Frustrated shoppers take their security complaints to YouTube

Almost everyone has had a bad delivery experience. From having a parcel stolen from your doorstep to coming home to find a box that looks as though it went ten rounds in a boxing ring, chances are you’ve had at least one delivery experience that has left you seething.

With the advent of social media, frustrated consumers are finding new ways to share their frustration and the results are turning up on YouTube for the world to see. From a woman who videotaped herself on hold with customer service after a parcel went missing to a man who set up a hidden camera to catch a delivery man routinely throwing packages from the curb to his door, consumers are reaching out and sharing their experiences and annoyances with traditional deliveries.

We’re not advocating that you line your driveway with hidden cameras but if you have had a frustrating experience, try typing the name of the courier into YouTube. You might find out that you’re not alone.

Valentine’s Day is just a month away. Are you ready?

Candy. Flowers. Dinner. For years, men have fallen back on these tried and true Valentine’s Day gifts. It’s no coincidence that “tried” and “tired” share all the same letters. While women appreciate roses and chocolates, they’re often left wondering why they didn’t get something a little more personal.

One of the big keys to getting a great and unique gift is to think ahead and look for clues. Does your girlfriend or wife have wish lists at sites like Amazon? Have you seen her eyeing anything in the mall? What about social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook – has she dropped any hints there?

It’s January 14th and it’s not too early to start thinking ahead.

Eyes on the prize

It's all too easy for packages to go missing from doorsteps as this story from CBS 11 (Dallas/Fort Worth Local News) illustrates. This isn't the first case where an enterprising and opportunistic thief tailed a delivery truck while it made it's rounds. In 2007, about 700 packages were stolen from doorsteps and driveways in Indiana and Illinois.

The bottom line? A package left on you doorstep is an attractive target to thieves who are all too good at figuring out delivery schedules and watching courier routes.

KinekPoint provides a barrier between your package and opportunistic thieves hoping to resell your online shopping.

Wii Contest Winner

An excited Carla Weaver left Kinek yesterday with A Wii Console and Wii Fit prize package compliments of KinekPoint. Carla’s mother referred KinekPoint to her after hearing about the new service on the evening news. She went on to say “I’ve had many missed deliveries in the past and this service is definitely something I can use.” Carla’s kids were jumping up and down while she was on the phone hearing the news that she had won the Wii prize package.

If you didn’t win, don’t worry! Another KinekPoint contest is just around the corner! While you wait, try out KinekPoint and see how easily it takes the frustration out of deliveries.

Where can I get the best deals online?

2008 is definitely ending on an economic down note but the upside is that it’s truly a buyer’s market when it comes to this year’s holiday shopping. The savvy shopper can still give great gifts while saving money – if they know where to look.

With expectations of some major retailer chains filing for bankruptcy, others will try to survive by offering low prices before and after the Holiday shopping season. Even stable retailers are offering great deals to entice shoppers.

If you’re a technical person like myself, you may enjoy the Dell Days of Deals. They only arrive about once a month so it’s best to check in every once in awhile. Another Canadian website that offers great deals and coupons is redflagdeals.com. Many online retailers put up their door crashers here and it’s a great way to save on a wide variety of things. If you are a book lover Amazon.com or Amazon.ca are great sites to order from, especially if you buy enough books to add up to $39 or more. This qualifies you for Free Shipping. If you know of any sites that have great deals before and after the Holidays post them here and spread holiday cheer!

Holiday shopping frenzy

It’s getting close to that time of year and if you don’t act now you’ll probably find yourself in an overcrowded mall trying to find that perfect gift – a gift that was probably sold out 3 weeks ago. Is this really how you want to spend your Saturday? Yeah, I didn’t think so.

Online shopping continues to gain popularity (according to Statistics Canada, it rose 61% between 2005 and 2007) and it’s easy to see why: great deals, huge selection, and the ability to shop while wearing your house coat and drinking some coffee.

Want to make holiday shopping even easier? Use KinekPoint!

Haven’t used it yet? It’s simple:

1) Sign up for a free account at www.kinekpoint.com (do it by December 16th and you’ll have a chance at winning a free Wii & Wii Fit*)

2) Log In and find a KinekPoint Depot that’s close to your home or work – maybe even one along your daily commute.

3) After selecting the Depot, copy the address into the shipping form when you order online (don’t forget to include your KN number)

If you often shop from the same retailers, you can usually save the address on their site. That’ll keep you from having to type in the information every time.

I’ve been using KinekPoint and it’s already saved me loads of time (I’m never home when couriers try to drop off packages so I usually have to drive across town to get them). There’s a depot located just a block from my office and it only takes a minute to pick up my deliveries. If there’s not yet a KinekPoint near you, suggest a location – we really do want to know what locations would work for you.

Happy shopping!

Not sure what to get them this holiday season? Did you check their wish list?

Wish Lists are becoming a common sight on some of our favourite online stores and people are using them in increasing numbers.

Think no one you know has one? You might be surprised. We randomly typed in the names of our friends and family as a test. The result? More people than we thought were using wish lists at sites like amazon.com and chapters.indigo.ca (great guys, but next time maybe you could tell us – it would take some of the guesswork out of shopping).

Most sites with wish lists allow you to search by name or email address. If you’re searching by an email address, there’s a good chance that any result that comes back will be the right one. If, however, you’re searching by name (especially a common name like John Smith), check the items on the list and ask yourself if they match up with what you’d expect that person to like – if they don’t, you may have the wrong list.

Happy shopping and don’t forget to use KinekPoint – it’ll help you keep whatever gift you find a surprise.