I know there have been some questions about farfetch.com posted on TPF....mostly because I had questions myself and searched here for answers, finding the threads! I thought I would share my story for reference to help future buyers. On a side note, I have absolutely nothing to do with the company aside from purchasing something from them recently.
The positives: They sell authentic merchandise and for people in the US, some of their prices may be a bit lower to substantially lower than on US sites because the item doesn't have to travel through customs from its place of manufacture to the US, allowing them to offer them at a lower price. At least that's my understanding.
Shipping also seems to be very secure and fast. I ordered on the 11th and received my item today (two days of that were the weekend). The item moved swiftly through customs and straight to my door, trackable every step of the way.
They also packaged it quite nicely and all appropriate tags were as they should be.
Communication was excellent with progress updates along the way. I also got a follow up email within hours of receiving my package to make sure I liked my purchase and there were no problems.
The negatives: They have no customer service phone line. Have a question? You have to email. I asked my question regarding customs charges about an hour before caving in and buying my item. The question was answered today..the same day my item made it all the way from italy to my door step. Not so speedy. I understand it's hard to have international 1-800 numbers, but for the caliber of merchandise they sell, they really should have one. I did take a survey while on their website in which they asked about having a customer service line. Hopefully they will get one soon and crawl out of the stone age!
The buyer is also responsible for UPS brokerage fees...fortunately, mine were only something like $10, so not so bad. Since it's shipped UPS you can also bet it's going to get hit with customs duties. I thought I had mine figured out on the Harmonized Tariff Schedule, but customs thought they would charge me the higher percentage for a material that only composed 10% of the item. I was left with my jaw on the ground when my UPS man came to collect a bill for three times what I had expected to pay. At first I sent him away planning to call UPS since the package had no customs break-down on it, but quickly changed my mind and hunted him down not wanting to wait around all day tomorrow for a re-delivery! I called UPS and spoke with three very kind women, one of which kindly changed the duty amount to the correct amount and assured me I would be receive a refund check. Assuming she was being honest, she was the nicest and most effective customer service representative I have ever dealt with. So bottom line, look up your fees beforehand so you know what you SHOULD be paying, but prepare for customs to try to take advantage of you. There is no customs form on the item, so you have to call UPS to find out what % you were charged and what the brokerage fee was. The number to start with in the US to reach UPS brokerage is 502-485-2222. Also keep the fees in mind because a good deal can turn into a bad one depending on your country and the taxes you will have to pay.
Far Fetch relinquishes any responsibility for the item once mailed and it sounds like it would be hard to get a refund for an INR- they want you to wait 30 days and submit a claim in writing. On a positive note, with the service they use, items are unlikely to get lost.
Far fetch also will only refund the purchase price minus shipping fees and customs fees they incur. So, if you are unsure of your size or the item, they might not be your best bet. If you get hit with $100 customs and they get hit with $100 customs on the return, you're $200 plus about $150 in shipping in the hole on the item. I've never had to return something internationally, so I don't know if there is any way around these fees on a return, but you would at least have to pay shipping and brokerage fees.
Bottom Line:
With the exception of a customs error, I had an extremely smooth purchasing experience with Far Fetch and I would certainly buy from them again as long as the purchase price plus the customs price made it cost effective. Everything was expected and I was kept updated on the status of my order every step of the way. They informed me about the customs charges beforehand, I just wish there had been a link to the harmonized tariff schedule on the website, or info on what the taxes would be for shoes, shirts, jackets, etc. It was kind of hard for me to figure out myself. For reference here is the schedule for US citizens: http://hts.usitc.gov/
I also wish they had a customer service phone number...something which they will hopefully get soon.
Hopefully this helps others out!
The positives: They sell authentic merchandise and for people in the US, some of their prices may be a bit lower to substantially lower than on US sites because the item doesn't have to travel through customs from its place of manufacture to the US, allowing them to offer them at a lower price. At least that's my understanding.
Shipping also seems to be very secure and fast. I ordered on the 11th and received my item today (two days of that were the weekend). The item moved swiftly through customs and straight to my door, trackable every step of the way.
They also packaged it quite nicely and all appropriate tags were as they should be.
Communication was excellent with progress updates along the way. I also got a follow up email within hours of receiving my package to make sure I liked my purchase and there were no problems.
The negatives: They have no customer service phone line. Have a question? You have to email. I asked my question regarding customs charges about an hour before caving in and buying my item. The question was answered today..the same day my item made it all the way from italy to my door step. Not so speedy. I understand it's hard to have international 1-800 numbers, but for the caliber of merchandise they sell, they really should have one. I did take a survey while on their website in which they asked about having a customer service line. Hopefully they will get one soon and crawl out of the stone age!
The buyer is also responsible for UPS brokerage fees...fortunately, mine were only something like $10, so not so bad. Since it's shipped UPS you can also bet it's going to get hit with customs duties. I thought I had mine figured out on the Harmonized Tariff Schedule, but customs thought they would charge me the higher percentage for a material that only composed 10% of the item. I was left with my jaw on the ground when my UPS man came to collect a bill for three times what I had expected to pay. At first I sent him away planning to call UPS since the package had no customs break-down on it, but quickly changed my mind and hunted him down not wanting to wait around all day tomorrow for a re-delivery! I called UPS and spoke with three very kind women, one of which kindly changed the duty amount to the correct amount and assured me I would be receive a refund check. Assuming she was being honest, she was the nicest and most effective customer service representative I have ever dealt with. So bottom line, look up your fees beforehand so you know what you SHOULD be paying, but prepare for customs to try to take advantage of you. There is no customs form on the item, so you have to call UPS to find out what % you were charged and what the brokerage fee was. The number to start with in the US to reach UPS brokerage is 502-485-2222. Also keep the fees in mind because a good deal can turn into a bad one depending on your country and the taxes you will have to pay.
Far Fetch relinquishes any responsibility for the item once mailed and it sounds like it would be hard to get a refund for an INR- they want you to wait 30 days and submit a claim in writing. On a positive note, with the service they use, items are unlikely to get lost.
Far fetch also will only refund the purchase price minus shipping fees and customs fees they incur. So, if you are unsure of your size or the item, they might not be your best bet. If you get hit with $100 customs and they get hit with $100 customs on the return, you're $200 plus about $150 in shipping in the hole on the item. I've never had to return something internationally, so I don't know if there is any way around these fees on a return, but you would at least have to pay shipping and brokerage fees.
Bottom Line:
With the exception of a customs error, I had an extremely smooth purchasing experience with Far Fetch and I would certainly buy from them again as long as the purchase price plus the customs price made it cost effective. Everything was expected and I was kept updated on the status of my order every step of the way. They informed me about the customs charges beforehand, I just wish there had been a link to the harmonized tariff schedule on the website, or info on what the taxes would be for shoes, shirts, jackets, etc. It was kind of hard for me to figure out myself. For reference here is the schedule for US citizens: http://hts.usitc.gov/
I also wish they had a customer service phone number...something which they will hopefully get soon.
Hopefully this helps others out!
