These Disney Cruises Infuriate Me - Why Do I Keep Booking Them?

After wandering around the Orlando airport a bit trying to figure out where to catch the Disney bus to the Disney Cruise Terminal, we finally found our way to the Disney's Magical Express Welcome Terminal. We're trying to keep tabs on the kids and everyone's excited and it's a little hectic as we present our travel documents to the Disney agent to check in for our cruise. Since I'm a little encumbered, I pass the agent our little Disney-provided travel folder which contains our passports and birth certificates. I figure she's adept at navigating through these folders and finding what she needs but after a moment of searching she says she needs the kids' birth certificates.

I say, "they should be in the folder I passed you."

"I didn't see them in here," she says.

"Could you look again? I'm pretty sure they're in there," I say.

"I looked, they're not here."

I look in my shoulder bag, and rifle around a bit. The birth certificates aren't there. I can sense unspoken panic start to set in among our group. No birth certificates for the kids? That's the first thing they say you'll need when you book the cruise. How could he forget these? What will happen? Are they going to let us on the boat? Can we get copies rushed down here somehow? I ask the agent one more time to please look through the folder more dilligently.

Sure enough she finds them. Then makes some excuse about why they were hard to find.

How about an apology for instilling panic within our group to kick off our vacation?

And So It Went For 7 Nights

We were seamlessly transported to nearby Port Canaveral, swiftly made our way through the Disney Cruise Line Terminal and boarded the ship to our family name being announced by cheering staff. If there's one thing Disney does right, it's making every guest feel like they're special.

But throughout the two Disney Cruises we've taken this year and last, I couldn't help but be frustrated and disappointed between periods of elation and utter satisfaction while having the time of our lives.

When Disney is at it's best it delivers on Walt Disney's vision of creating situations where everyone in the family is enjoying themselves together. When it's at its worst I wonder why we don't vacation elsewhere.

Father's Breakfast

The next morning me and our two boys (7 and 4 years old) got up and went for breakfast to give my wife a chance to sleep in. We'd been talking about it for months. Our waiter at dinner the night before said the breakfast buffet opened at 6 am. Turns out, it doesn't open until 7:45 am. That's pretty late if you ask me - and I think the other parents with young kids wandering and foraging around the decks that morning would agree. It wasn't so much that breakfast wasn't served until 7:45 - it was that I expected it to be available at 6:00 am and it wasn't.

After a couple hours exploring the ship we eventually got breakfast. When we got back to the room my wife wasn't feeling well. The kids were cranked up so I thought it would be a good opportunity to drop them in the Oceaneer's Club. It's supposed to be open every day from 9 am to midnight and the clock in our stateroom said 9:30 am. I walked them down to the club to find it wasn't open. Turns out the clock in our room was set an hour ahead.

Not Disney's fault of course, but let me tell you something: The clocks in the staterooms are harder to solve than a Rubik's Cube. The instructions refer to a button on the clock that doesn't exist. And why should I even need instructions to set a clock? Adjusting the time on the clocks they use has eluded me over the course of the two cruises we've taken.

The pattern of over-committing and under-delivering, along with failing to make my life easier at times when I wanted it most repeated throughout the cruise.

The Mickey Slide

We eventually got our act together and were determined to make the most of the day by spending some time at the kids Mickey Pool. By the time we got there, the place was a mosh pit. Every lounge chair in the area was taken and the pool was filled with youngsters and parents hovering around them.

This wasn't surprising given it was a day at sea, but we were determined to get it right the next day. Much like visiting Disney Parks you've got to be on your game to enjoy it.

The next morning we were promptly situated by the Mickey Pool before 9:00 am. The kids were having a blast enjoying the pool they had mostly to themselves. The Mickey Slide was set to open at 9:00 am according to the ship itinerary, but 9:00 came and went and the slide wasn't open. I couldn't figure out who to flag down to ask about the slide but eventually chatted up a cast member in a white shirt who said he had to wait for a lifeguard to open the slide because the lifeguards have the keys to the slide. Another 10 or 20 minutes went by and eventually a lifeguard showed up and the slide was opened.

