Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with onlineshopping

Find me some fashion!

alygator — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:55:20 -0800

Help me find this dress! Thanks in advance! Inspired by this post. Seriously, ModCloth can't be the ONLY distributor of this dress. There has to be one Size 2 out there in the ether available for purchase. Right? Please say yes?

Buying a baby gift from away.

typewriter — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 06:23:12 -0800

Gift-Filter - Please recommend a shop in Edinburgh that I can buy a tasteful new baby gift online that will deliver in a little over a week. Nuances: I wish to send a small gift to a work colleague of mine, whose wife is due to have a C-section in 10 days. Normally, when I purchase a new baby gift, I either know the couple or the wife so I often end up buying something for the mother. So this time I am a bit stuck for what to buy. (It seems weird to buy for the mother when I don't know her at all.) In this situation, I know the husband, but in a creative relationship that has been primarily online based and likely to continue for several years (fingers crossed for our collaboration!). That is to say, even though we have a creative relationship, I don't really know him very well, and certainly his family not at all. I would say that we are friendly colleagues.

From the time that we worked together in person, I would guess that his tastes (which would hopefully extend to his wife's) might be like the following: Tasteful, not fussy, prefers good quality, down-to-earth

Other random facts about the family: Both Oxford-educated, seem to share similar politics to me (ie. lefty left), own home, mid to late 30s, not religious, career-wise both husband and wife busy, artistic, successful, and they also have two young boys.

I live in Toronto, hence why I'm looking for an online place. I can spend about £20 - £40. Needs to be a place that delivers. (I looked through Etsy Local, but didn't see anything I liked there.)

Can you keep a better tv if that's what they deliver?

jules1651 — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 13:57:04 -0800

We just bought a television from a reputable online retailer. It was delivered today via a freight carrier, but it was the wrong one and had another customer's name on it. However, it is MUCH nicer. Ours was $1000, this is $3500. We called and now they will come back and give us our crappy one and take this beautiful one back, and now we are overcome with remorse. The kicker is the swap won't happen for a week so we need to stare at this big ass box for 7 days. Should we have just kept the nicer one? Ethical issues aside, would we have had a legal right (we are in the US) to keep it? Do we now?

Got nip?

=^^= — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 03:51:12 -0800

Who in your experience is the best online purveyor of good quality catnip that ships internationally? Not looking for seeds, as an apartment dweller I have no way of cultivating them without my cats eating even the tiniest hint of greenery. Looking for merchandise that keeps for an extended period.
And please be assured (or disappointed) I'm defintily after the recreational substance for feline enjoyment only.
Apparently there are multiple Nepeta species that affect cats in this way, according this Wikipedia article a lot of Australian cats are immune to catnip. I'm in Oz but my cats are Russian Blues who did respond well to the no-name catnip I got them in the past. So if you can't recommend a reputable dealer but can weigh in on which plant would be the best choice, by all means.

I just found out I have stigmata! Or is that astigmatism? The doctor's writing is kind of blurry.

synecdoche — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:59:49 -0800

So, apparently I need glasses. Where can this Canadian get the best deal on some designer frames? After a visit to the optometrist today, I'm shopping for glasses. I found a pair that I quite like—Armani 500s—but I'm wondering if I can get them any cheaper than the $165 CDN they're charging at the local store. I've scoured previous AskMes and been reading about shopping for glasses online, checked froogle and ebay, and have found cheaper sticker prices but after you factor in shipping and the exchange rate and (I'm assuming) duty, the deal isn't quite so good.

Where do Canadians get their designer frames? Or is there some secret way to find good quality replica frames that will be available on the discount sites that I have read about here? My concern with the online sites are that I can't try on the glasses to make sure they look okay or that the quality won't be so great. Or should I just go and try the cheap glasses they have in so many stores and try to find something to pop my prescription into?

So, I guess my question(s) boil(s) down to:

1) Are designer frames worth the price, or are they just the same as the cheap ones with somebody's famous name on them?

2) If I go for the nice Armani glasses, is there a cheaper place to get them than the store I was in? (Note also that I do not have a Costco membership)

How to shop online in the UK?

