Tips for Shopping in US for tourists etc.

Rashers72

So I seen a few posts under Bargain Alerts looking for tips etc. to try and combat the strong US$ resulting in a very poor exchange rate. Feel free to add to this thread. I will post a few of my tips from 2015 that might help:
1. If you know exactly what you want, you can order from Amazon and have it sent to your hotel beforehand. Even better is to order from amazon warehouse. I did this for a couple of things and got some great prices. In particular things like previous year model camera's.
2. For brands like Abercrombie and Hollister, their clearance/sale sections are much better in the US when compared to Europe. They don't have as many outlet stores in the US, or might not be close to where you are staying. If that is the case, you can order online, and again have it delivered to where you are staying. if something does not fit/wrong colour etc. simply return in store before you leave. Your only loss will be on the exchange rate.
3. Groupon - I used them for bike hire in Venice Beach (in particular great value compared to walk up), and San Francisco. Just checked expiry dates, and T&C's. Also bought a pair of Samsung head phones but postage was the same price as the product. Still 50% of the Irish shop price
4. Sunday paper coupons - not so sure if they still do these. Got some great offers about 10 years ago for supermarkets. The last time I checked, the supermarkets started giving you out 'next time use' vouchers with 1st purchase.
5. Mall Coupon booklets. Again, seem to be less of these about. But they can be great value. Noticed some of the bigger outlets now charge for these. If paying for them it can be difficult to figure out what value they offer until you actually start buying. I would not pay more then $5-10 for the booklet. Some of the coupons might have a minimum spend before they kick in. Research with these is the key.
6. Loyalty cards. Not as sure about these. I got one for a chemist chain (similar to Walgreens), and found it good. Needed to register the card though, and most only take US Zip codes.

That's all I can think of for the moment. I am sure the locals might have some other tips.

InTheTrees

Remember Amazon.com is riddled with counterfeit products. Make sure you buy the legitimate item. Its an absolute epidemic. Apple did a survey of their own products and found something like 80% were fake. Many other manufacturers are pulling out too. And its not like you're getting a bargain, you're going to get a low quality knock off at only a small discount, if you get anything at all.

Here's a story from Forbes about how the problem is getting worse not better.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/wadeshepard/2017/01/02/amazon-scams-on-the-rise-in-2017-as-fraudulent-sellers-run-amok-and-profit-big/#1d5840d01eeb

Rashers72

But if you select Amazon as the retailer, and not a reseller, should you be ok?

The Raptor

If know exactly what you want you can pre order things in Walmart and collect in store.

This was handy because the thing I wanted wasn't on the shelf but I was able to order it online and collect in the same store the day after. And Walmart is cheap as well. Love shopping at the place.

You can leave your hotel address as your details.

circular flexing

Some hotels charge for accepting packages on your behalf (and you should probably tip anyway).

Also, a lot of the stuff in the outlets is branded as such and is generally not as high quality as the high street.

https://www.buzzfeed.com/sapna/customers-finally-aware-that-most-outlet-merchandise-is-now

Atlantic Dawn

Best advice in the US is at the fashion outlets the majority of the stuff on sale is out and out absolute garbage created specifically for suckers to buy under the brand name, rarely does any of it ever end up on sale in shops outside the outlets. Better off to stick to the likes of Macy's etc.

Rashers72

circular flexing wrote: »

Also, a lot of the stuff in the outlets is branded as such and is generally not as high quality as the high street.
https://www.buzzfeed.com/sapna/customers-finally-aware-that-most-outlet-merchandise-is-now

While I knew Gap did this (hence I have always avoided Gap outlet stores), I never knew other brands had started doing this. I assumed some brands had items like polo shirts or t-shirts made specifically for Outlet stores, but I did not think it was as widespread as this article indicates. Food for thought.

InTheTrees

Rashers72 wrote: »

But if you select Amazon as the retailer, and not a reseller, should you be ok?

I think so.
I'm actually not too sure, the news about them seems to get worse and worse so i've gone back to just using the individual retailers.
A bit off topic but i also dont know if it effects amazonUK, europe has different consumer laws so it may not be a prob.

starlit

InTheTrees wrote: »

Remember Amazon.com is riddled with counterfeit products. Make sure you buy the legitimate item. Its an absolute epidemic. Apple did a survey of their own products and found something like 80% were fake. Many other manufacturers are pulling out too. And its not like you're getting a bargain, you're going to get a low quality knock off at only a small discount, if you get anything at all.

Here's a story from Forbes about how the problem is getting worse not better.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/wadeshepard/2017/01/02/amazon-scams-on-the-rise-in-2017-as-fraudulent-sellers-run-amok-and-profit-big/#1d5840d01eeb

I've heard about the fraudulent emails on their behalf claiming to be from Amazon i've not heard about fraudulent products. What about the Amazon UK website I mainly use that to buy from Amazon online. I use the US Amazon website for the Kindle.

InTheTrees

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Best advice in the US is at the fashion outlets the majority of the stuff on sale is out and out absolute garbage created specifically for suckers to buy under the brand name, rarely does any of it ever end up on sale in shops outside the outlets. Better off to stick to the likes of Macy's etc.

