We’ve all made mistakes online, right? Please tell me I am not alone. I try to be oh-so-savvy but sometimes there is a deal that I just cannot pass up or I am in a rush to find something and I take a chance on a site I have never seen or heard of…and something goes wrong. Shopping online is the main way I shop. Period. I don’t have time to hit the mall with 3 little kids and honestly, I don’t get much done if they are there. From clothes to electronics to books and equipment, I shop online. I am usually quite good at it, if I do say so myself.
This fall I am excited to partner with American Express Membership Rewards and their Online Savvy Shopper Program. You want to be a savvy shopper. American Express is going to help us avoid mistakes and stay smart online. They are also going to give one lucky reader $250 in gift cards and awesome merchandise. You know, that will go a long way in relieving the pain of past mistakes.
My Online Shopping Mistake
American Express asked me to share one memorable online mistake with you and then ask you to share one of yours. We can all feel bad together and then learn our lessons well!
A few years ago I was all into joining membership sites after seeing their free trials. I was just getting into blogging and I thought I was finding some great deals and awesome programs. I could lose baby weight, I could be a premium member of some cool site I thought I would use all the time, I could get advice from the pros. I was hooked. I gave my credit card information to a few membership sites. Let me be clear, these are reputable companies but they do not all have great customer service in terms of a customer wanting to leave. I wanted the free trial. The only problem was, I forgot about dates and a few of the free trials expired. In one, I tried to cancel and was unable to figure out how. I was stuck, for a long time, with a subscription I did not want. I was even confused by some as they did not bill monthly, but quarterly, and I did not see the charge until it was too late. When I did see the charge, it was from some unknown company that did not ring a bell in my head. At all.
I got a lot smarter with all kinds of shopping online after this.
In full disclosure, infomercials still get me. I know, I need help.
Basic Tips to Avoid Disappointment
1. Know the rules of engagement. Return policies and cancellation rules are key to keeping things you don’t want from staying on your card and taking the money you do want. Also, remember that many daily deal sites or steeply discounted product sites have no return policy. One you pay, it is yours.
Tip: Add the drop dead dates to your calendar…minus a few days to be safe. You should then get a reminder to make a decision on your membership, that pair of boots or that outfit that your daughter refuses to wear.
American Express Bonus: With your American Express card you have 90 days of purchase protection on like new items valued up to $300 for a total of $1000 per year. How awesome is that? 90 days is much longer than the standard return policy of most online retailers.
2. Buy from a site you know and trust. I would add to this a site with a super easy return policy like Bluefly or Zappos! or Amazon. It is awesome to know that a site is reputable and that you will be able to easily return items that don’t work for you. Sometimes that extra 10% off isn’t worth it if you are stuck with it no matter what or if…worst case…you never receive the item or nowhere near in time for that trip you bought it for.
3. Keep track of what you spend and the cards you spend it on. If you have a partner or kids in the house who also spend, make sure you all know what the charges are on each card. We have had fraudulent charges on our cards that I assumed were my husband’s and he assumed were mine. Thank goodness American Express took care of it, but had we never noticed, the charges would have remained on our card.
4. Use a credit card online and not a debit card. You should have a credit card with protection. Believe me, it is easier to dispute a credit card charge than to get actual cash put back in your bank account. Way easier.
5. It is just better to use a card with rewards and having been an American Express card holder for more than a decade, it is so worth it. From their great deals to their vast product selection to their travel experts, I am always delighted to know I am earning points I will actually use with my Membership Rewards. If only I could save them up for college tuition. That would be a dream!
Share Your Online Shopping Mistake for a Chance to Win!
One lucky Mommy Words reader will win $250 in merchandise or giftcards or a combination of both through American Express Membership Rewards. You just need to share your online shopping mistake! Here’s the deets.
A Gift card in denominations of $50, $100 or $250 to Saks Fifth Avenue, Zappos.com or Nieman Marcus
Selected Awesome Merchandise:
North Face Denali Jacket (Retail $165)
Michael Kors Hamilton Medium Messenger Bag (Retail $248.00)
Dooney and Bourke Dillen II Satchel (Retail $248.00)
TUMI Ducati Tank Medium Backpack (Retail $245.00)
Next week I will be writing about my fall must-haves and providing you with another chance to win!
