Comparison and Reviews: KoreanBuddy VS Avecko
Hello there :) How's your day?
Like what I've promised before, here's an in-depth review of the 2 Korean buying service companies that I use: Koreanbuddy and AVECKO
(**Scroll all the way down to get a discount code for Koreanbuddy!**)
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| Gentle Monster Installation at Lotte Duty Free Department Store (Myeongdong) May 2016 |
(**Scroll all the way down to get a discount code for Koreanbuddy!**)
But first, let me do a quick introduction of the two.
The Korea-based company started as a seller on eBay in 2010. In 2013, they launched the website and started providing buying service for overseas users in 2014.
They mainly focus on buying Korean cosmetics, skin care and fashion goods (not limited to these products). On their website, AVECKO also provides several links to Korean department stores/ TV shopping sites. But as long as you have an URL to the item you'd like to purchase, they could buy it for you :)
Nonetheless, their service does NOT include:
-Buying from private sellers (Twitter, Facebook, Naver blogs---blogs in general)
-Buying from C2C services (e.g. "Bunjang")
-Buying from website with NO direct checkout system
*Asking them to buy from a physical store is an option, but please be prepared to pay extra*
(See this AVECKO How-To video for a detailed tutorial---or just google for tutorials, as we all do)
2. Koreanbuddy
Koreanbuddy is relatively new among the overseas buying service industry in Korea. At least I didn't know about it until I was desperately looking for someone who can help me get some clothes sold on a Naver Blog. And boy, I was overjoyed to find Koreanbuddy to my rescue.
It's one thing to buy something and regret buying it for a couple of hours/ days/ months. But it's another thing to feel the agony of not being able to get the item. If you don't get what you want to buy, that item would linger/haunt you at the back of your mind FOREVER. I'm not even exaggerating. You know what I mean.
Anyways, let's get back to where I was...
Like AVECKO, you can just give them a URL and let them do the magic.
But UNLIKE AVECKO, Koreanbuddy can help you buy from private sellers (like Naver blogs, which can carry some great products) and even buy items without a URL! That opens up another world---and gives you so many more options! Koreanbuddy can help you buy concert tickets as well! (Note that they would charge you 10% more for these services though. It's fair because that will involve more guess work and physical work.)
In short, Koreanbuddy can do everything that AVECKO offers and MORE!
Now let's look into the different areas...
Price: Service Charges
AVECKO
First you pay:
Invoice #1: The price of the actual item + The Service Fee
Then, when your product is all packed and ready to ship, you pay:
Invoice #2: Shipping Costs
Koreanbuddy
First you pay:
Invoice #1: The price of the actual item
Then, when your product is all packed and ready to ship, you pay:
Invoice #2: The Service Fee + Shipping Costs
Communication:
AVECKO
Many online reviews said AVECKO's response rate is slower than what it used to be due to the large volume of emails that they get per day.
But honestly? It didn't feel that much different.
Perhaps it's because I first used their service in 2015 and not 2014? Their staff sent me a reply within a day or so when I first asked questions about their service in 2015 (Tip: Go on their Contact Us tab and type your message in the box there. They'll see your message there before your email! )
They usually send automated replies generated from their system after placing an order and paying for purchases. For a recent purchase, I sent in a buying enquiry on March 14 and the order was made by the end of March 15? However, do expect that it will take them a while to get the product stocked and packed (3-5 days)...
Koreanbuddy
Nonetheless, their service does NOT include:
-Buying from private sellers (Twitter, Facebook, Naver blogs---blogs in general)
-Buying from C2C services (e.g. "Bunjang")
-Buying from website with NO direct checkout system
*Asking them to buy from a physical store is an option, but please be prepared to pay extra*
(See this AVECKO How-To video for a detailed tutorial---or just google for tutorials, as we all do)
2. Koreanbuddy
Koreanbuddy is relatively new among the overseas buying service industry in Korea. At least I didn't know about it until I was desperately looking for someone who can help me get some clothes sold on a Naver Blog. And boy, I was overjoyed to find Koreanbuddy to my rescue.