No. Thats way too harsh.

They do have cheaper stuff made specifically for the outlets but its not all of the stock.

I live in Seattle and there's an outlet mall about an hour north of here. My GF drags me up there about twice a year when they have sales and i stock up on basics.

I buy addidas, nike, under armour, lauren, levi's, north face, colombia, patagonia, etc. I've never had any quality issues with lower priced stuff being inferior. Its their way of enticing customers to the place, if it was really "absolute garbage" their reputation wouldnt last long. I have $10 addidas tshirts that are holding up after years. All my jeans come from the levis outlet. Running gear from Nike.

I think a key to those places is to go when they have sales.

dudara

Sign up to the email lists before you travel for the brands you're interested in. They often mail coupons and advance sale listings. If you're planning to visit an outlet, register as a member for the outlet and download any coupons you might find useful

InTheTrees

doovdela wrote: »

I've heard about the fraudulent emails on their behalf claiming to be from Amazon i've not heard about fraudulent products.

Well now you have! As the article says its still getting worse, if it was something they were trying to get under control it would be one thing but this is getting worse.

Here's the Apple story. Fake chargers made from substandard materials pose a real fire risk:

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-37715531

circular flexing

InTheTrees wrote: »

I think so.
I'm actually not too sure, the news about them seems to get worse and worse so i've gone back to just using the individual retailers.
A bit off topic but i also dont know if it effects amazonUK, europe has different consumer laws so it may not be a prob.

I highly doubt that Amazon themselves would be selling fraudulent products. As the Forbes article mentions, all that stuff comes from China through Chinese sellers.

circular flexing

InTheTrees wrote: »

I buy addidas, nike, under armour, lauren, levi's, north face, colombia, patagonia, etc. I've never had any quality issues with lower priced stuff being inferior. Its their way of enticing customers to the place, if it was really "absolute garbage" their reputation wouldnt last long. I have $10 addidas tshirts that are holding up after years. All my jeans come from the levis outlet. Running gear from Nike.

None of those brands have an "outlet" label though, the likes of Gap and Banana Republic do.

coylemj

Those of us who have been to the US know this well but it's worth pointing out for those who don't.....

The 'sticker' price in US retail stores is always exclusive of sales tax which in some cities can be a substantial top-up when you get to the cash register.

Examples: New York City: 8.875% and Chicago 10.25%.

When it comes to hotels, several cities regard tourists as a source of revenue, even if they never set foot in a retail store. So you may find that your hotel slaps an extra layer of (city) tax on your bill that you were not expecting - read the Ts & Cs on your reservation to see what is and is not included in the quoted room rate. As with car hire, some places have a tendency to 'forget' to include mandatory extras when advertising their rates.

If you're a bloke and you go to buy a suit in New York city, be aware that it's common practice that the legs on the trousers (the hems) are dropped when the suits are on the racks so the usual procedure is that the sales clerk will take your inside leg measurement and ask you come back in two hours to pick it up at which point the 'adjustment' will be another item on the bill. If you know someone at home who's handy with a sewing machine, consider taking the suit 'as is' and having the legs taken up when you get home.

endofrainbow

There are many hotels that won't accept packages for guests - a security procedure. Check that your hotel does, before ordering and using it as your address.

Also, lots of places insist that your billing address is the same as your delivery address.

TimeToShine

The cities have Amazon lockers all over the place to which you can ship your stuff. Just pop in the code you get in the e-mail and pick it up. Very convenient and modern.

Rashers72

With rate at parity after taxes, any updates? I doubt prices are falling in the US.

eeloe

Do we think there's actually any hope of this situation improving this year?

I can't ever remember it being this bad, when we first went to the states in 2010, it was almost $1.50 to a euro.

Painful stuff now spending money in the states when there' basically little to no savings.

coylemj

The Fed (Janet Yellen) is threatening to increase interest rates this month, that means the dollar ain't going down against the Euro any time soon, especially when more interest rate increases are on the cards ...... .....

Ms. Yellen added that the Fed still expected to raise rates twice more later in the year

The link below contains audio which will play automatically, mute your speaker if this will be a problem....

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/03/business/economy/federal-reserve-interest-rates.html?_r=0

Rashers72

Anyone got any more recent tips? Thanks. Hoping to go to Florida (not Orlando), southern part

Rashers72

So back from USA, and said I would detail my experiences, which might help those planning on a budget

Accommodation Booking
I used Airbnb, and got a 3 bed house with a pool in suburbs of Fort Lauderdale for $100 per night, including taxes and cleaning. Lots of space inside, huge kitchen/BBQ, but strangely only 1 bathroom (with no shelves!!!). Also no bedside lockers or side lights. Required full payment on booking, and Airbnb set the exchange rate which meant a nice little earner for them. But I think I could cancel for full refund up to close to arrival date.
I had to book 2 other hotels on my trip. For one in Key West, the hotel direct showed no rooms online, so I rang them but they would only offer me rack rates. Booking.com was about 10% cheaper, and only required 1 night deposit, with residual amount due on arrival. So I went with that. I checked with the hotel direct a month later just to confirm they had received my booking which they confirmed they had. Had a nearly identical experience and outcome with a motel in Key Largo.

