My generous boyfriend gave me as a birthday gift a shopping spree in GMarket!!!
How nice is that? VERY VERY NICE!^^
So here are the contents of my 2nd haul from my most favorite online shopping site to date. Actually this serves as a valuable lesson learned, since I learned how to handle with the very manang Bureau of Customs when I received it.
A giant giant box almost the size of my bed! No wonder BOC secured this and didn't get it delivered to my house.
A little background first: I ordered a total of 10 ITEMS, bill came to around P5,000+ together with shipping. Everything was shipped out from Korea on Sept. 20 and arrived here on Sept.22 but then it was HANDED OVER TO CUSTOMS. (Believe me, anything with the word CUSTOMS on it makes me palpitate, especially after my experience.) So I called up the EMS Office (854-3580) and learned that I had to go all the way to Pasay to retrieve the package. People who answered the phone were very nice though. But when I came to pick up the package on Sept. 29, I was assessed a heartbreaking total of P1,545!!! Total tax was only P400+, but together with VAT and God-knows-what charges (which were all manually computed in front me on a piece of torn scratch paper) it came to that amount.
Plus the Customs ladies are pretty rude. When I saw the final amount, I commented on how expensive it was (considering that the dude before me imported TOBACCO which has EXCISE TAXES ON TOP OF IT had a lesser tax liability than I had), do you know what the woman said?
"EDI WAG MO NA BAYARAN, BUMALIK KA NALANG KUNG MAY PERA KA NA," in this super snotty voice.
By the way, it is beyond me how the LTO can afford to have 5 brand new computers for each satellite office for renewal of licenses, while the Bureau of Customs does everything manually. Where does their money go?
The lesson here is that the next time you buy at GMarket, lessen the volume. Sure you save up on the shipping charges, but handling Customs is such a pain and you do not want to go through with it, believe me. Just get around 3 items max, and make sure the weight isn't that much so the package can be delivered straight to your house.
Anyway I'm going to stop ranting and proceed to show you guys my haul, because despite the meanness I encountered, I was very very satisfied with all the products!
What that giant box contains: its the poster tube that needed space!
Photo from the seller's page
MY SHOES! They look EXACTLY like the photo above. These are gorgeous when worn with a dress or a mini-skirt...actually elongates my short legs!
Close-up detail of the straps
I was very satisfied with the shoes because although the heels are high, they very comfortable to walk around in.The seller also included a set of replacement heels in case they get worn out.
TIP FOR CHOOSING YOUR SHOE SIZE: My shoe size is really 6 1/2, but in Korea they use a different system, so I'm a 235 there. I actually know because I have shoes which I bought from my past trip. The booties I ordered were a size 240, I got a bigger size just in case, but these fit me really well. You should get a size bigger if you're buying boots. Check this size for conversions: http://www.i18nguy.com/l10n/shoes.html#adult
Next up are the wigs I ordered from PINKAGE:
Bun on the left, bangs on the right
I'll start with the bun because I love wearing this! People seriously cannot tell the difference that it's a wig. Seller is 핑크 에이지. I got the largest size for maximum effect.
How its suppose to look like (photo from seller's page)
 |
| Its like a scrunchie that you just wind around your bun--ingenious! |
On me! Very unnoticeable...this shade is two-tone brown
I also bought bangs from the same seller, unfortunately I got the wrong shade by mistake. So its either I color my hair like this OR its just going to waste:
Hair feels very soft and very human-like!
You use the clips to secure it on top of your original hair
VOILA! Blondie bangs!
The bangs actually look okay--but then again my hair color is all wrong!:((
I also ordered a lacy top from seller 리폼제이.. It was around 1,000+ because of all the lace. I was nervous about getting this one because it was "free size", but fortunately, it means either a 4 or 6 in GMarket.
On the hanger
Has a zipper at the back--look at the detail! I thought it was very good in quality.
And on me...fits well and I just rolled up the sleeves
Up next are all the cosmetics I bought, first a blush from Beauty Credit in PK01 (Vanilla Pink). I got this from seller BLUE OCEAN. I thought that this was a good deal because most of the sellers who had this item charged a delivery fee...this seller didn't!
Packaging is key! Love the details of the compact!
Shade is a milky pink--doesn't show up too well on my skin though. But I like that it comes with a mirror!
Next up are the items from Etude House. All from seller 에뛰드하우스 직영샵.
Items I bought PLUS freebies! Very generous seller.^^
My favorite out of all the Etude house items is that spray bottle you see there--its their Petit Bijou Bubble All-over Spray! Its an all-over spray, meaning you can use it as a cologne or an air freshener. I have to say that this is the best-smelling baby cologne I have ever had! The spray bottle is also really cute and comes with a safety lock so it won't spill. I got the 300ml variant.
