5 Things Online Sellers Wish Their Customers Knew

Online shopping with just 'a click of a button' . Sometimes we wish it's as
easy as that!

Contrary to public belief, Online Selling is a daunting job. As it is, we are selling just more than 30 different items and it's already a task too tough. I'm sure other online sellers agree with me when I say, a lot of it has to do with difficult customers. If only our customers know these few things, transactions would be a lot lot smoother:

#1. Reading saves a lot of time, effort and money. 

We put a lot of effort in posting our products on Facebook and on ad sites like OLX or AyosDito, from taking a photo, editing them to make them look appealing, typing the product specs and posting them to ad portals. 

When customers ask the question, "How much?" or "What is the color?", it just drives us a bit nuts. Why? These are basic information, already written on the post. 

"Basa-basa din 'pag may time." lol

If you're on Facebook, take the time to read the description on the right side/
or at the bottom of the picture. You'll see that the price and the product
specifications are already there.

#2. Your name and location are vital information. 

Starting your message with your name and location, helps us label orders correctly. We are also able to save your information in our Contacts making followup messages easier to answer. Letting us know your location also helps us calculate the shipping cost and it helps us identify you from other customers. We understand how these info are personal, but please don't keep your name and location from us, there is just no way we could go about the transaction without them.

#3. When your package is lost or delayed in transit, it is not our fault. 

We understand that it is totally upsetting if your parcel arrives late, so much so if you totally lose it. We can help you track and trace it, but we can only do so much. How the courier delivers the items, is beyond the seller's control. Please understand that we are in no way affiliated with the courier, if something bad happens to your items, we are just as much of a victim as you are.

#4. We won't be able to answer your messages right away but WE WILL. 

We receive a ton of messages everyday. We receive, product inquiries, orders, tracking assistance from FB, OLX or AyosDito customers on a daily basis. And with this we also take care of packaging, shipping, inventory, accounting and resupplying. So you can only imagine the tasks we take on, to make sure everything is in perfect order. We try our best to answer the messages as soon as we can, but most of the time we are inundated with tasks. Please be patient. Flooding our inbox will just make answering your messages more difficult and it delays incoming messages as well.

We multi-task on a regular basis. Together with answering online and text inquiries,
we pack, ship and account orders.

#5. A good customer review goes a long way. 

Leaving a feedback on Facebook or OLX helps us look good to our customers. It helps us gain better reputation and sales. We work hard to give good service, a good feedback helps us do it even better!

This is our facebook page. We are currently rated at 4.5 stars, maybe you can
help us make it a 5? *wink*

We hope you liked what you read. If you are an online seller, share your thoughts on the matter. We'd love to hear it. 

Lady Mustache : My Biggest Pet Peeve!

This isn't online shopping-related but we sell beauty products, so somehow there's a bit of connection... no? ... well, really I just want to share one of my biggest beauty-peeves --lady-stache / lady mustache / muse-tache, however it's called. [ In Filipino, people refer to it as Lady Bigote or Lady Swabe ]  :)

I'm not the hairy type but I wax  / spring / thread / tweeze my lady-stache at least every 2 weeks. And it is for the following reasons:

1. Makeup clumps on your lady-stache. The hair traps sweat from the area surrounding your nose and when you start sweating, your makeup clumps, forming an awful white mustache.

2. It darkens the philtrum area no matter how fine the stache is. Wait... what is the philtrum? ... it's the area just above your upper lip, under your nostrils, where the stache grows. Filipina women have naturally black hair. No Filipina is born with brown hair. This means that every part of the body has hairs of the same color. Now, not all Filipinas have olive skin, some of us have light skin so if your skin is light even the finest facial hair casts a shadow on your skin making you look hairier than you really are. 

3. It catches food, picks up powder and holds dust. If you eat a sandwich, polvoron or espasol, trust me, your lady-stache is going to pick up crumbs of flour and whatnot! 

