Zappos was founded in 1999 and started with a very aggressive pricing policy to lure new customers to the brand new experience of buying shoes online.
Through February 14, 2008, they offered a 110% price match guarantee on all products.
The company offered the following reason for the change in policy:
Here at Zappos, we want to consider ourselves a unique shopping experience, and therefore do not match our policies to follow industry standards.
We are committed to providing superior customer service, and offering services like free shipping both ways, 365-day unworn return policy, 24/7 customer support, unbeatable selection, and so much more. Zappos is a service company and with this, we hope to grow based on customer loyalty.
While the company no longer promises to match the prices of its competitors, Zappos will refund you the difference if the price drops within 10 days of purchasing a pair of shoes or anything else on Zappos. Simply contact them by chat, phone, or email to get your refund.
For customers with price as the main focus, we recommended shopping at competitors such as Shoes.com and Nordstrom that still have price matching policies.
Zappos also operates the discount site 6pm that offers shoes and other products at highly discounted prices.
Zappos founder Tony Hsieh and guests arrive at Zappos Couture celebration of 20 years of fashion gallery & auction in support of Las Vegas DRESS FOR SUCCESS at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts on April 24, 2014, in Las Vegas, Nevada
In 2016, Zappos briefly introduced a “price promise” promotion on selected products during the holiday season and automatically adjusted the prices on its website in real-time to match competitors’ online prices.
While the company no longer price matches, if you find a much lower price on a competing website, it may be worth letting Zappos know by calling 1 (800) 927-7671.
In summary, you should stay away from shopping at Zappos if you want to buy shoes at the lowest price possible.
However, their customer service is unbeatable. Who else offers customer service 24 hours a day, seven days a week, via phone and social media?
Credit: Judy Eddy / WENN