Good Luck! This is quite a prize! Entry requirements are below.
Disclosure: I am being compensated with an American Express membership awards gift card. The opinions expressed are all my own.
I am the Ringmaster of this circus. I have 3 small children who don't know what that means so I just say "Boss" and they get that. I am a mom who loves to write, build things, make things and love on my kids and my hubs. I am also in the midst of a love affair with social media. Always busy, usually laughing and never without words. Thus, Mommy Words. 
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i shipped to the wrong address.
Twitter: sellabitmum
October 19, 2011 at 8:47 am
I’ve ordered from overseas and paid crazy shipping and wasn’t able to return it when it didn’t fit. Totally wasn’t worth the savings of the product.
Twitter: mommywords
October 19, 2011 at 9:20 am
Oh yes, I avoid overseas now. As much as I adore some things I see!
Ordering the wrong size – but waiting so long for my daughter to try it on that we missed the return date deadline. Our loss became GoodWill’s gain!
Introducing Craig to Zappos. That man buys hundreds of dollars of shoes at a time.
Twitter: mommywords
October 19, 2011 at 10:57 am
How does that happen? I think Ross has 4 pairs of shoes. And I’m pretty sure he has no idea what zappos even is. Good luck to you! That’s no cheap man
Ordering a too big bathing suit for y daughter in january b/c she needed for an indoor pool event. Thinking I could keep it till summer and she would grow into it. FAIL! She didn’t grow into it and was too late to return b/c I didn’t read the company’s return policy.
I bought an “authentic” pair of Chanel sunglasses on ebay for a great deal! But of course they broke two weeks later. I am a lot more careful about buying so called designer goods online now!
I didn’t check the size chart for a sweater I ordered and it was too small. I have it right now ready to pack up and ship back for a size adjustment. I could have avoided the hassle if I had just paid attention and understood that they run small.
I ordered $150 platform boots on ebay with no returns….wrong size :/
I ordered an item with my debit card. Somehow my number was stolen and used to buy things overseas. Sticking with credit cards from now on!
I did the same thing and eventually had to close an account. Ooops!
Twitter: mommywords
October 19, 2011 at 12:36 pm
It totally sucks. My husband was so not happy. Oops is right!
My mistake was not searching for online coupons. Now, whenever I shop online I do a google search to find coupon codes for the website from which I am purchasing, and I almost always find a discount!
Twitter: mommywords
October 19, 2011 at 12:35 pm
I do the same thing! I love googling a coupon and easily getting 10% off or more and free shipping. I will say that I sometimes put an extra item in my cart to reach the bar for the deal. You know, the coupon is only good when you spend $49
online shopping mistake:
Buying something from newegg with rebate and not sending it!
I went through a phase of buying stuff I thought looked good off ebay and got it wrong buying brands I didn’t recognize that turned out to be badly made and nasty. I stick to brands I know and trust now.
I made a purchase on eBay. It was a great price, but it was for plastic rather than “jet” which, of course is more valuable. Had I paid more attention to the description, I would have figured it out and probably not bid.
I ordered 10 things one time instead of the 1 I wanted.
Thanks for the chance.
[email protected]
Several years ago I did one of those free trial credit check sites and put the purchase on a gift card. Well, the gift card expired before they ever refunded my cash. Thankfully, it wasnt much.
Buying something off of eBay, thinking I got a GREAT deal. But then realizing after purchasing that I paid more for shipping than the actual item. I now always look for promo codes, free shipping, and tend to only buy from well known sites.
i ordered a dvd online from amazon a while back but didnt pay attention to the info and accidentally ordered a dis in chinese and couldnt understand it and the subtitles didnt match the movie.
Twitter: MyMamihood
October 19, 2011 at 6:36 pm
This hopefully counts as an online shopping mistake. My family and I went back to NYC for Christmas one year and I was coming back before them since I had to work. Instead of using the little calendar on the travel site when I booked my flights, I threw in the date by hand. Yeah, um, my flight had left the day before! I had to wait until the day after to fly stand by! Massive fail!
