So I signed up to be a Zappos VIP today, even though I’ve never bought anything on Zappos before.  Why?  Because it was free and it means that I get free overnight shipping for life (or, as they put it, until the cows come home).

It also means I get to shop at http://vip.zappos.com instead of the pedestrian and oh-so-2008 regular website.

But free overnight shipping?  Having been on the paying end of overnight shipping (last holiday season, when we had to mail out some gift cards at the last minute to some of Katie’s relatives), I can tell you that the actual fee for such an extravagance is absurd.

Especially considering how much 2-day shipping costs.  Guaranteeing something anywhere in the country (even within the same state!) tomorrow is 5 times as expensive as guaranteeing it in two days because urgency is expensive.

Letting the postal service do its thing and take however long is necessary for a first-class smallish package?  I can usually get something from San Francisco to New York in about 3 days anyway, for less than the cost of a Big Mac.

So, the moral of the story is: if you’re planning on mailing something to someone for the holidays, don’t procrastinate!  If you actually leave it until the very last minute, those $20 gift cards you’re sending to Aunt Myrtle overnight will actually cost you $40 to get them there by Christmas morning.