GreyCatte's ShoppingGuide

Welcome to my strictly non-official online shopping guide including key brands, links to their websites and social media channels, international delivery info and tips based on my personal experience. I plan to update and expand it over time, however, for official information, please visit the relevant sections such as terms and conditions, delivery, size guide, of the brand websites.


I'm predominantly featuring great UK and European (with the odd US) brands or shopping sites that offer international delivery, which means I won't be going into details regarding 'domestic' delivery options. Oh, should you not find info on international returns policies, don't be surprised, I hope to discover as little as possible about that.

ASOS
delivers to: worldwide (check detailed info for your country here)
courier: DPD (ASOS provides tracking info for express delivery) or Royal Mail
shipping cost: standard delivery is free, for express delivery see previous link
ranges: women, men, petite, curve, maternity, own collections, designer and high street brands, beauty
sizes available (womens): UK 4-18
size guide: click here
social media: Facebook, Twitter, blogs, YouTube, ASOS magazine (also Apple AppStore and Android Market), ASOS Follows Fashion
mobile site: visit http://www.asos.com/ from your phone
customer service: probably always overloaded but great! Contact the Customer Care Team online, via the ASOS Here to Help Facebook page or follow the ASOS Here to Help (@ASOS_HeretoHelp) Twitter account.
other:
ASOS Marketplace (to buy & sell new, pre-owned & vintage fashion)
ASOS Fashion Finder (trends & features, looks, create outfits online)
international sites: USA, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Australia
notes:
On delivery - express delivery used to be quick and safe with DPD but not any more I'm afraid. Parcels to Europe tend to arrive a couple of days after the not too ambitious deadline. Standard delivery is slower and might be slightly less safe but is free - be patient and get in touch with the team, in the end they won't let you down.
On packaging - good. Jewellery, as far as I know, comes in branded little black boxes; shoes in generic white boxes. Besides plastic mailers, DPD may also use cardboard boxes.
On sizing - with Asos branded items, you can't be 100 percent sure what you'll get. Most items run true to size but you may well end up with a very skinny item nearly too small (jeans) or a standard/loose-fitting one coming up 1 or 2 sizes larger - the latter has happened to me more than once, and always with tailored trousers, where the right fit is crucial.

NEW LOOK

delivers to: worldwide (check detailed info for your country here)
courier: Royal Mail via national postal services (no tracking info for international delivery) when you go to your account, the tracking link above your recent order just takes you to Royal Mail's Track & Trace
shipping cost: New Look may offer free delivery above a certain order value (say, £55 for international), for standard shipping rates, see previous link
ranges: women, men, teens, kids, Inspire (plus sizes), maternity, tall, brands (women), beauty
sizes available (womens): UK 6-18
size guide: click on the link on the item's page. the size guide has no reference to brands, which is not ideal
social media: Facebook, Twitter, New Look Daily, blog
mobile site: visit http://www.newlook.com/ from your phone; iPhone app (available on the AppStore)
customer service: had to contact once, and found NL could only investigate (ie look into the possibility of a refund) after 25 days following date of dispatch, and if your parcel had been lost for a while, then found its way back to NL on its own (major post office mess-up), you had to allow another 30 days for a refund, and there is no such thing as re-sending orders. The particular case gave me a week-long headache and more hysterics than any other online order, so I do think NL needs a tracked delivery option... Contact by phone or via online form, details here. Important - if you can't find the online contact form, try switching to Internet Explorer, I noticed the email option didn't show in Google Chrome.
other:
New Look research panel (NL invites feedback soon after each online order. If you complete these pretty sturdy surveys, you will be offered to join the online research panel, and from time to time, you can contribute all sorts of ideas. I particularly liked the one about Christmas creatives and of course, the strategic store concepts!)
myLook NL's community site. Friends, fashion, chat, blogs, forums, quick polls, games and who knows what else. You can also complete the above surveys from this site. If I had the time I would probs help keep it alive.
international sites: France, Shop in EUR/English, Shop in USD
notes:
On delivery - when you get free delivery, you don't have to worry about your order being tossed about for days, then delivered by the lousiest service on the planet - you get what you would normally get. In my experience, orders arrive on time.
On packaging - ok, on the poorer side. quite differently from any other retailer, New Look dispatches shoes in clear plastic bags instead of boxes, which is the case even for non-New Look footwear. Oh the shock. OK, you may be used to that in store but it's still something of a minus when it comes to international delivery, as the shoes may easily get damaged en route. And, I get it if that's meant to make delivery cheaper, but not for the customer, as standard international shipping costs are on the pricier side of the high street. Just sayin'.
On sizing - now this part makes me a happy bunny, and this is what really counts. In New Look, there is no petite range, but apparently, there is no need. Petites can buy regular sized dresses and skirts with confidence, as lengths will be just right (knee or above-the-knee length pieces won't end up as midi). I think women's items run true to size, but compared to other retailers whose regular sizes get bigger and bigger, NL is quite reliable, which I cannot be thankful enough for. Still, some fitted (non-stretch) pieces may come up a tiny bit small, like tailored blouses, so if you really like something and your size is out of stock, don't be afraid of taking the next size up.