Riot Arts & Crafts (Online Store)

 Link to the site

 Riot Arts and Crafts, not Riot Projects, have amazing prices and a great selection of arts and craft products. Most of their stock is Australian art brands, some of them excellent like Matisse and Holcroft, for example, mixed with a smaller selection of international brands and a small selection of their products (Golden, Liquitex, Posca or Faber Castell for ex.) They have free shipping for orders over 80 bucks, which is an increase of 5 bucks since last time I purchased something from them. Still better than most online art supplies stores.

I've both from them many times and they deliver via AuPost. Product quality has always been good or great, except for one case, and the pricing excellent even when the products aren't on sale. But every time I check they're on some sort of sale. 

The main issue with Riot Arts & Crafts is that the dispatch time is ridiculous and can take over a week or more, depending on the time, to get the products dispatched, plus the time AuPost takes to deliver a standard parcel. If you need materials for a upcoming project, this is not a place you want to buy from as, more likely, you won't get them on time. However, it's a great place to take advantage of their offers and stock materials before the ones you already have run out.

Another downside is that, due to the fact that their prices for good brands is below most online sites, the products I want are always sold out or out of stock.  

My last parcel in April, took about 10 natural days to be dispatched. The last one, in September ditto. The shipping info on their website says that intercity or interstate takes average 7-10 business days, which is about 2 weeks, for the parcel to arrive to your place, and they cannot guarantee that either.

So, if they cannot fulfill the demand, why not stop, get more staff and reorganise the business? Most of the negative reviews online are on this issue.

Customer service by email is corteous but minimal, androbotic, full of vacuous wording. Last time I asked why it was taking so long to get the product dispatched the answer was 'we've changed our procedures at the warehouse' or were working on it kinda nothingness.  

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Beserk (Online Store)

Beserk Website

I've purchased from Beserk online many times, especially small homewares, incense stuff, Hot Chocolate flat shoes, and alternative cruelty free make-up (Lethal Cosmetics, Medusa Cosmetics, Lime Crime, Starrily etc.). My experience has always been fantastic.

Their website looks quite bad, outdated and fit for weird 15yos., and it could be a bit more polished so that doesn't mislead first visitors. Beserk is much more and you'll find plenty of cute items of clothing, imported shoes (from the uber-sexy to the uber-comfy) and vegan cruelty-free fantastic makeup bands. For sure, if you are into witchy Wiccanish stuff, this is also a place for you.  

Price is just OK, taking into account that many of the products they sell are from imported cult brands.

Shopping from their website is really easy and straightforward. They have a fab rewards program that can save you a good amount of money (you get 1 reward point for each dollar spent, and when you have 50 you get $2.5 off, 100 = $5 and 200 = $10.

Dispatch is decently fast, and parcels are handled by  AuPost, so you'll be super-informed of when your parcel is leaving or arriving.  

Many people ask me about my shoes and makeup, especially, and they're surprised that they come from Beserk, so that says a lot about the need of the store to better think their homepage and whole design.

One of the things that bothers me is that, to get free shipping, you have to spend $99, but that's a bit high taking into account that this is a big store and that shipping via AuPost is quite cheap for large businesses with many postal transactions. I think 50 bucks would be a more reasonable benchmark for free shipping.

Also when you have some rewards point to use, you cannot use them with any other discount code, so that means that you can qualify for free shipping because you've spent over $99 but applying the rewards takes you out of it. It is a bit dodgy and loses them money, if they made their accounts they'd realise just that.

They don't publish honest reviews that have less than 4 stars, so that's dodgy and unprofessional. So, that being the case, I ignore their reviews as they're cherry-picked for sales purposes. Dodgy!

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The Iconic (Online Shop)

Link

I have bought many times from The Iconic, and they are legends.Dispatch and delivery has always been super-fast pre-COVID, and decently timed during COVID.

 

>Their website is very clean and easy to browse and their search tool quite refined. I find the mix of casual and posh styles, local and international names, normal and curvy sizes, average to excellent quality, generic-ish brands to very well-known brands, clothing and accessories, and pricing terrific.  

 

> They have average-sized models and curvy models, all gorgeous, to showcase the clothing. They also have people from different races.

> Returns are super-easy and free and you can get your money back or rewarded credit for further purchases. 

