Do This if You Plan to Buy Holiday Gifts on Amazon

Shipping issues are more frequent at this time of year, and they could leave recipients empty-handed.

Amazon is often the go-to store for the many who do their holiday shopping online. It has low prices, which is always nice from a personal finance perspective. There are plenty of great holiday gifts to choose from, and it offers speedy shipping times. If you're an Amazon Prime member, you can get free two-day or same-day shipping on lots of items.

Shopping online is definitely convenient, and Amazon is popular for a reason. But if you're planning to buy holiday gifts on Amazon, there is one thing you should do to avoid any stressful problems.

Place your Amazon orders ASAP in case of shipping issues

The holiday season is one of the busiest times of year for online retailers like Amazon. It gets a massive number of orders, which means its employees and shipping carriers need to take on a much greater workload. That also means more potential for shipping issues, such as delays and lost packages.

There are a few ways this can affect your holiday shopping. Some products on Amazon will have delivery dates that are much further out than normal. The earliest delivery dates might be two weeks out, instead of two days.

Even if you place an order with a delivery date that works for you, there could be issues along the way. Here are the most common:

• Your order is delayed.
• Your order is lost.
• Amazon loses track of your order. When this happens, Amazon will let you know that your order may still arrive, but if it hasn't by a certain date, you can get in touch for a replacement or refund.

When holiday gifts are involved, these are all serious problems. It's one thing when a spatula you order for yourself on Amazon is a few days late. It's another when your mother-in-law's gift doesn't arrive on time.

Your best bet is to place your Amazon orders ASAP, for the earliest delivery date you can get without paying extra. By shopping now, it's more likely that products will be available for delivery before the holidays. And if there are any issues, you have more time to resolve them. For example, Amazon could get a replacement for a lost order to your recipient in time, or you could find another gift for them.

Now, this isn't to say that shipping issues happen often with Amazon. It delivers most orders successfully, including during the holidays. Customer service is also usually helpful if an order is lost or delayed. But why tempt fate? Get your orders in now for a little extra security and peace of mind.

Stress-free holiday gift shopping

Holiday shopping can be a stressful experience. One of the advantages of shopping online is that you get to skip the most chaotic parts, like navigating crowds of people, waiting in long checkout lines, and making quick decisions on which gifts fit your budget. When you're shopping at home, there's no rush, and you have plenty of time to decide how much you're comfortable spending.

The stressful part with online gift shopping is making sure your orders arrive on time. Even though Amazon is normally fast and reliable, ordering your gifts in advance never hurts.