How I came to buy a KitchenAid Mixer

It all started one day when I was trying to buy stools for my kitchen.  I was about to have a party the weekend coming up and really wanted people to be able to sit in my kitchen.  I had been out looking at furniture stores and didn't find anything I liked in my price range.  My kitchen cabinets are white, so I really wanted white stools to match.  I decided to turn to online shopping instead, since I usually have good luck finding great deals online.

The first place I looked was Amazon.  They have amazing customer service, and a great return policy, and I have Prime, so everything ships to me within 2 days, which I love.  I searched and searched and finally found a great set of stools at a great price: Winsome Bar Stools in White

Now at the time it was $36 for 2 stools, which I thought was an amazing deal.  With the party coming up I figured I would order the stools and if I liked them, I would order a second set that would get there just in time for the party. The stools came on Wednesday and they were perfect, just the right size, matched the kitchen perfectly, so I log back into Amazon to order a second set.

Amazon has this thing where sometimes they change the prices on the items that they are selling, one day something could be $10 and the next it could be $30.  Either way you are usually still getting it for much less than anywhere else.  

So now I am back on Amazon, and I click to find the stools that I ordered and low and behold the price has now risen significantly to $65 for the two stools, about a 100% increase in the price.  I was pretty upset as you can imagine!  I looked around to make sure I was on the right page, maybe I had accidentally clicked on another set of the stools, but no, I had been right, they had just jacked up the price so I couldn't get my stools at a good price for the party.

Then I noticed that there was a "Used: from $35" link on the page.  I clicked on it and it took me to Amazon Warehouse Deals. Now I am an avid Amazon Shopper (I even Love and always recommend Endless which is owned by Amazon for shoes because of the free overnight shipping!!!) and I had never seen or even heard about Warehouse Deals.  Apparently how it works is that sometimes people order things and open the box and decide they don't want them.  Or sometimes there is box damage so Amazon can't sell their products at full price.  Either way they post them on their Warehouse Deals, and sometimes you can find some great stuff at good prices.

So I click on the Used: for $35 link and it takes me to Warehouse Deals.  The condition is listed as Used -- Like New and the description reads: "Factory Sealed Box with Box Damage"  So I think to myself, okay I can get these stools at the price I want, but there might be some box damage.  At least I know they are covered by Amazons 30 day return policy, so if something is wrong I can always email Amazon and return the Stools.  So I order the stools and they are set to arrive the day before the party.

Friday rolls around and the box shows upon my front doorstep. Same box as the other two stools, but with a clear, and very large I might add, hole in the box.  It looks like someone had an accident with a fork lift, and ran right into the box.  But its only in one spot, so I figure the stools might still be okay.  I open up the box and pull the first stool out.  It is in PERFECT condition, GREAT!  So then I pull out the second stool.  The leg is clearly broken right at one of the rungs, and it is clearly not usable.  :-(

So I was a bit upset that it was broken, but I really only needed 3 barstools, and I know Amazon has a great return policy, so I decided to email them right away.  This is what I wrote:

"I understand that the only way to deal with this shipment is to return it for a refund.  Since one of the stools in the shipment is unusable due to it being broken during shipment, would it be possible to only return the one broken stool and receive a refund for half of the shipment?  The other stool will never be able to be used by anyone that you might try to sell it to, thus this is win win for both parties.  Please advise. Thanks!"


Amazon responded to my email about 9 hours later with the following:


"Hello, I'm sorry for the problem you experienced with this shipment.   As you prefer to keep one of the items which you've recently received through Warehouse Deals, in exchange for a discount.  I've requested a refund of $18.00 to your credit card. There is no need of returning the broken item. Thanks for your patience. We look forward to seeing you again soon. "


So now I am super excited, because I have 3 bar stools that I want, and I got all three of them for a great deal.  I decide that I want to try to use Warehouse deals more often.

A few days later I get this idea in my head to look at KitchenAid mixers.  I had just made a cake for a friend who got a promotion, and had just made cupcakes for the party, and decided maybe its time to look into getting one.  I go online, and of course the mixers are so expensive, no wonder people always put them on their wedding registries!!  Its weird I feel like all girls have this desire in their hearts to one day have this mixer, I know I did.  I was looking at the 5 quart Artisan Mixer that comes in a billion colors.  Can I say that the Red ones are absolutely beautiful.  I kind of wish my kitchen was red just so I can get one.  On KitchenAids Website the mixers are about $300.  Seems a bit steep for me, I figure I can find it cheaper elsewhere.  I decide to log on to Warehouse Deals to see if they have one on there at a discounted price.

Once on Warehouse Deals I type KitchenAid Mixer into the search.  There is one of the 5-quart Artisan Mixers on the Site, and it just so happens to be White, to match my kitchen!!!  This seems to be too good to be true.  The description was "Used -- Like New, Factory Sealed Box with Box Damage."  Just like my stools!!  The price: $188.  I think about it for a while.  What if the mixer doesn't work?  Its Amazon, I know I can return it and I have 30 days to decide.  So I order the mixer and wait patiently for 2 days for it to arrive in the mail.

2 Days is such a long time!!!