Was it a big deal the Mickey Slide opened late? Not really. Was I annoyed that we arrived early to avoid the crowds and the slide opened late? I was. And I was annoyed that it wasn't clear who was in charge of the area. Where do I take my requests on board? It wasn't always clear.

Once the slide opened, the situation was magical. It gave all of the adults a chance to relax poolside on lounge chairs while keeping a relaxed but watchful eye on the kids as they went down the slide and raced back up for another trip. It was absolutely fantastic.

Room Dis-Service

I don't think I've ever been as angry with a service provider as I was with room service on the third night of our cruise.

Our kids were crabby and didn't want to join us for dinner so the plan was to order room service for them and send them to the Oceaneer's Club while the grown-ups ate dinner. Dinner is at 5:45 so we called for room service at 4:45 and ordered some food for the kids. Room service said they'd deliver in 30-45 minutes so it should have given us time to feed the kids, drop them in the club, and make it to dinner in time.

Not that it's a huge deal to be late for dinner, but we were running late the first couple of nights which made us feel like we had to sit down and make our selections hurriedly. We wanted to enjoy our meal a bit more but this time we were once again running late because room service didn't deliver. After an hour went by I called room service with a simple statement and question:

"We ordered food an hour ago. You said it would take 45 minutes and it's been an hour. WHERE IS IT!?"

After much discussion about who should stay behind and help the kids eat and join for dinner late, all of us except one took off for dinner. The food arrived 1 hour and 20 minutes after it was ordered. I'm not so much bothered by the backup right around dinner time as the mis-estimation of how long it would take to deliver the food. It's a classic case of over-committing and under-delivering.

If room service had just told us they were slammed and that it would be over an hour I would have gone up and gotten them some food on deck myself.

Where Do They Get These Kind People?

Half way through the cruise our 7 year old got sick. He took a nap in the afternoon which he hasn't done since he was 2. I thought he might be tired from all the fun, but sure enough when he woke up he felt warm and was running a mild fever.

A few hours later he threw up all over the room.

Not that it's difficult to cover "all" of an 180 square foot cabin, but it was quite a mess. We called our cabin steward and he showed up in just a few minutes. He saw my child laying on the couch looking green - and a little scared he was going to get in trouble for making a mess. To be honest I was a little afraid he'd be quarantined and not get to enjoy the rest of the cruise. But our cabin steward said - at just the right moment:

"Don't worry baby, you didn't do anything wrong. Everything is going to be alright."

Another cast member from maintenance came to steam clean the carpet and was similarly kind. 20 minutes later the room was as if nothing ever happened, our boy was in good spirits, and I was so thankful for the kind people Disney hired to help make our stay more enjoyable.

It's Probably Me

As I grow older I'm amazed how much I look at Clark Griswold as a peer. The National Lampoon Vacation series classically summarizes the enthusiasm - and disappointment - I feel as a father trying to enjoy vacations with family.

Finding moments of joint family enjoyment on vacations has proven elusive over the past few years for us. The vast majority of vacations have been marred by illness and weather-related airline delays and cancellations. I'll admit: At times I realize I'm pressing for things to go well.

We settled in over the next couple days. We kept our 7 year old out of the kids club and spent time hanging out with him doing low key activities. We were together. It was nice.

Disappointment Island

On the last day of Disney Cruises out of Port Canaveral, the ship stops at Disney's private island Castaway Cay. After visiting last year and enjoying every moment there, we were pumped to visit again. I was up on deck watching us sail towards the island. When I felt like we were about 20 minutes away, I ran downstairs to rally the troops.

The kids got their bathing suits on, everyone got sunscreened up and we came back on deck to watch the ship pull into port. However, the ship seemed to be wandering around the ocean and we were farther away than we were a half hour ago. We were this close - what happened?

The Captain came on the public address system to announce that due to a technical malfunction we'd be docking at Castaway Cay a couple hours later than scheduled. The Cruise Director hurriedly patched together some entertainment around the boat, but the crowds were anxious to be on the island.

