Pet Food Direct ensures you always have cat or dog food on hand. You choose a delivery schedule and they charge your credit or debit card and then ship the food. These companies frequently offer discounted pet food prices, making it seem like a huge bargain. However, when ordering from a pet food delivery service, you may find the cost of shipping negates any discount you receive on the price of the food. It's important to compare your options to see if the deal they offer really saves you any money.
Delivery Arrangements from Pet Food Delivery Services
Pet Food Direct and similar pet food delivery services offer discounts to any customer signing up for auto-delivery. You choose how frequently you'll need the food delivered to your doorstep. This helps prevent emergency trips to the store for food because you've suddenly run out.
When you first sign up, you'll have to estimate how often your pet needs new food. You do have the flexibility to change delivery times if you find yourself running out sooner or winding up with more food than you need. If you have pets that grow tired of one food after a month or two, you need to remember to change your order before the next shipment. If your change is made after the order has been processed, you may incur a charge for asking for the last minute change. If your pet food is sold out, your order is placed on back-order. This can be inconvenient.
Comparing Prices
Taste of the Wild is a natural, high-quality pet food sold in many stores. Because it is high-quality proteins and no grains, it's better for cats and dogs than foods sold in grocery stores. If you have a Tractor Supply Store near you, you can find Taste of the Wild for approximately $10 (5 pounds) or $23 (15 pounds) a bag. Pet Food Direct also sells Taste of the Wild. They charge $10 (5 pounds) or $26 (10 pounds).
If you feed your pet Natural Balance foods, stores like Petco usually offer special savings of $3 to $5 a bag. The average price for a 28-pound bag of the lamb formula is $50 with Petco and $43 with Pet Food Direct, plus PFD offers an additional 25 percent discount periodically, so you end up saving money.
Shipping and Handling Charges
Pet Food Direct offers savings of 15 percent, but the shipping for the different sized bags adds another $13 to $15 to your order. This is often more than it would cost to drive to the nearest pet supply store. In the end, you'll pay more money for food ordered from a pet food delivery service, but you free up time for work or leisure by not having to stop at a pet supply store.
With the Natural Balance lamb formula, PFD charges $16 in shipping, so you end up having to pay about the same as you'd pay driving to your local pet food store and gain the convenience of not having to stop at the store.