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
Hello I just got my first purchase Nioxin 33 ox Cleanser and conditioner and Was surprised to see that one of them had leaked out into the packaging. I expected the bottles to be sealed and now am afraid to use them =also got charged 26.00 duty when parcel arrived which I was not informed about.
Hi Colleen, you could take it up with the people at Strawberrynet. Thus far, I’ve never had a problem packaging wise but experiences will vary. As for taxes, I have never had to pay taxes shipping to Malaysia but I understand that they will refund taxes/duty paid. If you contact them or check their website there is information on how to go about getting a refund. Good luck.
How long did it take exactly for you to receive your parcel? Did it took more than a week? Ordered last Thursday so pretty excited to receive my parcel! =) Some ppl say its less than 7 days (Malaysia) so how long did it take you to receive?
Currently, it takes a little over a week for Strawberrynet packages to reach me because I notice they are postmarked from Sweden now. I usually get my packages between 7-10 days. With festive holidays locally, you can expect it to take a little while longer than usual but you can check its status online with the registered package number they give you. I’m awaiting one myself 🙂
Thanks alot! =) Tho I’m really hoping I get my package before next monday since I’m leaving Malaysia for good. So if its still not here by this week then it’ll be a big problem. :O
Hi Paris B, could you elaborate why you do not buy skincare from Strawberrynet pls? Thank you.
Hi June, generally its because I don’t know when it was manufactured or how close it is to expiry. Sometimes, they do tell you but sometimes they don’t and if the information is not available on the box, you don’t know how fresh it is. That said, I have since bought skincare a few times and it looks good 🙂
is debit card accepted? and is the currency exchange services fees is expensive if u use credit card? if u use paypal is there any other charges that we need to pay in terms of currency exchange. will it be like expensive then?
I’m not certain as i don’t use debit cards or credit cards on Strawberrynet but friends have and the exchange rate will depend on the rates of the day and your card. From what I understand there are no additional charges using a credit card through PayPal but you might want to check their terms and see what they say. Knowing the local prices of the products where you are will help you decide if it’s cheaper or more expensive.
Hi, recently I read this http://www.expatforum.com/expats/malaysia-expat-forum/115353-online-purchase-skincare-cosmetics-into-malaysia.html
It is about problems from online purchase skin care into Malaysia, do you face this kind of problem from the order lately? I just got reply from essentialdayspa that they are no longer ship to Malaysia. So bad and sad!
I haven’t experienced a similar problem myself *touchwood*
I was encouraged to shop at Strawberry.NET as a means of gaining triple points on the purchase with my frequent flyer programme. I ordered cologne and skincare, and was offered free makeup as a gift (which I selected from the list of free gifts.)
My order was confirmed by email immediately, and the frequent flyer points were credited to me 10 days later. The upsetting part is that Strawberry.NET sent me an email asking me to ignore the previous email from their “Security Centre” which they say had flagged my order as being a “security concern.” I never got any such email from any security centre, and I do not understand how makeup and perfume can even be a “security concern” in the first place. It made me feel like I was being racially profiled at an american airport!
I thought that because Strawberry.NET was recommended to me by my frequent flyer programme, it must be a legitimate online boutique. After this weird incident, however, I googled its reviews and happened upon these forums. I’m so sad to read that customers have been complaining about the products’ authenticity…I really hope that my purchase arrives properly and is all genuine=(
Hi Paris, thanks for your review. It helped me a lot and I’m so happy to received my items from Strawberrynet.com. Thanks again! XX
I’ve had a bad experience with SNET and I will never order from them again. I received a dried up mascara and emailed them straight away. They asked me to take a picture of the product and they said it looked fine and that I had to give it a good shake to mix up the product. They have made this process very difficult because it has taken a long time for them to respond to me and refund my money! Has anybody had this issue??? I recommend ordering from http://www.skinstore.com.au and http://www.fragrancesandcosmetics.com.au because the customer service and products they offer are of higher quality.
Hello,I ordered for the first time from SN in February and my package arrived in 1 month.Only one item was bad, a mascara from bourjois, which was rly dry.I saw someone on their fb post this:checkcosmetic.net ..which i have no idea how good it is with dates,but stated that my mascara was made in 2006!When i complained on SN’s facebook, they just apologized and offered a refund..which i didnt got yet.Is normal to wait for a refund more then one month?Or i have to remind them?I find it weird how fast they offer a refund too..or the fact they didnt answer me if the mascara was really expired or not.The lip-gloss i got as gift is from 2010..As for the future i am unsure if i will order again.Am glad you have such good exp with them,gives me some hope 🙂
I purchased $100 of Chanel product from Strawberrynet a month and a half ago. My package hasn’t been delivered, and they won’t deal with the problem at all. They just say “we can’t track your package” and “please wait an addition 7 days for delivery”.
I’ve enjoyed shopping at Strawberrynet in the past, but this refusal to respond to a delivery issue is really disappointing – I won’t be shopping there again.
TL;DR: Don’t shop here! They might not deliver, and won’t refund/resend.
DO NOT BUY FROM STRAWBERRYNET IF YOU LIVE IN THE UK. If you live in America, you’re good, but every single person I’ve heard from who lives in the UK and bought from StrawberryNet had horrendous customs charges with their order that StrawberryNet never mentioned or refunded. Check the reviews at http://www.ciao.co.uk/Reviews/StrawberryNET__77113 – you’ll see that most of the one-star reviews are by people in Britain, for the reasons I just mentioned.
Hi. Mind sharing when your items arrived in Malaysia what local delivery company are they using? Pos laju, sky net??? Thanks
It was by regular registered post.
hi,i wanna ask,i live in sabah malaysia,so,do you think if i purchase some stuff,they will deliver to sabah or not???
They deliver worldwide so the answer is yes
Hi Paris!
Read your blog today and tree received some hope from it…I stay in India and it’s been 8 days since my order..was beginning to think the website’s a hoax and my money’s gone down the drain but now am waiting patiently..just had a few questions- 1) Are you still shopping from them? 2) If yes, can you share their contact no. Coz both their nos.listed on the site are fake…remember I stay in India..hope u reply!!! Thanks in advance!!
Hmm I don’t have their number, but they should have sent you a registered post number for your package. From experience, recent packages have taken up to 2 weeks to arrive as they don’t seem to come from HK anymore, but from elsewhere, the latest being Sweden so maybe it’s just taking a while longer. Hope you get your packages soon and yes, I still shop with them, a lot! 😀
Ignore the tree in the previous post..was a typo
Hi there! This post was from 7 years ago! May I know if you are still a goner for strawberrynet? ?If not, any other similar websites that u would recommend? Thanks!
xxx
Beauty junkie.
Hi Elaine, I do still buy from Strawberrynet but my last purchase was about a year ago. I just haven’t been buying much lately and my brand preferences have changed so I haven’t been browsing as much. I have noticed their prices have gone up in recent years, and it pays to compare with other etailers to check the prices you want before buying. There are many options available today, depending on what you are looking for, both locally and internationally. But I do still browse occasionally.