I’ve recently had a rash of emails asking me about StrawberryNET.com because I’ve been telling you about my purchases from there. I did share my shopping experience on Strawberrynet once before but apparently, its too hidden away so here’s my 101 on shopping at Strawberrynet.
Why use Strawberrynet?
Why not? 😛 I learned about Strawberrynet about 5 years ago and like many of you, I was worried but the site was a lot more messy back then and yet I took the plunge. I didn’t have friendly blogs like this to turn to for advice then 😉 The reason I took to it is because it stocks many brands we don’t get here in Malaysia and because of the discounts and free shipping offered. I made a small order the first time but my orders these days are a lot bigger.
Is it cheaper than buying at the department stores?
It depends on where in the world you live. If you know your prices, you will be able to work out if the prices are cheaper or not. I usually shop the Gifts and Specials page where things go on sale twice a month. I’ve picked up lots of goodies there and I love shopping for high end or discontinued items there because the prices are very very attractive. I picked up the Scott Barnes Posh Chic blush palette at a mere US$11 (RM38) and most recently, YSL Rouge Volupte lipsticks at US$17 (RM59).
Some items are more expensive than buying in stores here. The reason is because its a borderless world so what we perceive to be more expensive for us, might still be cheaper compared to elsewhere in the world. E.g. cosmetics in Europe and Australia are priced high, so the prices on Strawberrynet are still are cheaper for them but maybe not for us.
Are there other discounts on top of the sale prices?
The other thing I like about Strawberrynet are the loyalty discounts. The discounts start from 1% from your 2nd order and go up to a maximum of 10%. On top of that, there is a 5% discount with purchases of 3 items and above – no price cap – and the discounts are cummulative. E.g. I now get 15% off flat if I purchase 3 items and above AND its applicable ON TOP of existing discounts. E.g. A lipstick is discounted 70% to $10 and you have a loyalty discount of 5% so you will only pay $9.50. It can make things very cheap and very tempting 😛
Are the products genuine?
From my 20+ purchases made, I’d say yes. I have not had problems so far. That is not to say that others might not have had problems. I cannot speak for them just for myself.
Are the products expired or close to expiry?
My caveat – I don’t usually buy skincare. I have noticed that sometimes if there is a very big discount, they mention the expiry date on the site itself. Most times they don’t but I have not had problems. I have bought discontinued cosmetics but I don’t go too far back. I make sure I know when the products were discontinued so I have an idea. Powder cosmetics don’t really expire so I’m less fussed. I don’t buy mascara because of bad experiences at a warehouse sale and I stick to more recent lipstick releases.
Why are the products so cheap on strawberrynet?
Gosh! I don’t know! 😛 Sometimes, the products are purchased from other countries – perhaps its been discontinued so they buy it up in bulk and sell it at a cheaper price. Or perhaps they import it in themselves without going through the distributor like Sasa does. You’ll have to ask them this one 😛
Is the shipping really free?
Yes it is and it comes by registered post so you can track it. They will notify you when it is sent out and they give you the tracking number. It also comes with a lilac ribbon tied around it like a gift and each item is gift wrapped individually. Its like receiving a gift from a friend which is awesome!
How long does shipping take?
Packages come from Hong Kong. To Malaysia, it takes about 1 week from the time I make payment. Update 2012: I have noticed that my recent purchases come in from Sweden and shipping is now longer i.e. between 7-10 days which is normal for shipping from Europe.
Where do the items come from?
From what I know, Strawberrynet is based in Hong Kong. All my packages come from there. I’ve actually called up their office before to clarify something. They exist 😛 As for the individual products, they come from everywhere.
Have you lost packages before?
I’ve made over 20+ purchases and I have only had 1 package go missing – my purchase #2. I notified the company and after 6 weeks, I received a refund. They aren’t very communicative but I’ve never really had problems with them other than this one.
Do the packages get taxed or held up by customs?
I have never had my packages taxed or held by customs. I live in Malaysia and I believe we do not get taxed on cosmetics. Well, not cosmetics purchased in small quantities. Thus far, my packages too have never gotten held up or opened by customs. Different Customs Departments in different countries might operate differently. If you get taxed, Strawberrynet offers tax refunds but you’d have to inform them of this. I don’t know how reliable it is, but its offered and I think that’s great.
Is it safe to pay using my credit card?
My first ever purchase was made using my credit card. I had no problems. Just make sure your billing address matches your credit card statement. These days, I use Paypal to make payment. You can link your credit card to paypal and make payment that way. Your credit card information is then never sent to sellers so its “safer”. How you pay is your choice.
What currency do you use when making a purchase?
I use USD because Malaysian Ringgit is not accepted for payment purposes. You can choose Malaysian Ringgit or any other currency to compare prices, but its just a rough guide. I prefer using USD and I always choose USA as my entry portal. When you choose Malaysia, the site is translated into the Malay language. Useful for those who prefer using it but I prefer using English 🙂
So if you haven’t started shopping on StrawberryNET.com, perhaps you better not start. It gets too addictive – especially with the discounts currently running 😛
Me? I’m already addicted so I’m a goner 😛
Hope this guide helps someone. Please feel free to ask any more questions below if I did not cover it here and please feel free to share your experiences (good or bad) too. Please also note that this is based on my personal experience shopping the site which I have done since 2007 and which I still do today without any problems whatsoever whether with delivery, authenticity or service.
