Janet Ingber
Welcome to the AccessWorld 2021 Holiday shopping guide! Each of the apps covered here—Chewy, Zappos, and Best Buy—have corresponding websites. The mobile apps tend to be less cluttered and easier to use than the websites. All three retailers have 24/7 live customer service.
As always, make sure you are at the genuine app or website for the retailer you'd like to shop with. If something doesn't seem right, or a deal sounds too good, it's possible you are dealing with a scam.
App and website layouts change frequently, especially during the holidays.
If your device supports screen recognition, try turning it off if you are having trouble with an app.
Chewy
Chewy offers products for dogs, cats, fish, birds, small pets, reptiles, farm animals, and horses. The company has both an iOS app and an Android app apps.
Getting Help
Phone: 800-672-4399 Help is available 24/7. Additional help can be found on the company's FAQ page
App Layout
The Chewy home screen has a search box at the top and a Cart button in the upper right corner. Next are options including Offers, Shop by Category, and Create a Pet Profile. The last option on the home screen is an option to sign in or create an account. At the bottom of the screen are five tabs: Home, Health, Autoship, Account, and Menu.
The Health tab offers products such as specialty foods, prescriptions, and supplements. They also have a Connect with a Vet option, which is available only to Autoship customers.
In the Autoship tab, you can have items shipped to you on a regular basis.
The Account tab has notifications, payment methods, an option to create an account, order history, and more.
The Settings tab is similar to the home screen.
Creating an Account
The Account form is well labeled. You will need to enter your name, an email address, and a password. If your device supports Face ID, you will then get a notification asking if you want to enable it on the Chewy app. Once you've created an account, you will receive an email from Chewy that includes their customer service number.
Shopping for Products
There are several different ways to shop. I needed some dog treats and I knew the brand I wanted so I did a search on that. Search results were clearly labeled and there was no clutter. All product information was easy to find and read.
When I added an item to my cart, it was easy to confirm that it was there, since the Cart button at the top right of the screen automatically confirms the number of items.
For my next item, I used the Search form at the top of the screen. Results were displayed below the form. I found what I wanted and selected it. The next page had all the product information. I added it to my cart.
Checking Out
I activated the Cart button and the new screen had all my items. There were options to remove an item or change quantity. Next was a list of additional products that I might want to purchase. Below that was a Proceed to Checkout button.
The next page is where you can review your order, add a gift card, and check out. Chewy accepts accept Apple Pay, or you can check out by manually entering your information. A few minutes after you submit an order, Chewy will send a confirmation email.
Conclusion
Chewy has an uncluttered app. It is easy to search for products for your guide dog and any pets. Customer service is friendly and helpful.
The only downside is that rotor navigation by links, headings, and forms is mostly unavailable. These features are available on their website.
Zappos
Zappos started out just selling shoes, but now they carry clothing, jewelry, and more. There are items for men, women, and kids. Zappos is known for their excellent customer service and free returns.
The company has both an iOS app and an Android app
Getting Help
Phone: 877-927-2332 Help is available 24/7. Additional customer service can be found on the Zappos website.
App Layout
The Zappos app has a Search button at the top of the screen. Selecting it brings up an Edit box. At this point, VoiceOver might say something that does not make sense such as "Logo other purse." Ignore it. If using VoiceOver, double tap and enter your query. Results will be under the edit box. I had to close and then re-open the app to get back to the main screen.
On the home screen is an extensive list of categories including women, men, kids, brands, sale, clothing, and browse all departments. Below this list is an option to log in or create an account. Once you have viewed items, the most recently viewed items will be below the account section. At the bottom of the screen is an option to tap to call Zappos.
At the bottom of the home screen are five tabs: Home, My Accounts, Departments, Favorites, and Cart. The Home tab is selected by default when you first open the app. This is the main screen. The Account tab is used for shipping, payment information, previous orders, email preferences, and app settings. There is also an accessibility survey.
The Departments tab has an even more extensive list of departments including Beauty, Pet Shop, and Toys and Games. The Favorites tab is where items you have marked as favorites will be listed. The Cart tab contains items you have added to your cart. When you add items, the number of items in your cart is on the Cart tab.
Creating an Account
You can create a Zappos account with a separate user name and password, or you can sign in with Amazon or Google. Zappos is an Amazon company. All Edit boxes are clearly labeled. I signed in with Amazon.
In the App Settings menu in the My Account tab is an option to log in with Face ID.
Shopping for Products
I wanted to buy a stretch bracelet. I started by going to the Departments tab and selecting Jewelry. Various types of jewelry were listed, including bracelets, earrings, and necklaces. I selected bracelets and when the new screen loaded, there were options to sort and filter results. The options were all clearly labeled. Options included sorting by price, by style, and by material.
When the next screen loaded, there were many results. Selecting a result brought up a description and an Add to Cart button. I found what I wanted and added it to my cart.
I next decided to shop for new sneakers. On the Home screen, I chose Shoes. Next, I selected Women's Shoes and then Sneakers & Athletic Shoes. I was able to easily narrow choices and find exactly what I wanted.
Checking Out
I activated the Cart tab and the page listed all of the items I'd added to my cart. There is an Edit button in the upper right corner of the screen and a Keep Shopping button in the upper left. At the bottom of the screen is the Proceed to Checkout button.
