While there’s no doubt that the global rise of ecommerce has made shopping easier and more accessible than ever, safely getting your purchases to your doorstep is harder in some countries than others. Even though many brands and retailers now offer international delivery, many Filipinos still hesitate to order items from abroad, and often for good reason.
If this is the case for you, maybe you’ve heard enough horror stories about lost packages, lengthy shipping delays, and corrupt customs officials to put you off from making international purchases. However, while buying from overseas shops can be difficult for those based in the Philippines, you’ll miss out on so many great deals if you avoid it altogether.
As long as you’re resourceful, patient, and ready to do your research, there are several ways to ensure that the items you want will reach you as soon as possible, with minimal extra costs. From sites offering discount codes to forwarding services that facilitate quick and easy international shipping to the Philippines, you’ll find a variety of helpful tools and solutions to improve your online shopping experience.
Here are four practical tips that savvy shoppers can employ for better experiences with international online shopping:
Shop Around before Purchasing
“Think before you click” is a basic rule of internet safety, and it applies just as much to online shopping as to any other activities you do on the internet. As you browse the web or social media, you’ll often see advertisements and sponsored posts encouraging you to buy something. But although these ads are viable—and frankly, unavoidable—ways to discover new products, it’s wiser to not give into impulse and click through to checkout right then and there. Instead, Google the product first and see if you can find it at a cheaper price from a different store.
Finding a better price on an item you’d like to buy is much easier than you think. Simply pull up Google and type in the word “cheapest,” then the product name. You may also want to add in the country you’d prefer to order from before you hit search. If you’re lucky, you’ll be able to find several much less expensive places to buy from than the one initially advertised to you. Googling your desired product may even show you online marketplaces where it’s included in special sales or ongoing promos.
Keep an Eye Out for Special Offers
Filipinos often have a nose for discounts, coupons, and promos, and there’s no better occasion to put this skill to use than when you’re shopping at stores outside the country. For instance, some online retailers offer special discount codes or vouchers for customers who meet certain conditions, such as new customers or those who spend above a particular amount. It’s always worth checking if you qualify for any of these special offers before you finalize your purchase.
If you find yourself returning to a particular online shop quite often, it may also be worthwhile to subscribe to the brand’s newsletter. Many merchants will offer birthday discounts and other special offers to users that they identify as loyal customers. Newsletters are also a good source of information on upcoming promotional events and sales, which can help you plan your shopping sprees and maximize your savings.
Study Your Shipping Options Carefully
Shipping delays and import taxes are often the main culprits behind Filipino customers’ reluctance to order items from international stores. It helps to read your chosen retailer’s terms and conditions as carefully as possible and to visit their FAQs page to get a sense of how they manage international shipping.
Certain stores, for instance, will already ship with delivery duties paid to the destination country, which means that the shops themselves calculate relevant duties and import taxes at checkout and process them with the final price. In these cases, the item will rarely get held up in customs, if at all, and instead be shipped straight to your doorstep.
On the flip side, certain sites may only ship to the Philippines without paying delivery duties or not ship to the country at all. In these cases, you can hire a forwarding service to cover the taxes and delivery duties on your item for you. While this may look like a hefty additional expense on your part, in most cases, you’ll actually be saving more money by preventing your item from getting stuck at customs. If you choose an especially efficient service, you might even be able to get your item in as little as a week.
Spend Responsibly with a Debit Card
Credit cards are usually the default payment option for online shops and marketplaces. If you struggle to manage your finances, however, using your credit card for online purchases can easily lead to overspending. Using a debit card instead can help curb the temptation to make sudden impulse buys, as debit cards won’t work unless they have money in their attached bank account.
Many modern banks and other financial institutions now offer debit cards that can be used for international online shopping. The best way to verify that you can use your debit card online is to check if it has a 3-digit CVC number on the back and a 16-digit card number on the front, similar to a credit card.
Do note, however, that it’s best to keep a separate debit card for online shopping instead of just using your ATM card. That way, most of your hard-earned money will remain safe even if your card details are hacked or stolen.
Don’t let other people’s bad experiences with problems like overseas shipping and import taxes stop you from purchasing the items you want. With enough online shopping know-how and the right tools in hand, you’ll definitely be able to minimize the stress of international online shopping and score great deals from all over the world.