The worst part is that after that, I’ve caught myself almost doing the same thing again. Sheesh!
Sili´s last [type] ..This Explains Everything!
I thought I was buying 4 bathroom rugs but received 4 toilet seat covers.
My mistake always is forgetting to look for coupons.
I seem to make the same mistake a few times. I don’t pay close attention to what i’m ordering and order the wrong thing.
Michelle B´s last [type] ..Review & Giveaway: Parissa Express Wax Strips
I bought a Bedazzler. Need I say more?
In my defense, I was going to make some HOT Bedazzled wedding panties for myself….
Twitter: mommywords
October 19, 2011 at 10:14 pm
Please please write a blog or a blog post for me. I totally heart you babe.
Email me deets! I’ve never mommyblogged before. Serial stalker.
Almost all clothes I have ever bought online have been huge mistakes, they either look much nicer online than when I actually got them or did not fit correctly.
Nadine L´s last [type] ..$10 Amazon and $10 Border GC Giveaway (2 winners)
Ordered a comforter then got it and it did not look like it did online. The colors were way off. They said I could return it AT MY EXPENSE and they would not refund the first postage either. LESSON LEARNT.
vmkids3 at msn dot com
I bought a DVD one time and it turned out to be a pirated copy. I got no satisfaction from the company and they were based in Canada so had little recourse to get them shut down. They offered a refund if I shipped the copy back to them which would have been more than I’d paid for the copy.
The mistake that comes to mind right now is not searching for coupon codes to save 20% or get free shipping. Thank you for the giveaway!
I ordered a t-shirt for my husband for Christmas. I live in Louisiana and tend to tab through forms pretty quickly. This particular form had a “country” field where nearly every other web form in the universe has the “State” field. Needless to say, the t-shirt ended up getting sent to Laos. I am not really sure why the company didn’t notice the zip code and such, but he got that Christmas gift around Easter when it finally showed up.
My online shopping mistake was not giving my full shipping address.
[email protected]
mine was shopping and forgetting to go through ebates!!
Where to begin? We ordered a DVD and it was misrouted to another state where the company claims that it was delivered correctly. I accidentally ordered a DVD box set on a popular website and it came from China, my wife complains that it is a low quality video… I know there are many others that I have done.
I shopped online and forgot that I had a gift certificate for it!
On the whole I love shopping online. But I’ve learned a few things over the years–don’t assume the size number on clothes will fit, instead look at the measurements. I’ve learned that the hard way!
I’ve ordered the wrong size and had to pay shipping to return it, so the sale I got on it really wasn’t a good deal.
I used a debit card on Paypal instead of a credit card. My Paypal was hacked and my checking account was raided!
Buying something unreturnable, and then finding out it doesnt fit when it arrives!
Thrift store sells SD memory cards for $1 each when they get them. I have found 2, 4, and even 8s, but i got really excited when I found 16s. there were eleven 16s. Oh my I grabbed them. cough.cough. they were 16 mb not 16 gb. I thought I had got lots of memory and instead I got a tiny-winy. Duh.
tes 1283 yahoo
I bought something for a site without checking the return policy – no returns. The item was damaged and they told me to take it up with the post office (even though it wasn’t insured and there was not even an option to insure). I am always very careful about who I order with online now – now the policy on returns and damaged items.
I bought bathroom rugs that were way too small for the areas I wanted to cover … and I thought I was getting such a great deal.
After I finally decided on and purchased a whole set of cloth diapers when my daughter was a baby, I realized I ordered small when I wanted medium. Luckily they let me exchange.
I bought a designer outfit on Ebay. Didn’t fit. Couldn’t return it.
I once let my university’s bill pay service “remember” my credit card number, and they started charging me without notification, so I had multi-hundred or even multi-thousand dollar hits on my credit card bill that I didn’t remember paying.
Twitter: Caringmom
October 20, 2011 at 8:40 pm
I once brought a electronic product online with a no return policy, when it was shipped to me it was already broken. sad!
