I would say that the majority of us on the forum are quite internet savvy, and those of us that live in the West have easy access to online buying and selling. 44% of the spend in the UK before Christmas was online so.......I was wondering........what's your attitude to buying and selling / trading online?

It's impossible to cover all the aspects in the poll, it's just a wee tester to see what people think. I've split it down to the three geographical areas as the majority of the membership will live in those three zones and I'm interested to see the difference in attitudes among them.

Personally, I see the ability to navigate e-commerce successfully as being a quality of life issue, and when you are an expat, e-commerce can make a big difference to exactly that. Maybe we could share a few tips that may encourage more people to buy/sell trade online, and by dint, improve their quality of life? maybe we could walk some people through some of the issues that confuse them, and help people to understand more.

Anything that has a chance of helping people improve their quality of life has to be worth a try

ps. I'm fully aware of the work permit regulations in Thailand, for the purpose of the exercise, let's assume that everyone has a work permit. We TV members are an honest bunch and we would never do anything illegal would we?

I use ecommerce all the time-would never do so within Thailand. I live in Thailand.

Why wouldnt you use International on-line buying in Thailand?.....It's cheaper than buying in Thailand. If it's like my situation where it's for personal use and not business orientated, it's the only way to go now.....

Example:- Something that costs me 5000baht in Bangkok....I can buy on-line (outside Thailand) for 600baht.plus postage.

It's delivered within 5 days in Thailand, and better quality than Thailand. Add the postage to get it here and the total cost is around 1500baht. SAVED 3500 not bad hey?

But I personally would never buy anything through Thailand E-Bay or the likes....But that is each persons own decision.

To agree with jmac, in the west I used e-commerce all the time. I still use it to order items for me to collect on my annual trips home. BUT I would never use any Thai e-commerce site as I simply don't trust them to be competent, nor would I trust the Thai postal sevice with anything of value.

So a lack of trust in the Thai postal service is the issue?

I've bought contact lenses online on average every 2-3 months, for the last 3 years, only once had a problem where the order went AWOL, don't really sell online that often unless changing the scooter,, interesting, I didn't know there was an eBay Thailand

I've bought contact lenses online on average every 2-3 months, for the last 3 years, only once had a problem where the order went AWOL, don't really sell online that often unless changing the scooter,, interesting, I didn't know there was an eBay Thailand

I didn't know either....I remember searching for it a couple of years ago and not finding it......I'll need to go have a look now.

I think the issue with Ebay is that they have to ensure that countries are compliant with Paypal rules before they can open a site there, and I was under the impression that Thailand was on the money laundering blacklist and that was what prevented Ebay from having a site in Thailand.

Just Googled....still can't find an Ebay Thailand???.

Lived in Thailand 12 years, I used to sell online but no longer, 99%+ packages arrived worldwide using basic Thai postal service.

Buy online frequently from e bay and some times amozan, prefer that to buying locally as often cheaper and a far better returns policy, plus the benefit of feedback, again delivery has always been reliable.

E bay i shop around the Aus, USA and UK sites, but generally it comes from Hong Kong.

I even use for meds that can be aquirred online cheaper than here, over the counter meds that is.

That's interesting about the meds marstons, I would have imagined some people being reluctant to buy them online.

I buy virtually everything online thats not grocery store related in the US , even small items like a pair of sunglasses or a new ballcap ...... But I live out in the boonies and my selection is poor where I live

In Thailand there are a gazillion stores so I never buy online ..... At first I thought thats the explanation but I'm not sure

I think their is a component of concern over bankcard fraud , and fraud in general that may be unwaranted , but probabbly keeps me from doing it.

The other part is their is really nothing I would normally buy in Thailand in the first place ..... I prefer the products I have used for years and they are not Thai products so I don't really shop here in the first place.

I guess to sum it up , the convience of all the stores and ease and availability of buying things offline is great enough so buying them online isn't something that even enters my mind and coupled with the paranoia , deserved or not , makes my attitude of shopping online ...... why bother take the risk when everything I need is all around me anyhow.

I would point out I don't shop online in the US to save money , I do it simply to increase my selection of products that are unavailable in my town.

Edited January 5, 201313 yr by MrRealDeal

I've bought contact lenses online on average every 2-3 months, for the last 3 years, only once had a problem where the order went AWOL, don't really sell online that often unless changing the scooter,, interesting, I didn't know there was an eBay Thailand

I didn't know either....I remember searching for it a couple of years ago and not finding it......I'll need to go have a look now.