Close-up of the lipstick, I got the OR202 shade, on the model it was a very tinted orange, but its pretty sheer when I applied it. Kind of disappointed with this one.
Etude House's multi-eyeshadow brush: I like this because it fits the shape of my eye well and the hairs are very compact plus so cheap! Less than P200!
Cutest freebie ever! Its a headband from Etude House. Used for keeping hair away while washing your face, etc.
Links for the following stuff I bought:
cologne: http://english.gmarket.co.kr/challenge/neo_goods/goods.asp?goodscode=171198076
white clear polish: http://english.gmarket.co.kr/challenge/neo_goods/goods.asp?goodscode=158012214
eyeshadow brush: http://english.gmarket.co.kr/challenge/neo_goods/goods.asp?goodscode=158018350
lipstick: http://english.gmarket.co.kr/challenge/neo_goods/goods.asp?goodscode=157559599
white clear polish: http://english.gmarket.co.kr/challenge/neo_goods/goods.asp?goodscode=158012214
eyeshadow brush: http://english.gmarket.co.kr/challenge/neo_goods/goods.asp?goodscode=158018350
lipstick: http://english.gmarket.co.kr/challenge/neo_goods/goods.asp?goodscode=157559599
Last, but not least, is my new 2NE1 album! I really love how Korean artists package their albums--they really put a lot of effort into its creative design. Got this from seller 파워뮤직. The album includes a photobook with tons of pictures of the girls, and a YG Family card.
TOTAL COST: (computed in dollars)
ALL ITEMS: $125.26 (inclusive of shipping: $19.60)
= P5439.93
+ customs & taxes (1,545)
TOTAL: P6,984.30
Well, if it weren't for the high taxes, everything would've been cheap!
That's it for now, I hope you guys learned something new about shopping at GMarket again. Let me know if you have any questions!^^
wow,..
ReplyDeletei'v been waiting for this post.. ^^
"EDI WAG MO NA BAYARAN, BUMALIK KA NALANG KUNG MAY PERA KA NA," ang sungit nya naman.. over..
ako din plano kong mag shopping sa gmarket,
mga total of 11 items,.. Bureau of Customs ang bagsak ko non,
lalo na nsa baguio ako ngayon,..
pano kung ganito..
lahat ng order ko sa gmarket,
ipapa deliver ko sa house ng bf ko, sa incheon korea...
tpoz, pag na receive nya na lahat, cya nlang mag send skin,,
do u think ma b-Bureau of Customs pa mga package ko non..?? or direct ko ng matatangap sa bhay ko?
i know! considering i went to the BOC early in the morning, ang laki ng problema niya.
ReplyDeleteanyway, hmm what you can do is to ask your boyfriend to ship all your items in sets, just divide it out so it won't weigh too much.
i think the giant gmarket box attracts customs kasi. use a courier instead!
problem with gmarket is EMS lang yung way of shipping, hence goes through customs talaga and if its a lot, well you have to have it all the way in pasay.
ate, pano po pag size 39 ako sa phil size bali size 9 sa US right,..?
ReplyDelete260 po ba yun sa korea?
kasi ung makita ko
yung pinaka biggest size nila sa Gmarket is size
250,, lang,..
ala pano yan huhuuuhuhuhu
yup its 9 in the us! a size 39 is 250!^^
ReplyDeletesize conversion:
225 = 34
230 = 35
235 = 36
240 = 37
245 = 38
250 = 39
try buying shoes that aren't boots first i think, just to make sure that their 250 will fit you.
my shoe size is weird so i can sometimes fit a 6 or a 7.
thanks,.. poh..
ReplyDeletetpoz 39 in europe right.?
ang phil size ba europe size din?
kasi kung 39 sa europe size 8 sa US
Aww that sucks.. Wow that's so steep for the tax >__< I have been way lucky with GMarket and haven't been taxed with all those crazy amounts that I have ordered. (You can contact me on how to escape taxes with GMarket XD)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link for the boots. I have been wanting to buy a pair but lately I am having problems with GMarket size. I guess I should choose now 245 instead of 240 size.
- Gail
@CM: im not so sure with the sizes! all i know is i'm a size 6 1/2 and in korea i'm a 235/36 in korea.^^
ReplyDelete@glacial7: you're so lucky!!! how did you do it!? please email me haha! (beasantos31@gmail.com)
no problem with the link! i love ordering from that seller. i'm planning to buy another pair soon from them again.
ate nung tiningnan ko yung mga shoes,
ReplyDeleteyung price nila is ￦12,400 yung sa pinaka taas
tpoz pag pipili nko ng shoes,
may ganito yung iba +(￦ 12,000)
which means ba
￦12,400 tpoz mag add kapa ng ￦12,000
kasi halos dumoble yung price
ganun ba yun or yung price ng shoes na yun
eh ￦12,000
yup yun yung price niya, their "base price" is 12,400 + 12,000 (option price, usually depends on what you're buying). but usually may discounted price, that's the price in RED at the top.