Polychrome — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 09:02:51 -0800

What are some good places to shop (online) in the United Kingdom? I've just moved to the UK and am trying to acclimate one step at a time; currently, I am at a loss of where to buy stuff. I used to live in the US and I used to buy the majority of non-groceries online. I am looking for some good, reliable UK shopping sites that are priced below retail and have a variety of items: clothing (sites like revolveclothing.com, bluefly.com, eluxury.com, delias.com, victoriassecret.com), fragrances/cosmetics (sephora.com, beautyhabit.com), and interesting miscellany (ebay.com, amazon.com). Obviously amazon.co.uk and ebay.co.uk are options, but compared to ebay.com, ebay.co.uk is pretty barren. Likewise, internationally shipping items from US sites is another option, but international shipping is pretty killer lately and the aim here is to not only make shopping easier but to also save a little money in the process. Recommendations for good sites with reasonable international shipping is very welcome, though.

Amazon.co.uk looks like it will work for things like books/media/electronics, but I am having a lot of trouble finding places to buy clothing and cosmetics. Any help is appreciated!

Dress me up with your favorite online clothing stores!

lizbunny — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 07:02:14 -0800

Good online clothing stores for chic professional fashion? Living in the middle of retail nowhere, I've decided to give up on always waiting for my next trip to a bigger city to get some clothes shopping done. Online shopping has worked for me before, but most of the places I've previously found are for the indie chic look - cool but not what I need right now.

Aged 26 and recently graduated from an M. Sc., I'm wanting to shift my wardrobe into a more classic, feminine, professional look. My size is a curvy 12-14, so that kind of puts me at the upper limit of what most regular stores will carry, but I've never liked the fit of clothes from plus-size stores -- kind of overshooting my size with a tent-like fit. If possible, stores with clothing made from good quality fabrics are preferred. But any suggestions you've got are appreciated!

Source for cheap platform beds online?

scrim — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 17:20:09 -0800

Short version: is there a secret source online (so not IKEA) for attractive, cheap platform beds? I can't drive to pick one up (unless the source is less than 50 miles from Champaign, IL), so online is the only option. Long version:

So. I just moved out to Champaign, IL, leaving behind my lovely and sturdy IKEA MALM bed. I also left behind my ability to drive long distances, so I can't just drive to an IKEA in Chicago to replace it. And IKEA charges a mint to ship, so I can't order from them online.

For some reason no one in the midwest sells platform beds. Dear midwest: boxsprings suck! I need a firm bed. I would like to order one online, but obviously they are expensive to ship. To make matters worse, I only have space for a full bed (and already own that size mattress), and most places seem to have stopped making them (???). My budget is no more (and preferably a lot less) than $500 (poor graduate student), so I would order something like this from Room and Board, but they also charge a mint!

What's a guy to do? Is there a secret place to buy beds that I don't know about, or do I just need to suck it up and add to my debt?

Identity Theft 101

chez shoes — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 15:28:27 -0800

Identity Theft filter: long story short, my email, debit card #, first and last name, and home address were used fraudulently to open an account with ccbill.com. How does this happen? No, I don't play Texas Hold'em, but apparently somebody who does managed to get my info and use it to buy chips for a gambling site. In doing so, they cleaned out my bank account down to the last dollar.

The only parties besides myself who would have access to the four pieces of information used to open the ccbill.com account would be online retailers of a reputable nature.

I'm just trying to understand how something like this happens, because it really feels like a violation and I'd like to protect myself in the future.

Help me find my wedding shoes NOW

desjardins — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 17:15:36 -0800

I need an online shoe store that will ship to me on Saturday and that carries bridal shoes. I've looked at DSW, Zappos, and Endless.com and all of them ship "overnight" i.e. one business day, which would be Monday. I need these shoes for Sunday! Bonus points if you can find a seller that carries narrow shoes (size 7). I am looking for something similar to this (Caparros "Alicia," which is apparently discontinued). I'd consider dyeable shoes (I don't actually have to wear these on Sunday, I just need them for the dress fitting) but I don't understand how it works: do you buy shoe dye and do it yourself or do you have to send them somewhere or what?

