This post is not strictly about Argentina, but about the challenges of shopping in Argentina and the relief sought/found when traveling abroad. Having left Europe a decade ago, I always have to learn new shopping venues and commercial tricks whenever I visit.
On my last trip, in July 2023, I discovered Vinted and Temu, whereas in this current trip I have been introduced to Shein and Aliexpress.
Vinted (https://vinted.com/) is available throughout Europe, in the UK, and in the US. It was born as a platform to sell used clothes (founded in Ukraine), and now is a place where people sell everything and anything, except perishables. I have discovered it thanks to a female friend who was raving about it to buy second-hand clothes for her boy - she was able to save a lot of money. I use it mostly to buy books, as they are very cheap. Buyer pays the shipping costs, which are very low even if the item comes from abroad (€3-4). They use UPS and InPost to handle their shipping and the seller receives a shipping label through the platform. Vinted acts as escrow: once the buyer has received the item, they will disburse the funds to the seller's account.
I have used it to sell a sleeping bag, a pair of sandals that didn't fit well once I had worn them once, and I am trying to sell some toys. All things that have been sitting unused at my mom's for a few years. I don't consider it as a way to make money, but there are some good deals and you can empty your basement if you are patient enough. You can also save your favorite searches and the platform will put in evidence new items for sale matching your research. For example, a computer cover of a specific size & brand.
Temu (https://www.temu.com/) is a Chinese marketplace that puts end customers in touch with Chinese retailers. Min. purchase is €15 and shipping is free. It takes a while to arrive (7 to 10 days, in my case) but the prices are *really* low. I won't enter into the discussion about sustainability and ethics around it, but most of the stuff sold on Amazon and in local stores comes from China, anyway. On Temu, I have found exactly the same items sold on Amazon, for a fraction of the price. Their motto is "shop like a millionaire". In 2023, I ordered about €150 worth of merchandise, for a total of 80 items. Some of it was pure crap, some was not so bad. The infinite variety of products, items and gadgets is fascinating, especially coming from Argentina. They sell anything from cable holders, fans, screens, clothes, electronics, office supplies, kitchen items, pet toys and accessories. I must say that electronics is crap - my smart home devices were purchased on Temu and only 1 out of 5 is still working. A remote doorbell was missing a contact and I had to fix it, the portable alcohol meter is always reading 0, no matter how much beer I have drunk. Some dresses were not square, some were okay -- at least I am not afraid to ruin a $4 dress. I can't bring myself to spend on clothes what I used to spend when I was in my 20-30s. That said, their customer service is superb: if you are not satisfied of an item, if it is cheap enough they will simply refund it as credit on your account (obviously) and you can do a free return per order. Some of my STR stuff came from Temu, including a table set, a couch cover, and some kitchen gadgets like rubber mat, scale etc.
Shein (http://www.shein.com) is like Temu, but clothes-oriented. The models (photoshopped) are the same as on Temu, and the website overall looks a lot like Temu with the same promo colors (orange) and the deeply aggressive marketing incentives. There are games to get a discount that you always win, there is always a bigger discount if you spend €10 or €20 more than what you have already put in your cart, etc. I have never shopped on Shein but many female friends have, including one who used to dress very elegantly and today was wearing a nice dress... from Shein. I couldn't believe it! It may have been a crappy $10 dress, but it looked nice and I couldn't tell it was that cheap. On FB and Instagram I always get videos/reels from people comparing "expensive" outfits with Shein's equivalent. Some are identical. By 'expensive' I mean Chinese clothes sold by Zara, H&M and the like for a much higher price tag. It is the same as Temu vs. Amazon, but in the fashion realm.
AliExpress (https://www.aliexpress.com/) is the retail sister of Alibaba. The design is not as nice as Temu's, but the assortment is similar. I believe they started with the same assortment as on Aliexpress, so office and computer items, but now offer anything from clothes, school supplies, decorations, small electronics.
Given the shipping times are quite long for someone visiting for a few weeks, I start browsing a month before my intended trip so that I can take the most out of it and find the items already delivered at my mom's when I land. This way, I can try my purchases and eventually make returns.
Amazon (http://www.amazon.com) doesn't need an introduction, but their section called "Amazon warehouse" sells used products which are either returns or items that got damaged during transit, but that are still in working conditions. Whenever you shop on Amazon, in the right pane showing your article's price may appear a gray box with a lower price from their used sections. You can also browse their warehouse by selecting the corresponding category in the search dropdown menu. The only difference with new - unused item is that you have only 1-year warranty (vs. 2 years) and 15 days to make a return (vs. 30). I have scored several deals along the years:
- An Apple keyboard that came in an unbranded box
- An used-like-new professional hair straightener for -45% its retail price
- A mesh combo by Tenda Nova with no power cord sold for €30 less
- A computer cover with a small scratch (that would have appeared after a week of use anyway)
- Running joggers that were returned because the size wasn't right for the former purchasers, but that fit like a glove on my bum
Used items vary in terms of stock and conditions, so you have to read the fine print. I didn't realize that the power cord was missing from the mesh combo, just the ethernet cable, so I am looking for spare 12 V - 1.5 A power cords at home (the sort used to power routers, modems, and external HDs). If I don't find any, I will return the used-like-new mesh and buy it new. Making returns on Amazon is painless and immediate. As soon as you bring the item to the nearest post office or shipping location (often, a kiosko or a supermarket), you get your money credited on your account or back on your original payment method (this option takes 3-4 days, instead).
Also, I recommend taking advantage of the "favorite" list on Amazon as the platform will suggest deals on the same items, track price variation and suggest similar items based on your interests. I had been browsing hair removers for a few weeks, and my patience paid off as on a random Sunday I was offered a "deal you could be interested" for €80 off its regular price on Amazon.
