Online Shopping Experience: Shopee Philippines Review

I am that kind of person who doesn't like going out too much because I sweat easily and my body is kind of fragile due to lack of exercise so as much as possible, I do all of my stuff and business online - working, studying, and of course my favorite, shopping! We are in the millennial age so everything is just one-click/tap away, such is the beauty of the internet, isn't it? After working and studying, I take a break by going straight to online shopping sites just to browse things and not necessarily buying it. To be honest, I can find more relaxation in online shopping than strolling in malls and department stores (okay I admit, I'm just too lazy to go out). 

I started online shopping when I was still in my first year in college (that was in the year 2014). Ads suddenly popped up on my Facebook homepage so I got intrigued and since I am that person who always jumps in the water even not knowing what is swimming in there, I clicked the bait *laughs*. The first online shopping site I have tried ordering to was actually Zalora then I came to know Lazada. Some items are priced just the same in malls or department stores but most are actually a little bit cheaper. Just when I thought that Lazada offers the lowest price ever, my sister introduced me to Shopee Philippines, the best online shopping site I have ever tried so far (I'm definitely not exaggerating this).

Shopee is kind of similar to Lazada where you can sell your products on their website just by signing up. The difference is you have to create a seller account in Lazada which is different from your buyer account while you only need one account in Shopee to buy and sell at the same time. Shopee can be accessed through their website or you can also download their app here for more convenient shopping. 

Aside from the regular sellers, Shopee also has Official Shops which sell authentic products from different brands like Vice Cosmetics, Banila Co., Wet n' Wild, Heartstrings, SM and more. 

Another great thing about Shopee is that you can always find here almost everything that you are looking for. Well, how can you not be? There are thousands of sellers that are selling different items ranging from brand new to pre-loved items. Sellers are from all around the Philippines and also from overseas (mostly in Taiwan).

Both the website and the app are very user-friendly, it is easy to use and the suggested items are organized properly based on your search algorithms. The purchasing process isn't that difficult either. You can also chat the sellers to ask about the product ot you could make an offer on the prices.

After you put everything that you need on your shopping cart, you just have to click that Check Out orange button then you'll be directed to the next step where all you have to do is to review your orders and choose your shipping option - LBC, Black Arrow, Zoom or Standard Express for overseas order. The thing that I loved the most with Shopee is its Free Shipping (100 pesos capped from the shipping rate) for only 500 pesos worth of your purchase. Note that the free shipping can only be availed when your purchase on one seller totaled to 500 pesos. If you purchase from diffrent sellers then you have to purchase 500 pesos worth of items on each sellers to get the free shipping.

The next thing you have to do is to choose your payment method, you can choose Cash on Delivery (COD) if it is applicable on your address, Remittance/Payment Center, Over-the-Counter, Online Banking, and Bank Transfer.

Shopee do a lot of promotions and discounts so always watch out for it, some sellers also give promo codes. Shopee also has this "coin system" where 100 pesos worth of your purchase from Preferred Sellers could give you 1 shopee coin which you can spend on your next purchase. You can also get free coins and discounts from the daily prize which is that little pop-up chest you can find on the side as you browse.

After reviewing your items, selecting your shipping and payment option, and entering promo code and shopee coins, you can now confidently click that Place Order button. Cash on delivery orders are still subject to Shopee's approval before it gets to the seller and will notify you through the app or email when it gets accepted. It's also a nice thing that you can monitor your order through your profile page.

I ordered more than 10 times in Shopee and so far the items that I've received definitely qualified my expectations but not really exceeded. You always get what you pay for so when you pay a cheaper price on a product then don't expect its quality to be extraordinary. Most of my orders are paid through cash on deliveries because I don't really like going outside of the house but I've also tried remittances for overseas orders. Although there are a lot of fake and low quality items in Shopee,I still feel safe when it comes to payment. Shopee holds your money before it gets to the sellers, they give it to the sellers once you clicked that Order Received button and you can also request for a refund if the seller ships you the wrong item or you did not receive some of the items you've ordered. 

Ratings

So far, I am really liking my shopping experience in Shopee and if I'm going to rate it I'll give it:

Use Interface                4.0/5

Conveniency                4.0/5

Shipping                       3.0/5 

Payment                       4.0/5

Products                       3.5/5

Overall                         3.7/5