Is free shipping really free?
It can be, but before you can qualify for it, you have to overcome obstacles many retailers have in place that could prevent you from qualifying for the very free shipping they advertise, AOL Consumer Adviser Regina Lewis said on “The Early Show” Thursday.
So, she stresses, if you plan to do your holiday shopping online, be sure you read the fine print to assure you indeed get free shipping.
“About 80 percent of e-tailers say they’ll offer free shipping at some point,” Lewis told co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez. ” ‘At some point’ generally means sooner, rather than later.
“Here’s why: The big players – the Walmarts, Target, Best Buy, Sears, JCPenneys of the world, are all offering free shipping now. They are able to negotiate really good standard shipping rates. Later in the game, they have to pay the UPS and FedExes of the world a premium. They’re less likely to absorb that. They’re gonna pass that cost along to you.”
Full story: Free shipping “gotchas”