Groupon.com – used these without any issue, and saved probably 10-25% off the published rates. I would assume I could have managed to get some discount using vouchers in local magazines etc.. Booked a boat tour in Miami, an airboat tour of the Everglades, and a gun range in Boca Rattan. The Miami trip required prebooking online, but not an issue. One tip I suggest is select what you are interested in about 6 weeks before and put in your basket. Then you will start to receive discounts to encourage you to purchase it. In most cases I got 20% off the original Groupon price, which itself was already discounted.

‘No one pays full retail!’ Well that phrase is still very alive in the USA, and my friend google came in handy – Example: I managed to get $20 off snorkelling John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. I had already used google to ensure this provider was cheaper than competitors, so a double win.

Amazon – Did up a shopping list of small things I needed, or things that were hard to get/expensive to buy here. Just checked their deals of the day about twice a week, and worked through it. Once flexible on brand, and used the reviews to guide me where unsure. Very good for backpacks.

Food:
Usual savings online for ordering with pizza companies, although I think prices are cheaper than here I think. They also then to give you vouchers to use next time
I find in general a lot more seasonal offers in restaurants – example: half price cocktails. I never got to use any of the happy hour offers for food (smaller portions with greatly reduced prices), but they looked popular.

Outlet Malls:
We went to a few, and in every case we always researched and printed out an email coupon to exchange for a coupon booklet. Note: Some malls now charge $5-10 for these coupon booklets, so be prepared to research online if you want to save. My tour company, Tour America emailed me a few a week before we left. Each mall gave different offers for the same branded stores, often linked to purchase price (examples: minimum spend $250 or $10, and not available on clearance items). For me the best one was the Sawgrass Mills coupon booklet. Too many savings to mention, including off restaurants. Some also gave free gifts – example: The Falls in South Miami gave me a pair of sunglasses for each family member!
A lot of shops encourage multiple purchases – example: Buy 2, get 3rd item free. Buy 1 item, get 2nd ½ price. It is so easy to end up with something you really do not need, so don’t be afraid to go elsewhere for a deal that suits you better.

Do not underestimate the Department stores attached to Outlet Malls. Sometimes there were 2-5 of these per mall. These were the original TK Maxx, often with huge floor space. The one I would recommend was Century 21, which had a great range and plenty of space between aisles. One example was white sports socks which were 1/3 cheaper when compared to the Nike Outlet store. Make-up and underwear was also good value, I am told. And they tended to give vouchers off on the back of receipts for next visit, or online discount codes. But they had minimum spends which did not suit us.

Online Mailing Lists/Ordering Online:
In my experience the following sites that offer either great selections online (in particular in clearance sections), and /or additional discounts, mainly advised via email: Hollister, VANS, Abercrombie (especially kids), American Eagle, Quicksilver, Adidas, Nike, Under Armour, Eddie Bauer, Polo Ralf Loren
Both Hollister and Abercrombie sent me numerous 10-25% discount emails with codes to be used in store or online, against purchases. And once I made an in store purchase, and gave them my email address, more vouchers would follow within 24 hours.
In addition by joining the mailing lists, you can get additional offers by joining their loyalty clubs – I think Hollister was called the Cali club. Obviously helps them with Data mining.
By far the best one for me was with Columbia Sportswear. After a week of joining they sent me a 25% off voucher next purchase (which I used a month later in their Outlet store in Sawgrass Mills where the items were already discounted), and I don’t know why, but they also sent me a straight $5 gift reward email off any purchase which I again used in store, with the other discounts. Interestingly a week after my $60 purchase they sent me another $5 gift voucher, as I had started to build up points in their club. One word of warning about Columbia is to check the sizes in store. They have great online offers but even in reading the item reviews, lots of people have issues with sizes and often return items.
I have unsubscribed from about 90% of the emails successfully, so down to the last few. They make it relatively painless.

Just in case you think I got carried away and despite joining a lot of the above etc., the majority of my purchases of either children’s clothes/shoes, or low value but top brand items. Also all our clothing and toiletries were delayed 56 hours in transit via Heathrow, so the airline covered all essential purchases @ the start of the holiday.

Finally, one thing that I did not save on, and which cost me a fortune was phone calls to US free phone numbers from our Irish mobile while in the US. We initially used our own mobile for the lost baggage free phone calls, as Virgin don’t have an online portal for that. After a week, nothing appeared on our phone bill. In week 2, our car developed a fault which required 2 calls to Alamo breakdown. Unfortunately that was extremely inefficient, and I was constantly left on hold. Call on day 1 was 40 mins and on day 2 was 1 hour 10 mins. A few days later phone bill updated and these calls had cost us €230 for the 4 calls with our provider Meteor. Virgin reimbursed us €40 no issue, but I don’t think Alamo will, although I have asked them to. So always buy a US SIM card.

Hope all the above helps someone!

endofrainbow

some great tips there but while I have US phone, for non frequent travelers, pick up a phone card (ensure it's a toll free number) which will greatly reduce your phone bills.