I’ve promised a couple of friends and relatives a tutorial on how to use Gmarket Korea (Gmarket Global) and I know I had been procrastinating doing the tutorials for awhile already. But this time, I wanna get down and get serious. Lol. Gmarket, though is so complex that I decided to break down the tutorial into different parts just so we can be thorough.

And here’s Part 1. We’ll be covering the (1) overview and some general faq’s (2) home page navigation guide.

• What is Gmarket?

• Which Gmarket site are you using? 

• Is it free to register? Is there a membership fee?

Registration is FREE. Gmarket does not charge any membership fee.  You may register using this link: Gmarket Registration.

• Is the site in English?

Gmarket in itself is in English (navigation, customer service page etc), however majority of the sellers have their product pages in Korean. A lot of them list their items name, descriptions in Korean. This can be a huge turn off for some but hey! no pain no gain, right? And we shopping addicts would definitely go to some length to get the goodies.

It might require some learning curve and a big help from web translators like Google Translate but once you get the hang of using these translators plus a serving of patience, you’ll be fine.

• What are the payment forms accepted?

At the time of writing, Gmarket accepts all major credit cards including VISA, Master and JBC, PayPal Express Checkout, Bank transfer (if you had Korean bank account)and so on. However, to use VISA or Master cards, you need to install credit card security payment system. (Downloads security payment system from credit card company’s homepage or issued bank’s homepage)

• What countries do they ship to? What are the fees?

Please refer to this worldwide shipping page: Gmarket Shipping Fees and Available Countries.

• How does the ordering process go?

The process is actually fast and easy.

1. Do the shopping: choose your items, place your orders and pay for it.
2. Each individual seller would then prepare and deliver your order to Gmarket warehouse.
3. Gmarket will consolidate your items into one package.
4. Package will be sent for international shipping.

• Do I have to pay for domestic shipping?

It depends on the seller. Based on my experience, sellers of small items charge a minimal fee of 2500 Won or below for shipping. Some items worth 10,000 Won up are usually delivered free domestically. In any case, the seller would indicate on the product page if they charge a domestic shipping fee.

• Is tracking available for packages?

For domestic shipping (sellers > Gmarket warehouse), it depends on the seller’s choice of courier.

For international shipping (Gmarket warehouse > you), yes, EMS has package tracking available.

• Do I need to pay customs fees?

The general rule is that for majority of countries (if not all) when you ship goods you have to pay taxes. The amount really varies depending on your country’s tariff and the declared value. Gmarket packages are usually declared with low prices so the usual taxes are low or sometimes none at all. But keep in mind this will vary depending on your country’s rules and what you have purchased.

Finally, here’s the Gmarket homepage and a simple guide on navigating it. [click on the image for a full view]

1. Your GMarket Registration | Sign-In area.
2. MyGmarket link. You may access your G-account here. Including wishlists, events/coupons and some perks.
3. Product Categories. When you hover your mouse on the bar, it will also show a drop down of sub-categories for easy searching. You may also use the search bar above this.
4. Best-seller panel. What’s the hottest. Lists also bestsellers per country, best minishops as well as best SOHO shops.
5. Online customer chat.
6. Top Bloggers. Read on blogs of Gmarket shoppers. Great place to check out buyer experiences.
7. Bestsellers per category.
8. News and Events. Some important announcements here.
9. Gmarket SOHO shops. Premium shops usually for Apparel and Accessories.
10. Customer service link. Access to FAQ’s and shopping help.

This will be a series of posts so watch out for the next one.

Hubby got me another addiction: custom made shoes! There are some popular cobblers here in Phnom Penh and the one most popular with expats would be Beautiful Shoes in St. 143. My husband has been making some of his shoes there for so long already and I rarely pay any attention. Until, I heard some of my friends too have their shoes made there so last month I tagged along on his shoe shopping trip and got to see for myself what the fuss was about.

And yeah, its really worth a fuss. Custom made shoes for a really cheap price. Men shoes go for about $30 up depending on the style and the leather you pick. Ladies shoes are a lot cheaper with sandals and slip-ons for $12-20, casual shoes, flats -$20 up, boots about $50 up. What’s really great aside from the prices is that you can make your own design or mix and match from their designs and photos and have them made for you. You can also pick out the leather or fabric for your shoes.

