Common Holidays Shopping Issues and How to Avoid Them

Holiday shopping is generally exciting for most people as you get to thoughtfully choose and buy gifts for loved ones. However, some common holiday shopping issues can quickly make your experience stressful. 

In this article, we identify the most common consumer issues and offer you tips and strategies to avoid them, so that you have a hassle-free holiday shopping experience.

Key Insights

• Holiday sales in the U.S are forecasted to reach $277 billion in 2024, a 2% increase from 2023.
• Although this is great news for sellers, the increased sales volume can pose holiday shopping issues for customers.
• To avoid these issues, customers are getting smarter with 60% of shoppers starting their holiday shopping as early as October and November. 

Top 6 Common Holidays Shopping Issues

Below is an overview of the top 5 common holiday shopping issues and how to avoid them.

Gift didn’t arrive on time

As we approach peak holiday shopping season, customers are already experiencing delayed gift delivery. For example, in Amazon review #6121643 the customer wrote: 

…it's a Christmas gift for my grandchild Amazon truck was on its way Friday and next thing I know it popped up saying the driver's location was off and haven't heard nothing since then now it's saying my pack is delayed I just want my package I don't want to refund…

Due to the increased volume of orders, there might be logistical backlogs as retailers and carriers work towards fulfilling many orders in a short period of time. In addition, seeing as it is in the winter season, occurrences such as snowstorms and icy conditions may slow down trucks and flights, or disrupt transportation routes.

The best way to ensure timely delivery of your gifts is to shop early. This way you not only receive your gifts in time, but you save yourself the hassle of scrambling for your preferred items last minute with the risk of them running out of stock.

If despite your best efforts, your gifts are not delivered in time, notify the gift recipient of the delay. You could also arrange for a digital gift card as a temporary replacement.

Pitfalls of auto-renewing gifts

If you are looking for universal holiday gift ideas, memberships or subscriptions are great options. However, there is an aspect of auto renewing gifts that often catches shoppers off-guard. Most of these products and services are sold at an initial discounted rate. The initial price is typically much lower than the regular full price.

If you do not cancel the subscription before the expiry of the initial period, you might be caught by surprise by the much higher full price charge on your credit or debit card. There might also be unfavorable renewal terms and conditions hidden in the fine prints.

To avoid this pitfall, understand the terms of the auto-renewal service. Check when the renewal will occur, for how much, and whether there are limiting terms of renewal. 

For example, a customer who wanted to gift someone a Regal Unlimited subscription for 3 months, went to Reddit wondering whether there were adverse effects if they did not renew immediately. 

Source: reddit.com

Slow customer support

Based on consumer insights from various PissedConsumer features, poor customer support is one of the most complained about issues. 

For example, Harry and David customer service reviews indicate that customers have difficulty getting through to customer representatives for assistance with your issues. In a recent review #6082172,the customer said they could not reach customer support even after 4 attempts. They reported long wait times ranging from 1.5 hours to 2.5 hours.

During the holiday shopping season, you can expect even longer wait times due to the increased number of customer inquiries.

The key to navigating slow customer support is finding the best channel and reaching out to customer representatives during their operating hours. Have all the key details about your inquiry in place to allow the customer representative to offer the necessary assistance, without needing a follow up. And if you can’t get through to the customer representative on one channel, don’t give up and try another one. 

Wrong item delivery

No matter what's on your holiday shopping list: gifts or décor, the incorrect delivery can significantly ruin the mood. For example, in review #4338795, a user shared that they “didn't get what [they] ordered.” Instead of angel ornaments, they received Santa ones.

It's impossible to predict such problems, but to prevent them, choose trusted sellers or shop offline.

Items are out of stock

Another common holiday shopping issue is items running out of stock. However, there are effective ways for you to navigate this issue. 

First, some websites allow you to sign up for stock alerts directly on the product page. Some sellers even allow you to pre order or reserve the items and if the item you are eyeing is out of stock, they notify you once restocked.

Secondly, check other websites or stores for the items. If completely out of stock, consider alternatives. Always read online reviews on prospective options to ensure you choose a high-quality alternative.

Tricky return policies 

Gift returns are quite common during the holiday season. There are many reasons why recipients or buyers may want to return gifts. For example, if delivery was significantly delayed and the gift is no longer relevant. Or, if it was the wrong size or fit for the recipient. 

Other reasons for customers wanting to return gifts include, the recipient received duplicate gifts or the items were faulty or defective. For example, some customers reported receiving broken gifts.

Several consumer reviews on PissedConsumer indicate that customers often have difficulty returning holiday gifts. In Cettire review #5548159, the customer wrote:

…Do you seriously not allow Christmas returns? Then you should have it written in bold letters under returns…

To avoid such a scenario, carefully review return policies before making your purchases. Note that some retailers adjust their return policies to shorter return periods or entirely limit returns for holiday sale items. And keep your receipts and order confirmation safely for future reference if need be.

Navigate Common Holiday Shopping Issues with Confidence

The key to a great holiday shopping experience is to be aware and proactive of common issues. When you are aware of the common issues you are likely to encounter, you are able to plan your holiday shopping experience better and to navigate any issues that arise better. 

Ultimately, you want to shop early to prevent issues such as items running out of stock, last minute rush, delivery delays, and difficulty contacting customer support. Also, read trustworthy reviews about sellers to establish their reliability.

What has been your experience with holiday shopping? Write a review to help other customers make an informed purchase decision.