4. It will make you look masculine. Yesterday at the grocery store counter, I was in the queue with an older  woman. Undoubtedly everybody thought she was male. Even the lady in the counter called her 'sir' repeatedly. But to my surprise, she spoke up, perhaps getting mad at everyone calling her sir, and said "Babae po ako." Heads turned when she spoke. She did have a woman's voice but her lady-stache was thicker than normal, making her look masculine. The saleslady took a second look and then apologized repeatedly... I say... it was an honest mistake. 

So how do you get rid of your lady-stache?

1. Wax . This is my preferred method. It may be the most painful but it's called 'tiis-ganda' for a reason. But the pain is one-time-big-time. There are wax strips available at department stores. Since I'm such a cheapo, I use Glam Works wax strips. They're pretty cheap at less than 150 pesos, available in Watson's and SM department stores.

Remember to disinfect your face before waxing. You can either wash your face or apply alcohol-based or water-based astringent especially on the area you're going to wax. Because if you don't, you'll have acne after 24 hours, AND wax doesn't stick on oily or linty skin.

2. Tweeze . My least preferred method. Tweezing / Springing / Threading is a long, tedious and painful task. But if you don't want to remove all the hair and just tweeze out the thicker ones then this is the way to go. But for myself, I like it totally clean so I prefer wax.

3. Bleach . A painless method but this is not going to get rid of the makeup clumps, or the food getting caught on the stache. Hair bleaching products are readily available in department stores. Check out Sally Hansen and Veet. 

Just a reminder, your skin sheds hair every 2-3 weeks so maintenance is key. Before you know it, your stache is black again after 2 weeks.

4. Laser Hair Removal . A permanent resolution to your stache issues. This is the procedure celebrities go through, like Kim Kardashian, who is naturally hairy, has lasered every part of her body that doesn't need hair (she's virtually bald from the eyebrows down!) But like any cosmetic procedure, it's quite costly. Check out Belo Medical Group and Calayan Surgicentre.

Can I shave my lady-stache?

HEAVENS NO! Shaving is definitely not an option. I can't even begin to explain why. If you want a mustache like Tom Selleck or Lolo Paquito Diaz (God rest his soul) then, by all means. lol  It thickens the hair, increasing the size of the hair follicles. By the time you want to wax or tweeze them, they're already too painful. Even for any body hair, I don't recommend shaving. It's just too abrasive, especially for the top layer of the skin. Plus the nicks and cuts when you get even the least bit careless! Just NO.

Being stache-free adds contrast to bold-colored lipsticks.
It makes for a clean, more polished look.

I hope you found this article insightful somehow. If you have any comments, feel free to drop a line or two on the comments section.

XX Meg XX

P.S. Never over-tweeze your brows! It's your stache that needs more attention. :)

Review on Money Remittance Companies: Cebuana Lhuillier, Western Union, M. Lhuillier, LBC and Palawan Express

Our secondary mode of payment is through money remittance. We accept any agent/ company; however we prefer only 5 which we think are the most reliable. In this post we will review Cebuana Lhuillier, Western Union, LBC, M. Lhuillier and Palawan Express. On our other reviews, we cite each subject's quick stats and some of their pros and cons; however in this review we made a table / chart to better see the comparison of each subject. Take a look...

Click the photo to see it in full size. Copyright 2014 Beauty Box.

Cebuana Lhuillier . Is our second favorite. They may not be the cheapest to send money through; however, their TEXT tracking is highly convenient. 

• Number of Branches: They have the second most number of branches in the Philippines, second to Western Union. 
• Operating Hours: Regular operating hours are from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm 
• Branches Ambiance and Customer Service: Cebuana Lhuillier's branches are very well maintained and are fully airconditioned. Most branches have seats in case there is a need to wait. Customer Service is average.
• Website: Is easy to navigate, however does not have an online tracking option.
• Tracking: Money remittance status is easy to track. Just send an SMS:  CEBUANA<space>STATUS<space>Control Number  and send it to Smart 09209582455, Globe 09178088793 or Sun 09328428562. (This is why we love them. Remittances are very easy to trace). You may call also their hotline (02) 779-9800 (PLDT) or (02) 759-9800 (Globelines)

• For more information click here.

