SHEIN - Ordering from South Africa + tips and tricks

January 12, 2022 The Muse Drop 3 Comments

Often whilst scrolling through social media, I would come across SHEIN ads. It always looked pretty tempting but each time I would ignore the ads because I didn’t know if I’d actually receive my parcel or if it really was too good to be true. But as I saw more and more people purchasing from them and actually receiving their orders, I realized that it probably was reliable but I would only know if I actually tested it out myself. With skepticism rife in me, I decided to give it a try.

And since that first order, I placed over five more orders. 

Shipping:
Since all of my orders were pretty large, I didn’t have to pay shipping. Any order above R1050 will qualify for free shipping. Sometimes they have specials where any order above R600 will qualify for free shipping (it looks like these specials are on weekends).

My parcels generally came within a month of placing the order. My first order came in week 5 and my third order came 10 days later. So it really just depends on the logistics of it all. However, you do receive detailed tracking information throughout the process so you know exactly where your order is.

Also, when you place your order, they do give you an estimated date of delivery. If your order does not arrive by the estimated date of delivery, they usually inform you and sometimes they also give you extra points for the inconvenience. I would suggest waiting a week after the estimated date of delivery before notifying them of a late delivery.

Parcels either come with Buffalo Logistics or Aramex and are delivered through Fastway.

I noticed that it comes through Buffalo Logistics if you have to pay customs and with Aramex if you don’t have to pay customs (based on my experience. However, I don’t know if this is always the case).

Also, on the date of delivery, I usually received an SMS which notified me that my order was out for delivery.

Customs:
You will be notified of any customs that are due through SMS, email and an automated phone call. 

Customs are calculated in China before your items are shipped. 

Generally, I noticed that you pay between 10%-25% of customs on most orders (as an avid online shopper, the amount of customs aren’t too bad - especially considering the fact that I once paid 90% of the purchase price on a makeup order (Morphe) when using Aramex Global Shopper).

However, if your order consists mainly of accessories or non-clothing items, you may not even pay customs. It really is a hit or miss, I suppose.

Prior to 18 September 2021, SHEIN would actually refund you half of the customs you paid. Unfortunately, they no longer do this. Trust me, I’ve tried!

Each SHEIN item is neatly packed into a reusable ziplock bag. Surprisingly, these bags are great quality and can be used multiple times for multiple purposes.

Quality:
So although the products offered on the SHEIN website are cheap, the quality is pretty impressive (not taking their in-house high-end brands into consideration. Brands such as MOTF, which is under the SHEIN umbrella, is more expensive).

As a general rule of thumb, you should remember that you get what you pay for. However, a lot of the products are actually of a great quality. The fabrics used seem to be great, the sizing is good and the workmanship is good. 
Items such as jewelry and handbags may be a total miss though because it is extremely cheap and the quality isn’t great. Belts and hair accessories are actually decent and I have no complaints about the quality (after taking into consideration the prices I paid). 

Always always ALWAYS read the reviews before purchasing ANYTHING. The reviews give you an indication on the overall quality, the quality of the fabric, the workmanship and the sizing. 

All of the items I have ordered have been washed and ironed (if necessary) and all of the items are still in one piece and are still in perfect condition. 

Sizing:
Always look at the size guide, measurements and reviews of the item before selecting a size.

Most items are true to size but some of the items may be larger or smaller than expected.

Payment methods:
SHEIN accepts the following payment methods:

• Debit/credit card

• Apple Pay

• Paypal

Returns: 
I have never tried returning any of the items I purchased from SHEIN because I did not want to go through the admin and I don’t think it’s worth paying the shipping fee to ship the item back to SHEIN.

SHEIN brands:
(Please note that this is not an exhaustive list)

• SHEIN TALL - for taller women 

• SHEIN SXY - sexy clothing (modeled by people that have that Kim K bod)

• SHEIN BASICS - basic wear 

• SHEIN CURVE PLUS - for plus sizes

• SHEIN PETITE - for petite women 

• SHEIN men - for men

• SHEIN kids - for kids

• SHEIN basic living - bath, body and homeware

• SHEGLAM - SHEIN beauty 

• MOTF - premium brand

• DAZY - streetwear

• EMERY ROSE - boutique clothing 

• GLOWMODE - athleisure 

• PETSIN - for pets

• LUVLETTE - intimate wear

• CUCCOO - footwear

Tips:
• Always use the discount codes that are available.
• Try to include more accessories in your order so that customs are low/no customs.
• Always pay the shipping insurance. It’s only R16 and you will receive regular updates on the status of your order.
• Always look out for their deals. Sometimes their deals are AMAZING!
• Download the app and check in everyday so that you can accrue points. You can use these points when you’re placing orders. (Note: you need to go to your profile and click the check in button in order to receive points. Just going on to the app does not count as a check in).
• Sign up for SHEIN VIP for further discounts.
• Always read the reviews before making a purchase.
• Know your measurements and compare it to the measurements of the clothing item.
• Write your own reviews on your purchases as you will earn more points. Remember, these points can be used towards your next purchase. $1 = 1 point (remember that items on the website are displayed in Rands so the $1 depends on the exchange rate used. Every 100 points = $1 which will lessen your purchase price when placing an order.