Saturday, June 14, 2014

Free Shipping From China, LOL

We have so much merchandise from China in American stores, because the labor is cheap of course, like slave labor, and the American dollar is worth much more than the Chinese money.  The average Chinese person earns about $178 dollars a year.  This explains why you can buy stuff online from China for only a few cents with free shipping.

Depending on the seller, free shipping can take up to a month.  They say that after a month you can get a refund if the product has still not arrived.  The types of things that are very cheap from China, are electronics, clothing, jewelry and accessories, both electronic and computer accessories and clothing accessories. 

Some online shopping sites are easier than others.  For example, with Amazon.com, you can cancel a purchase fairly easily, although returns are only possible if you have a printer, but sometimes they will have a carrier pick the item up, without you having to go to the post office. 

I think with all businesses, phone and cable companies, etc., the customer service makes all the difference.  I once talked to several people about my cable, phone and internet, before I could get a half decent deal on my bill.  This was all with the same company.

Back to China, some sellers on ebay, ship fairly quickly, even when it is free shipping.  The difficulty with ebay is that you have to contact the seller if there is any problem, and of course there is a time difference, so if it is India or China, it may be a while before you hear back, and calling is not an option, since overseas calling is way too expensive.

I think for these reasons, it is simpler to just buy from sellers with 100% positive feedback.  All sellers have a seller rating, usually above 97%.  You can even read the seller feedback on their profile.  Buyers also get feedback, but sellers are not allowed to give bad feedback to buyers.  I have heard that sometimes they do, but it gets removed.

I guess I am not that politically correct like my sister, who only buys 'made in the U.S.A..'  The thing is that I like the idea of only buying made in the U.S., but the Chinese have things so cheap.  It is hard to afford to buy everything made in the U.S..

So, as long as you do not mind waiting for a 'slow boat from China' to arrive with your leggings, scarves, pendants and purses, then it is a cheap and easy way to shop.  However, I may not do a lot more business with China. 

Another thing about the shipping, as anyone could tell you, if you contact the seller, and they say the item (or items) have been dispatched, this could mean a number of things.  The item may just have been packed or is in the process of being packed or prepared for shipment.  Technically, it means that a carrier has picked it up to take to a shipping facility.  If it is free shipping, then it would be the cheapest way possible, which often means slow.  Also, the less you spend, the less they will most likely spend on shipping for obvious reasons.  The only way you know it is actually shipped, is when you get an email from the company, saying it is now marked as shipped.  With Amazon.com, you get a shipping code to trace your package, and usually, unless it is from an independent seller like American Apparel, you can get texts to your cell phone on the progress as it reaches each shipping post.  From China, this is not the case.  A really good seller, may give you a shipping code, but not always.  If you are anxious at all to get your purchase, you may not want to order from China.  There are exceptions, though.  I have received a package from India or China rather quickly, but this is not the typical event. 

Happy shopping online and in store.