Western Union .Is our third favorite because they are everywhere and online tracking is possible on their website.

• Number of Branches: They have the most number of branches in the Philippines.
• Operating Hours: Varies depending on the branch. In pawnshops operations are usually until 6PM, but in malls they are open for as long as the mall is open.
• Branches Ambiance and Customer Service:  Varies depending on the branch. Where we are in Marikina, some are air-conditioned and in some, you have to wait outdoors lol.
• Website: Is a little dated but money remittance could be tracked for as long as you have the MTCN (Money Transfer Control Number) . You may also call their hotline at 1-800-1-888-1200
• Tracking: Online tracking is possible.
• For more information click here.

M. Lhuillier . Is our least favorite. 

• Number of Branches: They only have a few branches in each city but they have branches in remote areas of the Philippines.
• Operating Hours: Varies depending on the branch. In Metro Manila and other key cities in the Philippines they have branches that are open 24/7 ; however their regular operating hours are 9 AM - 6 PM
• Branches Ambiance and Customer Service: M. Lhuillier's branches are very well maintained and are fully airconditioned; however the queues are just unreal! They handle too many transactions so be ready to lineup for 1-2 hours. (Big No-No!)
• Website: Is the easiest to navigate and the most visually appealing. 
• Tracking: Online tracking is not possible but they do e-mail tracking through customercare@mlhuillier.com, but not if you are in a hurry, just call their hotline at 1-800-105-723-252
• For more information click here.

LBC. Their service is ok but their remittance rates are too high.

• Number of Branches: Branches are well distributed throughout the Philippines. Every city has an LBC Branch or two.
• Operating Hours: Regular operating hours are 9am - 6pm
• Branches Ambiance and Customer Service: Like M. Lhuillier, LBC branches handle too many transactions, from courier services to bills payment to e-loading etc. so be ready to lineup for about an hour in key branches. :(
• Website: The least favorable. Offers very limited information on money remittance. The Web Designer spent more time on the bells and whistles and not the site content. The site is a bit difficult to navigate, with too many pop ups that load very slowly. 
• Tracking: Online tracking is not possible but once the remittance is claimed, LBC sends a text update to the sender. Other than that you can track it by calling their hotline at 8585-999 (Metro Manila) or 1-800-10-8585-999 (Provincial)
• For more information click here.

Palawan Express. Has the lowest remittance charge that's why this is our favorite!

• Number of Branches: There aren't many Palawan Express branches, however you may claim the remittance in any LBC or Tambunting branch! :)
• Operating Hours: Regular operating hours are 8am - 5:30pm
• Branches Ambiance and Customer Service: Most branches aren't air-conditioned and not as well-maintained as Cebuana, ML or LBC; however their service is quite efficient since they only handle a few types of transactions.
• Website: Is easy to navigate and has a Live Chat Option.
• Tracking: Online tracking is not possible but a text update is automatically sent to the recipient and the sender to confirm that the money is ready for remittance. Other than that you can track it by sending them an e-mail through this link.
• For more information click here.

Was this information useful? Let us know by posting a comment. 

Courier Review: LRC Express Courier

Last week, we reviewed LBC, PhilFox and BayadPo Couriers. If you want to read the review, please click here.

Towards the end of last week, we booked a pickup schedule with LRC Express Courier. Our overall experience with them is a 7 on a 1-10 scale with 10 being the best. We gave them that score for of the following reasons... oh wait, here are their quick stats first:

LRC Express Quick Stats:

• Shipping Rate : Metro Manila - 40 Php ; Provincial 90 Php  (Metro Manila Rate includes Rizal Province and Las Pinas)
• Duration : Metro Manila - 1 Day ; Provincial - 1-2 Days
• Online Tracking : No
• Facebook Tracking : No
• Hotline Tracking : Yes (They only have 2 hotlines)
• Text Confirmation : None

Pros:

• Efficient.
• Products are received in mint condition 99% of the time.
• You can book online, or through their Customer Hotline.
• Gives a generous supply of courier parcels and waybills.
• Rizal province, Las Pinas and parts of Laguna are included in their Metro Manila rate
• Can book until 2PM.

