Web ways to buy

Shopping online with US merchants

choose. -- PHOTO: BLOOMBERG

• Retailers are unlikely to publicise

mailers so that you will be notified

Lynnette Chan, 36, health-care

• Start shopping early. Some websites

or watchlist. You could place

after the sales start. Refresh your

items have not been removed.

• Pay for your items, especially

sale to avoid disappointment.

• Get an account and a United

to shop with US retailers who

Chan Limei

• The cost of shipping can be affected

note to the merchant to combine

by one. - Ms Bridget Kow, 24,

Client : PayPal

Publication : The Straits Times

Date : 9 November 2012

Topic : Web ways to buy

URL : http://www.straitstimes.com/premium/life/story/web

Visitorship : 4,690,830

merchants such as Toys 'R'Us (above) gives shoppers a greater

publicise their Black Friday sales. Go to the websites and

notified when sales will start and what items are on discounts.

care industry worker

websites allow you to save items in your shopping cart,

your purchases inside your cart in advance and checkout

your shopping cart from time to time to make sure that

removed. - Ms Chan Limei, 27, teacher

especially those that come in sizes, within 12 hours after the

disappointment. - Ms Chan Limei

States address with an online concierge like HopShopGo

who will not accept payment or deliver outside of the country.

affected by the size of the box and the number of boxes.

combine all your items in one parcel instead of shipping

24, press relations account executive

Country : Singapore

Times

2012

Web ways to buy

http://www.straitstimes.com/premium/life/story/web-ways-buy

greater variety to

and sign up for

discounts. - Ms

cart, a wishlist

checkout only

that your

start of the

HopShopGo in order

country. - Ms

boxes. Drop a

shipping them out one

Singapore

buy-20121109

• Shop with an online concierge which will repack your parcels when the merchant has put your

package in too large a box. - Ms Kow

• Do not be too disappointed if you miss out on a good deal on Black Friday. Check back on

Cyber Monday. - Ms Chan Limei

• Get a PayPal account in case your credit card is rejected by a US customers-only website. - Ms

Chan Limei

• If an item is not at least 30 per cent less than what it retails for here, it is not worth getting

because you need to factor in shipping cost. - Ms Kow

• When shopping in virtual handicraft emporium Etsy.com, go for less popular sellers as their

prices will be lower and they might even throw in free shipping to Singapore as part of the

Black Friday deal. - Ms Li Jiayi, 27, senior communications executive

ONLINE CONCIERGES

• HopShopGo, an exclusive service for PayPal customers, charges US$11 (S$13.45) for standard

mail (takes six to eight days), for the first 0.5kg and US$2.85 for every additional 0.5kg.

Charges US$5 to $7 for repacking boxes and consolidates up to three packages at no charge.

PayPal customers get 10 per cent discount at checkout.

• Borderlinx, an exclusive service for Citibank credit card members, charges US$13 for the first

0.5kg and US$3.30 for every additional 0.5kg, plus a fuel surcharge, via standard mail. Offers

repacking at no charge. Go to its Total Cost Calculator at www.borderlinx.com/tcc for

estimated shipping costs.

• ComGateWay (above) charges US$11 for standard mail for the first 0.5kg; US$2.85 for each

additional 0.5kg. Charges US$5 to $7 for repacking boxes and consolidates up to three

packages at no charge. There is also an app available for iPhone users.

• VPost, a service by SingPost, charges a base fee of $13.40, $7.20 a kg and $1.90 a kg for fuel

surcharge for postage from US. Repacking costs $12 a box. Able to consolidate more than one

parcel under one bill so you only pay one base charge.

WHERE TO SHOP

Fashion: gap.com, nordstrom.com, bananarepublic.com, ralphlauren.com, landsend.com,

oldnavy.com

Beauty: sephora.com, beauty.com, nordstrom.com

Health supplements: drugstore.com, iherb.com

Children's clothing: gymboree.com, hannaandersson.com

Books: bookdepository.com

Gadgets: thinkgeek.com, amazon.com, ebay.com

Tableware: macys.com