I realize it may seem small to complain about minor inconveniences like this. And it is a small thing. It could have been a lot worse. 

But Disney could have offered some half price drinks on board while we were waiting. Or something. The ship stayed an hour later at Castaway Cay than originally planned to help compensate for the time missed. We had a great time.

How Disney is like Apple

They got us to our destinations safely and I appreciate that. But there never seems to be much shame in their game. Kind of like with Apple products: If you have an issue with Disney or Apple there must be something wrong with you. This situation drives me bonkers.

This piece by Seth Godin comes to mind where he advises that in business the "best available strategy is providing remarkable service and an honest human connection."  Disney does that - to an extent - but what's missing for me is the loop where I can share feedback and feel like it's been received thoughtfully by a human being. They asked for my opinion several times but I feel like it's taken to fill out a formulaic spreadsheet.

Ironically, in Godin's piece he suggests businesses consider firing the whiners because they'll never be satisfied and the cost of delighting them is too high. I guess that makes me the whiner in this situation. I understand that perspective, but I don't think my expectations are out of line with the costs of a Disney vacation.

Bon Voyage

The final kick in the pants was when I tried to return a shirt I'd bought on Castaway Cay. Think of all the things they got right to enable this: I purchased an exclusive-to-the-island Castaway Cay t-shirt with my Key to the World Card and I could return it on the ship where they didn't even sell that same shirt. Disney magic right?

Just one problem: The gift shop didn't open as scheduled at 5:30 pm so I had to do it after dinner, before the show, on the last night of the cruise when the gift shops are mobbed. What's so hard about opening things on schedule?

Why Do I Keep Booking These Things?

The next morning we enjoyed what has to be the most efficient debarkation process at sea. Our luggage was waiting for us and we were off and running as seamlessly as we arrived.

Systematically, Disney gets so many things right. When we booked our cruise they remembered all of the important details of every member of our party so re-booking was a snap. They had our pictures saved from last time so we didn't have to re-take them for identification purposes when getting off and on the ship.

Their ships are filled with some of the kindest people I've ever met in the service industry. It was striking how when we arrived back to Boston, some folks who work at the airport don't even acknowledge you as a human being. Yet even the maintenance staff on the Disney ships are as warm as can be.

How do they do it? How do they delight and frustrate me so much on the same day?

Conclusion and Recommendations

I think human nature, if we're lucky, is to forget the bad things that happen in life and remember fondly the good things. I'm sure in a few weeks I'll be joyfully replaying scenes from our vacation to our collective delight. We'll start talking about our next vacation and who knows - maybe we'll do a Disney Cruise again soon. I booked this latest cruise with similar concerns after our first.

I search around, consider alternatives and come to the conclusion that for us, at this stage in our lives, the Disney Cruises provide a tremendous value.

I understand why we've chosen them for vacation the last couple years. I just wish they wouldn't drive me so bonkers.

At the end of the cruise, Disney gives you a survey to fill out. A couple days later they send a similar survey online. But neither seemed to allow me to capture how I really felt about the cruise. It's kind of like when a friend asks "how was your cruise?" "It was great!" I say. But if I want to get real with someone who's as interested in taking great family vacations as I am it's a longer conversation.

Robert Dwyer is an avid family fun seeker and aspiring cruise critic. He can be reached at robert.paul.dwyer@gmail.com or on Twitter: @RobertDwyer

Question of the Day: What do you think of Disney Cruises? Of Disney Vacations? Take the good with the bad and stick with them? Or is there better family fun to be found elsewhere?

Why I'm Returning the Kindle Fire

When Amazon announced the $199 Kindle Fire, it was the first time I was intrigued by a tablet other than the iPad. I'm a big fan of the Amazon value proposition and I was impressed with their focus on content consumption at a reasonable price.

I didn't have any disillusions about the device being an iPad replacement. I had plans for it being two things: A kitchen counter web browser usable by everyone in the family -and- a replacement for our portable DVD player.

But as it turns out the device doesn't provide a very satisfying web browsing experience and (due to the fragmented content marketplace) it's not a very good value as a portable video player.