I am always leary about shopping online because I want to see the thing in person…
Danielle´s last [type] ..Guest Blog: Children and Grief
my biggest online shopping mistake was ordering a dress from a site that wasn’t well known and I didnt check their return policy. they basically said no returns accepted and the dress i bought was too small and I was stuck with it. i always check policies now when i shop online
Twitter: singlemomonabgt
October 20, 2011 at 11:04 pm
I ordered “express service”. Turns out this only means that it hits express mode when it gets shipped. Until then when they get to it they get to it. CHECK OUT WHAT FAST SHIPPING MEANS – lesson learned.
Jill´s last [type] ..Real and simple ways to earn money
Buying a gift card off ebay! it was already used!!
Blogtacular contest! Thanks so much! Janna Johnson [email protected]
Janna@feedyourpig on GFC
I ordered something called Serenity and I was new to shopping online and it involved an autoship program. I had a hard time getting it stopped and getting my money back. I was afraid to even try the product as the reviews I read about it were so bad. (read the reviews after the autoship fiasco)
Buying on eBay and not noticing the extremely high shipping rate which made it not a good deal. I was miffed.
Not thoroughly reading the item description of an item for sale online has gotten me some junk I really didn’t want.
Twitter: http://asahmlookingforadeal.blogspot.com
October 21, 2011 at 1:53 am
I’m terrible with checking size charts! Sometimes I’ll go to order my kids something and order them say a size medium, not realizing it’s a toddler size medium or something like that. it’s a bummer when you get something in the mail that isn’t even close!
coriwestphal at msn dot com
Cori Westphal´s last [type] ..KY Intimacy Experiment – Day 9
I always wait too long to order the gifts and then things don’t arrive in time! Thanks for hosting!
My mistake with ordering jeans specifically online is not checking waist measurements. I always assume that my “normal” size will be ok, but usually have to end up sending them back for a different size.
brittneydejajason at gmail dot com
I bought shoes that I couldn’t return–and of course, they didn’t fit!
buying while under the influence i purchased duplicate sets of tickets to a show
Ordered the wrong size.
buying without checking the bank account first!!!
I bought shoes online, paying careful attention to the retailer’s sizing comments (true to size, runs 1/2 size small, etc.). Well, out of four pairs of shoes I bought, only one fit (the others were way too small) and gee, the retailer was out of stock on the larger sizes so I had no choice but to return (instead of free exchange) for a refund…minus their huge restocking charge. They’re a reputable shoe retailer, too. Never again!
I shopped without looking for an online code that would have saved me 40%
I bought something online recently, then my credit card info was used overseas (not by me!) luckily the credit card company saw the red flag and contacted me right away!
My biggest online shopping mistake was an item from ebay that arrived broken into a thousand pieces. It cost me $35 shipping both ways and I ended up with nothing but $100 worth of pieces.
Not returning things I don’t love. That just amounts to wasted money.
I pressed “buy” button three times by accidet when I was shopping online. My card was charged three times. it took a few weeks and a few calls to the bank to get my money back.
Sometimes I forget to get cashback!
We bought printer ink online for my father in law. The company was a scam and I stole our credit card number!
I made the mistake of buying a pretty expensive fishing pole from a third-party seller on Ebay despite the fact that he/she was a new seller without any customer reviews. Predictably, not only did the pole arrive late (after my dad’s big day), it was the wrong one! Plus, they gave me the runaround about a return. I learned my lesson about buying carefully from sellers on sites after that!
I have bought a few items that look totally different from the picture when I received it.
i’m always buying things from final sales-you can’t return them then
I once spent $100 on a pair of jeans & they ended up being on sale, on the same site, the next day for half off!
I ordered two expensive lamps instead of 1. I didn’t realize I added it to the cart twice :/
I bought a really expensive purse on eBay from a brand new seller, I thought “Hey, everyone has to start somewhere” and I gave her the benefit of the doubt. HUGE mistake. The seller had lied her tail off and said that it was in mint condition and the pictures supported that. I got the bag and the tassels were frayed, the body was stained and scratched; there was even grit and a gum wrapper in the pocket! It was the biggest pain and took forever to get it sorted out, but thank God for eBay’s Buy With Confidence Guarantee. I don’t know what I would have done without it.
