1 day shipping. This kind of struck me as odd because I remember getting my shoes right away last time I ordered from them, but I knew I have always used the free shipping. So I used the free shipping or else it would not have been a very good deal at all. When I go to check my email this morning, I have an email from around 2 am saying that I've been upgraded to 1 day shipping at no cost and my shoes are already packed and ready to go, followed by an email with tracking information. My shoes are already in Seattle from Kentucky, left at 2:30 AM and are out for delivery as of 8:45 AM. Now I remember that is what happened last time, duh. No other place I have ever ordered from does this, and I freaking love it! Shoes when I get home, yay! But here is the bad part - what about the people who pay $25 extra for a service that they are extremely likely to give you for free? That effing sucks. Just offer free 1 day shipping, jeeze.