Apps

Leading up to the device's release there was a lot of information swirling around about which Android apps would be available on the device. By default, you purchase apps through a special section of the Amazon App store, and there are indeed a number of apps there.

But as you push forward and attempt to make the Kindle Fire perform like your iPhone or even your iPod touch you start bumping into limitations. Read this article to get a sense for what it's like install non-approved Android apps on the device. Within an hour of opening the box I'm wandering around the web learning about .apk's, sideloading, and rooting. The fragmented app situation on the device is a total mess.

Web Browser

Amazon made a big deal about the "Silk" web browser when they announced the Kindle Fire. It was said to speed download times as it predicted where you were going to browse next. My complaint isn't so much with the time it takes pages to load as with the lousy overall experience of navigating web pages on the device.

Often you have to tap on hyperlinks several times to be effective, Apple's brilliant "double-tap" to fit a column of text gesture is missing, and some pages don't function properly. I thought the larger screen size would enable the Fire to be a usable web browser, but on the contrary, the device is slightly worse than a 3 year old 2nd generation iPod touch - which has a much smaller screen - in terms of web browser usability. Browsing the web on an iPhone 4S is a much more pleasant experience than on the Kindle Fire due to the iPhone's speed, excellent page rendering, responsive touch screen and intuitive and effective gestures.

Since web browsing was one of the primary things I was looking for in the device it's a big disappointment.

Books

I've never owned an e-ink Kindle, but so many people say they love theirs, I figured this device was a good time to get in on that experience. Unfortunately I'm not feeling the magic. I thought it was pretty nice that I could borrow "Moneyball" for free from the Amazon Lending Library with Amazon Prime, but I find the experience of reading on the Fire a little awkward given how heavy it is.

Compared to an e-ink Kindle, the battery life of the Fire and lack of 3G connectivity is also a concern. I think I'd be better off getting an entry level Kindle e-reader - they start at $79now.

Videos

Next to the web browser this was my second area of interest and also a big disappointment. Video playback looks great and purchasing/renting content from Amazon is a breeze (if you know what you want, navigating the Amazon store for free content is still a bit of a morass in my experience).

My beef is with the still-fragmented market for digital content. It's still often cheaper to buy a hard copy than it is to rent or buy. Take for example Rio. $8.99 to buy the DVD (free shipping with Prime) or $14.99 to buy the digital copy. Cars 2 isn't available for purchase - you have to rent it at $3.99 a pop. I see similar with books.

I can guess why this is, but it doesn't make me any more enthusiastic about accepting it. Until it's more convenient and affordable to buy digital content it feels like digital just doesn't make sense yet.

Ripping DVDs for playback on the device is also a complicated mess. After experimenting for a day with the best file format and resolution I still can't get a video to make use of the full screen. It's a total pain in the neck.

Magazines

The magazines I want to read (for example Wine Spectator) aren't available. I want a model where I pay one price for a subscription and I can consume it any way I want to. Print, online, on the go. I don't think this is any better elsewhere but it's certainly not good on the Fire.

Conclusion

It's not so much that the Kindle Fire is a lousy product. It's that Apple spoiled us and Amazon is doing the best they can within the confines of the ecosystem they're operating within.

It's been magical watching our kids intuitively navigate their way around the iPod touch and iPhone. The Kindle Fire has them peppering me with questions about why things don't work. "You've got to tap it a few times sometimes," says our 6 year old. The iPhone found the perfect intersection of being intuitive, looking gorgeous, and being immensely effective.

About the only thing I like about it is the random high resolution images that greet you after waking the device. Unfortunately, the novelty wears off as soon as you swipe your finger across the device and you're reminded of the laggy, herky jerky responsiveness you experienced last time you touched it.

My experience playing with the device the past few days has made me appreciate what a breakthough device the first iPhone was. And what an amazing device the iPhone 4S is. The core interface of the iPhone hasn't changed much since it was released - it's just gotten better and better. Will Amazon be able to pull the same trick? Release a valiant 1.0 and continually improve it through software updates? We'll see, but I don't think I'm going to be along for the ride.

