Ordering things online

[Christa]

Hey all,

I wasn't sure if I should put this here or on the International Students forum, but I decided to put it here so it'd get more views and hopefully responses.

I'm an international student and I'll be arriving in the states next month. I want to order some furniture and a laptop online and have them delivered to my apartment the day I get to the US. However, I'm having a lot of trouble doing this. First, many websites don't offer the possibility of scheduling a delivery (at least that's how it seems to me) and those that offer it ask for a phone number to be called the day before the delivery arrives (and I have no phone number in the states). Is there any advice you can offer me on having a scheduled delivery?

Also, if I go to a store on a Saturday and order furniture there, would they deliver it to my apartment on the same day or not?

Sorry if any of the questions is silly but I'm not familiar with how these things work in the US.

Thanks

Christa

[Chasely]

What kind of laptop are you getting? Unless your customizing it, chances are you'll be able to get whatever you want in a store.

As for furniture, I think a lot of stores will do same-day delivery as long as you order by a certain time. the Ikea by me does this on Saturdays.

Where are you moving to? That will make a large difference in knowing the availability of stores and resources around you.

[OregonGal]

You could always try and gauge shipping (i.e. order 3 days ahead of time with 3-day shipping) but there's always the chance it will arrive before you. Most furniture stores, provided you buy a certain amount of stuff (i.e. "free delivery when you spend $300!") and by a certain time, will deliver same-day. It's better to go in when the store opens if you want same-day delivery, because it gives them more leeway with their delivery schedule. If you don't spend the minimum for free delivery, they'll charge you a fee--I've heard that at Ikea it's $50. Also, make sure you're in their delivery radius--some stores won't deliver if you're more than a certain distance away.

As for a US phone number, have you tried setting up a Skype or Google Voice number? That may help you until you get a US cell phone, especially if you have an overseas smartphone you can set up with the relevant app. They'll just forward the call to your computer or phone. It may cost a few cents a minute but that's definitely worth it for being able to schedule deliveries.

[kateausten]

Amazon sells pretty much everything and has a program with free two-day shipping and cheap 1-day shipping called Prime. I think you can get a free trial, but it's only $40/year for anyone with a .edu email address. If it's not absolutely vital that you have all items the day that you arrive, sign up for one of these accounts and order them about 1-2 days before you arrive (sometimes items come sooner than expected and it could be a huge pain if something is delivered to an address where you aren't living yet). That's the cheapest option I can think of.

[ANDS!]

Amazon absolutely. Unless it is something huge that simply can not be left out on the street (a couch say), they don't have any reason to call and schedule a pickup so you will be fine there. Amazon Prime will allow you to get free Two-Day shipping so you can pretty well plan when your package arrives.

[Christa]

Thank you all for your answers. Google voice and the likes aren't an option because I'm not currently in the US.

I'm going to Madison and the reason I wanted to order beforehand was because my laptop is nearly dying (doesn't stay on for longer than an hour before it shuts down suddenly) so I need something good for school and to talk my parents overseas.

I couldn't use Amazon either because I'm having it custom made but I solved my problem by using my very kind future roommate's phone number. I'll be ordering in a couple of days before I take my flight to the US. Hopfull all goes well.

[blenger]

thanks for your information guys