> Their wish-list and boards are very useful. If desired, you can receive email notifications with updates re the products in the list just in case you are mad about anything.

> Great discounts all year around, and some of their outlet items are a total bargain. 

If you subscribe to your newsletter is 20 bucks off your next purchase and you can cancel any time. 

DOWNSIDES

> One of the main downsides to me is the fact that many of the accessories are not photographed on people but on white backgrounds, which is great to see the product itself but not so much to get an accurate idea of how the product looks on a real person re length, size and overall look. 

 > The items in outlet and sale cannot be exchanged or returned, which is a bummer because sizing is fanciful and you could order something in your size and fits larger or smaller than usual. If you cannot return it, you won't be able to wear it at all and would have been a waste of your money. 

> This being an iconic Australian brand, I truly miss the presence of more Indigenous Australian models in the photos.

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Kmart Australia (Online Store)

 Website

I've I've bought a lot of items from Kmart throughout the years, both from my nearest store and online, and I'm very pleased with the variety of products on offer, the pricing and the service provided. They are perfect for people with low means, like young couples, students, retirees and anyone wanting to buy some trendy stuff without blowing off their budget. 
 
The variety of product is enormous. They sell trendy design items and styles at much cheaper prices than other cheap retailers.

Some of the Kmart brand appliances are really cheap and good quality. Yes, they are basic, but if you don't want anything too fancy or too posh, or the latest model in the market, they are terrific.

They have a fantastic returns policy.

The staff in the shops tend to be very young but really lovely and expedient.

You can buy online and have it delivered at home. If necessary, they gather the items from different stores to fulfill your order. Delivery takes little time to reach metropolitan areas.

Their online reviews are legit. You cannot review a product if you haven't bought it online and receive a link from Kmart to review it.

DOWNSIDES
> Hit and miss quality. Sometimes you get really good quality products at bargain prices, but others you don't. Some products start to fall to pieces rapidly, or the assembly instructions are messed up, or the screws are all mixed up, or the quality isn't good despite how pretty the item looks in the photo. So, there is no consistency in the quality of their products, and you can't see that until you start using them.

> Poor sales. Their Black Friday and Boxing Day offers and sales are sub par when compared with all other cheap retailers.

> Online deliveries are charged. Shopping online is easy, but, unlike many other retailers (Target Australia included) they do charge for the delivery, regardless of how much you spend in one transaction.

> Online reviews. They are diminutive in length. They discard legit reviews that are detailed, which is what I personally would like to read. That was the case with mine, which never saw the light. Mind you, a reviewer saying," I love it", it is not a review, that's an enthusiastic statement. A very different thing is a reviewer saying, "It looks great, but this product has this and this issue" and commenting on it in one long paragraph."  It might be just the design of the reviews area, which is diminutive itself. I don't know, but most of them aren't helpful. 

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Appliances Online (Online Shop)

Website

I've bought two large appliances from Appliances Online, top brands, and at a better price than on any other online store I checked before buying them. I ended there just because of that, because of their free delivery policy, and because of their promise of next day delivery if the product is in stock, which was indeed fulfilled.

The guys who brought the appliances were lovely, They SMSed me early in the morning to give me a bracket time for their delivery, and then again half an hour before arrival. They installed one of the appliances, for free, as well.

Their website is very easy to navigate and shop from using your credit card or PayPal. There is plenty of info regarding measurements, materials, brands, pricing, in stock or not, and anything else. They have short videos with people showing most of the products, individually, mentioning their main features, something that I found really helpful. If the appliance needs of some work to be installed they quote pricing beside the price so that you can add it or not. Simple washing machines are installed and connected for free.
 
All the reviews are legit, as they email you the request for a review a few weeks after your item has been delivered, and you cannot review it without that invitation.


Appliances Online operates from Ebay as well, not just from their website. That's good news because they offer the same products, pricing and service, but if Ebay is running any promotion, you can save big. That was my case, I saved 80 bucks in one of my purchases just because of a promo on the site.  

Their refund and exchange policies are more than good. I never expected that to be possible, i.e. to be able to buy a washer and be able to exchange if it didn't suit my needs. They give you 14 days from the day you request the exchange.

