Why does this Filipino mom love to shop at Ebay.ph?
1) Low shipping fees. At Ebay.ph, the shipping fee is usually less than a hundred pesos for a regular sized item. For a book, it could be a maximum of seventy-five pesos if you use a courier like Air21 or, if you are in Metro Manila, Xend Express. Not a bad deal considering that many things can be bought at half the price.
On the other hand, if I buy a book from Amazon, the shipping fee will cost more than the book itself!
(Incidentally, I've heard there's a way to ship from abroad to the Philippines for less than five dollars: Johnny Air Cargo. But I haven't tried that yet. Will tell about it when I have.)
2) No painful feet and back. Face it, when you have two kids and a baby towed with you everywhere you go, the prospect of shopping from home gets magnified. My feet and back heave a sigh of relief just from the sight of Ebay.ph. I can search for the items I want (brand new? "preloved"? jewelry, books, toys, electronics?) without having to browse through shelves and racks for hours. I often browse through pages for hours, I must admit, but then, I'm sitting down and don't have overeager sales assistants to deal with.
3) Twenty-four hour shopping. I can shop in the middle of the night, while the kids are sleeping (and I'm supposed to be working, hahaha!) I see a book or bag I like, but I don't know when I'll be able to escape from the house again to go shopping. This Filipino mom looks for it on Ebay.ph.
4) Secondhand options. There are just some things that are nearly as good secondhand as they are brand new, at a fraction of a brand new item's price. Don't worry -- an Ebay seller will reveal any flaws an item may have, because there is a feedback system, the biggest reason why Ebay works. Nobody wants to get negative feedback. A single negative can ruin your whole day -- and your Ebay reputation!
5) Feedback. I'm talking about Ebay's feedback system, where you get points for being a good buyer or seller. The higher your points, the more other Ebayers trust you and feel comfortable about dealing with you. This may not seem very important when you are just buying from Ebay, but if you intend to sell too, feedback points are invaluable!
Apr 18, 2010
Why I Shop at Ebay.ph