Cons:

• Only has 2 customer hotlines and are both busy most of the time.
• No Facebook tracking.
• Waybill number is not the same as tracking number therefore, tracking online is not possible using the waybill number. Tracking number must be obtained by calling the customer hotline.
• Tracking page is not updated.

Website. Their Website is all right. Design-wise, it looks dead (lol) but, it's easy to navigate through. Their tracking page; however, does not update itself at all, even after 3 days from delivery date. The first time we shipped through them was last July 31, but their tracking page still shows zero, zilch, nilch, nada, naught! parcels delivered/ shipped. Take a look...

LRC Express' Home Page looks a bit dull but it's easy to move around in.
Their logo is something a kid would have done on MS Paint (lol).

This is how our tracking page looks like. As you can see it still hasn't reflected all
the parcels we have shipped through them which should be 3 by now.

Their webpage does not have an e-mail or messaging platform. There is just NO WAY to send them feedback or website support tickets. Their site is missing a lot of normal web features. They should at least put up an interactive Facebook page (which, unfortunately, they don't have), it is one way to reach out to their customers and the general online public who want to know more about them.

Booking Process. They support both online and hotline bookings. Online booking is very easy, you are booked for pickup with just a click of a button; BUT there is no e-mail confirmation that your booking has been accepted, unlike BayadPo Courier.

Hotline. The hotline is all right. Their customer service is satisfactory but the wait time isn't. You'll have to dial a couple of times before you reach somebody. Unlike Philfox, LRC Express only has two hotlines, just a landline and a Suncellular no.

Delivery. Their delivery, so far lives up to their promise. One day express delivery is one day indeed. The first time we booked for pickup, the courier driver named Arnold, was happy enough to give us courier bags and waybills, it was a plus! 

Tracking. Tracking is best done calling their hotline. Their website is totally useless for tracking your parcels. Useless, useless, useless! lol   The waybill number is different from their tracking number. Unlike other couriers, the waybill number and the tracking number is one and the same. So this means that there is no way of telling what it is, unless you call the hotline to give them the waybill number so they can trace the tracking number... wow... how about that? Even the tracking number needs to be traced! lol

This is the LRC Express Waybill. It looks very similar to PhilFox's waybill; however
for the LRC Express waybill, the waybill number is not the same as the
tracking number.

That concludes our review for LRC Express. Have you shipped through this courier? If so, let us know your overall experience.

Bogus Buyers The Bane In Online Selling

Their existence is quite known in the industry of online selling. There have been countless Facebook pages dedicated to these merciless, soulless beings. Others even go as far as exposing the Bogus Buyer's facebook profile, phone number, plus screenshots that support the 'bogus-ness' of the individual.

So what are these entities? Why do they exist to torment us? 

My name is Meg, one of the operators of Beauty Box and I am here to share our experience with Bogus Buyers. 

I actually went as far as researching this behavior to try to understand how they come about. And I found out that it is a psychological condition called "Impulse Buying Tendency". Here's the passage that explains the behavior of a person with an 'Impulse Buying Tendency" an article by Dr. Ian Zimmerman from www.psychologytoday.com:

"Some people possess a personality trait called an impulse buying tendency, which as you may have guessed means they have a habit of making impulsive purchases. That might sound innocent, but there are a number of behaviors that go along with this trait that reflect its detrimental influence. First, impulse buyers are more social, status-conscious, and image-concerned. The impulse buyer may therefore buy as a way to look good in the eyes of others.  Second, impulse buyers tend to experience more anxiety and difficulty controlling their emotions, which may make it harder to resist emotional urges to impulsively spend money.  Third, impulse buyers tend to experience lesshappiness, and so may buy as a way to improve their mood. Last, impulse buyers are less likely to consider the consequences of their spending; they just want to have it." - Ian Zimmerman, Ph.D.

