Coupon Code:  CM2010NOV

Condition: place an order of $50 or more, enter the coupon code  at the order review page.

Validity:  December 1, 2010,  midnight, GMT – 8

Comments: Good discount if you’re thinking of buying from yesstyle.

Okay, I have decided I like Deals Direct…when they give me vouchers and coupons hehe.

I bought the vacuum bags on the day when they’re giving away $10 voucher. So using that voucher, I bought a stroller net which costs $14.95 + $6.95 shipping. I found a coupon that gives me $6 off. So in total I only paid $5.90. What a bargain

I received the item today. I love it. Especially for the price I paid. I would have still loved it otherwise but I probably would just buy it from the shop to save on shipping.

The net bag you can attach on your stroller. Very handy. I can already see myself using it a lot. It seems to be of a good quality. Looks strong.

Processing + shipping took 3 days straight. That’s the best about Deals Direct. Super fast!

The net bag came with a tag that says the brand is Minene, a UK brand.

It came in a cute bag

hangs nicely on the stroller. You can actually shorten the strap. I didn’t do it in this picture.

Closer look

Closer look at the strap

PS. The $6 coupon I used is DD6BDAY. Valid until 15 Dec 2010, one per customer. Doesn’t seem to require minimum order.

Shop: Catch Of The Day
Products: one deal a day shop selling random items.
Pro: Cheaper than RRP
Cons: Shipping can sometimes make items no longer cheap, processing time is very slow, there’s usually a ‘catch’ when something is too good to be true.
Payment Methods accepted: Paypal, credit cards

Comments:

This is another site I have love-hate relationship with. Everyday it offers a deal that only lasts for 24 hours so once you miss it, you miss it. It entice you to check the site every day and for me, it’s very exciting. It feels like Christmas every day. Because of the time limit, you tend to rush in buying and unfortunately it usually leads to disappointment.

I have bought a couple of small things from Catch Of The Day and I must say I’m neither impressed nor unhappy. But I must say I wished I hadn’t bought them. I usually end up buying useless items because of the adrenaline rush and at the end they ended up not that cheap because first, I don’t really need them and second, after further research, I could have gotten similar item with similar price from somewhere else.

A couple of things you should pay attention before buying from Catch Of The Day

1. For electronics and big items, check the condition stated on the listing (it’s there but it’s very small so it’s easy to miss). Sometimes they’re not brand new. Often it sells items that was sold to someone but was returned because of many reasons including faults with the product. They’re then fixed and resell with cheaper price on Catch Of The Day. I’m not saying they must be bad products, but you should be aware of this and weigh the pros and cons before buying to avoid disappointment. I’ve also read from other people’s experience, warranty can be a complicated matter. You will have to deal with Catch Of The Day rather than the manufacturer directly. So look into it carefully before deciding to buy.

2. They often sells bulk food items like chocolates, lollies, and biscuits. While the price may seem really cheap, pay careful attention to the expiry day. This is usually written in the specification. Most often than not, they’re expiring in the next few weeks. This makes me wonder about other items like cosmetics. They’re probably not fresh either although they don’t need to list the expiry date for cosmetics.

3. Processing can be very slow. I think they’re understaffed. My items don’t usually get shipped until about a week after purchasing.

4. Often they sell something of an unknown brand. I would be very careful with this. Do your research first and weigh the pros and cons.

5. They often sell random small items that you would find in markets or stores selling cheap chinese-made items like Reject Shop or two dollars shop. While they may seem cheap, the quality is often questionable and they’re usually end up not that cheap considering the low quality and you can probably get them in the shop with similar price.

In conclusion, while it is a safe shop, you still need to do your research before buying to make sure it is really a good deal for you. Unless, of course, if you’re willing to risk the money.

After three times experience buying from them, I don’t think I will buy anything again.

Products: Conair Professional Garment Steamer (CGS18A)
Price: $149
Shop: The Good Guys Warrawong
Rating: ****

Comments:

I bought this product as an impulse buy. I didn’t do much research on it but I have heard about how you can use garment steamer instead of iron. I dislike ironing so when I saw this in the shop I bought one straightaway. When I got home I tried it immediately and I must say I was disappointed at first. I was ready to ditch my iron but the steamer didn’t do anything to my husband’s work clothes. After more experimenting, I realise the steamer works great on materials which are not easily ironed using normal iron such as stretchy t-shirts and delicate materials like polyester that will burn when ironed.

