Review: YesStyle and my experience on duties, taxes and fees

I got my YesStyle order late last month and have been pretty lazy with taking pictures ^^;; You can probably tell since I took most of them at different times... XD But! I'm finally done so here's the review!

Review: YesStyle
Site: http://www.yesstyle.com/en/home.html

YesStyle is the sister site of YesAsia where you can buy many types of Asian goods. I mainly buy CDs and DVDs from YesAsia.

YesStyle mainly sells Asian fashion, accessories, etc.

I ordered three items from their free international shipping on orders over 50$ promo which I shared with you all here. My order arrived in a DHL bubble padded bag. I also got charged duties, taxes, and fees :(! More to come about that at the end.

Item #1: tictak: Panel Handkerchief-Hem Knit Top in Light Brown

Modeled

With a high waisted belt

Coordinated

Rating: 10/10

• Product received matches what was advertised
• Product is made well. I don't feel that it would fall apart in the wash.
• Materials used are of average/above average quality. It's not the softest wool-ish material but it doesn't scratch my skin or make it itch.
  
• Sleeves are the perfect length for my short arms :o! Longer armed people should probably avoid this top...
  

Overall: I'm impressed! I love how unique it looks and I'm going to have so much fun coordinating it with other pieces in my closet.

Item #2: PUFFY: Floral Print Tube Top in Apricot

Modeled


Rating: 7/10

• Product received matches what was advertised
• Product is made so-so. There were quite a few loose threads and the zipper likes to get stuck at a certain spot so I have to be careful not to pull too hard (don't want to break the zipper)
  
• Materials used are of so-so quality. It's made from a rough gauze-like material that feels very breathable. The gauze-like material could have definitely have been softer but it's ok the way it is too.
• There's shirring in the back so it's comfortable to wear and can accommodate different sizes. I would say best fitted for a S- small M.
  
• One thing that surprised me was that it comes with clear straps! Very awesome.

Overall: It's really pretty. I just wished it was made at least slightly better. It's not terribly made by any means but there's definitely room for improvement.

Clear straps come in a baggie


Zipper keeps getting stuck at this point where there's a bunch of loose threads


Part of the tube top is made with a thin stretchy fine mesh material





Item #3: ZOO: Elbow-Sleeve Striped Military Cropped Cardigan in Off-White

Modeled

Rating: 8/10

• Product received matches what was advertised
• Product is made well. The stitching is good and the buttons were securely attached.
  
• Materials used are of so-so quality. It's really soft but will pill easily! The cotton used is poor quality cotton and care must be taken to avoid friction. Any sort of rubbing and you're going to get pilling.
• People with larger arms should probably avoid this cardigan... I have chubby arms and it still fits but if my arm was any larger it definitely WOULD NOT fit :(
  

Overall: It's a super cute top and I'm glad that I got it! Even though the quality of the cotton is not the best, the price is also not that expensive so I wasn't expecting much.

YesStyle Rating: 8/10

• Lots of products and brands to choose from but the prices are quite inflated in comparison to buying directly from any specific brand you were interested in.
• I see YesStyle more as a shopping service since many of the brands offered have non-English online stores and YesStyle just helps you buy from them. They're one option that's available for overcoming language and/or shipping barriers. As a result, you pay more for your products since they did a lot of legwork for you and made your shopping experience easier.

Shipping was really fast once they had the products on hand since they send their products through courier services. On the other hand, I wish they'd offer other options for shipping such as registered mail. The reason being:

• 1. To accomodate customers who would like to save money on shipping and don't mind waiting and,
  
• 2. To accomodate customers who don't want to pay extra "processing"/brokerage fees to couriers if they end up having to pay duty.

Overall: I had a great shopping experience with YesStyle but I would hesitate to buy from them again. For me, the deal breaker was absolutely the lack of shipping choice. I did not appreciate having to pay almost 32$CAD in duties, taxes and fees on a 68$USD order. Granted that could have happened to any package I was importing to Canada but honestly, I've noticed things tend to get hit by customs a lot more when it's coming from a courier. *Just a personal observation -- not stating this as a fact*

How duties, taxes and fees work -- The simplified version:
Yes, all things considered, we're "supposed" to pay duties and taxes on things we import. That's the whole point of having a protectionist policy. The duty is a tax levied on the importer (ie: me) to discourage spending hard earned Canadian dollars in other foreign markets. To discourage cash from flowing out of the country, the government as a penalty applies a tax on the things you bring in which is called a duty/ duties.

On top of that, the government can also charge regular taxes on top of the duty that is collected. You'll have to pay these taxes just the same way as if you were to theoretically buy the item you imported at a local store (instead of online).

On top of that, if you use a courier and get hit with dutites and taxes, the courier will pay these on your behalf. When they deliver your package at the door, you will have to pay them back the money that they paid on your behalf, as well as a "small" fee for their trouble.

Here is an example from DHL that I scanned. It has the breakdown of the duties/taxes/fees I had to pay for this order.

(Clickable thumbnail -- click to enlarge)

DHL letter explaining COD (collect on delivery)

Two-sided page:
Import Duty and Tax Invoice

Important Information on Brokerage COD


As you can see, from my 68$USD order, I had to pay:

• 12.02$CAD in duty,
• 10.60$CAD in taxes, and
• 7.00$CAD for DHL to act as my broker to get my stuff into the country

* It should also be noted that not only will you be taxed on your purchase, but also the courier service you're using bringing up my grand total owed to 30.53$CAD :(

Final thoughts: You don't need a broker to import, especially not at the personal level. This is why I think YesStyle should offer other shipping options for people who don't feel it's necessary to spend extra money on something they can take care of/handle on their own.

Credits:
Product stock pics credit to YesStyle
DHL document scans credit to Chung