Blog: Uber & Home Depot to Deliver Xmas Trees Thursday
By Jim Donovan: Too busy to go shopping for a Christmas tree? Well tomorrow, Thursday December 5th you can use your smartphone and have a Christmas tree delivered right to your door.
Uber is teaming up with The Home Depot to offer this same-day delivery. Home Depot, the largest fresh tree retailer in the U.S., hand-picked each live Christmas tree against very specific criteria, including ideal symmetry, excellent taper, superior needle retention, overall nutrient health and a rich evergreen color. The live tree variety will be pre-set by market with the variety being the most popular for each market (Philadelphia consumers will receive only fraser fir trees).
Just like with Uber's regular service, no cash is needed. It will all be charged to your Uber account. Just pull up the app, hit the Christmas Tree button, and request a delivery for your family, friends or coworkers. You will be able to track your tree on the icon from the store to your door. New riders should use the signup code 'UberTREE' which will give them $20 off their first ride.
Specifically, on December 5, 2013, a Christmas tree icon will appear in the Uber application for users located in Philadelphia. Additional cities include Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York City, San Diego, San Francisco and Washington D.C. The tree icon will appear in the vehicle selector at the bottom of the screen alongside standard Uber offerings for that market. If a user would like to purchase a Christmas tree and stand on demand, and has an active Uber account, simply select the tree icon and await a confirmation text message. When the tree is on the way, the user will see a photo of an Uber ambassador in a red shirt sand Santa hat (rather than the usual Uber driver photo) and the name displayed will be holiday-related like "Rudolph" or "Frosty."
Once the confirmation text is received, users will be able to the track their Christmas tree delivery through the Uber app. Availability will be limited, so keep trying if you aren't successful at first.
*If the user is not a current Uber member, he/she will need to download the app and sign up prior to being able to order a tree. Signing up is as easy as visiting Uber.com/ and use the signup code UberTREE on any device.
Q: How much will it cost?
A: The entire package costs $135, which includes tree, stand, delivery, and Uber holiday swag (monogrammed Uber scarf).
Q: When will I get my tree?
A: The trees are on demand, delivered on December 5 only. You cannot pre-order. If your order is confirmed, you will be able to track your delivery via the Uber app, just as if you were securing an Uber black car or SUV.
Q: How tall are the Christmas trees?
A: We are delivering live, premium 7-8' Christmas trees with stands (height is of actual tree not in-stand).
Q: What happens once you run out of trees?
A: If there are no trucks available in a given market but trees are still available (i.e. all the trucks are on runs), the icon will be grayed out. If ALL the trees are actually gone/promo ends, then the icon will no longer appear in the app.
Q: Can you return the tree if you're not happy and if so, how?
A: No you cannot return the tree
Q: Will The Home Depot bring the tree into my house? Will they set it up for me?
A: The tree and stand will cheerfully be delivered to the first external door of the address. The tree will not be placed in the stand, however.
Q: Why should I get my tree from Home Depot?
A: The Home Depot started selling fresh cut Christmas trees in 1987 and is the number one seller of fresh cut trees The Home Depot sells more cut Christmas trees than any other US retailer. (We are expected to sell 2.8 million fresh cut Christmas trees in 2013, up from 2.5 million last year.)
