RVtravel.com recently ran a poll asking how often our RVing readers shop on Amazon. With only 18% shopping rarely or never, the remaining 82% of us that are buying from Amazon are certainly active!
I am one of the active ones. If I don’t shop at Amazon every day, I do at least pretty often. I actually love Amazon. They have an amazing selection and usually reasonable prices. Most often what I choose includes free shipping. Yup, I know. Nothing is free, but at least it is usually free shipping if I return it.
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Plan ahead
So when we start traveling for the summer I find I have to plan ahead. I keep a list going on Amazon for those things I might want or can’t live without, and those I just don’t want to do a lot of searching for again. I read reviews and it is time-consuming, although I have learned to click on “Read all reviews” and then start reading the lowest reviews first.
I can add multiple lists directly under the “Add to Cart” button. I do go in and periodically clear out things I have added that I don’t want anyone
Where to have Amazon packages delivered while RVing
- Relatives or friends en route or destination is the easiest way. This way, you don’t have to worry about being somewhere on time. I always email the recipients the confirmation so they know it is coming.
- RV parks en route. I always call first and make sure they accept Amazon deliveries. We even had a 33-inch TV sent to one of the RV parks to make sure it arrived before we got there, as it was being installed for us near the park.
- General Delivery to USPS post offices along the route or at destination. I, again, always call first to make sure they accept Amazon, FedEx, and UPS deliveries. I pick post offices in small towns with only one post office so I know which one to go to. The post office will hold an article or mail for 30 days. If it’s not picked up, it will return it to the sender.
- I use General Delivery for prescriptions, too. I set up our prescription deliveries for the post office with a leave date several weeks before leaving.
- Amazon delivery lockers. Major cities and some smaller cities have Amazon lockers. Packages can be delivered there and you get a code to unlock. Amazon will send a confirmation and pickup instructions via email. Package must be under 10 lbs. and less than 16 x 12 x 14 inches. The only glitch is that you’ll need to pick up the package in three days or it will be returned. I have had our son pick up an Amazon locker delivery for me with the confirmation and instructions. It works best if you take your phone with the email and barcode to scan when picking up. All that is explained here.
YOU’LL ALSO ENJOY…
- Tips for RVers when using Amazon and receiving packages
- How to use Amazon lockers to get merchandise while RVing
- More Amazon tricks that will save you money
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Surprise return shipping is no longer free!! Just the other day I printed a return label to return an item and found out there was a $6.00 charge on a $40.00 item. At least here in Manitoba! Won’t be using Amazon as much anymore!
I prefer buying local but finding a Dometic 320 toilet valve or an inverter circuit breaker in small town U.S.A. is nigh impossible. The Amazon Lockers are absolutely fantastic. Timing our arrival with delivery can be a bit tough but you have three days to pick up your item so there’s some wiggle room. The only concerns I have is many things from Amazon are cheap in quality so you need to be selective in what you purchase.
Thank you, Nanci! I naively thought that Amazon lockers were more plentiful and wide-spread than they must be, given that you listed them last. Does this tend to make Walmart more competitive, given that they do seem to be lots and lots of places? They also have lockers I think. We schedule Amazon purchases so that deliveries tend to occur when we are not traveling, are at home.
Good note about the List feature of Amazon. I will say however that it is much easier to use this feature on a tablet or PC than it is on a smartphone.
We migrate south for the winter in a few days. Our larger trailer is already at our destination (we use a small TT as a ‘rolling hotel room’ for us and our pets). There are some things I will need right away that make no sense to haul 1700 miles. The RV Park knows they will arrive before we do. The list is assembled within Amazon. I’ll place the order the day before we leave.
We do buy local from our destination. But it is a small very rural town and the answer all too often is, we can order that for you.
Nanci, you probably be a whole lot better off buying what you need locally and spending less money by withdrawing from Amazon. They make it too easy to end up with things you don’t really need.