iHERB - Anyone know what their policy is about guaranteeing delivery?

[CGW]

20 minutes ago, moe666 said:

DHL which talking to lots of people has been a nightmare in Thailand,

Seconded! DHL is a nightmare, considering that iherb choose to use them is obviously a cost based decision, it's better to take the slightly more expensive option and have some form of tracking else DHL will doubtless choose to abuse the end user!

[robblok]

33 minutes ago, Kohsamida said:

Well, it depends on why you are using it I guess.  Regular coconut oil can be healthy for many reasons but the big draw of refined C8 MCT is that it does not contain any Lauric acid (C12) which makes up about 50% of regular coconut oil.

 

Even though lauric acid is a medium chain triglyceride, it is, in essence, a pseudo MCT because it responds in the body as a long chain triglyceride.  Since C8 MCTs easily enter your cells without being broken down, they can be used as an immediate source of energy, compared to C12 found in regular coconut oil.

 

C8 MCTs can also be converted into ketones in the liver.  These ketones can pass through your blood-brain barrier, making them an efficient source of energy for your brain cells.  For those on a keto-style diet, that's particularly important.

 

I am using it because i don't eat that much fat. So i add extra healthy fats to my diet. Fat is an important part of diet.

[Kohsamida]

53 minutes ago, CGW said:

Seconded! DHL is a nightmare, considering that iherb choose to use them is obviously a cost based decision, it's better to take the slightly more expensive option and have some form of tracking else DHL will doubtless choose to abuse the end user!

My understanding is that iHerb had some serious issues with Thai Customs last year, having a lot of their products get flagged.  Apparently they negotiated with Thai Customs to have many of their products reclassified, and have commissioned a new shipping company to streamline Duty payment .  These changes are so new that the Chat rep I spoke with a few days ago wasn't even aware of them, and I got this information from his supervisor!

 

The new shipping company is SFExpress, and I think it is now the only shipping option for Thailand.  The shipping is very cheap, if Duty is payable it is prepaid so no need to travel to post office to pay and pick up order.  It includes full tracking (even once products are within Thailand), and from what I understand, customs issues have improved markedly.

 

Also, regarding DHL (or FedEx, or any courier service), I would NEVER ship with them for inbound packages to Thailand.  Guaranteed you'll get screwed on Duty costs and it's assured Customs will almost certainly inspect your shipment anyway.  If Postal service is an option, it is preferred over courier service always if you're concerned about Thai Customs screwing up your life.

Edited June 30, 2019 by Kohsamida

[Kohsamida]

8 minutes ago, robblok said:

I am using it because i don't eat that much fat. So i add extra healthy fats to my diet. Fat is an important part of diet.

It really just boils down to whether or not you prefer your dietary fat to be medium chain or long chain triglycerides.  You pay more for medium chain but obviously it's more healthy.

[robblok]

3 hours ago, Kohsamida said:

It really just boils down to whether or not you prefer your dietary fat to be medium chain or long chain triglycerides.  You pay more for medium chain but obviously it's more healthy.

I use olive oil too, just like to take the things that are best if I am adding it to diet. Unlike you I don't need huge amounts of fat (keto means loads of fat because too much protein can kick you out of ketose too)  but still most of my meals don't have much fat so I add some. 

[eezergood]

15 hours ago, robblok said:

I use olive oil too, just like to take the things that are best if I am adding it to diet. Unlike you I don't need huge amounts of fat (keto means loads of fat because too much protein can kick you out of ketose too)  but still most of my meals don't have much fat so I add some. 

Most people that think they are on a keto diet are not, no where near enough fat consumed as you mention. 

[Kohsamida]

6 hours ago, eezergood said:

Most people that think they are on a keto diet are not, no where near enough fat consumed as you mention. 

I know this is getting off-topic but if you are on a keto-style diet, you can precisely figure out just how much dietary fat you really need using a really well designed (and super simple to use) macro-nutrient calculator at https://keto-calculator.ankerl.com/.  It's free BTW.

 

I tested this calculator when I followed a ten week Keto diet study and IMO it is very precise and allosw you to set up a really well designed diet plan.  It allows you to map out your macros according to your individual needs and then plots a progress graph so you can see when macros need to be changed (if you are doing the diet to drop excess body fat). 

 

I looked at a bunch of such calculator programs and this is the only one I found that actually acknowledges the need for adjusting macros and calories as your body fat percentage declines, and builds this into the progress graph so you know when to make changes. 