Are companies allowed to charge anything they want for shipping?

foxinthesnow — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 19:55:35 -0800

Is there any sort of agency that monitors web companies that charge egregious shipping and handling fees? I am looking to make a complaint. Is there a law against charging more than actual shipping cost? The full story is a little boring. I am attempting to order a pair of $20 shoes (ladies' flats) from a gigantic online retailer, and they are asking a $70 shipping fee. (Not eBay. This is a regular commerce site). I do not live in a remote area, and I shop online all the time, even from this same company, without having to pay crazy shipping charges. So, it's not me. It's them. When I called, the operator told me that the weight of the package is the cause for the charges. Anyway, I am angry and want to make a complaint. But to whom? The FTC?

sunshine wrapping

Jody Tresidder — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 08:17:54 -0800

Buying a beautiful/unusual sarong to send by international mail? A sarong would be the perfect 'cheer up' postal present for my sister (in the UK) from me (in NY) since she's moving to the (westernized) Middle East in a couple of months. My sister is a boho chic woman who loves strong colors. I don't have a strong design sense. Since sarongs are easy to send by mail & I'd like to at least cheer up my sister with a reminder of the tons of sun coming her way - while she's in the midst of the horrors of household packing in England - does anyone have a clue about buying gorgeous sarongs online?

Help me get my kink on.

Anonymous — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 19:56:53 -0800

Can you recommend an online, Canadian adult toy shop? I'm looking for - well, see the above. I loved, loved, loved Toys in Babeland when I lived in the States, but their shipping costs to Canada are prohibitive - about 50% of the cost of the items, it seems. Come As You Are came recommended, but the selection's not that great, and their prices are a bit much. Google just yields vast swathes of Doc Johnson's resellers and peddlers of other generic, pornstar-affiliated crap. Hivemind, it's hard to separate the wheat from the chaff - can anyone recommend a decent, online Canadian adult toy shop?

Where's the best place online to shop for a hard drive?

Guy_Inamonkeysuit — Wed, 28 May 2008 09:43:15 -0800

I need a new hard drive for my laptop. Best place to shop? In this thread - http://ask.metafilter.com/91894/Something-is-killing-my-FTP - I discussed my computer woes. After taking off to nuke from orbit, it's clear that either my restore CDs are corrupted, or my hard drive is hosed. I'm ordering a new recovery CD from Gateway, but I'm also going to get myself a new hard drive. But it's a jungle out there -- what's the best place to score a new drive? My machine is a Gateway 7330 GZ laptop, with an 80-gig drive running 4200 RPM. Do I do Tiger Direct? Or what? Thanks in advance!

Car-free and needing business-causal...

KirkJobSluder — Sat, 03 May 2008 12:39:11 -0800

Car-free in Savannah, how can I get work-friendly clothes without being malled? Living in Savannah, GA with only foot and public transportation. Downtown
Bay and Broughton are only 20 minutes away but has few mens stores and what little they have is too expensive, too much flair, too hip, or too old. The other choice seems to be taking a very long bus ride out to the malls, which are weighted towards Old Navy and Sears. In general, I don't like malls anyway, so spending an entire weekend afternoon getting out there and back is an unpleasant prospect.

I work five minutes away from a UPS store, so it's easy for me to ship things back. Suggestions on where to look online or hole-in-the-wall places I might have missed are very welcome. Good service is a priority.

I need to look at every online women's clothing store in the world.

xo — Thu, 01 May 2008 12:16:54 -0800

I'm looking to buy, or at least locate, a women's lightweight black 3/4 length jacket with slim tailoring (outerwear, not a suit jacket) online. I'm really particular, so I haven't found the perfect jacket yet. What online stores have I forgotten? So far, I have looked at:
Ann Taylor, Anthropologie, Arden B, Armani Exchange
Banana Republic, Bloomingdale's, BlueFly
Club Monaco
Diesel
Express, Esprit
Forever 21, Free People, FCUK
the Gap, Garnet Hill
H&M, Hot Topic
J Crew
Karmaloop, Kenneth Cole
The Limited, Lip Service, Lucky Jeans
Macy's, Mudshark Streetwear
Neiman-Marcus, Nine West, Nordstrom's
Old Navy
Saks
Target
Urban Outfitters
Victoria's Secret
Wet Seal
Zappos

What stores have I forgotten?

A gift for my teammate on the other side of the world!

Kellydamnit — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 13:15:29 -0800

I have a coworker I work very closely with who is actually in Manila. I'm in the US. I'd like to get her a little something for the holidays, is there a popular online shopping site for The Philippines (like Amazon?) that I could get her a gift card for?

Help Me Find a Pseudo-Card!

