Free Shipping, No Tax, and In Stock Items Pleases Me. Their Return Policy is Less Pleasing.
Sandal Superstore
I wanted a pair of the new Croc Prima ballerina shoes and wanted the best price I could find. I came across Sandal Superstore Online Store and they had the lowest price, no shipping, and no tax. And they had my size and color preference in stock!
I had never shopped there before but took a chance and all went just as it should.
What The Site Sells
Sandals. Lots and lots of sandals. They have many brand names from inexpensive to pricey. Most are not fashion sandals as much as they are sandals for sports, boating, and other activities. They do have the full line of Crocs. They also sell some jewelry, watches, bags, and headwear. This is a unisex site and has items for men, women, and children.
Navigation and Ordering
The site simply set up. Tabs across the top and links across the side help you find what you want. They also have a search box that hones right in on what you are looking for.
They have live chat during the day and you can leave a message to be answered the next day when live chat is not available.
Prices are shown in red below the higher retail price. Each listing reminds us that closeouts are non-returnable but the one issue I had was that I didn't know what was a closeout item and what wasn't. Because I only wanted the one pair of Crocs and knew to order down a size, I wasn't worried about returning. However, I think they could do a better job labeling closeout items so people know what can and cannot be returned.
When you find an item you want, choose the color and size and add it to your cart.
When you are finished shopping, checking out is as simple as filling out your personal information and supplying a major credit card.
No shipping is charged on any orders and I wasn't charged tax which is unusual for people in New York.
You will get confirmation email and then another with a tracking number when your order ships.
The orders take about a week from the day of ordering. The site uses only USPS Priority Mail unless you opt for express shipping.
My Experience
It was pretty cut and dry. I perfumed a search for Crocs Primas and came up with loads of sites but many either were out of the color (black) that I wanted or my size (in this case, 7) or charged too much. Even the Crocs website charged more than Sandal Superstore Online Store and they charged shipping!
I found what I wanted and it was in stock at the best price I had seen. I looked around more but resisted the urge to stock up since I really don't need any more ANYTHING.
Checking out was very simple. I used my MasterCard and wasn't charged shipping or tax. I received an email confirming my order right away.
It took a couple of days to get my shipping email and the shoes arrived two days later. In all, it took seven days from order to receiving the shoes.
Packing was a tad weird. The shoes arrived in a Priority Mail envelope, no padding. Just the shoes, still hooked together as Crocs are. There was no damage to the shoes and they fit perfectly.
I have to say though that nowhere did the site mention that these shoes run a size large. Had I not known, I would have been a very unhappy person when they arrived.
But to be fair, even the Crocs official website doesn't tell us to order a size down. I learned all this from reading reviews on the shoes and from a few other sites that did mention that the shoes ran large.
In all, I had a perfect experience. I went, I ordered, I paid, I got exactly what I wanted with no hassles.
That is all I want from a website.
Shipping and Returns
Shipping in the US is always free. You can expedite shipping for a fee. They sell internationally and they have a shipping table for those outside the US to refer to prominently displayed on the site.
Returns are accepted within 15 days of receiving orders. Items must be in new, resellable condition.
A star comes off here because returns are charged a $6.00 restocking fee for shoes, clothing, bags, etc. Larger items which are sold on their sister sites like surfboards command a much higher restocking fee.
All returns must be made with USPS Ground - Parcel Post, UPS Ground, DHL, or FedEx Ground which I think is nuts since they use the cheaper USPS to send you the shoes.
Too bad about their return policy. This is an excellent site but this policy isn't going to win them any customers who aren't sure of sizing or style. However, I suppose I understand them having to charge a fee since shipping is free and they paid to send then items to you.
Conclusion
I am perfectly content with my order. I love my Primas and they fit perfectly. The order went very smoothly from start to finish and I would shop at the site again but ONLY if I were sure I knew what I was buying and if the sizing was correct. I don't want to mess with crazy returns and charges and such.
If you know what you want and are familiar with the style of sandal you are buying, you can get a very good deal at this site. I saw some very good prices on brand name sandals and other items.
I am going with 4 stars. This would be a 5 star site but there are a few things, as I mentioned, that bring the site down a star.
Recommended:
Yes