 

Very well designed program and anyone who seeks the most efficient keto diet (i.e.: maximum fat loss while avoiding muscle loss) should take a look!!! 

 

Also note, while it is designed for keto dieting, it is effective for any type of fat loss diet where your goal is maximum fat loss in minimum time without risk of muscle loss.

[faraday]

3 minutes ago, FredGallaher said:

Please excuse me but triglycerides are the three (3) carbon backbone that connects fatty acids. There is no such thing as long or medium chain triglycerides. Fatty acids (FA) can very greatly in length. 

That's why they are called tri (3) glyceride. I think you are mixing up the two.

Really...?

 

Is this incorrect then?

 

https://www.drugbank.ca/drugs/DB13959

[tyler28]

In case others aren't aware, I will just mention that another company -- vitacost.com -- also ships to Thailand. They ship by DHL Global Mail (same as iHerb apparently used to), with a flat fee of $9.99 for any shipment up to 3.6 pounds. In more than three years of ordering from both companies (iHerb and Vitacost) -- and possibly close to 100 packages in total -- I have yet to have a package go missing or incur any kind of duty or other import fee. I have been using Vitacost a bit more in recent months because they sell some things for so much less than iHerb that the savings makes up for the higher shipping cost.

 

 

[WaveHunter]

2 hours ago, FredGallaher said:

Please excuse me but triglycerides are the three (3) carbon backbone that connects fatty acids. There is no such thing as long or medium chain triglycerides. Fatty acids (FA) can very greatly in length. 

That's why they are called tri (3) glyceride. I think you are mixing up the two.

Wrong again "Professor".  Triglycerides are named after their chemical structure, more specifically the length of their fatty acid chains.   Long-chain fatty acids contain 13–21 carbons (ergo: long chain triglyceride).  In contrast, medium-chain fatty acids in MCTs have 6–12 carbon atoms. 

 

That aside, functionally there is a HUGE difference between LCTs and MCTs as Kohsami post discussed, and as anyone with a basic understanding of triglycerides knows!

 

Please get your facts straight before criticizing posts on topics you obviously know nothing about.  It's really annoying when factual posts are marred by unfounded criticism.

 

Edited July 1, 2019 by WaveHunter

[Kohsamida]

1 hour ago, tyler28 said:

In case others aren't aware, I will just mention that another company -- vitacost.com -- also ships to Thailand. They ship by DHL Global Mail (same as iHerb apparently used to), with a flat fee of $9.99 for any shipment up to 3.6 pounds. In more than three years of ordering from both companies (iHerb and Vitacost) -- and possibly close to 100 packages in total -- I have yet to have a package go missing or incur any kind of duty or other import fee. I have been using Vitacost a bit more in recent months because they sell some things for so much less than iHerb that the savings makes up for the higher shipping cost.

 

 

Thanks for posting.  Took a chance with a small order from iHerb.  Nice to know about an alternative in Vitacost and your positive experience with both.

[GroupA]

Wow! You really show your lack of knowledge.  If you don't have a basic biochemistry book you can always try google.

[Kohsamida]

2 hours ago, FredGallaher said:

Please excuse me but triglycerides are the three (3) carbon backbone that connects fatty acids. There is no such thing as long or medium chain triglycerides. Fatty acids (FA) can very greatly in length. 

That's why they are called tri (3) glyceride. I think you are mixing up the two.

With all due respecy, you are the one who's a little mixed up.  Do some more homework.  Triglycerides are named based on the length of their fatty acid chains.  Long chain (12-22 carbons) and medium chain (6-12 carbons) triglycerides are legitimate terms.  Examples of MCTs are Caproic acid (6 carbons), Caprylic acid (8 carbons), Capric acid (10 carbons), Lauric acid (12 carbons).

[Kohsamida]

2 hours ago, faraday said:

Really...?

 

Is this incorrect then?

 

https://www.drugbank.ca/drugs/DB13959

FredGallaher's comment is taking this thread off-topic but worse, it is completely incorrect.

 

Edited July 1, 2019 by Kohsamida

[TravelerEastWest]

On 6/27/2019 at 5:31 PM, balo said:

I did get a refund once , when my package went missing.  I have ordered at least 25 times with iHerb, and only one package went missing. They told me they would refund my money only one time, if it happens several times they will tell you the problem is inside Thailand and you need to change postal address. 

Same experience for me