It's one thing to buy something and regret buying it for a couple of hours/ days/ months. But it's another thing to feel the agony of not being able to get the item. If you don't get what you want to buy, that item would linger/haunt you at the back of your mind FOREVER. I'm not even exaggerating. You know what I mean.
Anyways, let's get back to where I was...
Like AVECKO, you can just give them a URL and let them do the magic.
But UNLIKE AVECKO, Koreanbuddy can help you buy from private sellers (like Naver blogs, which can carry some great products) and even buy items without a URL! That opens up another world---and gives you so many more options! Koreanbuddy can help you buy concert tickets as well! (Note that they would charge you 10% more for these services though. It's fair because that will involve more guess work and physical work.)
In short, Koreanbuddy can do everything that AVECKO offers and MORE!
Now let's look into the different areas...
Price: Service Charges
AVECKO
- Less than $50 purchases: $5 for total order
- More than $50 purchases: 10% of each item
- Minimum Charge: $5 for total order
Koreanbuddy
- URL provided: 10% of each item *** Per Item
- No URL/ Blogs and etc.: 20% of each item *** Per Item
- Minimum Charge: $9 for total order
- You can see their page for more details: Fees
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Payment: Process
AVECKO
First you pay:
Invoice #1: The price of the actual item + The Service Fee
Then, when your product is all packed and ready to ship, you pay:
Invoice #2: Shipping Costs
Koreanbuddy
First you pay:
Invoice #1: The price of the actual item
Then, when your product is all packed and ready to ship, you pay:
Invoice #2: The Service Fee + Shipping Costs
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Communication:
AVECKO
Many online reviews said AVECKO's response rate is slower than what it used to be due to the large volume of emails that they get per day.
But honestly? It didn't feel that much different.
Perhaps it's because I first used their service in 2015 and not 2014? Their staff sent me a reply within a day or so when I first asked questions about their service in 2015 (Tip: Go on their Contact Us tab and type your message in the box there. They'll see your message there before your email! )
They usually send automated replies generated from their system after placing an order and paying for purchases. For a recent purchase, I sent in a buying enquiry on March 14 and the order was made by the end of March 15? However, do expect that it will take them a while to get the product stocked and packed (3-5 days)...
Koreanbuddy
Excellent! Contrary to AVECKO, Koreanbuddy's responds to each of your messages personally. There is a conversation area on their website where they respond to your questions directly :) However, do be aware that the time difference between where you live and Korea can make you wait for a response. They typically get back to you within 24 hours. And like AVECKO, don't expect a reply during the weekend as they need to take a break too!
I find it more comfortable to ask Koreanbuddy questions because he seems to be quite a friendly person. It's less formal than AVECKO because you can always reach Koreanbuddy through other social media platforms listed on their site (Instagram DMs don't work that well though...). So if you're looking for a personalized shopping experience, definitely go for Koreanbuddy!
By the way, great thing about Koreanbuddy: when they've received your ordered product, they will take a picture of it and send it to you right away :)
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Tracking
AVECKO & Koreanbuddy are more or less the same in terms of the tracking because it's done by a third-party.
Nonetheless, Koreanbuddy does offer more shipping options (compared to the options that AVECKO offers, which are EMS,Airmail, ePostg). See here. And different shipping options come with a tracking number that may be tracked in Korea only/ tracked worldwide and etc.
In other words, there's more flexibility in choosing how much you want to pay for the shipping.
Tracking
AVECKO & Koreanbuddy are more or less the same in terms of the tracking because it's done by a third-party.
Nonetheless, Koreanbuddy does offer more shipping options (compared to the options that AVECKO offers, which are EMS,Airmail, ePostg). See here. And different shipping options come with a tracking number that may be tracked in Korea only/ tracked worldwide and etc.
