Online Shopping: Why You Should Shop Directly from US Stores

Online shopping is on the rise in the Philippines. Out of the 76 million active Internet users in the country, 70 percent are online shoppers. There are plenty of reasons that many Filipinos are choosing to shop online nowadays. It’s convenient, they have more options, and it’s cheaper. With the quarantine restrictions in the country, it’s much safer to have products delivered to your doorstep compared to the traditional way of shopping.

Still, there are a lot of issues with online shopping that have not been addressed. One of which is the fact that not all internationally-based online stores directly ship to the country. However, that shouldn’t stop Filipinos who want to shop in the U.S. and ship to the Philippines. Here are two reasons that they should.

It’s Cheaper (and Safer) than Unauthorized Local Resellers

Local resellers are people who claim to have had international products shipped from abroad and are now selling them locally. You could choose to buy from them as they have the products on-hand and will take less than a few days to ship your product to you. But here’s where you may lose out in terms of money and safety.

If the product is genuine, then the price of the product should be higher than the price it’s listed online. Sellers sell to make a profit, so they’re not going to sell it at the same rate it’s listed. They’ll be raising the cost to cover the expenses of shipping, customers, and the others they’ve incurred to start their selling business. Then, they’ll add a mark-up for their profit.

If you find a seller willing to sell it below or at the online price, that is when you should be wary about the product’s authenticity. Fraudulent sellers can make you believe you’re buying an international product when you’re actually purchasing a dupe. In 2019, over 3.90 billion pesos worth of fake goods were seized by the Bureau of Customs. For example, if you know that Kylie Cosmetics’ Koko K Lipstick Kit is sold at $26, don’t believe local sellers offering the same kit for 100 pesos.

In short, if you don’t want the added costs and the lack of assurance of buying from unauthorized local resellers, you’re better off buying directly from the online store.

Not Everything Is Available Locally

The Philippine market is very limited to what’s popular or what entrepreneurs believe will sell to a huge niche. As a result, some of the things you like may not be available for sale locally, so you either have to settle for what’s available.

Of course, shipping internationally is not always easy. If you’ve ever tried buying a product from Amazon or any other U.S.-based store, you might see notices that say they don’t ship to the Philippines. That can easily be remedied with shipping services that serve as “your” U.S. address and ship your products directly to you without the added taxes and miscellaneous fees other shipping methods provide.

Shopping directly from international online stores gives you peace of mind knowing you’re buying the genuine product and having it shipped safely directly to your home. That may not be possible with all online stores, but luckily many shipping services can help you receive and deliver U.S.-based deliveries and ship it to your home in the Philippines.

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