I think the issue with Ebay is that they have to ensure that countries are compliant with Paypal rules before they can open a site there, and I was under the impression that Thailand was on the money laundering blacklist and that was what prevented Ebay from having a site in Thailand.

Just Googled....still can't find an Ebay Thailand???.

Here's the SEA Ebay Link.

http://sea.ebay.com/

Thanks for that MAJIC, I'll have a wee look through that site.

Only 32 members have voted so far, I'll leave it to run a little bit longer........there's one wee result that has surprised me so far, but I won't say what it is yet in case I end up getting skewed figures.

That's interesting about the meds marstons, I would have imagined some people being reluctant to buy them online.

I had to hit the Like button on this. It might be surprising, but more than 1/2 of all prescription drugs sold in the US by US drug makers are made in India. The black market is huge in India and a lot of it leaks overseas. The problem is that it opens up an opportunity for counterfeiters. You never know what you're getting, regardless of what country they've been exported to first.

Here in Thailand I have distrust of the postal service (had things not delivered in the past), of anything credit card related in Asia in general.

Maybe my distrust is misplaced.

Back in the U.K. where you have guarantees in place I have not had any qualms over better quality sites to make on-line purchases. I used to buy CD's from the USA as it was cheaper to buy and ship even single CD's from there than to buy them in the UK.

I buy loads of stuff online and i never had a problem with it arriving here. Thing is you can get quality and loads of stuff cheaper as what you would pay for it in Thailand. I bought for instance a maglite mini, saw the same one for sale here at 3 times the price.

Bought a rowing machine, price inclusive taxes 55k here it cost 90k. Thing is you can buy so much from ebay and other places and you save a bundle and get things you cant get here.

I buy at least 3 - 5 items a month online.

Mind you guys, a few days ago i just gave my postman a bottle of JW red for his excellent service. Like i said never lost a package. At the same time now im in a battle with customs about some supplements i ordered in the USA. Its send by fed ex (told them not too) and the customs officer seems to think its some kind of drug / narcotic. Anyway big headache i consider this package as lost but in general stuff like that does not happen. I will try to claim with the seller or let them send it again by normal post.

I always check how things are send, if DHL or fed ex i prefer not to. However now i am going to buy something real expensive (some special weights) and shipping will be bad and done by fed ex but there is no way to bypass customs so its not a problem. But in general i avoid them.

I think the issue with Ebay is that they have to ensure that countries are compliant with Paypal rules before they can open a site there, and I was under the impression that Thailand was on the money laundering blacklist and that was what prevented Ebay from having a site in Thailand.

Mother eBay OWNS PayPal and Paypal will never open an account in Thailand; they are only registered in small, kind of off-shore, countries like Singapore, Luxembourg etc.

That eBay opens a website in one country or another has to do with the set-up in a certain language and Thai isn't the easiest of them all but it has nothing to do with banking since eBay and PayPal gives sh_t to the banking rules of ANY country!

They are "legalized mafia"* and extremely powerful and can break small time sellers instantly. They are only there to protect the buyer but don't give any support to sellers. Google "eBay complaints" if you wish.

* a Banker (!), more than 30 years ago, once already told me: "banks are legalized mafia" and look how right he was. Banks are even more powerful than before.

I can't trust my current Thai postman.

Everything with an EMS signed for, arrives.

Everything with no value is delivered.

Everything of value without signed for, goes missing.

I do buy some stuff within Thailand as they always send signed for.

Ebay for Singapore was a waste of space as they never send signed for and nothing ever delivered.

(Ebay/Paypal always refunded but I wanted the stuff I ordered, so after a wait I had to buy locally)

My last Thai postman was very trustworthy and everything arrived, can't be bothered to set up a box at my local PO, I suppose I should really.

PS

Never any problem buying online from Thai e-commerce sites.

Edited January 7, 201313 yr by TommoPhysicist

I buy loads of stuff online and i never had a problem with it arriving here. Thing is you can get quality and loads of stuff cheaper as what you would pay for it in Thailand. I bought for instance a maglite mini, saw the same one for sale here at 3 times the price.

Bought a rowing machine, price inclusive taxes 55k here it cost 90k. Thing is you can buy so much from ebay and other places and you save a bundle and get things you cant get here.

I buy at least 3 - 5 items a month online.

I agree.

The online sales in western countries is enormous but I know for a fact, for instance, that online selling inside China is even higher than anywhere in the world and it's HUGE and every single product, sold online, is a product that is NOT sold in a shop anymore and the chance that that particular products will be sold in a(ny) shop in the future diminishes by the hour and day.

