December 9th, 2009

Pre-order Goods 101

There has been a lot of confusion about pre-order goods and the handling of these goods. It’s also a worrying matter among the shoppers and potential shoppers about whether it would be a scam or not, or whether the clothes received do not reflect the goods that were shown in the images. On top of that, it doesn’t help that there are some horror stories that float around the online shopping community about how awful the pre-order goods turn out to be!

But is it really that bad?

I’ve talked to a couple of pre-order blogshops who have been running the business for more than a year now and I hope this would help answer some of your worrying questions

1. Is it safe to make a purchase from a pre-order blogshop?

I assure you that it’s just like any other blogshops out there. Similarly, like all other ready stocked blogshops, there is the risk that the business owner may be dishonest. In order to stay safe, always ask questions about the process involved in handling the order and also feel free to ask the previous customers (via chatbox, if they have) or the e-shop reviewers anytime. Also, always make sure you can wait for the given duration for the order to arrive before submitting the order of your goods

2. Why do the prices differ?

Prices between blogshops will always be somewhat different, depending on the cost incurred in running their business. Some may put in orders more regularly than others, some may include free shipping hence the prices between blogshops for the same product will vary

Besides that, some blogshops choose to pre-order the goods in bulk in order for them to be ready stocked for you, so you don’t have to wait. They may choose to use the stockists’ photos instead of modelling it themselves. When in doubt, feel free to ask. e.g.

2009101604846395 DSC_0955

Left: Image by primary stockist; Right: Image by blogshop owner

Other than that, local stockists may also choose to pre-order in bulk the same item or similar items as those by the pre-order blogshops. Hence, the price will be more as the goods has been passed through many hands instead of directly from the primary supplier itself

3. Does the colour/size differ from what is shown?

They’ll differ, somewhat but not by a lot. From what I gather via blogshop owners’ feedback, the sizes are slightly bigger as compared to local stocks but other than that, it’s just like as shown in the photos

4. What do I do if I don’t receive my goods?

When placing an order, make sure you also gather the blogshop owner’s contact details. Businesses who are serious about this matter would have these information readily available for you. Furthermore, they will also display information about the arrival of the goods and the date it was posted along with your tracking number

Sometimes, the duration would be slightly longer as the goods have to go through customs and the likes before they reach your hands

5. What do I do if I encounter a scam?

Sad to say, we don’t have laws regarding that in our country and the local police enforcement are not too bothered about this matter. It’s quite difficult to get back the loss, but if *touch wood* you ever do, kindly send an e-mail about it to your friends and have them forwarded to the online shopping community so as they are aware of the matter

I hope the above has helped you feel more secure when placing orders with pre-order blogshops. Here’s a list of pre-order blogshops who have been in business for a while and are recommended:

Do note that sometimes, they have ready stocks as well. Remember, don’t be afraid to ask if you’re unsure!

If you have more questions, feel free to drop a comment and I’ll get back to you or you can also e-mail the questions to me via the contact form here

signoff

Articles . Did you know? . Latest Updates