You can track down those impossible-to-find jeans online, but first check which sites add extra charges and which don't, writes Lauren McCreery
My first internet shopping experience arose out of a summer spent in New York. Victoria's Secret, Abercrombie & Fitch, American Eagle Outfitters and Hollister became wardrobe staples while I was living there.
Two 30kg suitcases filled with this gear wouldn't sustain me until the following summer. I needed another fix soon after arriving home. New fall lines called to me from my computer screen. Victoria's Secret Very Sexy bra. Add to cart. Abercrombie hoodie - in a variety of styles. Add to cart. I convinced myself that with such a favourable exchange rate it was cheaper than buying similar, but inferior, items here.
And it was cheaper with Victoria's Secret (a lingerie chain) - even though shipping charges were quite high. With the exchange rate at the time, it usually worked out that the price shown in dollars would be the total euro price. If bought on sale, their top-selling bra retailed at $28.50. About the same price as a bra bought in Marks & Spencer . . .
Until they changed their delivery method, that is. Previously, pink and white parcels arrived through regular post, with nothing extra to pay. UPS now deliver the packages and demand customs and excise fees before handing over any goods. Invariably this is when you are standing on your doorstep in a dressing gown with about a fiver in your purse. No payment? No bra.
This smelled like extortion to me, but according to a spokesperson from Customs and Excise you can "expect to pay up to a third on top of the purchase price" on clothes imported from outside the EU. To break it down, there is 12 per cent duty and 21 per cent VAT payable on clothing imports. Not so cheap now.
The same goes for the likes of Abercrombie, Hollister and American Eagle Outfitters. Shoppers have been adding lots to their shopping carts on these websites in recent months, only to be shocked when their stripy polo shirts and hoodies arrive accompanied by invoices from FedEx (the carrier for these companies) for customs and excise fees. Also included on the invoice is a €7 "administration" fee charged by FedEx for making payment on your behalf, which is also taxable at 21 per cent.
While these sites warn of customs fees that the recipient may have to pay to import the goods into their country, no mention is made of FedEx making the payment for you and then charging you for doing so. It can work out that, with shipping and import charges, the clothes cost nearly double the price shown on screen. (You also have to make sure you're at home when the courier calls; otherwise, it can mean a trip to a far-flung depot to pick up your consignment.)
While buying clothes on the internet is a relatively new experience for Irish consumers, it is definitely worth surfing around for good deals. As well as finding better value for money, brands not stocked, sold out or difficult to track down, can be delivered straight to your door, without the need for a trip to London or New York.
This is especially true of Net-A-Porter, the website with the most comprehensive selection of designer clothes on the internet, including this season's dresses by Roland Mouret - which aren't stocked by any department store in Ireland. Also stocked on this site are Seven, True Religion and Sass & Bide jeans, which can be impossible to track down in Dublin in certain sizes. Including shipping and taxes, a pair of Seven jeans ordered online worked out at exactly the same price as the current retail price in Brown Thomas.
Delivering to most countries, including Ireland, Net-A-Porter calculates all import duties, local sales taxes and other charges and includes them in the price, which means no nasty surprise when the package arrives.
Other sites worth having a look at are hair and beauty sites such as strawberrynet.com and hqhair.com. Strawberry Net, which is based in Hong Kong, ships by registered post free of charge anywhere in the world and offers a loyalty discount. Every major skincare, cosmetic and fragrance house can be found on this site, with considerably cheaper price tags than the Irish high street.
On average, prices are akin to those charged in Dublin airport, which any seasoned traveller will tell you are the best around. Prices for Clinique and Dermalogica products are particularly good compared with their Irish counterparts. Tip: pay in dollars, as the exchange rate works out better than the euro price the site offers. I have not had to pay VAT and duty when ordering goods from this website. It seems that customs and excise fees are enforced more strictly by shipping companies such as FedEx and UPS than Customs and Excise themselves. It goes to show that internet shopping may be better value, but a lot depends on which carrier ships your purchase.
Tried and tested Web stores