I recently made purchases from both Zappos and Piperlime and wanted to share my experience.
Web page
Zappos has an excellent search engine on their web page. I love the reviews on the shoes. It helps me pick sizes correctly. When several reviews state a shoe is too tight, I buy a half size larger with success. I also love the different views of the shoes.
Piperlime also has an excellent web page with different views of the shoes. However, there was no review section, so I would pop over to Zappos web page to read a review on a shoe if only Piperlime had the color I wanted. Which means I would have purchased from Zappos if they had my size and color.
Shopping Cart
Zappos made you put the shoe in your cart before it told you that it didn’t have your size. This was frustrating because I was picking among many shoe options and initially thought they had my size until I went to order it. However, they did give color and size options if they didn’t have exactly what you wanted.
Piperlime shows you the size and color that they have in stock on their web page without making you put it in your cart. This was very helpful.
Ordering
Both were very easy to place the order. Piperlime is owned by the same company as Gap, Old Navy and Banana Republic, so your credit card from one of the stores (BR) works here.
Shipping
Zappos used to do free overnight shipping. In the past, I would place the order and get it the next day. Wow! I thought that was the case when I purchased my shoes this time, but I got an e-mail back that said they upgraded my shipping from the standard shipping to priority shipping for free. So I think Zappos is changing their shipping policy.
Piperlime also has free standard shipping. However, they don’t get the product out to the shipping company as fast as Zappos, so even though I ordered from Piperlime a day or so before I ordered from Zappos, my Zappos shoes arrived first. However, Piperlime’s shipping box and shoe box presentation is much nicer. The shipping box has the pretty piperlime colors inside and the shoe box is wrapped in tissue. Very classy looking.
Returns
As it happens, I had to return to both companies.
Zappos was more convenient for the return. I could return free via either UPS (label included in the box) or USPS (you had to print this label). I chose USPS. With Zappos, you advise your return on their web page and they immediate acknowledge it. They were also the first to send an e-mail stating they received my shoes back.
Piperlime included the UPS return form in the box with the shoe. You didn’t have an option for USPS. They didn’t ask you to notify them on their web page. I shipped the shoes back on the same day. I received Zappos confirmation that they received the shoe, but no word from Piperlime yet.