But it doesn't end there. It still doesn't explain how a person actually becomes a Bogus Buyer. You see, it's quite all right for a person to have 'impulse buying tendencies', IF he or she ACTUALLY PAYS FOR THE PURCHASE(s).

But NO! A Bogus Buyer doesn't. He or she may want to, but doesn't, all for the simple fact that they don't have the money to pay for it.

So a person with an 'impulse buying tendency' and is 'broke' makes a Bogus Buyer period!

Now I know I sound a bit mad... I kind of am actually. The prevalence of the Bogus Buyer specie is starting to get to me! 

About a month ago, we had a customer named Yvonne. She ordered 3 sets of brushes that amounted to almost 4000 Php. She said that she will pick it up 3 days after our conversation. She seemed ok to talk to (most of them are!). She sounded so sure as well so despite our rule, 'no reservations, first come first serve basis', I reserved the items for her. Foolish me! 3 days later she just stopped replying to our text messages. 

We also had another customer named Emma. She asked about a certain bronzer and even went as far as haggling over it. AND! Stupid me, I agreed to negotiate and we ended up pricing it at 230 instead of 260. She also ordered other items and said that she will pay for it on the following Monday, about 2 days after the conversation. Monday came and Emma just vanished! lol. 

Now these women aren't the worst of the Bogus Buyers we encountered. Meet Gaile! Gaile was quite an interested buyer, she conversed with us for 5 consecutive days. She had so many questions and so many requests, she even wanted to be freinds with me on facebook! And I fell into her elaborate 'bogus trap' and did as she requested. In the end her bill totalled to 1,260... I know just 1,260! ...But why am I fuming mad? After all that I did for her, being nice to her and all, being patient with her! She ended up not paying for the measly amount of 1,260!!!  Here's the screenshot of the conversation. Note that we blurred the name and picture. Public shaming is just not our thing. If I lose you somewhere... I'll understand, it was a long or rather draaaaaaggging conversation. lol

Because of Gaile, Emma, Yvonne, and all the others we have created the BOGUS BUYER GUIDELINES in Beauty Box.
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Definition:
1. An individual who sends a text / private message to order an item, schedule a pickup date, but DOES NOT SHOW UP on the agreed schedule without prior notice.

2. An individual who does not show up on agreed pickup schedule (without prior notice) and subsequently IGNORES FOLLOW UP TEXTS / MESSAGES

3. An individual who sends a text message / private message to order an item, but DOES NOT SEND THE PAYMENT on **agreed date.

**When items are ordered, it is expected that the payment is sent as soon as the availability is confirmed. If not, a payment date should be set and agreed upon by the buyer and seller.

4. An individual who floods the inbox with so many questions and multiple orders but when payment / pickup date comes --is nowhere to be found!


HOW NOT TO BE A BOGUS BUYER
Seeing the items in your newsfeed is incredibly tempting! And more so, when the items are sold at super low prices. SO.. before you even think of sending a text / PM to order, make sure that you're buying the items out of your EXTRA cash! If you buy the items out of the only money you have, chances are, you'll be cancelling your order when an emergency need comes up.


IT HELPS IF YOU LET US KNOW
IF YOU WANT TO CANCEL, let us know right away. If the items are on hand, we will not have any problems, but if items are pre-ordered --then it's another story! BUT, please STILL let us know if you cannot pay for it.

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Some may think I'm being too affective, when this is all just business. But I'd like everyone to know this -- if you have invested your time, effort and money over it, it makes it a bit personal. 

Let's face it, the world would be a much better place if Bogus Buyers didn't exist!


Have you encountered Bogus Buyers before? How did you remedy the situation? Share it with us, we'd love to hear it.