Where Do You Draw The Line on Online Shopping?

20100404 Online Shopping

I started dabbling with online shopping when I was studying in the UK. I still remember the first item I bought. It was printer ink cartridge 😛 And then I discovered eBay, and the rest, as they say, is history.

These days, I mostly shop online. With the strength of the Australian Dollar to the USD, it’s more fun to shop for stuff you cannot get locally. Even with the items you CAN get locally, they are usually cheaper elsewhere.

If I want any NARS makeup, I’d have a play with what I want at Mecca Cosmetica, and then order them on Kiss and Makeup NY. Most of my skincare items are from Strawberrynet. I scour Shopbop.com and Net-a-Porter for bags. eBay is great for clothes (did I tell you about the time I scored a Sass & Bide jacket for only AU$32 including shipping?). Etsy is a joy to browse and shop for small, uniquely made items like accessories, bags, stationery, etc.

But there is a line I draw when it comes to online shopping, and that’s shoes. I have flat feet, which was further aggravated when I moved to Australia. It wasn’t that bad when I was still living in Malaysia, as I did not have to do much walking back then (I drove a lot, even if it’s probably only a 10-minute walk). But when I came to Melbourne, I didn’t have a car of my own (I still don’t). I live near bus stops and a train station, so I relied heavily on public transportation and do a lot of walking. I reckon that’s what made my foot condition worse. I need sturdy shoes with very good arch and heel support. As such, I need to be able to try shoes on first before I buy them. I would love to be able to buy the pretty flats and heels I see on the Internet, but without trying them on first, chances are high that they would eventually be a waste of money.

What about you? Where do you draw the line on online shopping? Perhaps it’s lingerie. Or groceries. Or maybe even a Russian mail-order groom 😛

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12 comments… add one
  1. Jyoan

    I have bought pretty much everything online. I am open to trying. I just received two pairs of shoes, which I am not very happy about. It is my first online-bought shoes, so I have convinced myself to not do it again. I have stopped buying clothes online after some 75% of a big clothe haul were either defective or just not as good as they looked. My online bags bought weren’t good as well. I have also tried skipping rope, palettes, brushes etc. I even intend to try handphone and grocery.

    So in summary, I have blacklisted no-brand items, like clothes, shoes, bags etc, which I can’t try before buying. But I feel it is fine to buy things like cosmetic from known brands, skincare from known brands, perfumes etc, things which you can actually try, or have super a lot of reviews about, like NYX, Taiwan Niu Er, BB Creams etc. All these, you known when you get it, it is authentic (from a trusted dealer) and will have the expected quality.

  2. Connie

    the internet is a GREAT source for beauty products. I now have very little interest in buying makeup off shelves. Like you, I don’t buy shoes online. Same goes for bras. Those need trying first. Even when I do I sometimes end up with the wrong size

  3. Eunice

    I have bought lots of things online before, like clothes, boots, make up, skincare, bags, etc.. My feet are weird, they have grown in size since I came to Australia 2 years ago and the shape is odd, so a lot of heels I bought online, doesn’t fit me well. Boots are fine though, since I mostly buy size 7, though I used to be size 6, so with that slightly bigger, it fits better. Does Taiwan Niu Er ship to Melbourne? I like My Beauty Diary sheet masks but those sold here are so expensive, I’m still trying to look for somewhere with a good price.

    Nowadays I do not buy shoes online anymore and also clothes, as I feel that photos always looks better than what you get and the material is sometimes not as good too..

  4. Paris B

    I draw the line at any thing that has to fit so no clothes, shoes, lingerie etc. I’d rather pay in store where I get to try on everything to make sure it fits in all the right places than pay less online and have the agony of wondering what to do with it when it doesn’t fit.

  5. geekchic

    Like Paris, I’m also reluctant to buy anything which requires a proper fit. Having said that, if I couldn’t be arsed to walk down 10minutes to country road, I’d have no qualms buying clothes online because I know what size fits me well. Besides, return/exchanges will not be a pain since there are multiple brick-and-mortar shopfronts around.

    I just MIGHT venture into getting a 2nd hand Birkin online. Your thoughts?

  6. Daphne

    LOL! Mail-order groom… I think I might need one of those! Me aunt and me friend thinks I might be left on the shelf if I continue to be a couch potato and not socialize the way a 25-year-old should be!

  7. KittyCat

    I love shopping but hate crowds so online shopping provides me the ultimate solution esp when I’ve got 2 kids to boot LOL

    Because I’m an unusual size and shape (haha, I sound like the Hunchback of Notre Dame) I actually prefer to shop for clothes online since I can’t get many in Malaysia. Love it and learning to be a wiser shopper.

    I’d probably draw the line for lingerie and shoes because they need to “perform” perfectly! 😉

  8. Amy

    I have bought pretty much everything online. I am open to trying. I just received two pairs of shoes, which I am not very happy about. It is my first online-bought shoes, so I have convinced myself to not do it again. I have stopped buying clothes online after some 75% of a big clothe haul were either defective or just not as good as they looked. My online bags bought weren’t good as well. I have also tried skipping rope, palettes, brushes etc. I even intend to try handphone and grocery.

    So in summary, I have blacklisted no-brand items, like clothes, shoes, bags etc, which I can’t try before buying. But I feel it is fine to buy things like cosmetic from known brands, skincare from known brands, perfumes etc, things which you can actually try, or have super a lot of reviews about, like NYX, Taiwan Niu Er, BB Creams etc. All these, you known when you get it, it is authentic (from a trusted dealer) and will have the expected quality.

  9. elle

    yup been dissapointed in shopping online for shoes n clothes (doesn’t fit!!!!) so shopping online is only strictly on no size items (bags, hair tools, gadgets) im quite careful on buying skincare and makeup online coz it may be fake, so only from reputable sellers or direct from the original webbies ^^

    xoxo elle

  10. Michelle

    LOL! Mail-order groom… I think I might need one of those! Me aunt and me friend thinks I might be left on the shelf if I continue to be a couch potato and not socialize the way a 25-year-old should be!

  11. Shereen

    Hi. I am wondering do you still have to pay for gst taxes for the items purchased from strawberrynet?

  12. wallyandmarry

    Hello,
    I am just wondering whether you have tried shopping at kissandmakeupny.com? and if you have, how long did it take and do you think it will be okay for me to purchase items and have them delivered to Malaysia?

    Thanks 🙂

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