I got to thinking about this one day while browsing some online stores. I realised that there are some things I will not buy online no matter how cheap I perceive them to be.
Here are some things I do not buy online and my reasons for not doing so:-
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- Clothes, bags and shoes – I am a tactile shopper – I like to touch the material of clothes, bags and shoes before I buy them. Also experience has taught me that what looks good on the computer monitor may not look as good in real life and vice versa. So, I still do most of my fashion shopping in person. However, I am willing to buy bags online when I can do proper research on a particular item like my Rebecca Minkoff Morning After Mini bag :)
- Liquid eyeliner and Mascara – I do not even purchase mascara from warehouse sales due to a previous bad experience. I purchased a mascara during one such sale and when I got home, realised that it was all dried up = waste of money. You can’t tell if the mascara has been opened by others during a sale (I saw it happening once and I wanted to smack the lady!) or when sold online. Once opened, mascaras dry up faster due to the introduction of air. Since I cannot be sure, I don’t buy them online.
- Older lipstick and gloss – What I mean by older is lipsticks or lipgloss from older lines or discontinued colours. You can’t tell from an online stock photo whether it is starting to smell funky. So far I only buy lipglosses or lipsticks that are fairly recent or if discontinued, discontinued recently.
- Anything with Vitamin C – I am picky about any skincare that contains vitamin C. Vitamin C works best fresh and they do not keep well and oxidise easily. So, I prefer to suck it up and pay more at the counter than buy it online where I may not be sure how old it is.
- Some skincare – I’ve bought cleanser online but not creams. Some online stores are selling it cheaper but I’m worried about how the heat will affect the skincare in the course of transit to me or whether it has been opened. So for now I’m sticking to buying my skincare at the counters. I rather like the experience anyway.
- Sunscreen – the lifespan of sunscreen is only between 2-3 years from manufacture. If no manufacturing date is stated I will not purchase. If an expiry date is stated I will ensure that there is at least 1.5 years to the expiry which is never the case at cheap online stores.
Online shops or blogshops may not all be reputable
The other problem I have with shopping online when it comes to clothes or any of the above cosmetics items, are the sellers. I stick to reputable online stores for most of the time, preferring to pay a little bit more than to risk losing money or receiving something different from what I ordered. A long time ago, while shopping on StrawberryNET.com I did not receive my item and after lodging a report and waiting for about 6 weeks, I got my refund with no problems. Contrast that with the horrible experience Kahani received recently from a local blogshop owner who sent her a mismatched pair of shoes and then went AWOL, spoiling what was otherwise a seamless transaction.
These days, anyone can open an online store thanks to blogs and free blog platforms like Blogger or WordPress. Whilst I admire their entrepreneurial spirit such sellers should realize that online stores or blogshops are a business and as with running a business, sellers must be responsible and careful in their transactions. People are more aware of their consumer rights these days and if like in Kahani’s case, the seller made a mistake sending out the wrong item, they should be man or woman enough to take responsibility for it, apologize and rectify the error at the earliest opportunity.
Colour selections online may not be accurate
I know some people are also put off by colour selection for colour cosmetics because colours you see online may not look the same when you get the item. However, I’m more prepared to run a risk for eyeshadows and blush as hygiene is less of an issue with powder products. Hence when I shop online, its mostly for powder cosmetics, while I do my liquid based purchases in person.
Are you particular about what you buy online and what you do not? What items will you not buy online? Have a you got a horrible online shopping experience to share?
Stay beautiful,
Paris B
I will definitely not buy shoe online. For other like skincare and cosmetics, I will only buy from the original site, definitely not from the reseller site, reasons are simple – these products are fragile, inappropriate storage, mode of transportation and also if the product been opened before, all these will compromise the quality of the products. So, I don’t take the risk.
i never bought clothes or shoes online too, coz i must try it on to know whether it fits well or not. i usually buy just cosmetics online :) or..abit of skincare from strawberrynet
i’m pretty ok with clothes jus as long its the cheaper kind and the style I have or i’ve tried elsewhere. As for quality, usually i’ll keep my fingers cross. I usually shop in blogshop which pretty reputable out there (where they receive good reviews or goods which sold out pretty fast) but so far no complain.
