Has The Online Shopping Deadline Arrived?
Web Sites Offer Gift Delivery Up Until Christmas Day
But all that is dancing in parents' heads are visions of UPS men.
Imagine Christmas morning with the family gathered around the tree and bright-eyed children ripping wrapping paper to shreds to get to their gifts.
But what if the gift you wanted to get for the little tyke -- say the ever-so popular razor scooter -- didn't arrive on time?
Online deadlines for buying gifts are drawing near, so don't be the one stuck presenting a picture of the gift you were planning to give.
Some of the more popular gift-giving Web sites are still able to make those holiday wishes come true, while others have given notice -- you've been cut-off until Dec. 26.
Redenvelope.com
Redenvelope.com guarantees that their gifts will arrive by Christmas if ordered by midnight EST Dec. 22. They even have a section for express gifts.
The companies carriers recommend that buyers order their gifts for Hanukkah or Christmas by certain times and days in order to get them by Dec. 25.
- Hanukkah: Order by midnight EST Dec. 20 and choose overnight shipping.
- Christmas: Order by midnight EST Dec. 20 and choose two-day shipping; order by midnight EST Dec. 21 and choose overnight shipping; or order by midnight EST Dec. 22 and choose Saturday shipping.
Amazon.com and Toysrus.com
Amazon.com and Toysrus.com are giving buyers until Dec. 23 to order their Christmas gifts. After that, they have a choice of an e-mail gift certificate or the gift arriving after Christmas.
Shipping Deadlines:
- Dec. 19: Last day to order items that say "Usually ships in 24 hours" using 2nd Day Air.
- Dec. 20: Last day to order items that "Usually ships in 24 hours" using Next Day Air.
- Dec. 21: Last day to order items that say "Usually ships in 24 hours" using Holiday Saturday Delivery.
- Dec. 23: Last day to order items that say "Usually ships in 24 hours" using Holiday Christmas Delivery.
- Dec. 24: Orders placed today will arrive after Christmas.
But beware, Amazon.com says that it is not responsible for any delays or errors of its carriers.
Etoys.com
Time is running out for parents wanting to buy hard-to-find and original toys fromEtoys.com. In order to get the gifts by Dec. 23, Christmas or Kwanzaa buyers must order their purchases by 11:59 p.m. PST on Dec. 20 and use express shipping.
The base shipping cost is $12 for express shipping. What etoys.com terms "tiny things" will not cost anything extra to ship, but "little things" will cost an extra $2.95 per item, "medium things" will cost $6.95 per item and "big things" will cost $9.95 per item on to of the $12.
Crateandbarrel.com
As their gift to you, Crateandbarrel.com guarantees Christmas delivery for in-stock merchandise if orders are placed before 11 a.m. CST Dec. 20 using Express Air or 11 a.m. CST Dec. 21 using Next Day Air shipping.
Jcrew.com
Amazingly enough, there is a site where you can order gifts up until 11 a.m. EST Dec. 24 and still have it in time to give to your loved one. Jcrew.com guarantees that "it'll be there in time for the holidays," but at a price.
For orders received by 11 a.m. EST Dec. 21, buyers will have to use overnight shipping, which will cost $10 extra. Orders received by 11 a.m. EST Dec. 22 will have to use the $20 extra FedEx Saturday Delivery to insure a Christmas gift, and for Santa delivery, orders will have to be placed by 11 a.m. EST Dec. 24 using USPS Santa Delivery for an extra $25.
Outpost.com
For that hard-to-buy-for person, there's a Web site that carries consumer and technology gifts that even gives buyers free overnight delivery.
Outpost.com will take orders for holiday delivery until midnight EST on Dec. 22.
"Many of our competitors have added free delivery with some minimum purchase as a holiday bonus," Kate Vick, president of Outpost.com, said. "We provide free overnight delivery every day of the year."
