With countless online shoe sites and countless “best deal!” and “free shipping” claims, it’s hard to know who is giving me the best bang for my buck. I decided to shop around three top online shoe retailers—with two pairs of shoes in mind—to see who truly had the best deal.
Tip: To make sure I always get the lowest price, I always check a few price comparison websites like Shopzilla.com, Frucall.com, and TheFind.com. I also like MPire.com—they show current prices on the web for my search items and even include eBay auctions in their search results.
The Shoe: Peeptoe Pump
Brand: BCBG MAX AZRIA Idalina Pump
Color: Bleach
Photo courtesy of Piperlime.com
Piperlime.com
$210.00
- Free shipping standard delivery (four to seven business days Monday through Friday, not including holidays) and free returns (unworn and in their original condition and sent back within sixty days.)
- 100 percent price match means that if you find them anywhere else for less, Piperlime will pay you the difference
- You can earn 5 percent in Rewards toward Piperlime purchases if you use your Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, or Piperlime credit card
Endless.com
$224.95
- Free overnight shipping if order is placed before 7:30 p.m. EST
- If you find another site with the shoe at a lower price (within two weeks after the date they ship your order), contact Endless and they will credit your card for 110 percent of the difference. If they lower the price on their own site within fourteen days of your shipment date, they will refund you 110% of the difference as well.
- You can return your shoes for free for 365 days from the original purchase date and Endless will even pay for the return shipping
Zappos.com
$214.00
- Free standard shipping (four to five business days)
- You can return your shoes free for 365 days from the original purchase date, but products must be in the original box or packaging
- You’ll have to call a customer service representative to get the price matching if you find them on another site for less
The Verdict:
Piperlime is the best deal if you know for sure you’ll be keeping these shoes. Otherwise, you may want to pay the extra four dollars and buy them from Zappos so you have the luxury of a whole year to decide if they work with the rest of your wardrobe.
Note: For some reason, none of the price comparison sites I checked returned comprehensive results for this shoe. I was better off rooting around on my own.
The Boot: The Funky Patent Leather Boot
Brand: Aquatalia Wasabi2
Color: Red
Photo courtesy of Piperlime.com
Piperlime.com
$187.99 (On sale from $235.00)
Endless.com
$164.47 (On sale from $231.95)
Zappos.com
$239.00
The Verdict:
Endless is obviously the best deal here since they offer the lowest price as well as free shipping, and a full year refund. Zappos obviously needs to do their research!
The Final Verdict:
No matter what you’re shopping for, it always pays to shop around because as my research shows, no one site always has the best deals. It’s always worth checking a few shopping comparison sites, but I always follow up with a little groundwork of my own. Finally, remember to weigh return policies and shipping costs when making your decision.
