Martin Lewis' LAST OOOOORDERS!
The clock is ticking, there are 12 days to go, but Christmas ends online far sooner than it does in the real world. And our Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis is here to give his LAST OOOOORDERS tips.
Free or cheapest online delivery ends this week for many stores. Buying online can often be cheaper than in-store, and it’s far easier to price compare – using a shopbot (shopping robot) will quickly compare prices for you. Yet delivery costs are crucial, and the deadlines to get ‘free or cheapest’ delivery with popular online shops are closing in.
Some retailers end very soon, like Matalan which ends today, while House of Fraser and WHSmith ends on Friday. Then big ones like Amazon, ASOS and John Lewis end on Sunday.
Know your free delivery thresholds.To get free delivery with many online retailers your order needs to be a certain amount. Yet sometimes you can play this. This year Amazon upped its free delivery threshold from £10 to £20, and delivery can cost up to £6. Yet the Super Saver Delivery tool may save you cash. If your item is close to £20, such as a £19.50 electric toothbrush, it’ll find an item to get the total over the threshold, such as a 50p washing up sponge – which is cheaper than paying the £4.75 delivery.
Similarly free delivery from John Lewis is £50, so buy a £49 jumper online and delivery would cost £3.50, as it’s under £50, but add a £1.50 Christmas bauble, bumping the total over the £50 free-delivery threshold, and delivery is free.
Bag January sales now.The ‘traditional’ January sales now usually start online late on the afternoon of Christmas Eve. Yet a few are creeping even closer. Last year ASOS and Kurt Geiger started their up-to-50%-off January sales around the 18 December. And I suspect similar will happen this year (no promises though, so it’s a gamble). It will be too late for free delivery, but if you pay a premium for delivery you may be able to get sales prices before Christmas.
Order online and if it’s late you can send it back. Unlike buying in-store, if you buy online the Consumer Contracts Regulations mean you can cancel the order within 14 days of arrival for any reason (apart from perishable or personalised goods). You've then 14 days to send it back. So if your parcel doesn't arrive in time, you've the comfort of knowing you can return it regardless.
Give delivery instructions when ordering.Sadly delivery horror stories are everywhere – firms leaving parcels in wheelie bins, under bushes, in BBQs or behind rear car-wheels to be reversed over. There’s no foolproof way round this, but if you’re expecting a delivery but might not be in to receive it, always get in touch with the delivery company with instructions on where to leave it (and frankly as they often get timings wrong, do it even if you’re hoping to be in when they arrive).
Unless it specifically says you’ll get it 'in time for Christmas', rights are difficult. Unless the shop has specified an agreed delivery time, by law, delivery only needs to be ‘within a reasonable time’, which is normally up to 30 days.
For goods ordered in stores for delivery, unless they said your item will arrive by 25 December, it's tricky. So if you order in a store, if you can, ensure it states this and make it agree 'time is of the essence' – this means if the item doesn’t arrive by the agreed date you can legally get your money back. If not, it's a risk.
Your contract is with the store, not the delivery firm. If your parcel hasn’t been delivered or is damaged when you get it, unless you paid directly for the delivery, then it's the store that owes you a duty of care. Even if it’s a poor delivery company, that’s not your problem – your relationship and contract is with the firm itself – so it needs to sort it out for you.