About Science Diet Food Delivery

Science Diet food delivery is available through pet stores such as Petco or Petsmart, or smaller online-only pet retailers. By knowing what kind of pet food one needs, how much is needed and price and timeframe requirements, consumers can visit each company's website and find a company that will best meet their needs.

The Facts

Pet owners can receive Science Diet food delivery through nationwide chains such as Petco, Petsmart, PetFoodDirect.com, Care-A-Lot and Petland Discounts (see Resources below).
Some of the factors to consider when selecting a pet food delivery vendor are: retailer loyalty; a preference for smaller businesses or larger chains; whether the customer's food of choice is in stock; price; and delivery time.
Overall, not one online food delivery option prevails. While one delivery may be less expensive or promise swifter service, other factors such as the quality and availability of the pet food are important to consider. Trial and error is the best method for picking the appropriate pet food delivery option, and the top choice will not be the same for every pet owner.

Risk Factors

As with any online food delivery system, one runs the risk of lost, damaged or late pet food. In addition, sometimes pet food delivery prices are misquoted. In this case, the consumer is typically given the lower price, but this may have to be specially requested. If the price is higher than quoted and the pet food supplier becomes aware of the error, it will generally contact the consumer.
Science Diet food delivery can be cost-prohibitive, as well. In one case, a 20-pound bag of Science Diet dog food that costs $27.99 carries a $16.71 shipping and handling charge that brings the total to $44.70, a 59.7 percent increase. While there are free shipping offers available on these websites, there are exclusions. Always read the small print.

Benefits

One of the benefits of Science Diet food delivery are special offers. These include percent-off coupons, free shipping, promotions for related products and even contests. Each website also has a wealth of information about pet ownership. Pet owners also may discover new pet food through the website's online recommendations.
While the shipping and handling costs may make online food delivery cost-prohibitive for many, there is a tremendous benefit to not having to haul 20- to 40-pound bags of pet food home from the store. This is especially the case for the elderly, the disabled and those with stairs.
Another benefit of ordering pet food online is a feature that allows for an automatic re-order, pre-set for a specific time and amount, depending on your pet's food usage. This feature takes the brain work out of having to remember and plan for pet food shopping.

Time Frame

Generally, Science Diet food delivery occurs via the United States Postal Service and the United Parcel Service, thus companies cannot promise exact delivery times, only an estimate of when the pet food leaves the warehouse. After that, delivery time depends on which method the customer chose during the purchase.
The time frame varies on when the product leaves the warehouse, but generally follows these online food delivery estimates, provided by the companies: Petsmart, one to two business days; Petco, next business day; PetFoodDirect.com, an average of five days total (does not specify when it leaves the warehouse); Care-A-Lot, does not specify, but has online tracking system; and Petland Discounts, within 24 hours.

Features

Perhaps the most important feature to consider about Science Diet food delivery is pricing, and it varies among pet supply retailers. A 20-lb. bag of dry, adult Science Diet dog food, original flavor, can vary in price by several dollars among competitors. Prices at your local grocery store, online coupons at company websites and coupons in the Sunday newspaper are also factors to consider for making a decision about where to buy Science Diet pet food.