vsHub: Shopping, shipping American goods made easy.
Gone are the days when many web surfers could only gaze at the computer screen and literally “window-shop” for items they wished they could buy from US stores.
With many eBay sellers refusing to ship items here, Malaysians were left with the unattractive options of flying to the US to buy the goods, or do without.
But with the debut of vsHub (short for Virtual Shopping Hub), a local parcel forwarding service aimed at reducing the hassle of online shopping and shipping, all that is a thing of the past.
Tricore Pte Ltd general manager Wong Yee Huei, a Malaysian and a self-confessed online shopaholic, said people who went online to purchase items previously had to deal with many obstacles, some of which include web stores that only accept credit cards issued in the United States, and clearing local customs.
At their wits´ end, Wong and business partner Lok Kwok Leong, decided to establish vsHub.
“People prefer shopping online because many products are significantly cheaper online even after factoring in the shipping cost,” said Wong.
“But the snag lies in the fact that many are wary of using their credit cards to purchase items online,” he said.
According to Wong, once users become a vsHub member, they will get a physical US address, which is used as the local mailing address when shopping online, and get the products re-delivered to their address in Malaysia.
“Registration with vsHub is free. You will only be charged once you start using the parcel forwarding service.”
The company provides two shipping options — standard and express.
Wong says users who opt for the standard shipment option will receive their parcel in six to eight working days from the time payment for shipping is received.
“For those who can´t wait that long, the express shipment delivery only takes between two to three days.”
“Shipping costs start from RM76.55 for standard and RM185.39 for express for a minimum 500g parcel,” he added.
vsHub also allows users to consolidate all their purchases from various websites and get them shipped all at one go to save on shipping costs.
What if you do not own a credit card? The company has also introduced a concierge service to enable customers who don´t own a credit card to purchase items online.
“Tell us what you want to purchase and we will purchase it on your behalf,” he said.
The company which was established in Singapore, has also started its concierge service for Japan.
Soon, members will be able to purchase items online from Great Britain, Taiwan and South Korea.
For details, visit www.id.vshub.com.
Published Date : 02 March 2010
Source : Streets, New Straits Times
