Clicking the US to your doorstep

Tuesday, 2 March 2010

Clicking the US to your doorstep

Online shopping portal paves the way for shopping “in the United States” with just a click of a button

GONE are the days when many web surfers would gaze at the computer screen and literally “window-shop” for items which they wished they could buy from US stores.

With many eBay sellers refusing to entertain shipping any items purchased internationally, Malaysians were literally left with either doing without the item or to just fly to the US (if their pockets are deep and filled) to purchase it themselves.

But with the debut of vsHub (short for Virtual Shopping Hub), a local parcel forwarding service aimed at reducing the hassle of online shopping in the United States, all the nightmares of shipping what we purchased in the past are now a thing of the past.

Tricore Pte Ltd general manager Wong Yee Huei, a Malaysian who is a self-confessed online “shopaholic”, said people who went online to purchase items previously had to deal with many obstacles some of which include web stores that only accept credit cards issued in the United States and clearing local customs.

At their wits end, Wong and business partner Lok Kwok Leong, decided to establish vsHub, making the web portal the panacea to all the headaches one faces.

“People tend to prefer shopping online because many products are significantly cheaper online even after factoring in the shipping cost.”

“But the snag lies in the fact that many are suspicious of using their credit cards to purchase items online,” he said.

According to Wong, once users become a vsHub member they will get a physical US address, which is used as the local shipping address when shopping online before getting the products re-delivered to their home in Malaysia.

“Registration with vsHub is free and you will only be charged once you start using the parcel forwarding service.”

“What’s the cost like? vsHub provides two shipping options — standard and express,” he said.

Wong says users who opt for the standard shipment option will receive their parcel in six to eight working days from the time shipping payment is received by the company.

“For those who can’t wait that long, the express shipment delivery only takes between two to three days.”

“Shipping costs start from RM76.55 (standard) and RM185.39 (express) for a minimum 500g parcel,” he added.

vsHub also allows users to consolidate all their purchases from various websites and get them shipped all in one go to save on shipping costs, he said, adding that vsHub will help to resolve matters if an item gets stuck in customs, without any extra charges.

What if you do not own a credit card?

According to Wong, the company has also introduced a concierge service to enable customers who don’t own a credit card to purchase items online.

“Tell us what you want to purchase and we will purchase it on your behalf,” he said.

Presently, vsHub has a membership of about 2,500. The company was established in Singapore as the duo wanted to take advantage of tapping into both markets simultaneously.

The company has also started its concierge service for Japan. Very soon, members will be able to purchase items online from Great Britain, Taiwan and South Korea when the company extends its current services.

For more information, click www.vsHub.com