I was buying a gift card on ebay and it seemed too good to be true. Well, it was. I never got the gift card
I recently ordered some hoodies for my daughter from a site that sells softball stuff and I haven’t heard a word from them. I guess I’m going to have to go through paypal and try to get my money back. Thank you!
When shipping ends up more than the product
leaving my debit card on the counter, and not realizing for 2 days!
My biggest mistake was letting my 12 month old hold my credit card to make her be quiet and it got lost along the way.
ordering clothes without looking at the measurements for the size. I ended up with clothes that were way too big and couldn’t return.
I haven’t had a huge online mistake. I think mine is usually buying a book that I end up not really wanting in the end…because in a store, I can flip through it.
I once bought shoes that I *loved* from an online shop…when I got them, they weren’t the right size. I returned them and it took them almost a month to process my return. Was definitely off-putting!
I ordered a jacket for my son last winter and when it arrived it was the wrong size! I returned it and it took so long to get the right size back that it was no longer jacket weather.
I have hit the complete order button too soon and then afterwards seen and error in the order or the size or the quantity.
I ordered a magazine through a company who was supposedly doing a promotion through my husband’s school and it turned out to be a scam. I never received the magazine and they kept the money.
I ordered a gift for my Mom in the wrong size and realized it about an hour after I placed the order. They couldn’t cancel the order but they did allow me to return it for free, which was great.
I went crazy on the clearance section of a major high-end women’s store–bought several sizes figuring I could return those that don’t fit–missed the fine print that said “no returns” and ended up taking a loss when I took the extras to my local consignment shop.
Thanks for the chance to win!
–Liza
ejm6x (at) yahoo (dot) com
My biggest online shopping mistake: trusting a major online retailer to send a Christmas present on time. I ordered the item in November and they sent a confirmation for 5-7 day delivery. They kept rescheduling delivery, promised I’d receive it before Christmas, I trusted them, then didn’t receive it until 1 week after Christmas. They lost a customer.
Thinking that I could buy a bathing suit online without trying it on. Luckily I bought it at Sears so I was able to just return it to the store.
Adding the same item multiple times and checking out without even realizing the extra charge. Doh!
I am still waiting for the honeybells I ordered 3 years ago!
I ordered a pair of shoes in my size but they turned out to be too small. There was no returns so I ended up selling them on craigslist.
I put in the adress of a freind in GA.too bad for me I live in IL…
My mistake has definitely been not reading carefully! I have gotten so many TINY items that I neglected to read the size of…no wonder they were such a low price! Thanks for the giveaway!
I ordered a beautiful piece of jewelery off eBay for WAY less than it retailed… thinking it was too good to be true (and turns out it was!) I wore the ring for an hour and it turned my finger green.
Good thing it wasn’t too expensive of a lesson to learn. Thanks for sharing your tips!
Not looking for coupon codes before I order.
My biggest online shopping mistake was buying clothes on a website and my cc information was stolen .
Biggest online shopping mistake – not paying attention to the return policy!
i never received merchandise i ordered! and the company never would respond to my emails. you live and learn
My biggest mistake was not reading the return policy once. I couldn’t return in store and they took $15 off my refund to send it back.
Not checking return policies!
demureprincess7(at)gmail(dot)com
Ordering clothing items that are at great prices (read: my fault for not realizing inexpensive means poor quality) and finding that within a year the clothes have holes. Ordering products that are deceiving in size and failing to pay attention to the details (dimensions etc). And finally, not researching online for coupon codes to apply to orders before completion! I have learned, albeit slowly, to perform a search for coupon codes.
My online shopping mistake was not checking the size of the lamp I purchased. What I though would be a cute table lamp now takes up a 3′ x 3′ area next to my bed. I love it, but it wasn’t what I thought I’d be getting!
Lynsym at gmail com
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