Owing to Better Half’s feet being a bit larger than the apparent national average, we have started purchasing her footwear online when we cannot find them in physical stores – we do our best, of course, to figure out her size beforehand, and minimize the number of returns we will have to make to ensure a proper fit, but given that so many companies allow for free returns, things have gotten a lot easier.
That said, if/when we ever purchase shoes online in the future, I will recommend that we do it from any company other than Zappos:
…I wanted to give you a little more info on the program. By sponsoring the security bins, we absorb the cost that TSA would normally have to spend buying tables, bins, maintenance, etc. (not their primary function or responsibility). Since the airports that have the sponsored security bins don’t have to put the money/time/energy into those efforts anymore, TSA can spend the money hiring/training more agents.
[…]
There could conceivably be a day when TSA is no longer required at airports, and we’d still be advertising in airports (including bins). Right now, we have no control over the government requiring TSA to be at all airports.
It is that last comment that probably irks me the most… No, we do not really have any control over the Thousands of Sexual Assaulters regularly groping six-year-old girls in the “security” lines at airports. However, that lack of control over the organization’s existence does not likewise mean you have no control over supporting it. Zappos made a conscious decision to financially support, and continue financially supporting, an organization whose former Assistant Administrator freely admits to abridging American’s Fourth-Amendment-protected rights, and they somehow feel this is The Right Thing To Do™.
Well, I, for one, know that giving my money to a company that will turn around and give it to an organization that has no respect for the Constitution, American citizens’ rights, or the sanctity of a person’s body is The Wrong Thing To Do™, and thus I will be taking steps to ensure Zappos never has another dime from me to divert to the TSA. Just as they are free to vote with their money, so am I with mine.
(Courtesy of Anthroblogogy.)
Oh yeah, FUCK THEM! Anybody who has the least bit of respect for those goons has no respect from me.
Even people who don’t honor the 4th Amendment and are willing to trade liberty for security (and deserve neither) shouldn’t respect them because they couldn’t catch a cold!
Seriously a test agent sneaking guns or explosives through the lines is almost always successful.
The only thing they’re good at detecting is that bottle of booze you’re trying to bring home!
I wish I’d known that before I made my most recent purchase from them. It really is a shame; they’re by far the best at what they do.
Well, guess I’ll have to take my business elsewhere.
It’s a BIG marketing fail as far as I can tell, just because you have your shoes off doesn’t make the connection any better or worthwhile.
Zappos is owned by Amazon, but apparently operated independently.
I also avoid shoebuy.com My first order was based on an “it’s in stock” email notification. They canceled it four days later because they didn’t have the item. And now I can’t get off of three of their email lists despite (because of, I’m sure now) trying their unsubscribe links. Straight to the SPAM box for these guys now.
@ Weer’d Beard: Hell, in the weblogs and various other things I read, I have seen three reports in the past two weeks of people unintentionally carrying knives or other bladed implements onto aircraft, and not realizing it until they were home.
Obviously groping six-year-olds is working exactly as planned.
@ AMB: Unfortunately, standing up for one’s rights has always had a price tag associated with it… this time it is just literal.
@ DirtCrashr: What I find amazing is the absolutely massive outpouring of objection to their policy, and the general response of, “Yeah, so what?” Well, hell, if you care about your customers that little, I will make sure not to be one.
@ Eseell: Now that is wierd, given that Amazon created and still runs Endless… I guess “operated independently” gives some degree of insulation, but bleh.
@ aczarnowski: That seems to be a lot of company’s ordering practice these days… cannot say as though I am terribly fond of the trend.
If one of Amazon’s sub’s are supporting TSA maybe it’s time we told them how happy we are about it! Hit them in the wallet if they don’t listen.
It sounds like, from what little I understand of that side of corporate America, that Zappos continues to operate as a separate entity, with its stock being owned by Amazon. I am not sure if that counts as a “sub”, a stockholder, or what, but it certainly would not hurt to let Amazon know.