How much mail ordering do you guys do?

[MrsGrump]

Following on the What's so Great About Lakeland? thread!
I buy very little remotely, by catalogue, mail order etc. I always think it's funny when the market researchers accost me and ask and I can tell them categorically that I think buying from catalogues is foolhardy. Only if the price is very good or item is unavailable elsewhere and I really want it and I know it's exactly what I want do I dare. I especially don't understand buying clothes you can't try on, or books that you can't browse through by post/Internet/phone. Or... much of anything, really! Yes you can usually send it back, but the postage costs are often high. If I try to order stuff from Tesco they substitute things I would never choose myself... So annoying.
Do most people buy lots and lots by mail order?

I order a fair amount because at the moment I dont drive, my local town is packed on a saturday when my dh can drive me, and my local shops are naff.
So online I have a wealth of shops. I order my clothes from 'choice',the postage is free. The clothes are really cheap and I get 10% off my order because I am ordering item for myself (classed as an agent so I get commission). So is really good value for money.
I just dont get time to browse around the shops, not like the good old days! Perhaps when my life is less busy I will.

Re Tesco's - just make sure when you place your order you tick the 'do not substitute' button....

Or fill in the "substitute this instead" box

In the last year: books, CDs, DVDs, multi-region DVD player, my last Argos order (before Christmas), the PC, 2 cameras and film, tumble drier - mm - quite a lot really!

Have bought clothes for me but everything from La Redoute only fits midgets - Long Tall Sally is OK though.

Who are you btw, Mrs Grump?

I buy books from Amazon but usually having read a review or browsed it in a proper bookshop so I know I want it but Amazon will be cheaper. I also buy lots of cards from Moonpig.com as you can personalise them, which is good for some of the funny ones. I've also bought birthday presents for ds from the Trafford Centre online and it was cheaper than the local ToysRUs. I did know exactly what I wanted though. I also sent Champagne to friends when they had their baby, I think from pressie.com. In fact, if I know what I want it's SO much easier than actually going out to the shops. I don't really buy clothes online though and I haven't got around to doing grocery shopping either, though I intend to soon. I've also done bulk wine delivery for Christmas from Majestic online and food from simply organic.

Oh, I've bought a sofa and a video recorder online too.

NOT TO START A ROW... but I would feel guilty for shafting local book shops by browsing there first and then buying online; the savings are usually really small using Amazon once you take into account postage costs, anyway.
I used to be zebra but I think this name suits me better in my seemingly permanent foul pregnancy mood.

Hey, Waterstones is hardly a local book shop!

Zebra, are you pregnant? I'd missed that, Congratulations! Sorry, OT I know.

I buy clothes from catalogues like Littlewoods and Freemans that have free postage and free returns. I order loads of stuff, try it all on at home, and send back what I don't like (most of it, but thats because I order loads to try). I like being able to try stuff on at home, walk around in it, try it with my other clothes and so on. And I can try them on while dd is asleep!

I buy most things online actually - nearest shops are 45 minutes away, parking is expensive and dd doesn't like shopping. Plus you can shop around for the best price online, in your own time, without wearing your shoes out!

With Tescos, I always stand there and check through what they've brought while they're unloading the van, so I can give them back anything that wasn't what I wanted, or fruit that isn't good enough quality etc.

Oh, zebra, hi! Do you know I did know you were preg (when you posted that pic of your ds in his frock I went to your website and you had the scan pic there) but I forgot, how rude! (You don't talk about it though. Pls forgive anyway When are you due?)

Think you should be Grumpyzebra (but they are renowned for their bad tempers you know - can't be ridden!)

Don't forget Amazon is very good at recommending stuff - "other people who bought this also bought..."

(BTW nothing to do with this but it is LASHING down and DH and DSs are out playing football, what is it with men???)

Zebra with attitude for you, Mrs Grump!

Zebra links

Displacment activity rules!

I love amazon, specially since they started selling secondhand stuff

use play.com a lot for DVDs too

i don't like buying clothes online, need to see/feel them and try them on

have done lots of xmas shopping online to avoid facing shops

I buy absolutely loads online, have done for years. Amazon don't charge p+p if you order more than £25 worth, which I find easy peasy. Plus you can put things in your shopping basket and the stay there for 90 days, so I just add things when I've read a good review and wait until I have enough. They also have a far better selection- I've been trying to find more books by one author in our "local" bookshops (i.e. 3 branches of Waterstones, agree with www on this one) without any success, Amazon have at least 3 different books by her. Things like knitting books are absolutely hopeless in local shops.

I live in the middle of a city, so I have no real reason to shop online other than I find it far more convenient and it's usually cheaper- DVDs and Cds from play.com, for example. Toys are no cheaper generally (apart from eBay), but there's a far better selection online than in our local shops. I buy lots of the children's clothes over the web, not so many of mine because the shops I like don't have much of an online presence. I hardly ever have to send anything back, so it's worked out much more convenient overall. I'm starting to rant, aren't I

Sorry you're feeling down zebra, but congratulations on your pregnancy

WWW - thanks for the card website - I think it's great. Have added it to my favourites for future use.

On the subject of buying by mail order - yes, I do it. Ocado, Tesco (not very often now that I've discovered Ocado), DVDs, CDs, books (Amazon), ELC toys, stuff of EBay and, of course, Lakeland. Thank heaven for the internet.

No, but apparently Beetroot is an aphrodisiac!

would so love to have a child who was patient enough to let me try on/browse/compare anything. Frankly, even pick up would be good. ELC is the only shop I get sufficient time to purchase in.

So yes, buy pretty much everything online or from catalogues. As a result I end up sending loads of clothes back too.

Nearly everything that comes into our house is bought either over the internet or from a catalogue. Its impossible to shop for anything with the ds's in tow (apopls for bad punctuation but without the apostrophe it reads like I take the old-fashioned benefits office with me), and its not really fair on them to expect them to loiter round clothes shops while I try stuff on. They utterly detest shopping and to pass the time they either run off or throw a wobbly.
So, its mail order or nowt in our house.

Is Zebra/Mrs Grump preggo?
Ooh congratulations, I didn't know

Try DSs, Badhair! Make Lynne smile

It usually depends on how flush i am at the time. If i've got a bit of spare cash i will go online and look for a bargain.

I do intend to regularly start grocery shopping online, so that i can moniter how much i spend.

Anything and everything I buy online. I'm a real bargain hunter. Latest bargain was a little tikes construction sandpit usually £99 and I got it for £35 brand new including delivery. I love the internet. I get to shop around without braving the weather or having to go on a multi storey carpark and dint the car!!

I think I'm being spoilt by the internet. If a shop doesn't have an internet site, I don't bother with them on the high street.