ReplyDeletethere are cheaper shoes around so try to search for more discounted ones! (like the shoes i ordered, its only 9,900won).
ate nakita yung binili yung shoes,
ReplyDeleteprice nya ￦12,900
discounted price nya 9,900won
pano makukuha yung discounted price?
tpoz yung syo my ganito cya + ￦12,000
nag dagdag kaba ng + ￦12,000?
ate, eto po yung link,.
ReplyDeletepara maintindihan yung cnasabi ko,
ang ewan ko kcing mag xplain whahaha
http://i1117.photobucket.com/albums/k596/monicmonique/Untitled.jpg
meron cyang +(￦ 12,000)
pero ang normal price nya ￦12,900
nag dadag po ba kayo ng 12,000 nung inorder nyo?
ohhh don't use the simple selection tool! choose the item on the top of the page. that's where the discounted price is listed. nope, yung binayaran ko is only the 9,900 won.
ReplyDeletehere's where you should select: http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/1210/gmarketselect.jpg
pero minsan talaga may "option price" for the item you're buying.
for example: http://english.gmarket.co.kr/challenge/neo_goods/goods.asp?goodscode=164644613&interest_group_no=1
it depends on the product you're buying because sometimes it comes in variants (for example the wigs may heat-resistant and may hindi, hence the added price). but its the discounted price + option price.
good luck!^^
they're so cute! love the lace top you wore and the blonde bangs too^^ oh,the customs are indeed not fair to charge you a huge amount :( but nonetheless,your boyfriend is so sweet to give you a gmrket shopping spree^^ yeah,that's super nice :)
ReplyDeletei know customs does suck! but yeah at least i now learn how to deal with them!
ReplyDeleteyup its the greatest gift idea ever! hehe!
pag bumili ka po ba ng item sa gmarket, yung babayaran mo po ba na price ay yung discounted price na automatically? kasi po may nabasa ako sa ibang blogs na may pipindutin ka pa na red button to avail it or else you'll have to pay the regular price. ang nakita ko lang naman po na red button dun is yung coupon box. yun na po ba yun? or iba pa? //noob.
ReplyDeletewell from my experience i always get the discounted price when i add it to my cart.
ReplyDeleteyung red button (refer to this photo which says COUPON BOX right next to the original price http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/1210/gmarketselect.jpg) is only useable IF you already have discount coupons that can lower the discounted price even more.
you see, when you finally pay for your items in your shopping cart, the original price is listed above, and the corresponding discount for your item is listed separately below.
but you'll definitely get the discounted price listed. the coupon box is an added bonus for those who have already earned or exchanged their points for discount coupons.
i hope my explanation helped!^^
hi! nung nagpunta ka sa customs, meron ka pa bang dala na claim voucher? or diretso ka na lang talaga na pumunta dun?
ReplyDeletemay dala ka pa bang claim voucher nung nagpunta ka sa customs?
ReplyDeletethe ems office sends a claim card (as big as an index card) that indicates that your package is there in their office.
ReplyDeletebut if it says in your tracking page that its already been "HANDED TO CUSTOMS", you can call the ems office and ask if your package is there. just give your tracking number.
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI just ordered recently from G-market just a 4 pieces of earrings as a gift to my mother and when I checked the tracking of my item it say "Hand over to customs". Can you give me some tips on how I can skipped or not be taxed by the customs in the philippines? you can also email me at fitzpatrick_pua@yahoo.com.
Thanks a lot =)
i think its more of the price, how much did your entire order cost?
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteThe entire cost is around 28 dollars (1,200 Pesos) with the shipment fee (around 500) included.
Do you always go to the customs everytime you buy your products on G market? and how do you declare your products?
Thanks,
ooh i think anything above P1000 will definitely get you into customs. yes i always have to claim from customs whenever i order any package from gmarket. i make it big hauls so i don't have to go back all the time since the postal office is so far from me.
ReplyDeletegmarket declares the goods in your package so they base the customs fees from such declaration.:)
Hi,
ReplyDeletefor example i where to buy 8 items in a box does gmarket declare the 8 different items? or just the 4? i have been reading some of the reviews.. does it really happen this way??
Thanks :)
Hi ate! I'm about to order a pair of shoe lang po sa gmarket and weights about 0.73 kg at estimated cost of P1.3k, dederecho pa rin po ba ako sa customs with that? And pwede ko rin po ba malaman ung technique pra makaskip kay custom? hehe! dgsanmig@gmail.com po :) Thanks!
