Using your smartphone to order a new pair of shoes: typical. Using your smartphone to order a live Christmas tree and having it delivered to your home on the same day: not so typical; that is until today.
For one day only, startup transportation company Uber is allowing customers in 10 select cities, including Philadelphia, to order fresh Christmas trees and have them delivered to their homes on the same day.
Uber is most known for its upscale taxi services, but the company drew national headlines with its first attempt at home delivery services earlier this summer, when it offered one day of on-demand ice cream deliveries in select cities.
Now, Uber has teamed up with the nation's largest fresh tree retailer, Home Depot, to offer the on-demand delivery of live, 7 to 8 foot Christmas trees.
Here's how it works:
On December 5th only, customers can use the Uber app to request a Christmas tree delivery. Customers can have trees delivered to their own homes or to the homes of friends, family members or co-workers.
The entire package cost, $135, will be charged to the customer's Uber account and includes a free tree stand and a monogrammed Uber scarf. Customers can also use the Uber app to track the tree delivery from the store to their door.
First-time Uber app users will have to visit Uber.com, download the app, and sign-up prior to being able to order a tree. As an added perk, new users who use the signup code 'UberTREE' will get $20 off their first taxi ride with the company.
Sounds pretty awesome, right? So, what's the catch?
The deliveries are only available for one day, today, and while supplies last. The promotion also does not allow customers to select the type of tree they would like to have delivered. Rather, the company will automatically deliver the most popular tree in any given market. Philadelphia customers, for instance, will receive only Fraser fir trees.
There's also a no returns policy. So, if you don't like the tree you receive, you're stuck with it.
The other obvious downside is that the service is only offered in select cities.
Photo Credit: Phyllis Salmon