Now I’m very happy with it because all my clothes that I don’t usually dare to iron can look neat and straight again. So garment steamer will not replace your normal iron, but it will allow you to steam clothes that you usually wouldn’t iron. The rule of thumb is, if you’re afraid your iron will burn the material, use the steamer.

I have a lot of scarves made from delicate materials which I thought I had to give up because it looks ugly after a wash but they’re impossible to iron. Now with the steamer, they look brand new after being steamed.

This particular steamer is neither the most compact nor the cheapest out there but it serves its purpose. The advantage of being big is it comes with the hanger which can rotate which I find really handy. The water container is also pretty big so it can hold a lot of water so I don’t have to refill all the time. So consider these aspects before buying a compact one.

The wattage is also very important. If it’s too low it’s probably useless. This model’s wattage is 1300 watt. It works well so I wouldn’t get anything less than that.

Shop: StrawberryNET
Products: brand name perfume, skin care, and cosmetics
Pro: Cheap and fast
Cons: I can’t think of any!
Payment Methods accepted: Paypal, credit cards

Comments:

I love love love StrawberryNET. Ever since I discovered this shop, I refused to pay RRP price for perfume and skin care.

This shop is based in HK, but they have customised service for Australia. The price is fantastic. It comes with free shipping for skin care and cosmetics. There’s a shipping charge if you only buy perfume, but if you combine it with skin care or make up, you’ll get free shipping.

The price is generally almost half of RRP price in Australia. You get exactly the same quality. They also have loyalty discount and volume discount. Loyalty discount means for every time you order with them, your discount percentage increases. Volume discount means the more items you buy, the more discount you get. This is on top of the already discounted price!

They also often offer free gift so I usually wait for something I like. I’m someone who has no patience for make-up, I only wear make-up for special occasion so I don’t invest on branded make-up products. It’s always a nice surprise for me whenever I receive make-up free gift because they’re of a good quality brand that I can actually use. Once I received a lipgloss that I really like and my latest free gift is a black CK eyeshadow which I’m sure is a better quality than the cheap one I own.

They also randomly send you ‘We Miss You’ email offering more discount! This is on top of the loyalty and volume discount. So if you’re in no rush, it’s worth waiting for it.

The shipping is extremely fast considering it’s coming for Hong Kong. It takes just under a week to get here. They don’t go through normal postal system so they cannot post to PO BOX. If you’re not home they will leave a card and you can call them to arrange pick up or tell them to come back and leave the package in front of your door (if you think it’s safe).

If I have to pick something negative it’s probably the look of the site. At the first glance it looks untrustworthy but rest assure they’re legit and reliable. Once you get used to how the site works, you’ll actually appreciate the ease of use and fast loading.

Products: DealsDirect Value Pack 12 Space Saving Vacuum Bags
Price: $29.95
Shop: Deals Direct
Rating:  ****

Comments:

I think this is a good value for money. For the same amount of money, you’ll get less number of bags. It comes in three different sizes which I find really handy for different purposes. It also come with an instruction sheet (not that you really need it, it’s pretty straightforward to use).

These bags are really good to store spare quilts, pillows, blanket, and bulky winter clothes when the season’s over. It prevents them from collecting dust and when you vacuum the bag, it removes the air so the contents become flatter. It saves so much space!

To get the bag to seal properly, you’ll probably better off using hands rather than the zip that comes with it. I find the zip doesn’t seal the bag tightly, so use your fingers to press on the seal to make it tight.

The pretty useless zip

The valve where you suck the air from has several components. One of them is this little plastic thing. I think it’s meant to make it more air tight but it’s so small, it’s easy to lose. I vacuumed one of mine : P It will still work without the plastic thing though. Just screw it tightly. When you don’t use the little plastic seal on the valve, you can let out a bit of air when need be by opening the top part of the valve cover. The let-out won’t work if you have the plastic seal over the hole.

The valve and its many components

Overall, I think it’s a really good value for money. It’s a bit tricky to use, but you’ll figure it out soon.

I used to have the more expensive bags and I can say the only difference is the valve. The more expensive one has a simpler valve which is easier to use but I think doesn’t seal as well as this one. So I will definitely buy this one again.

Before

After

Just received my StrawberryNET items today. It actually arrived on Monday but I wasn’t home so I called the freight company to tell them to just leave the box in front of my door if I’m not home so they did today.

Total shipping time less than a week! Very happy!

Shop: Booktopia

Coupon Code: SUPERB

Condition: Free shipping within Australia on your order (no minimum)

Validity: until Monday, 8 November 2010

Comments: Booktopia usually charges $6 flat rate for any order so this is pretty good if you need to buy some books!