Linens 'N Things

Full review
A relative bought me the best ice cream scoop that I have ever used. I had to own another one since we are a family that enjoys ice cream. An online search showed that Linen ‘n Things had the ice cream scoop. However, a visit to my local Linen ‘n Things stores revealed that not only was the ice cream scoop not in the stores ... but ... (gasp) ... the ice cream scoop was being discontinued! Only Linen ‘n Things seemed to carry this particular ice cream scoop, so I quickly visited their online store to “scoop” the scoop before it disappeared forever.


Navigating the Site

The Linen ‘n Things website is easy to navigate. As their name implies, this website features items that are for the house, such as bedding, bathroom accessories, household items, kitchen utensils.

Top

The top of the web page offers the navigation links for shopping. The categories include: Bedding, Bath, Dining, Kitchen, Electrics, Home Decor, Window, Organization, Gifts, Seasonal. You can click on one of these categories to go to a main page, or let the cursor rest on the category heading to open a list of subcategories. For example, the subcategories in the Kitchen area are: Small Appliances, Cookware, Cutlery, Bakeware, Tools/Gadgets, Barbeque, Food Storage, Organization, Kitchen Textiles, Accessories, Water Filtration, Tea Kettles, Kitchen Rugs, Gourmet Food.

Above these categories are links for the Gift Registry as well as areas for What’s New, Special Offers and Clearance. There is also a link to find brick-and-mortar Linen ‘n Things stores. You can also track your order or view your account information from additional links. If you are interested in Nate Berkus designs, click on the link to view his creations. There is also a link to items needed for college life in the dorm.

In the top right corner is a shopping cart icon that shows how many items are currently in the cart. Click on the cart for a detailed view of what is in it. If you want to receive the Linen ‘n Things newsletter, you can click on a link that opens a form to fill out your email address.

There is also a search feature that works by either typing in a word or phrase, or type in the Linen ‘n Things item number if you know it. Since I wanted an ice cream scoop, I typed in the search words “ice cream” then “ice cream scoop”. The two search results revealed other items but not the scoop I wanted (maybe because it is being discontinued). Good thing I knew the brand name. I typed “eze” into the search box. Three results showed up: Eze Cheese Plane, Eze Citrus Tool ... and the Eze Ice Cream Scoop. The search results also showed the ice cream scoop as in stock with the price of $7.99.

Middle

The center of the page features photos of selected items with pricing and links to each product page. There is also a link to the most recent Linen ‘n Things flyer. There are also links to Shop By Brand, Guest Assistance (also known as Help), Gift Registry and Gift Cards. A toll-free phone number is listed, too, in case you prefer to phone in your order.

Bottom

Along the bottom of the website are more links, which include: Corporate Incentives, Vendor Services, Affiliate Programs, About Linen ‘n Things, Careers at Linen ‘n Things, Contact Us, In-store Pickup Info, Preferred Partners, Linen ‘n Things Credit Card. There is also a Privacy Policy and a link to Terms & Conditions.


Gift Cards

Linen ‘n Things offers a variety of gift cards should you want to give someone a gift certificate. They offer the gift cards in a variety of designs and patterns (including holiday themes) and even have gift cards that say Happy Birthday, You’re Sweet, or Thank You. The cards start at $25 and go up to $200.


Shopping the Site

Each product page features an image of the item, and the image can be enlarged by clicking on it. To the right of the photo is a description of the item with a price. If you think a friend will be interested in the item, there is a link for emailing the information. Even farther to the right are related links to similar items.

Beneath the items are two buttons. One button will add the item to a gift registry. The other button adds the item to the shopping cart. You have to choose the quantity of the item before clicking the button. (The default quantity for each item is zero, so a quantity has to be chosen.) The page also shows whether the item is in stock. If you prefer to pick the item up at a local store, click the “In Store Pickup Available” button. At the time of checkout, a notice will display, showing whether or not the item is at a store near your location.

I decided I wanted to order two of the ice cream scoops since they were being discontinued. I changed the quantity to two and added the items to my cart. It’s easy to remove items or change the quantity in the shopping cart. The cart shows availability of the item and an estimated shipping time. You can also choose gift wrapping for an additional $4.95 and/or a free gift message.

One feature I like is that the shopping cart shows estimated shipping and handling. I hate having to wait until payment time to know what the shipping charges will be. Since Linen ‘n Things shows the shipping costs on the shopping cart page, it allows me to add and delete items from the order to take advantage of shipping fees. Once I know what I’m ordering, it’s time to click the button that says, “Proceed to Secure Checkout”.


Checking Out, Payment & Receiving

There are two options. You can set up an account with a password, or you can continue the checkout process without creating an account. I opted not to create an account, so I clicked the “Continue Checkout” button.

The screen changes, asking for billing and contact information. Once the information is entered, click the button to continue. The next screen asks where the order should be shipped. By default, the location is the same as the billing address, but this can be changed. Then it is time to select the shipping method. There are three choices: Standard Ground (3-8 business days), Third Day (3 business days), Next Day (1 business day). Beside each shipping method is the cost. Sales tax also appears on the screen.

Press the Continue button to enter a promotion/coupon code that you might have. You can also enter a gift card if applicable (requires the PIN number from the card). Payment options include: Linen ‘n Things credit card, American Express, Discover, MasterCard or Visa. They also take “Give Anything Gift Certificates”, or you can choose to have Linen ‘n Things send a bill. However, the billing feature requires that you provide the last four digits of your social security number and basic personal information. Once all the information is filled in, just double-check the order and then submit it.

After submitting the order, I received an email notification that the order had been placed. A few days later a second email came that confirmed the order had shipped and that it would come via U.S. Mail.

The ice cream scoops arrived in a sturdy cardboard box. The scoops were well packaged, and the box included a packing list. Everything was in good condition.


Summary

This was a good shopping experience, and I would definitely shop from Linen ‘n Things online again should my local Linen ‘n Things stores not carry what I want to buy. Anyone want a scoop of ice cream?

I hope you have found this review useful.

Enjoy your day,
Dawn
http://dlstewart.com


Additional Information

www.lnt.com

Toll-free Phone # 866-568-7378


Please read my other reviews.

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Pogo.com Online Games



Copyright 2006 Dawn L. Stewart