In other words, there's more flexibility in choosing how much you want to pay for the shipping.
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Shipping time i.e. The Wait
For shipping, I always go with the cheapest option. Because shipping is not a product that you can physically GET. It's just a service that gets goods to your hands. Unless you can't wait/ need to get that product asap, I would recommend you to do the same. Just think about the money you'll save!
AVECKO
Registered airmail: 2-6 Weeks
(Most Recent Order: Shipped on March 20, Received on April 13= 24 days)
Shipping Rates of AVECKO:
Koreanbuddy
Registered Regular Mail: 2-3 Weeks
(Most Recent Order: Shipped on March 21, Received on March 31=10 days)
Shipping Rates of Koreanbuddy: Here
Note: Shipping costs vary depending on the "zone" that you live in (e.g. if I'm in Canada, I'm in Zone 3) and the weight of the package you're ordering. This applies to any shipping activities that travel from Korea to other countries.
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Quality of Parcel Packed
AVECKO & Koreanbuddy: Similar
AVECKO: includes an order receipt inside, uses newspaper to protect product, compact box
*Interesting fact: whatever you put on the special instructions, they'll print it right on the package...even if you intended it for the AVECKO people to read lol*
Koreanbuddy: uses newspaper to protect product shipped, packaged neatly and everything looks exactly the same as how they looked when they got it in Korea
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Final Verdict? That's a decision for you to make!
To be honest, it really depends on how much you're buying and what you're buying.
If you're only buying one item/ a few items, check the total amount first!
---If 10% of your order= less than $5, go for Koreanbuddy
---If 10% of your order=MORE than $5, AVECKO is better for you (provided that you're buying less than $50-worth of goods).
If you're spending more than $50 dollars, choose either one ---If you want to get your products faster, go for Koreanbuddy ;)
If you are trying to buy from a Naver blog/private seller, obviously go for Koreanbuddy.
**If you happen to see a referral code for Koreanbuddy, use it! That'll give you a 50% discount on their service charge! Just tell them in advance and they'll make a note of it when you pay. And you will get a 50% discount on the Koreanbuddy fee next time(for your next purchase)too! For more information, read this.**
--> Here is my referral code that you could use for Koreanbuddy: dmsrimt
Shipping time i.e. The Wait
For shipping, I always go with the cheapest option. Because shipping is not a product that you can physically GET. It's just a service that gets goods to your hands. Unless you can't wait/ need to get that product asap, I would recommend you to do the same. Just think about the money you'll save!
AVECKO
Registered airmail: 2-6 Weeks
(Most Recent Order: Shipped on March 20, Received on April 13= 24 days)
Shipping Rates of AVECKO:
Koreanbuddy
Registered Regular Mail: 2-3 Weeks
(Most Recent Order: Shipped on March 21, Received on March 31=10 days)
Shipping Rates of Koreanbuddy: Here
Note: Shipping costs vary depending on the "zone" that you live in (e.g. if I'm in Canada, I'm in Zone 3) and the weight of the package you're ordering. This applies to any shipping activities that travel from Korea to other countries.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Quality of Parcel Packed
AVECKO & Koreanbuddy: Similar
AVECKO: includes an order receipt inside, uses newspaper to protect product, compact box
*Interesting fact: whatever you put on the special instructions, they'll print it right on the package...even if you intended it for the AVECKO people to read lol*
Koreanbuddy: uses newspaper to protect product shipped, packaged neatly and everything looks exactly the same as how they looked when they got it in Korea
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Final Verdict? That's a decision for you to make!
To be honest, it really depends on how much you're buying and what you're buying.
If you're only buying one item/ a few items, check the total amount first!
---If 10% of your order= less than $5, go for Koreanbuddy
---If 10% of your order=MORE than $5, AVECKO is better for you (provided that you're buying less than $50-worth of goods).