Rating

74/100 points - Not Recommended

Here's a link to this same review on Amazon.com

Who and How Much? Replacement Windows from Newpro, Marvin, and Window World

It's amazing how when you're shopping around for an expensive item or embarking upon a home improvement project how businesses that never crossed your mind suddenly catch your attention. Or should I say consume your attention. For about three weeks this Fall I became Mr. Replacement Windows as I sought replacement of 4 windows in our 1940s New England colonial home.

Hurricane Irene was the straw that broke the camel's back. Of the four windows in the modest addition that is my home office, one had a cracked pane, one was extremely hard to open and now that the wind was blowing rain sideways, one leaked. It was time to replace these 4 double-hung 6 over 6 windows. Who to call?

When it comes to a job like this I like to call out the most familiar in the field -and- a reliable contractor I'm familiar with to get a sense for the cost of the project.

With that in mind I called up Newpro on Red Sox color commentator Jerry Remy's recommendation. Mention the Remdawg, he said in the ad, and I'd get half off plus free installation. Sounded good to me! I scheduled an appointment for an estimate later in the week. I also scheduled an appointment with a contractor we'd done a substantial amount of remodeling with on our kitchen previously. Somewhat strangely they funneled me over to "the window department."  What is it with replacement windows? Why is it such a specialty item?  I'd soon find out.

Here's the way it goes: Professional looking guy in a foreign luxury car pulls up in front of your house right on time. He's very likeable and is very good at what he does. He captures your hopes and dreams for the project, casts them upon replacement windows, and describes in sometimes excruciating detail why these windows are the most incredible things you've ever seen. By the end of his presentation you're convinced these are going to be a substantial upgrade to your life. When you're replacing all (or most) of the windows in your house the energy savings could reduce your heating bill substantially - and I could see buying into the story. But since we're talking about only 10% of our home we were able to avoid letting our desires get the best of us.

After much discussion we finally, mercifully got a quote from Newpro for our 4 very ordinary, right down the middle, double-hung replacement windows. For some reason I had in my head the job should cost around $2,000; $500 per window including labor. I don't know why I thought this. I guess it had something to do with other windows and doors we've had replaced in the house. $500 per seemed about right to me.

The quote? $6,000. $1,500 per window. You've got to be kidding me! They sounded like nice windows but the thing is - after talking with colleagues, friends and associates who have Newpro windows - they're not even that great. People I spoke with reported all kinds of problems with Newpro windows they inherited after purchasing a house. I can get behind a premium price if the product warrants it - but I wasn't convinced their windows were that great long term.

The familiar contractor representing Marvin came in over $4,000 - still more than $1,000 per window. What the heck was going on here?

I casually mentioned to a client I was working with at the time my dilemma. I just wanted some reasonably priced windows that would slide up and down easily, wouldn't leak, would look nice, and would provide better insulation than my current drafty windows. He said replacement windows should cost about $350 per and that I should call Window World.

I'd never heard of them but a Google search turned up WindowWorld.com - home of the original $189 (installed!) replacement window. I had no illusions about paying only $189 per window, but I liked the starting point. I scheduled an appointment for later in the week.

The salesman came out just like the prior two did. Right on time, very professional, checked out the windows I needed replacing, showed me his product, described the company, and efficiently worked towards a quote.

First off, there's no such thing as a $189 window - at least not in Massachusetts due to efficiency standards in effect here. But the add-ons were sensible. More efficient glass, grids in the glass, disposal fees, etc, etc. But as he's building up the quote I'm thinking to myself: "He could add on anything he wants and he still won't come close to the numbers I'd heard from the other two salesmen who proceeded him."

When he presented me with the total cost of $1,700 for all four windows ($425 per window - below my target cost of $500) I had to contain myself. There might be an opportunity to hold out and get some rogue discount like there was with the other guys. But he made it pretty clear - this was the best he could do today. We agreed to move forward with the project pending our calling a couple nearby references. They checked out and we went forward.