DOWNSIDES
The main downside of Appliances Online is that they have limited models of each appliance, and that they favour some brands, while good ones are missing. An example: you won't find a Hoover vacuum there, but you will find Hoover washers and dryers, which was puzzling to me. The same happens with other appliances. 

Not all appliances have good quality shots of the electric panels, something I consider necessary.This is especially important for washers and dryers. The information on the site is collected from the appliances manuals, but some of the manuals are generic for the line not the exact model you've bought, so some of the information can be misleading.

IN SHORT
I wish they had more brands and more appliances. But they are really fantastic. I will buy from them in the future, for sure. Great products, great pricing and remarkable customer service both upon delivery and on the phone, if you have to call their Customer Service operators.

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Target Au Online (Online Shop)

Website
 
I've had a terrific experience with Target Australia online store, from where I've purchased many items, many times. 

Their website is very simple, easy to navigate, and to shop from. You can use Paypal or any major credit card, which is what you get everywhere. You can save your fav items on your wish list and go there, directly, without having to browse for them again. 

Dispatch takes a couple of days but, once is done, it takes barely two days for a metropolitan order to get home. They send you your shopping for free if you spend 80 bucks. Other similar cheap retailers don't offer free delivery at all. So that is great. 

I actually prefer using their online store than visiting my nearer store because they online store can provide me with items that might not be in my local store, and they send them to me from wherever they are stocked. The downside of that is that your items might arrive separately in different days. If you cannot be a home, they will take the parcel to your nearest post office. I have never had a parcel lost or mistaken. And the fact that they have teamed up with Australia Post is good news because you will receive SMS with info about your parcel being on the way or being out for delivery.

Free click & collect (if you spend 20 bucks or more), a good refunds & exchange policy, and a variety of everyday non-fancy items available online, and terrific prices, make me go back to Target online quite often. 

The reviews on the site are all legit. Once some time has elapsed since your product/s were delivered, they send you an email asking for your honest review.

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Amazon Es (Online Shop, Spain)

Website

I've used Amazon Spain twice, and they work very much like Amazon USA regarding everything.

Last year, I purchased some pet supplies as a gift for one of my brothers, who lives in Spain, and the experience was excellent. Some of the products advertised were not available on Amazon Es, and were supplied by external European shops; however, the time of delivery was clearly mentioned on the item page, so I knew that beforehand; yet, the item arrived well before the estimate delivery time. 

  

The second time, I ordered two items for my elderly mother during my holidays there. Items were dispatched separately the next day, and I received them at my doorstep two days later. 

They have a huge selection of products and terrific prices and I can honestly say that they provide better service and range of products than Amazon Au. 

I will certainly buy from them again!

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Dolce Gusto Au (Online Store)

 

Website

Dolce Gusto Australia is the official website for this branch of the Nestle pod coffee family.

The website is very easy to navigate and to shop from. Their basket info is very clear regarding pricing of the products, shipping fees and discount you get from promotional codes or coupons, so no surprise afterwards. 

Why buying from Dolce Gusto directly? Well, they deliver to your door, that is always an incentive.  

Shopping from their website works as usual: you add products to your basket, check out, introduce your payment details, and press send. You will get an email about the order being received and other about the order being shipped. 
  
My parcel took no time to get to my place, a couple of working days, and it was well packed.

Herewith a wrap-up of my shopping experience with Dolce Gusto:

THE GOOD THINGS
+ Free shipping for orders over 75$. Otherwise, a 9$ flat fee applies.
+ The pricing for the pods boxes is the same as those in major supermarkets, but they have all the varieties available in the country, which rarely happens in the supermarkets as they tend to stock those varieties  that sell best in their area. 
+ You can find all the DG machines in the market, from the simplest to the latest release, something that you cannot find in department stores. 
+ They offer great discounts and freebies from time to time.
+ They give a 10$ voucher if you register your machine in their website. 
+ Fast dispatch.
+ Great tracking system. Australia Post directly sends you a tracking link to your posted order as soon as appears in their system, and they send emails when the item is at destination and out for delivery. 
+ Parcels are very packed really well.
+ Customer service is very friendly and diligent, and they will reply to any query you have or solve any problem with the best attitude possible and fast. 