DMan — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 20:21:00 -0800

What's the best way for me to buy things on websites that require a credit card without using a "real" card? So I'm about to go into college, which means that I won't be at home and easily able to ask my parents for permission to use their card. I've always paid for my own online purchases, but when sites require use of a credit card, I use theirs and just pay them back for it.

I'd like the ability to buy things online with a "credit card" that really isn't a credit card--something with an account that I can add money to would be a great solution, and if the card will work with PayPal, that'd be even better--I think they require accounts to have a credit card as a "back up funding source".

I realize that a real card would work in this situation, but I'd like to avoid it if possible just because I don't want to risk not sending a payment in on time or something like that--I'm a very punctual person, but if there's any way I can avoid the risk, I'd be really happy. If you want to suggest I use a real card though, feel free to say so, but please give me a reason or two why that's the only viable solution in your mind.

So, short version: I need something like a prepaid card that I can use as a credit card online, preferably with PayPal as well for a backup funding source. I need to be able to add money to the card at my leisure, and somehow put money onto it as I need to. If a real credit card really is my only option for this, please explain why.

Thanks!

the best jeans in the world

mustcatchmooseandsquirrel — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 11:00:55 -0800

Where can I get these jeans online? Levi's is out of my size (4) and preferred color (blue press) in these jeans. I've tried googling and ebaying but that only turns up with the Juniors version of these jeans which are similar but really not the same.

I want size 4(27) or, if impossible, size 6(28). I do not want Junior's sizes.

Can you help me find these?

Online shopping with free return policies?

Anonymous — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 15:14:44 -0800

Is anybody aware of a comprehensive list of shopping websites which have a 100% no questions return policy with shipping covered or individual websites with no regard for is the product is used or not? A great example of a website that does this is Sephora.com . If I buy over $75, the shipping is free and they send me pre-packaged return supplies and never ask questions if return is within 60 days. It does not matter how much of the product is left. Very cut and dry. What are your favorite websites like this?

Find my Amazon in Hong kong!

electriccynic — Mon, 07 May 2007 16:55:01 -0800

In summary: please recommend an online shop based in Hong Kong! My mother is in Hong Kong and has offered to bring back some electronic goodies for me.

Unfortunately I don't want to subject her to the famed hard-nosed salesman tactics of electronic boutiques, so I'd rather buy online and have it sent to her in Hong Kong.

So can you please recommend a reputable online shop that sells electronic goods in English, and can send the goods to her to bring home for me?

Many thanks!

A script to find a bargain?

Ambrosia Voyeur — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 12:33:38 -0800

Is there a script that can help me optimize used book and dvd shipping expenditures on half.com, or can this be accomplished elsewhere? I would like to run something that will tell me if a seller has more than one item out of my wish list, so I can enjoy combined or discounted shipping savings.

Alternately, is there some other used book and dvd resource out there with combinable shipping as well as good selection?

I'm running Firefox.

I buy a lot of used paperbacks and dvds, some priced lower than the usual shipping fee. Amazon's private sellers don't offer a break on multiple item shipping.

PayPal spending suggestions?

zaebiz — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 17:38:03 -0800

US$5000 in PayPal cash. Can't withdraw it easily (long story). Need to spend it online. Not based in the US or Canada. Any suggestions of how to spend it (interesting or cheap or boutique shops or causes or opportunities that take PayPal and ship/download internationally?) Open to anything and everything. Oh - except Ebay ... already thought of that.... unless there are some cool PayPal shops there that I probably don't know about.

Anyone that offers me convoluted, ultra-nifty ways to get the money out of PayPal will get major negative points. I'm spending this!

Buying a wedding present in Australia from the U.S.

BT — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 08:17:33 -0800

Buying a wedding present for friends living in Melbourne, Australia. I'm here in the U.S. What online retailers should I be using to shop? We're open to creative/local/artistic options, but we'd also be fine with anywhere that has a good selection of housewares. Unfortunately, we don't have the time to buy here and ship there ourselves in time for the wedding, and we'd really like to send them something by the date (in 2 weeks). Recommendations for reliable/high-quality online retailers you've used?

If it matters, we're looking to spend not more than $100 (U.S.)

I want to (opportunity) to buy a bunch of stuff I don't need.

porpoise — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 11:52:14 -0800

Any Woot-like on-line stores that sell/ship to Canada?