Along the way I kept thinking in the back of my mind that something was going to go wrong. The installation was going to be crap or the windows were going to be lousy. Or they'd increase the installation cost when they found some unforeseen catastrophe. But there was no such event.

An estimator came out for detailed measurements and the windows were ordered. About 5 weeks later an installer came and politely and cleanly removed the old windows and installed the new ones. A day later a different installer did trim work on the outside to tidy things up. I think they look great.

I immediately felt that my usually chilly home office was warmer. More a part of the house rather than a flimsy addition. The windows look great and they slide up and down with ease. They're perfect. They're just what I was looking for and they didn't cost a fortune.

How nice is that? And what in the heck ever happened to Remdawg's "half off plus free installation" offer? What a bunch of hot air that was. $6,000+ after discount? You've got to be kidding me. Sometimes I feel like I'm too negative about businesses that fall short of my hopes and expectations. And in this case I'm disappointed with some. But with Window World I'm happy. A fair price for a square deal and a pleasant experience. You can't ask for much more than that.

So check 'em out if you're in the market for replacement windows: Window World

The Best Deals Aren't Online: The Future of Price Comparison Shopping

 

You'd think the rise of e-commerce would have resulted in a panacea for deal hounds where you could find the best available price via a simple search on Amazon or Google Shopping. However, in the past month I've come across no less than three situations where the best deal available wasn't discoverable online - even with exhaustive comparison shopping searches. The best deals I found, on identifiable name brand products in the $200- $400 MSRP range, were discovered by comparison shopping old school: Over the phone.

The products I searched for included a musical instrument, a pair of shoes, and a mattress. In each instance, after searching fruitlessly online and seemingly hitting a manufacturer-enforced minimum advertised price, I was able to quickly find a price over the phone which was significantly better from a reputable retailer. I share the information here not because I want to bore you with my purchases over the last month. But because I think it's an interesting comparison shopping technique that could save you time and money.

Further, because it feels like there's an opportunity for crowd-sourced price comparison innovation here. More on that in a moment.

An Electronic Hi-Hat

The first item I was in the market for was a replacement electronic hi-hat: a Yamaha RHH135. For an item like this it's likely I'd check Guitar Center or Musician's Friend. Amazon has it as well. The best price I could find from a trusted retailer: $399. To replace the entire drum set this came from costs only $799 so $399 for a replacement hi-hat is ridiculous.

If I branch out and search Google Shopping I find it for $200. Interesting - that's an improvement. But I don't want to buy it from the no-name retailers offering it for $200 because I don't have a relationship with them, shipping isn't free, and what if I need to return it? What are the terms? How much is it going to cost to ship? And what is their return policy?

I pick up the phone an call Guitar Center. Without much hassle at all they price match it at $200, knock 10% off because they're having a sale. They throw in free shipping too. $180 + tax is all I have to pay.

The item shows up a couple weeks later (it was on backorder). It turns out the hi-hat wasn't the problem at all so I need to return it. I take it over to my nearby Guitar Center for a full easy return.

A Pair of Ecco Shoes

I'm not much of a shoe hound, but I like a decent pair of shoes. Like one every couple years. I was looking for something that was dressy enough to wear to church or a nice dinner out yet comfortable enough to wear to work every day. After some shopping online (Amazon, Zappos, etc) I think I've found the perfect pair: The ECCO Men's Windsor Tie Oxford.

Amazon has them for $225, and searching all over the place (Zappos, Nordstorm, Endless, The Walking Company, Pipelime - you name it) I can't find them for much less than $220. Some used options pop up but I'm not willing to go there.

So off to the nearby shopping mall I go to try them on to make sure they're what I'm looking for. A trip to Nordstrom and the Ecco store confirm they are. But I can't find a deal on the shoes. I even nudge the salesman at the Ecco store - "Do these ever go on sale?". "No" is the response.

Hmm. At that point my options are to buck up and pay full retail and enjoy the benefits of local support (for returns and/or other random issues) or look further for a deal.

But I don't want to spend time trolling randomly around DSW, Marshalls, TJ Maxx an Nordstrom Rack. And I don't want to drive an hour down to the nearest outlet mall with an Ecco store only to discover they don't have the shoes I'm looking for.

