iherb

[eezergood]

Hye guys, we are back in LOS so just trying to get back up to speed. Who does/has used iherb, any issues? alternatively where do you get your supplements, webistes are much appreciated thanks in advance

[Ijustcashier]

Been using i herb for years. No problems and they have a loyalty program

Sent from my Redmi Note 3 using Tapatalk

[eezergood]

thanks

[daveAustin]

Used them couple times. Second time customs charges worked out more than products (after they stipulated they wouldn't). Returned to sender, promised a refund, never happened. I won't use them again.

[rixalex]

I used them once and the service was good. For first time customers they give you a discount. Something like 5 dollars. I haven't used them again though as without the discount, the items were a fairly similar price on Lazada. The problem is that with heavyish stuff, the discount they offer for ordering multiple items, is outweighed by the increase in postage costs. If you are ordering something light, it might well be worth using them.

[muskoka]

I have used them regularly for a couple years now. Keep your order between $40-$80 US and under 4lbs, never had customs charges.

 

Doug

 

[eezergood]

any alternatives?

[farmerkevin]

Hi guys, check out http://www.vitalthai.com for sports supplements such as electrolytes, gels, energy bars, etc. Also hydration gear such as bottles, Camelbak-style packs and so on. Free express shipping around Thailand.

[rascalman]

I have used long time, just got my recent order. Products and service great! 

[Lefty]

I had 4 iHERB shipments arrive as scheduled this week.no import or shipping issues.Very cheap shipping cost.

Lefty

[Arkady]

I have discovered that on some or maybe all products iHerb offers cheaper pricing for US delivery than for Thailand delivery and probably to other overseas destinations.  I went into the website by chance using a browser that I had not used for iHerb before, so it had none of their cookies in it. I located the product I was interested in ordering, put it in the cart and it showed the price for US delivery with free shipping.  When I changed the delivery destination to Thailand, suddenly the base price shot up 11% and shipping was added on top of that (as expected).  I emailed their customer services about it and got back four emails denying there was differential pricing for different countries. Finally after I sent them screen shots with the evidence I got an email containing the following admission, "We have a different promotion for a different country so some products are marked different price." 

 

I had been wondering how they could charge only $3.43 to ship two bottles of supplements to Thailand. Now I know.  They mark up the base price, so that they don't make a loss on the shipping.  Once you have gone into the website and requested a price for shipping to Thailand, they will put cookies in your browser, so you cannot see the US prices again without using a clean browser.  

 

If the prices are still OK, I will still buy from them but will be more careful in comparing local prices and prices from other US sellers in future. I can accept that they shouldn't make a loss on the shipping but I resent the deception and differential pricing (we see enough of that here already).  I would prefer if they charged us the real product price and the actual price of shipping and asked customer services to pass on my comments to that effect to management, although expect that they won't.  

[Arkady]

Fortunately the Thai E-Commerce bill that was going to repeal the VAT exemption for packages coming by mail valued at under 1,500 baht got stuck in the Council in State and the Prayut appointed legislature was unable to nod it through, as planned. Let's hope the next government will let it die. Thailand Post and the Customs Dept don't have the resources to open every single package anyway, as is required when tax is charged, so it would have probably led to chaos. I couldn't see iHerb agreeing to register for Thai VAT and paying nonrecoverable tax to the Thai government either.  They probably would have just stopped shipping to Thailand.

[uhuh]

On 4/9/2017 at 11:47 AM, muskoka said:

I have used them regularly for a couple years now. Keep your order between $40-$80 US and under 4lbs, never had customs charges.

 

Doug

 

It used to be like this,  but for a couple of years now my post office/ customs will charge me about 500 baht if price over 50 USD.

This means i must go to the post office to pick up my package,  no delivery to my condo anymore.

 

So now i keep my orders very small,  under 45 USD.

[Arkady]

On 4/18/2019 at 11:29 PM, uhuh said:

It used to be like this,  but for a couple of years now my post office/ customs will charge me about 500 baht if price over 50 USD.

This means i must go to the post office to pick up my package,  no delivery to my condo anymore.

 

So now i keep my orders very small,  under 45 USD.

The exemption from tax for small packages coming by post is up to 1,500 baht.  Since we don't know what exchange rate they use, it is advisable to err on the side of caution.

 

I was told by a friend of my brother-in-law who used to work at a post office in Bangkok that they x-ray every package that comes via registered mail to check for illicit products but rarely steal registered packages for obvious reasons.  Small unregistered packages, he said, were never x-rayed unless they looked suspicious but were more often stolen by post office staff as  an accepted perquisite of the job, since they are untraceable. Technically supplements and vitamins or anything that looks like medicine can be blocked by the FDA which has officials working with the postal customs, as overseas products are usually not licensed by them, or if they are, should be coming through the official importer. It seems better to use low cost unregistered mail, since these are low value items anyway. I have only lost about 3 packages sent by unregistered mail over the years for all types of products, not just iHerb (probably about a 1% loss rate which may may be around the intended theft rate to keep it low enough to avoid investigations).  But I think the shipping options offered by iHerb to Thailand are both unregistered.  DHL handles the shipment on the US side and delivers to Thailand Post for local delivery for both methods offered.  The more expensive offers limited local tracking and the very cheap one doesn't. Both should avoid Thai tax under 1,500 baht.  I use the cheap one which may be less secure but has always arrived quite fast without losses in my experience to date.

[uhuh]

I always used the cheapest method. Never lost a package. 

But I haven't received yet 100 packages,  so statistically it makes sense.