We've all been there, right? We're shopping online for something specific and realize that if we buy just one more item, we'll get free shipping. How often do you go ahead and buy that 'one more thing' in order to earn free shipping? Think about it, though. If you didn't really need that item, then you're just spending the extra money for nothing. And often times, we don't find an item that's exactly the cost of the amount we need anyway, so we end up spending even more.
Oh yeah. Amazon. One more item and I get free shipping. And then I look for an item that will make up the dollar amount target. Yeah, been there and done that. For me most of the time it is not too bad because I can usually find another item that is not too much and I would like to have, either, book, music cd or DVD. But I have done that with Amazon. And not once or twice. But as I said, it usually doesn't hit hard and I get a the added at basically no extra cost. Ryder13
I've never had to buy any additional items to get free shipping, but I have been in situations where I needed to buy 1 extra thing or reach a minimum amount of money for an order in order to get cheaper shipping. I always have a calculator next to me when shopping, so I try to do some rational thinking and see if buying that extra thing is convenient or not.
Amazon has that promotion all year around. If you spend $25 you get free shipping. I usually purchase used books for a penny and pay $6.49 for shipping. However, if I were to purchase new books and I'd spending $21.99 plus shipping, which would add up to $30, I'd get something extra. But that's just me. Those darn shipping costs!
I get so frustrated with this. Most of the time I'm just shy of free shipping and can never find a filler item. I usually just abandon the whole purchase. Amazon can be the worst. Everything I buy tends to be around $20, and I can never seem to find anything to fill the gap for $5.
I haven't experienced buying an additional item yet just to avail of free shipping. I usually just buy what I need and pay extra for the shipping. But if I buy from a local store online, the shipping is always free when you purchase a certain amount, and luckily, I get free shipping everytime, without adding an item that I don't really intend to buy.
I do this a lot on Amazon. I have a long wishlist of books so it's no big deal to add something extra to get to the free shipping. Funny, I don't do this on other sites. I just go ahead and pay the shipping charges.
I do this all the time. I just don't see the point of paying for shipping. I always get something i need, or a gift, it's never something I don't need.
I guess it all depends on if you will need that (one more thing) in the near future. My wife and I shop online at Walmart because we do not have a Walmart in Key West, and with the new construction totally grid-locking the town, it is convenient to do so. It is easy for us to find that one more thing that we would otherwise have to go into town to get anyway. What you don't want to do is to make that one more thing something that you may not need in the near future, or ever.
I agree with what is being said throughout this thread about this subject; that being that the key, and the challenge in finding just one more thing in order to get free shipping is to find something that one wants, but that is also the right price. No need to overspend in order to get free shipping. How frustrating it is though, to only be a few dollars away from being able to get free shipping, but not being able to find something exactly in the price range one wants to spend. Only $2.00 more until free shipping, but you can't find anything for $2.00. Uugghhh. What is one to do, just buy the cheapest thing that one can find in order to reach the free shipping price? No, don't really want to do that.
I have done this. In my defense though, it has only been when I know that I can get that next item for the same price of or cheaper than I would have paid for shipping. I don't just go adding on $10 when I know I only need $5.
I don't think I have ever done this on any other website other than Amazon and it was only one time. The funny thing is that it was a purchase that I was making on behalf of a co-worker because she did not have an Amazon account at the time. I picked out a cheap CD for me and got the free shipping. My co-worker was happy because we both piad for our separate items and she didn't have to pay the shipping charge on her's so she paid less overall.
That's a great idea! I hadn't thought about tacking on someone else's order or just combining orders in general. That's a good way to qualify for the offer without potentially costing yourself more money. It would work well for getting free item promos, too.
Sometimes I do go ahead and buy that extra item to get free shipping and handling. Buy only if its something that I want or an item that is cheap. So I never go overboard to save on shipping and handling because a lot of times it's not worth it. I try to be reasonable on my shopping experiences.
Since my purchases on amazon tend not to be urgent, I will let items sit in the shopping cart until I have enough to get the free shipping.
I often do this with Avon online ordering. A friend of mine combines her order with mine, and as we see each other every day, it's no hardship to divide the order when it comes through. With Amazon, or other sites, if I'm ordering something just to make up the order for free shipping, I choose an item that I can give as a gift, rather than something for myself. At least then I'm not just spending money for the sake of it, I'm buying something towards Christmas, or lining up an early birthday present.
I do it all the time. I either wait with stuff in my amazon cart until I have enough for free shipping. Or if I need the item right away I add additional items. But I always add stuff I would be otehrwise buying- mostly treats for the dog.
I never do because of that usually the item is something i don't need or more than what i would pay if i paid the shipping so i rather pay the shipping and go on about my business.
I never buy one more item to get free shipping. I try not to pay for shipping by using coupons found online. I also frequent the same sites when shopping online and I always find a coupon to minimize the cost of the overall order. When buying one more item to get free shipping, its normally a item you do not need nor intend to use.
What i the item you are buying is less than the shipping cost? Or within a dollar or 2 of the shipping cost?