If you're spending more than $50 dollars, choose either one ---If you want to get your products faster, go for Koreanbuddy ;)
If you are trying to buy from a Naver blog/private seller, obviously go for Koreanbuddy.
**If you happen to see a referral code for Koreanbuddy, use it! That'll give you a 50% discount on their service charge! Just tell them in advance and they'll make a note of it when you pay. And you will get a 50% discount on the Koreanbuddy fee next time(for your next purchase)too! For more information, read this.**
--> Here is my referral code that you could use for Koreanbuddy: dmsrimt
Happy shopping :)
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI've used your referral code :D If you're using KoreanBuddy again, please use my code as well
ReplyDeletecode: APRISNOW
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIn trying to comment on your reply on my iPhone, the experience is extremely painful. I believe the experience doesn’t have to be identical, but the design and abilities you give a user should be seamless. You showed a great example of bad responsive design, but there’s quite a good examples. The best argument against responsive design is if the business does not need to optimize for anything other than desktop. I think we both agree to that, correct? However, if you have users on a mobile device, responsive design can be a good solution as the site will fit any screen size, not just fixed breakpoints. It really all depends on what the business needs are and who the user is. Yet, this isn’t necessarily a case against responsive design. If the business doesn’t need it, it just means they don’t need to support mobile. Responsive design is one solution to mobile, not “the” answer. Thanks for your reply. (Ignore any typos as the iPhone experience on here is bad.) PS: Ironically, I initially tried replying to this via my iPhone and there was no Submit Comment button after typing it all out (very painful typing on the iPhone). Then I grabbed my iPad thinking “surely it’ll be there” and it wasn’t. So I’ve had to resort to using my desktop computer to reply to your comment. While this doesn’t support my argument at all, it at least shows a site needs to optimize for whatever their users are on and they need to test on multiple devices.
ReplyDeleteJoseph Donahue
The main issue (and this went way over most people’s heads, seemingly) is that most web designers are far too precious about responsive web design. It seems untouchable amongst certain groups. Whilst responsive design can be beneficial in certain circumstances, it is not a cure-all for web design across multiple platforms, and there are downsides to going responsive. It’s nice that you’ve highlighted that fact in your comment.
ReplyDeleteKelly Hubbard
Implementing or not implementing a responsive design website should fall under the category “it depends”. Not every website needs to be responsive and each project should look at metrics before making a decisions one way or another. Apps are nice and have a purpose, but maintenance of apps will kill you in the end.Server logs and analytics should indicate the type of browsers and platforms visiting your site. The last project was an even split of desktop to mobile visitors with over 90% of all visitors visiting surfing a small group of pages. So why build two different sites for a handful of pages.
ReplyDeleteIf your client is planning to post URLs on billboards, transit and transit stops, then a mobile first option should be considered.RWD is really about building for ubiquity. We do not know the platforms or devices that will be used six months from now. But we do know that they will most likely have a web browser or browser based services. Responsive, progressive enhancement and adaptive design are all part of the evolution of delivering content.In the end, users are only looking for content. So realistically, we should be looking at a content first strategy. Give the users what they want and let the content be the same independent of platform. If you don’t, users will get the content they want using clipping services such as Instapaper or Readability.
Harold Burton
is a wash. Have you ever actually tried to “stock up” on produce? It doesnt work because it spoils way faster that you can eat it if you are a single or 2 person household.
ReplyDeleteAlso, by the time you drive to Target for this, CVS for that toiletry the few cents or dollars you may save, you have burned way more in time or fuel.
Jayme Silvestri
I like your thoughts, on your time here! I agree with just about everything you said about Korea…it is definitely not a cheap country compared to other places in Asia, that is for sure! Since I have been living here for about 6 weeks now, I have discovered the cheap places to eat in my neighborhood. Kim bap places are the way to go…two of us eat well for $10, it is awesome!
ReplyDeleteHolly Hooper
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ReplyDelete