But online selling faces also an enormous competetion and people search and look at the "feedback and coments" from other buyers which is NOT done in normal shops!

In Europe, every single day, shops have to close and many shops are "victim" of online sales but they were also "vintage" in their way of thinking and adapting to the new IT world of online sales. They thought it wouldn'tn hurt them. They were dead wrong and the same will happen in Asia.

In every single town in Europe there are black holes in shopping streets and it will be very hard to fill them again!

They now found out it did.

The worldwide landscape of buying and selling has changed; FOREVER.

.

Ebay for Singapore was a waste of space as they never send signed for and nothing ever delivered.

(Ebay/Paypal always refunded but I wanted the stuff I ordered, so after a wait I had to buy locally)

You wrote that eBay Singapore never send signed for but thats a misconception since a seller always decide if they send with Track & Trace (in their DETAILS and SHIPPING rules) but not eBay! And I would not accept anything that I don't have to sign for and look in the shipping rules if it is sent by T&T/

Normally a seller will send an email to the buyer that the product has been sent WITH a T&T number.

Yes, eBay refund in such cases if it has not a T&T number but there are honest sellers also who DID send their product and will lose 2 times:

* the product (which they paid for, and

* money they received will be withdrawn from PayPal's account

They will learn the hard way and send T&T next time but of course, if it is a very cheap product, many sellers opt for the risk to loose a few parcels.

For me its not so much that i love online shopping, its just that imports are so expensive here and often not available. If you want a bit of quality or something else as normal you have to shop online.

Try finding a pair of diamond hole saws for tiles, cant be done while there are plenty on ebay. Supplements, if you want to pay Thai prices be my guest i buy my fish oil 7 times cheaper as available here.

Back in the Netherlands i did not shop online as much but it has become more mature in the 7 years i left the Netherlands. I am lucky about the mail-man and tip him and compliment him.

Strange thing is almost every package is signed for here on a big list i always have to sign somewhere.

I don't buy online because I don't have a credit card.

I don't buy online because I don't have a credit card.

You don't need a creditcard for paypal and if you have paypal you have access to ebay.

I don't buy online because I don't have a credit card.

You can transfer directly to Thai accounts using a Thai debit card in any Thai ATM.

I don't buy online because I don't have a credit card.

You can transfer directly to Thai accounts using a Thai debit card in any Thai ATM.

I don't have one.

I don't buy online because I don't have a credit card.

You can transfer directly to Thai accounts using a Thai debit card in any Thai ATM.

I don't have one.

You can also pay the postman cash on delivery, or pay cash at the 7-11.

I don't buy online because I don't have a credit card.

You can transfer directly to Thai accounts using a Thai debit card in any Thai ATM.

I don't have one.

Aha, we have a no-credit card and no-bankaccount member.

Q: how do you travel; pay cash? Most airlines don't accept cash anymore...curious.

Q: how do you go around in Thailand: restaurants, bars, travel...always pay cash?

I don't buy online because I don't have a credit card.

You can transfer directly to Thai accounts using a Thai debit card in any Thai ATM.

I don't have one.

Aha, we have a no-credit card and no-bankaccount member.

Q: how do you travel; pay cash? Most airlines don't accept cash anymore...curious.

Q: how do you go around in Thailand: restaurants, bars, travel...always pay cash?

Q : 1. During my 12 years in this country, I've always paid in cash. Maybe they changed the rule last week?

Q: 2. Yes.

And I have several bank accounts, but no atm, debit or credit cards. Next question.

PS. Does your hookers take plastic cards?

Edited January 7, 201313 yr by Semper

PS. Does your hookers take plastic cards?

They generally take anything that isn't nailed down.

Edited January 8, 201313 yr by TommoPhysicist

I've bought contact lenses online on average every 2-3 months, for the last 3 years, only once had a problem where the order went AWOL, don't really sell online that often unless changing the scooter,, interesting, I didn't know there was an eBay Thailand

I didn't know either....I remember searching for it a couple of years ago and not finding it......I'll need to go have a look now.

I think the issue with Ebay is that they have to ensure that countries are compliant with Paypal rules before they can open a site there, and I was under the impression that Thailand was on the money laundering blacklist and that was what prevented Ebay from having a site in Thailand.

Just Googled....still can't find an Ebay Thailand???.

Here's the SEA Ebay Link.

http://sea.ebay.com/

Thai link:

http://export.ebay.co.th/