THE SO-SO THINGS
> Some of the accessories sold in their website are pricey.
> The description of some of the accessories is missing. There are photos, but they don't reflect what you get, they are illustrative. This is misleading and a bit lazy, jeez, it doesn't cost a thing to describe a product properly. 
> They variety of coffee and tea flavours is limited if compared to those you find in the European sites. 
> The pricing of the coffee machines is higher than in stores and other other retailers. You can find a difference of 40+ bucks difference in the oldest models. 
> No PayPal payment available. 
> The use too large boxes to send your order. I mean, if you order a whole large box, great, but why sending a large box that is mostly full of... air? 

MIND
You can't order anything unless you spend at least 35 bucks.
 
SOME WISHES
I'd love to have a nicer selection of espresso cups, not the plain cups they sell now. They could easily expand the accessories section with beautiful coffety things.

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Pure Fiji (Online Store)

 

Pure Fiji Australia is a division of Pure Fiji, the Fijian company that sells organic body, hair and face products branded as Pure Fiji, Reniu and Dilo. I am fan of their organic coconut oil infused body scrubs, oils (best for my skin), their facial scrub and some of their facial serums.

Their website is easy to navigate, pretty-looking and clean to the eye. They have all the info about shipping clearly available and visible. They work as most online stores do: You add things to your basket, check out, ad shipping fees, pay using your preferred method, place your order and then you receive an email about your order being placed and another email when your parcel has been dispatched.

You can pay with credit card or PayPal, the latter being always my favourite, because if you have any problem PayPal will back your claim. You can  track your order online if you are registered. However, it took my parcel barely two days from shipping to delivery, I think because they send the products via one of the real shops selling in the same city not a warehouse. 
  
They sent this through a courier company so I got the parcel in the evening. So need of tracking whatsoever.

Shipping is a flat 7.50 bucks for Australian capital cities and 9.50 for regional Australia. Cheaper if you buy in bulk.

THE DOWNSIDES
> Some of the products I ordered were not in stock, even though they showed as available when I added them to my basket. Two days after placing my order, I received an email saying that one or several of the products in my order were not available, and that they will send the parcel when they were. No details about product non available or when this would be back in stock. I sorted out things with their customer service by email in two emails, as they replaced the missing product with another and the parcel was dispatched immediately. But hey, I expect any online store to clearly mark those products that are out of stock before I add them to my basket.
> The same products cost way cheaper in their Fiji or NZ websites, which sucks. You cannot use those websites because you are immediately redirected to the Australian one. You are stock with your local division even if you pay more for the same product. 

MIND
If you live in the UK, USA or Australia you are stock with your regional website, and cannot order from  any of the others even though the products are the same and the company is the same. 

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Red Bus Tour and Online Booking Centre (Johannesburg, South Africa)

Website

Tickets

Johannesburg (or Jazi as the locals call it) is a city full life, with many interesting spots to visit. On the other hand, the city, or parts of the city, has a name for being dangerous for foreigners unless you know where you are going and know the city well. So, the Hop on-Hop off Red Bus is a great alternative to walking on you own and touring the main areas in the CBD safely, still capturing the vibrancy of urban life, colourful characters, and interesting corners. There is always something happening in the streets of central Johburg! We even witnessed one of the massive demonstrations of the metal workers, who had been striking for weeks for a raise of salary. 
 
The bus route is not as good as in Cape Town, due to the constrictions of the city centre for  buses of this size, but it is good enough and you can experience a mix of culture, entertainment, fun and history.

There is a little mini-tour through Soweto scheduled at set times if you buy the ticket that includes it. The entry to Mandela's house or any sight in Soweto is not included. You should take it, just a suggestion. Even if it is just 3 hours or so, it will be a good teaser to make you want to return. A couple of young  Sowetans will drive you there and show you around, and transmit to you the passion they have for this very special place. Although there are a lot of people selling souvenirs around some of the landmarks there, they are very easy going, not invasive at all. To me, visiting Soweto was a dream come true. A place that has been so pivotal in the fight against Apartheid, a subject very dear to my heart when I was at University. Today's Sowetans are the nicest people in South Africa. Source: me. I would certainly love the Soweto tour expanded or just a separate Soweto tour offered by the same company.