Paris B
i have made quite some purchases, and so far have not experienced any bad issues too. and now im a goner too 🙁
Haha! Join the club – we can be goners together 😉
your third member is here!
Yay!
and your this post strengthen the thought of me purchasing stuff from Strawberry! It feels assuring to know the stuff ain’t bad and you can score a good deal from it. tee hee!
no thanks to your evil evil evil post that my purse might be suffering soon! 😛
Oops! I’ve never had problems so I hope no one else has 🙂
Thanks so much for the info. It’s very informative and insightful!
It certainly give me confidence to make my first online purchase :D.
I hope you pick up something nice 🙂
I love online shopping and I’ve purchased a stila lip quad with StrawberryNet.com. It was cheap and arrived quickly too. No problems with that, except for the little temptations they send via email on their new offers 😉
Oh yeah whenever I get their emails with new deals I just know I’ll be spending more there 😉 Still if its at a good price why not eh? 😉
Hi Paris,
I’m a frequent shopper of Strawberrynet too and I’ve spent so much money shopping on the site! There are several other online cosmetics sites that offer free shipping too but the loyalty discount on Strawberrynet is just too tempting! Packages never gone missing for me and they always arrive fast – in five days or less I can receive their package. I had been telling myself not to go to this site so often, but now that you mentioned it I shall hope onto it again! 😀
Thanks for sharing Coraline! Glad to know its all been good news so far 🙂
A great write-up on Strawberrynet, PB! Very informative for those who wants to give S’net a go. I started buying from the website when I read about your Scott Barnes blush palette, and incidentally, it was also my very first purchase from S’net 😛
Good times eh back then? 😀 I have forgotten about that blush can you believe that? Time to go dig it out again
have you ever bought perfume from there? I was thinking to buy it, but I’m afraid it will smell stale or something like that! 😛
No I haven’t bought fragrances because I believe there is an element of shipping on fragrances. I can’t quite get it plus I prefer buying my fragrances at duty free or in store
So tempted! I keep on looking at their specials but don’t have the heart to buy because I’m not sure how much it actually retails for. Maybe I need to do more online shopping. 😛
Usually their specials are seriously discounted so you get a great deal either way. I stick to brands we don’t get here or brands that are marked up here *coughbenefitcough*
hi, u bought so many items from strawberry.net and tat’s awesome. I surf tat website frequent to compare prices but I havent bought anything from there yet. and yes, it’s because I am suspicious over the site and the free shipping thing hahhaha…
maybe I should give it a try now 😉
I hope you have a good experience shopping there
Hi Paris,
Great post! I would like to add, for online shopping, the colors shown up on screen may differ from the original goods. So, if the product has a counter locally, it is best to go and compare the colors. Thats what I did with my latest Lancome powder purchase which was going for 50% off. Good deal!
lovely weekends, ;-D
lemon
That’s a great tip Lemon! Yes, always do your research at counters where possible before taking the plunge because colours online can greatly differ from the product. Sometimes I take the plunge without trying first though especially if its a very good deal and something I don’t mind trying out
I’ve heard much about strawberry.net but so far, I steered away. Reason why? I don’t wanna get addicted…:s
hehe its not THAT addictive … not unless they are on sale 😉
Ahhh Strawberry.Net!!! Yes they are so tempted! I actually ‘tumpang’ a friend to help me buy coz my credit card cannot do online purchase. Then after waiting for 3 days they emailed me and state that my friend’s card has problem and payment did not clear. I was so devastated coz I wanted to get the Benefit Powder Pop and including Scott Barnes! “sniff sniff”. So a week has passed and they refunded the money and I did not get anything but had to pay for the exchange rate. Total Sadnesss… 🙁
sorry to hear your experience was a bad one. That’s part of the reason I use paypal these days – less direct contact esp with mailing address and billing address hiccups
I thought of getting a Paypal account too but then to only use it for shopping, seems to be a bit of a waste. What am I going to do with the balance money? Why Oh Why we can’t withdraw money from Paypal? Sighs… grrrr
Actually we in Malaysia CAN withdraw money from our paypal accounts to our bank accounts. Its been in effect since last year.