I always wanted to try buying those designer bags online (ie Coach ) but never get too…dunno, dont trust hundreds of RM over online…..hrmm
As for beauty products, yah…i rather get it straight at the counter. Pay the premium rather you think you save next thing you know it’s a defect product.
Thanks for the support dear! *hugs*
I have tried buying just about everything online. LOL. Just for the sake of trying. But I must say that yours is good choice, and I have also learned enough lessons to prefer buying from physical shops.
About 60 – 80% of the clothes I bought online can’t be worn because they are simply too thin. I bought a bag online too, but also regret as I couldn’t see and feel exactly how heavy it was. I just bought based on the patterns/design. I guess for cosmetics/skincare, it should be fine to buy from official sites, and sites with massive amount of positive user feedback and ratings, such as certain mask sheet spree sites.
I’ve been really lucky so far with all my online purchases. I have had nothing but the most attentive sellers and the better service than most stores. I don’t like buying second hand cosmetics tho unless it’s loose powder stuff that’s relatively new. It’s a personal thing where I like being the first one to dive into an eyeshadow palette or crack open a new lippie ^_^ I’m not too keen on second hand clothes either unless stated that it wasn’t worn before. I guess it all boils down to doing your research of the seller and the product.
Shoes… that’s a touchy subject as my feet have never been one set size (toes issues ^^;;). I never actually ordered any but I’m not apposed to the idea. There are some really gorgeous ones on Gmarket that I would like to order. If it comes to worse, my mum is one size smaller than me. So does that make it a hand-me-up instead of down? ^o^
i always wanted to shop online, coz i heard u get amazing deals…but im just scared i’ll get ripped off…and yeah, i’d like to touch whatever i want to buy…
My first (and last) attempt in purchasing something online was when I was in the UK. Bought a Topshop blazer from eBay and it didn’t fit (too big). Didn’t bother returning it :P
Personally i try not to buy clothes online. I’ve purchased a few of those pretty taiwanese dresses on sale at ebay, and out of the 5 i’ve bought, most don’t really fit me well (or don’t look as good as the display picture)! :(
I tried buying clothes twice from ebay from those cutesy Korean suppliers. Huuuuge disappointment for their quality. But I try to but clothes labeled as from and made in Japan twice, they came in real good condition! The materials are so good! (sadly one of the shirt is too small….) :'(
Now I’m very very skeptical about buying clothes/bag/accessories online, esp from Korean brands (which style copied runway fashion, so highly sought after). They look pretty but the real thing is disappointing.
I’m agreed with ParisB, I’ll only purchase powder products online but not liquid. Same reasons as ParisB. Sometimes I’ll purchase masks online, if that seller is reputable and I know the masks work well for me. Of course, I’ll make sure the manufacturing date and expiry date is sufficient. Clothes, shoes and bags, these are also the items that I won’t purchase online. The reason is simple, I’m neither tall nor skinny thus it’s pretty hard for me to find something suitable to my size and shape without trying them on. My 1st rule of buying shoes is its comfortableness. I can’t try them on through website so that’s a no no for me. Personally, I’m very particular on bags qualities. I won’t buy a bag or wallet based on its pattern or shape. Skincare products, I have sensitive skin thus I always go for sample size or tester before buying. Of course, creditability of the seller also the biggest question. I’ve heard many friends paid the seller but never received any items.
i’ve bought all sorts of things online (makeup, shoes, bags, clothes, crafts, art work, etc.) but only stick to reputable shops & sellers with a strong online presence. being an online seller myself, i am very particular when it comes to good product shots & detailed descriptions so i scour the web + do a little research first before committing to a purchase.
I like online shopping as it provides more choices but I draw the line in only buying certain things like cosmetics and accessories. Items like shoes are a bit of a gamble unless one have tried out the real thing before purchasing. Clothes are a big NO NO for me coz I might like the looks of it online but when it’s on me, it might look awful.
I’ve shopped online and sold a few items off the web before… Of course I look for reputable people… I’ve bought a few BB creams and a powder from LYN before and they arrived in tip top shape plus goodies too…
I try not to buy clothes online eventhough they look tempting!! haha… I love the Korean and Japanese styled clothings… I’m worried that it won’t fit me or won’t look good on me…
Interesting topic~~
Thanks for sharing your experiences and thoughts, everyone! I guess as with everything online, we have to be careful and do our homework. :)