On the next screen are shipping options. Next was payment information. Since I signed in with Amazon, my shipping and payment information was already entered. The Edit boxes to enter information are clearly labeled.
Toward the bottom of the screen is a summary including tax, if applicable. The final control is a Submit My Order button. Once this button is selected, you will receive an email confirming your purchase.
Conclusion
The Zappos app may seem a little overwhelming but they have done a very good job of organizing content. The screens are not cluttered. I have used Zappos many times and I have always found them to be very knowledgeable and helpful.
Best Buy
Best Buy carries a wide variety of electronics and related products. Much like other companies, Best Buy also has both an iOS app and an Android app app.
Getting Help
Phone: 888-237-8289 Best Buy also has live chat and a Help Center. When the Best Buy app is first installed, you will be asked for permission to use your location and Bluetooth.
App Layout
On the home screen is a search box, and an option to scan a QR code. Next are Help and Cart options. These same options are on the Products and Account tab.
Below this are options to search for a specific type of product. These include Laptops & Computers, Apple, and Cell Phones., Below the list is a button to display all 18 product categories. Further down the screen was an extensive list of deals.
The Products tab had many more categories including Audio, Wearable Technology, and Toys & Games. Here is where you can also find out about service contracts and additional tech support. Use the Stores tab to find the closest Best Buy store.
Use the Account tab to create an account or sign into your existing account. Use this tab to enter payment information. Your subscriptions are listed here. The last option in the Account tab is Settings. Once your account is created, your name will be on the Account tab.
Creating an Account
An account can be created through the Account tab. There is some clutter on the Account page so entering information can be tricky. You will need to give your name and email address. Next, enter and then re-enter a password. You can choose different recovery methods. You can link your account to Apple or Google, but this is not mandatory. Face ID can be enabled for recognition.
Once your account is set up, you will receive an email from Best Buy asking you to confirm your email address.
Purchasing Products
I used the Search box at the top of the screen in the Home tab. I wanted to purchase the newest AirPods so I entered AirPods 3 in the Search box. My first result was "Apple AirPods - 3rd generation." Below this were other similar items including different types of AirPods and charging cases. At the top of the results were several sorting options including Gift Ideas and Current Deals.
Each listing had the item name, color, review ratings, price, and an Add to Cart button. Activating the item's link brought up more information about the product and information about care plans.
As you look at several different products, information about them will be on the home screen. Best Buy will also show products related to products you have purchased or viewed. This can make the Home tab cluttered.
I did my same search but used the Products tab instead of the Home tab. I selected Audio from the products list. The new screen showed a variety of audio categories including Microphones, Sound Bars, and a wide variety of headphones. I selected Earbud In-Ear Headphones.
At the top of the next screen were options to sort by price, brand, and features. I found the AirPods. The same information was listed as when I used the Search form.
I needed an external hard drive to back up my new MacBook Air. From the products tab I chose Computers: Laptops. On the next screen, I selected Hard Drives and SSD Storage. Sorting options were at the top of the screen. I found the one I wanted and added it to my cart.
Checking Out
When I went to my cart, my items were listed. You can remove items or add more. You will need to choose whether you want to pick up your purchase at a Best Buy store or have it shipped. I chose to have it shipped. You will need to enter your zip code to calculate shipping costs. If you want to pick up your purchase, you will need to select which store.
The Cart screen also includes information about support and services that Best Buy offers and information about related items. The Checkout button is at the bottom of the screen.
Best Buy offers three checkout methods. You can enter all your shipping and payment information manually, use Apple Pay, or use PayPal. I used Apple Pay and it worked perfectly. Within a few minutes, I received a confirmation email.
Tech Support
Despite their excellent reputation, I did have one issue with Best Buy's Geek Squad phone tech support. I could not get my recently purchased backup drive to install on my laptop. I had no trouble quickly reaching a support person, which was great, but we were disconnected and nobody called back. They had my phone number because I verified it with the agents twice.
I called again, spent some time explaining the issue, and tech support started to walk me through the installation process.
He repeatedly told me to click on graphics, despite my having said that I was blind and that the graphics were unlabeled. To expedite things, I used sighted assistance and I allowed tech support to remotely access my computer.
The tech said there was something on my computer that he couldn't see and he therefore needed to escalate to level 2, for which I would have to pay $39.99 unless I already had a paid Geek plan. The drive cost about $47.
At this point, we were disconnected. For the second time, the Geek Squad did not call back.
A sighted person brought the backup drive and my Mac to the Geek Squad desk at a Best Buy store and they solved the issue in under two minutes at zero cost.
Conclusion
The Best Buy app is definitely usable but you just might need a little more patience than with some other apps or sites. Each page has a great deal of information and some pages are cluttered. As with Chewy and Zappos, rotor options are not a good way to navigate the Best Buy app.
The Bottom Line
Each of these apps offers a large variety of products and all have live help. Unfortunately, rotor options for Headings, Links, and Forms do not work well with any of the apps. Best Buy takes a little more work than Zappos and Chewy, but it is usable. Best Buy's tech support was disappointing.
Happy Holidays!
This article is made possible in part by generous funding from the James H. and Alice Teubert Charitable Trust, Huntington, West Virginia.