I’ve been using Strawberrynet.com for a couple of years now, since moving back to KL… i love the fact that they don’t charge for shipping and it’s usually pretty quick… my estimate from the time I pay to when I receive is about 3-4 working days…
the only thing that i don’t like about them is their excessive packaging… the Styrofoam peanuts, the bubblewrap AND the wrapping paper on each product is a bit much. I’ve told them to not wrap each product and to lay off on the peanuts, and they’ve listened… but i have to keep repeating that request every time i order…
another drawback is that they’re product availability is scattered… like, they don’t have a full range of a certain brand (i usually buy my bumble&bumble supply from them) and certainly don’t have the newer products, but it’s a good shop for staple products.
other websites i recommend that ship to malaysia are hqhair.com (expensive but very comprehensive) and http://www.luckyscent.com (for all your obscure perfumery needs)
Unfortunately I haven’t been so lucky with Strawberrynet. They sent me the wrong product and it has been very hard to get them to contact me. They keep either ignoring my emails or reply saying they will look into it but it will take a while. I am trying to get them to accept a return (unopened). They admit that I have received the wrong product but are reluctant for me to return it. They’ve even suggested I just accept 20% off the product that I didn’t want in the first place because it’s a “hassle” to return a product. This may be a rare occurrence but I just thought everyone should know – purchase with caution knowing if there is a mistake, you may lose your money. Their after sales service is quite poor. I will never purchase from them again (this is my 4th and last purchase from them).
Like Jack, I have had a similar experience with S’net. They sent me the incorrect product and then would not return my money! I am now stuck with something I never wanted and don’t need and I received a 15% discount, which turned out to be nothing at all. Waste of time and money having to deal with S’net. Every mascara I have also received from them has been dry, I have received a tester face wash and a half empty shampoo. no more s’net for me.
these days i much prefer to shop from sites like clinique.com.au, thebeautyclub.com.au, benefit.com and skinstore.com. the beauty club offers free shipping but the others have a charge. I generally shop at the other websites listed if the beauty club has an item that is out of stock. but i have had wonderful experiences from all these websites and highly recommend the beauty club for high end comsetics and skincare at a great price with free internatioal shipping. Skinstore also has a wonderful range, and stila is really well priced.
I had newly ordered with S’net today..i paid it with paypal and my debit card had been credited.. But my order status was pending..i was really shock and mad..it hurts me deeply as i really want my order..how can i solve this?i do emailed them already..
hi,
i’m trying to purchase something from strawberrynet but my paypal account do not have enough money in it. will paypal automatically charge the extras from my credit card? will i be charged?
thanks 🙂
Hi,
Thank you Paris for your post. I have just moved to KL and was wondering if Malaysian custom office can held the parcel or impose duty. I am also a loyalty customer of Strawberry. Before I lived in Poland and Australia. In Poland sometimes it happened that the Polish customs hold the parcel. Than usually I didnt pick up it, it was sent back to Hong Kong and within 6 weeks I received the refund. It happened 2 or 3 times. One of my friend paid the custom duty and she was indeed refunded by Strawberry. I do recommend Strawberry.
Now, after reading your post Paris I have just placed my first order (Fragrance for my husband:)) with delivery to Malaysia.
BTW: does anybody have any experience with buying other stuff online, from US? I’m just thinking about buying some vitamins/dietary supplent from US, but I am not sure if it is allowed, custom duty ect…..
Aga
Aga: I’ve never had my packages held by customs or had duty imposed and I’ve been buying online for years now. The only time I had to pay duty was on a leather bag but that was expected. I’m not sure about vitamins or dietary supplements.
Hi,
I was just wondering if you have ever had an order pending after you have confirmed and paid for your order because is this happening to me right now 😛
Thankyou,
Joyceyy
I’m not sure what you mean by pending. Usually once I pay (I use paypal) then I get a notice with my tracking number saying that my package has gone out. This is usually the next day or even the same day.
Hi Paris, thank you for sharing your shopping experience with StrawberryNet. It really helps a lot. I ordered Estee Lauder’s Signature Eyeshadow Quad and Yves Saint Laurent’s Rouge Pure Shine Sheer Lipstick from StrawberryNet yesterday and today I received an email notifying that they have shipped out my items. It was my first time dealing with StrawberryNet and hopefully everything goes smoothly. Anyway, have you ever ordered from FragranceX? I also purchased some cosmetic items from this website a day before StrawberryNet and received the order confirmation email from them, but I’m a bit worried because it has been 3 days yet no email has been sent to me regarding its shipping status.
Thank you for your time reading this and I wish you have a nice day!
Hi Azida, thank you for your comment. I hope you had a good experience with strawberrynet as I did 🙂 I haven’t shopped at Fragrancenet so I can’t help you there, sorry, but I hope you get your package soon
it doesnt take a week, no way.
they state 11-14 WORKING days….so thats 3 weeks in real terms.
I know, because this is how long I have been waiting and am STILL waiting!
Do you work for Strawberry Net or something?
You might have noticed that:-
(a) This is a blog post of my experiences shopping with Strawberrynet and I have noted in my disclaimer that it is based on my own experiences. I do not work for strawberrynet but am a long time consumer.
(b) it was written in 2010 and true as at that time. My recent orders in 2012 have taken a little longer and seem to come in from Sweden but I get them safely so my opinion does not change.
(c) it would be more helpful for you to contact the company directly if you have issues with them.
ok thats fine – but you agree orders take longer than a week. Thats my main point. Its a not a fast service. If you are happy with that, then fine.