ReplyDeleteLove reading this blog. I'm also buying items from GMarket. Nakailang orders na ko sa kanila but still never ako nakapuntang customs. Probably because asa province ako lol. Based on my experience, lahat ng orders ko pag trinack ko online laging handed over to customs 'di nawawala yan. Then, I'm going to call EMS to know where my items are. Last time, sabi sakin asa customs po you need to redeem it sa office. Lagi ko reply sa kanila, saan ba yan? never nga ko nakapunta ng Manila (lol). Then follow up question na nila - taga san ka po? Then, I'm going to tell them my exact location. Sasabihin na nila niyan okay sige po coordinate ko sa customs para maforward na sa post office niyo. Sa malamang kinabukasan asa pinto na namin 'yong delivery boy. Try niyo sa mga nasa province haha. Ang pagkakaalam ko din pag malapit ka lang sa customs talagang iimbitahan ka nila pumunta sa Pasay Office nila.
ReplyDeleteive heard of this as well! good for you and you don't get harassed by customs!
ReplyDeletei do pick up stuff from the EMS office near the airport. pretty hassle for me that's why i haven't bought from gmarket ever since forever.
thanks for reading!^^
Hey :)
ReplyDeleteI'm a new buyer in Gmarket. I just bought a Super Junior DVD. The Gmarket warehouse just sent it and its on the way to the Philippines now :) How long does it take to get here?
I live in Cebu and I'm wondering if I'll have any troubles with Customs. Do i pick up my package in the post office and pay the bill Customs gives me? Or does the package get sent to my house?
Please reply, Ate!!!
-Inna :)
Its usually 5-7 days. Gmarket customer service is very good so don't hesitate to contact them when your package gets delayed.
ReplyDeleteHmm unfortuntely I don't know how EMS works in Cebu,but since its only 1 item,it might get sent directly to your house like my 1st order (check my first ever gmarket post on this blog!). But what usually happens is the post office sends you a return card so you can retrieve your package there.
I hope Customs doesn't harass you,good luck!
Hi, plan ko din po sana mag-order sa Gmarket, kaso natatakot ako sa customs eh. haha. XD puro EH products lang sana bblhin ko, dadaan pa po kaya un sa customs? Thanks :)
ReplyDeletehi, i don't advice buying etude house products over gmarket because if there's an available etude house shop in the country, they don't allow you to order from korea. i think its a tactic so you buy from their stores instead :) anyway etude house prices are more or less the same with those in korea so don't hassle yourself anymore with going through online shopping and buy from the actual store instead :)
ReplyDeletehi, pahelp po nag-order kc ako sa GMarket tapos sabi handed over customs.. anung gagawin ko?? search nako ng search eto ang nahanap ko.. im from pangasinan.. panu un inorder ko pa din naman un para sa online shop ku im just 16 ahh!! please help thanks.. e-add ko sana magreply kau.. boquirenfloyderick@yahoo.com im totally frustrated..
ReplyDeleteHi! As a rule,your package will be handed over to customs. but since you're from pangasinan i don't think its in the customs office in pasay. you should call the customs office and ask where you should claim your package.
ReplyDeleteaww salamat!! lahat ba ng nasa customs may tax na babayaran?? wala akong pambayad ehh hehe thanks.
ReplyDeletewhat should i call?? EMS philippines??
ReplyDeleteyes unfortunately before you can take out anything from customs you have to pay customs tax. try to estimate your taxes. its customs tax + VAT. yup it can be quite pricey so be sure to bring a lot of extra money (or your mom) when you claim your package.
ReplyDeleteyes call EMS philippines.
we should all actually petition gmarket to get a private courier instead of EMS because this going through customs is preventing from buying from them!
aww, bakit ung iba diretso sa bahay nila ung package.. anu un pinipili kung sinu kukutungan nila?? may inside job cgurong nangyayari.. ang laki n nga ng tax tapos may mawawala pa sa package mo.. ahh.. anu pala ung pinagkaiba ng Registered Airmail sa EMS?? may choice kc xa Gmarket Singapore na REgistered airmail.. mas magansa cguro un d na dadaan sa customs../
ReplyDeleteHi!I'm from bulacan. If my package is really costly do i need to go all the way to Pasay just to claim the package with tax on it?or i will claim it with the post office near my house?
ReplyDeleteHi! I have a quick question about GMarket's shipping. I already chose the items I want to buy but I can't place my order. When I try to choose the country where to ship, Philippines isn't available. All the items I picked can be shipped worldwide though. What should I do? HELP! >_<
ReplyDelete