Retail Review: Shoebuy.com & Dr. Martens Marcie Wedge Boots

One of my favorite things? Credit card rewards! I know the hardcore-prudent thing to do would be to take cash back -- but seriously, I have an addiction sickness hobby to fund. :)

I noticed that a round of credit card rewards were set to expire soon, so I decided to use them to acquire these Dr. Martens Marcie boots. A twist on an old favorite, the Marcie combines a classic combat boot upper with a platform wedge heel that makes my stubby legs and flat-sole-averse arches sit up and take notice. Yes, please!

The Shoebuy Experience

• Order Placement Process: Excellent. They offer a bajillion payment options, and there were no freakish hoops or fetish props to jump through to place my order.
• Product Details: Average. The heel height listed ended up being a half inch shorter than the actual height... I suppose they might have arrived at their measurement by subtracting the platform, but it would have been nice to know that (if it were indeed the case); Some of us like to know whether we will end up taller than our boyfriends or sporting highwater jeans if we wear those shoes. Also, no calf/ankle circumference information was included.
• Pricing: Excellent. Whatever sale shoebuy was having at the time priced my boots at a full $30 cheaper than I saw them anywhere else. And they don't charge sales tax. And they offer a 100% price guarantee. I believe the term I'm looking for is booya.
• Shipping/Packaging: Excellent. Free, fast, accurately-tracked shipping in a discreet box covered in tape that reminds you to check for defects and damage before accepting the product.
• Return/Exchange Process: Excellent. Free returns, free return shipping, easy return tracking, and a convenient pre-paid label included in my box. They use an online form for return explanations instead of making you interpret weird "exchange codes" on the back of your packing slip. I took the site's advice for a speedy exchange and simply returned the larger size while placing an new order for the smaller, which did result in a speedily-recieved replacement - the only downside is that the boots were not the exact same price as before. I thought about calling customer service to inquire about a match, but it was small enough a difference that the CC rewards still totally covered the price (difference was about $5).
• Overall: TOTALLY EXCELLENT. I'm very impressed with the price, speed, and service. Very much like I remember ordering from Zappos, but I remember Zappos as always having higher prices - and Zappos didn't carry these particular boots. Shoebuy has officially replaced Amazon as my #1 shoe site due to their price matching and free shipping. :)

The Marcie Wedge Boot Experience

• Fit: based on what the Dr. Martens size chart says, these felt a 1/2 size too big... and they only come in whole sizes, so if you're on the border of two sizes like me, go for the smaller option. I initally ordered the 9 instead of my usual 8.5 and ended up swimming in them.
• Quality: Just what you'd expect from Dr. Martens: sturdy & well-made, so you feel like you can really kick some butt in these boots. :)
• Comfort: WOW. Possibly the most comfortable boots I've had. I've walked for miles in these and had none of the dreaded arch pain or muscle cramps that have plagued me in my GI combat boots. Lovelovelovelovelove!

All in all, this has been one of the best online shopping experiences I've ever had. No hemming and hawing over whether or not to try another size. No agonizing over the price until my desired item has sold out. Nothing but pure shoe bliss. :)

Plus, the cat seems to like 'em. >^..^<

Retail Review: Specialchoice Handbags

Logo From Ebay Store

Specialchoice isn't your average online retailer - it's actually an Ebay store specializing in trendy, distinctive handbags from South Korea (home of the best romantic comedies this side of Ursa Major, btw). They currently offer almost 300 different items, and most of them come in a wide color variety as well. Prices average at about $120 shipped.

So wait. Stop the presses. Hold the phone. How did the One-Dollar Wonders gal end up looking at $120 handbags? Before you stone me as a charlatan, I'd like you to know that I have credit card rewards points to spend, thankyouverymuch (and yes, I pay my bill off completely every month).

Now that that's out of the way, back to bags! As I neared the rewards tier that would net me a $250 gift card to Macy's. Since I knew I wanted a cognac leather messenger bag for fall, I started kept my hairy eyeball on the Macy's handbag offerings -- all through spring. And do you know what I discovered? I must be a spoiled brat of a handbag snob, because I was wholly unimpressed with the ho-hum bags I could get there - especially at the prices I'd have to pay! For the size of bag I wanted, I'd have had to pay $50-$100 on top of my gift card -- seriously? $250 won't even get a body a handbag nowadays? Wow. I'm a snob and I'm out of touch.

Screencap from Ebay Store

Disillusioned with department store bags, I turned to Ebay, my discount shopping rock. I sifted through thousands of used and damaged cognac bags over a matter of months, and I still never felt those thunderous stomach butterflies of handbag love. So I opened up my search to new merchandise. I narrowed the results to leather items only. I sorted by lowest price...

... and Specialchoice handbags were officially on my radar!

After my lackluster experience ordering from China, I was wary of ordering from Korea. But Specialchoice's Ebay reviews far surpass what I would call "positive" and rocket on into "rave" territory. Shopping is fantastically easy, as all color options are shown in the item's main gallery photo. Their numerous large, clear photos depict the bags hanging and unstuffed, to better communicate the drape and texture of the leather. Almost every bag offers the added functionality of a removable crossbody strap. And almost all of them induce a hearty, internal squee. And if I converted my CC rewards to cash (i.e. gift cards to the gas station), I could get one of their bags and have money left over. Needless to say, I went for it.

Promo Pic from Ebay Store

I chose their Jesse Satchel in cognac (now sold out), as it is just the color I wanted, offers two removable straps, and can also be reconfigured as a tote or hobo.

My order was shipped the day after it was placed, trackable trough Korea Post/EMS. It arrived a full week ahead of the estimated delivery time in a 12"X17" cardboard box. The box was a wee bit squished, but mostly well-preserved, considering its recent travels. The bag itself was wrapped in plastic (a good touch in case of inclement weather) and a white dust bag. I pulled the wrapping off and...

I love it. Oh, yeah.

The bag itself looks exactly as pictured. The pebbled leather is thick and smooshy - you can tell the leather is new, and maybe a bit stiff if you are used to Lucky Brand or the washed leathers that some brands use now, but I think it will soften up even more over time. I would compare the softness of the leather to the Italian brands Cristina or Valentina (both sold at TJMaxx) or a Dooney & Bourke. The zippers are all metal and work smoothly, and all the clasps and other hardware items are also real metal of a nice weight. There is one spot of sewing that is not 100% perfect, but it is nothing I feel compelled to complain to the seller about. The rest of the seams are sturdy and neat. Measurements and color are both true to the item description on Ebay.

All in all, the bag was very well represented in the Ebay description -- and that's key. I had already decided I loved the bag based on the pictures and write up, so I would have been crushed if it looked cheap or didn't measure up. Luckily, this time, I was able to breath a sigh of relief after getting just what I expected.

Order Placed: 7/10/11
Order Shipped: 7/11/11
Tracking: didn't feed to Ebay, but worked via EMS site (probably Ebay's issue)
Estimated Delivery: 7/27/11 - 8/9/11
Actual Delivery: 7/20/11

Packaging

 Shown here with the coat I had in mind when I started looking for a cognac bag... until it got to hot for a coat in my living room. :)




 
This post is NOT sponsored. The bag was purchased with my own funds via Paypal, and all the gushing is 100% my own.