Of course, I’m not about to miss out on this so I decided to give it a try.  It’s usually hard to find cheap shoes that are well made. I’ve been salivating after this Spirit by Lucchese Carly (Zappos) sandals buy I can’t possibly afford it, its about $198 so I decided to have this copied minus the leather braided detail. And at Beautiful Shoes it just cost me $19. A bit pricey coz I picked a thicker but soft leather.

Anyways, I’m still waiting to pick this up then I’ll ordering a couple more casual shoes soon. As of now I have about 6 designs on the drawing board I want to have copied. And I will be updating this space once I get the customized sandals next week.

Sigh, I’m pretty sure this is going to be addictive. I could imagine myself getting so into this just like when I was so into bean bags, I was regularly prowling SoothingBeanBags.com for bean bag chairs. Ha!

I’m making some serious cutbacks on my shopping this year. Especially on my online shopping madness. We have a couple of big purchases in sight as well as some travels on the drawing board that I really cannot afford to do a lot of shopping. But that doesn’t mean I can’t ogle and add stuff on my wishlist.

At least for now its staying on the wishlist and not going to the cart. Ha! I’m learning the art of self control. Lol. At least this one’s a very trimmed down wishlist, it doesn’t include apparel, stuff for the home like corner fireplace, or accessories. The list just consists of Bags and Shoes. A lot of them. Hahaha..

This afternoon, I was hanging about Amazon. Nope, not looking for accel oxygen sensor, but I was browsing for some affordable clothes for my nine year old daughter who is growing so fast her wardrobe can’t keep up with her. I think this is the hardest stage to shop when it comes to kids – pre-teens!

Clothes that fit her are hard to come by and when they do most of them are too expensive. I’m really wary about spending a lot on something she won’t use for long. Even online the ones I want are hard to come by.

In any case I found these Tea Collection sets at Amazon and it might be interesting to some who are looking for little girls dresses for ages 2-6. How I wish they had this for 9 year olds, I would definitely buy them in a flash.

10 years ago, I never thought I’d ever be shopping online. I imagine a lot of people think that way too. And a whole of people still are wary about shopping online. But not me. I’ve been shopping online for years already, and while there had been not so good experiences, most of the time I hit it right at the ballpark.

So why did I get into it? Not really because I’m an early adopter than most people. Its simply because (1) I can find really unique stuff online (2) I’m lazy. Hahaha! Yes, the joys of just sitting and having your stuff delivered to your doorstep has its great advantages. (3) The anticipation. I think this is one of the reasons I love most when shopping online. Nothing beats the giddy feeling of opening packages. I call it Christmas for all seasons and (4) Lots of great deals and coupons.

If you are into shopping online, you need to get into the habit of checking for coupons. And believe me you can get lots of discounts and perks with coupons. I search for coupons for 100% of things I buy online, even if they are just small items like toggle clamps! And its not hard to find one either, just google and for sure something will come up. If you also have shops you regularly shop from, you can subscribe to the shops newsletters, some send regular shopping coupons for your use.

Take time to look for coupons when shopping online. That’s one thrifting tip that I would really really recommend.

Image: digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Oh. This is just A.D.O.R.A.B.L.E! How I wish my kiddo was still small. Totsy, a member only shopping site is holding a romper and dress blowout sale for little sweethearts aged 4-6. It ends 3 days from now so hurry, hurry! Stocks are limited. If you need an invite to sign up – click here.

Here’s just a preview:

Girls Lace Trim A-Line Dress Peacoat Navy – $48, now only $21.

Multi Layered Dots & Bubbles Sundress Multi – $56 now only $20

I’m a happy girl here. In fact, I did a little happy dance when I got this. With no one seeing it of course. Hahaha. I’m blabbing about my bucket bag from Artscow!

Of course, I’m crazy about coupons and discounts. Oh, yes, I’m the sort of mom who hangs about sites and subscribe to newsletters so I could get some coupons on flowers for easter. And why not?

Just like this bucket bag, I got a couple of credits for assorted things because I liked Artscow facebook page and subscribe to their newsletter. They are incredibly generous and often send product credits and discounts via email or FB. The coupons I got, I used to buy some gifts for friends and also a bucket bag for myself. For several personalized items, I just paid less than $20 for shipping and template use. A super good deal considering I got some really good stuff for free.

And my favorite would be this Girl on A Thrift Hunt bucket bag.

I was expecting this to be so so quality, but its not. Very well made with good lining and very good stitching. The design is adorable, which I picked out and customized myself.

If you like personalized stuff, go ahead sign up at Artscow and subscribe to their newsletter. They give out some really fabulous stuff.