So I call the nearest Ecco outlet store. The salesman is super-helpful and tells me they don't have the shoe I'm look for -but- gives me the number of 4 Ecco outlets in the country that have the exact shoe I'm looking for and gives me their phone numbers.

I call the first one and they have it for $179 with $7 shipping. Hmm - not bad. That's already better than any price I could find online. I call the next place and they have it for 25% off $179 so $134 plus $7 shipping.

As a side note I should mention I love free shipping as much as everyone else. But compared to the opportunity cost of a weekend spent driving around trying to track down shoes, not to mention the cost of gas, makes $7 shipping on an item at a great price look like a deal in itself.

So I go for the $141 fully loaded Ecco Windsors. They arrive 3 days later and are absolutely perfect. Just what I wanted.

Twin Mattress

Is there a more difficult to price compare commodity than mattresses? I don't think so. Manufacturers intentionally create private label variations of identical products to thwart comparison shopping and it's nearly impossible to compare the quality of a mattress on your own in a store.

We were looking for a mattress for our 4 year old's first big boy bed. For our 6 year old we bought an organic mattress that wound up lacking sufficient support and given that 4 year olds tend to have accidents - how long do I want this mattress to last?

Just long enough. And it needs to be comfortable enough for one of us to seek refuge in when he comes into our bed during the night and edges one of us out. So I'm looking for a good enough twin mattress.

Strange thing about mattresses is that twin-sized mattresses aren't much cheaper than king-sized. At least not at the low end. So although you think you're "just looking for a kids' mattress" you could be shopping for an expensive product.

I heard an ad on TV from a local furniture retailer (Bernie & Phyls) offering any sized mattress for $99/piece - so $198 for a mattress and boxspring. I really didn't want to go to Bernie & Phyls and experience the inevitable bait and switch. We checked Costco last time we were there ($299) and Ikea seemed to have some cheap mattresses (but again - lots of driving around to far flung places on the weekend). So on Friday night while we were waiting for our pizza to be delivered and planning our weekend I called 1-800-Mattress.

In about the same time it took to order a pizza I ordered a mattress.

The cheapest twin mattress with boxspring we could find on their website was $329. I mentioned a local furniture company was offering a mattress and boxspring set for for $199 and in 2 seconds he matches the price - including delivery and tax.

The mattress showed up the next day in perfect condition. When I saw the receipt I couldn't believe it. Delivery was $35 and tax was $10. The mattress only cost us $155. Amazing - especially since we didn't waste our weekend shopping and hustling around mattresses.

Conclusion

In each of these instances I was able to save hundreds of dollars by comparison shopping and price matching. Not by searching online - but by picking up the phone and calling.

For items costing $100 and up I think this is a significant savings and an effective approach - especially for easily identifiable brand name commodities. What was interesting to me was the interest brands evidently had in maintaining a minimum price for their products online. I can see where they'd want to keep their full-priced retailers happy by making it hard to discover better prices. But I was surprised how effective they were - and how easily I could find better prices with just a phone call or two.

What's Next?

As I was searching online - especially for the shoes - I thought it would be useful to have a crowd sourced price comparison shopping platform to enable consumers to share and discover the true best available prices for goods.

All of the currently available apps/platforms I've found in this space seemed to be beholden to the retailers and brands who listed their goods for sale which in turn results in the same problems as we see with Google Shopping - that authorized retailers aren't allowed to (or don't for whatever reason) advertise prices lower than a certain minimum.

For situations like this - where the best deals aren't visible online currently - I sense an opportunity for disruptive innovation. Start with a repository of uniquely identifiable goods with price comparison facilities (like Amazon's) and link it up with venues (like FourSquare) where users can easily post 140 character (like Twitter) price comparison points and photos alerting other shoppers about values they've discovered. Allow other users to leave comments on deals for crowd sourced feedback.

Question of the Day: What do you think? Have you used similar techniques to get the best prices on brand named commodities? What other techniques have worked well for you?