The recorded program you hear in the bus (available in 15 languages) is very engaging, with a mix of local music and a narration that mixes historical events, sight description and curious facts about the life in the city. Nothing boring or too long. 

The tour is very well organised, punctual, and the drivers and staff are top notch people. They are friendly, welcoming, warm, caring and they put a face to the city we all see passing by. I haven't found people more enthusiastic about a foreign visiting their home city than these guys. If they see you twice, they will be elated.  

BUS STOPS

1- City Sightseeing Office at Gautrain Park Station. I love the Gautrain. But you can always end the tour here and go directly to the airport. Or vice versa.
 2- Carlton Centre, the tallest building in Africa. You are guided there by one of the guys of the company. The shopping mall is mostly for working class locals, or that was my impression, and a inner elevator leads you to the top, where there are several popular cafes as well. They don't let you go unescorted there.
3- James Hall Museum of Transport. For car nuts.
4- Gold Reef City Casino and city park. I decided to enter and visit... the toilet. I was so comfy that I let the bus go :D. They don't let you take photos and there is an electronic control at the gate, but it is worth visiting. 'Shocking' in away. Wonderful front fountains and sculptures, lovely surroundings, ample parking, beautiful building (a hotel actually), lovely  flashy interior, many eateries, many pokies, bling bling. Worth a visit, even if anthropological.

5- The Apartheid Museum. This is a MUST. A fantastic comprehensive museum on the history of Apartheid and how affected the lives of the "Bantus". It is also huge, very well documented and structured, but exhausting to visit all at once, saddening and very confronting as well. I would recommend structuring your visit in at least two days. 
6- Mining District Walk. I would not go there on Sundays or public holidays or when there is not many people around. Not alone for sure. 
7- Newtown precint, with plenty of cafes, music bars, night clubs, museums, and art galleries. Very arty place.
8- Newtown Junction Mall.
9- Origins Centre at Wits. If you have the time I would recommend going to the Craddle of the Humankind, which is an UNESCO's world heritage, and blew my mind. However, if you don't have the time, this will do. 
10- The Grove, Graamfontein. A groovy area with lovely street art. A TV ad was being shot here the day we visited!
11- Constitution Hill. A MUST. I wasn't sure whether to visit, but it is my favourite part in the tour. Really! The area is a bit secluded, quiet and peaceful, with lovely sculptural pieces and paintings of the Fathers of the Country, and a magic ghostly light before sunset. The place has a special energy, the one that always gives me the goosebumps in places embedded with horrible suffering inflicted by twisted souls. Here, you have a short guided visit through what is left of the old political prison at no. 4, and you are told of the brutalities committed against black prisoners; you can see the remains of the jail, some of them in quite a good state. Gandhi, whose personal story is intricately linked to South Africa, was briefly in this prison as well and there is a room devoted to him. Next door is a new building, the Constitutional Court, which was built using part of the demolished prison. I was blown away by it. The engraved huge wooden doors, the collection of artwork inside (free to visit) and, most importantly, the narration of our lovely rastafarian young guide. I was amazed at how good the Court has been for human rights in South Africa, and about how it has been used by simple 'nobodies' to obtain benefits for the general of the population. If you want, you can take with you a copy of the Constitution, free of charge. So much of the history and of the heart of the country is on that hill, the worst imaginable and the best possible.  

Moreover, the bus stops are also close to many other landmarks or places of interest, and the recorded program will tell you. Among those I wanted to visit, was one of the museums that exhibits contemporary South-African Artists, which unfortunately closes on Mondays.  

THE ONLINE SITE

I did all my bookings online while in Johannesburg, and it was really easy and convenient. The website has changed since I visited, and now is more polished and easier to browse. The site is very informative, and you can easily check the itineraries offered, get general information about each stop in the route, and information about the different kinds of tickets available. Of course you can buy your tickets through the website, the most economic being the Sunday Pass (but... it ends earlier and the city is not its usual self either) or the two-day combo tickets. At least when I visited, the used tickets gave you an 5% discount on any purchase of a Red Bus ticket anywhere in the world if you mentioned the number of your ticket. In fact, I used mine to get a discount on my Cape Town tickets.

***

If you want to see everything in the itinerary, you will need at least three days, unless you want to run like an emu in the Nullarbor. You don't. You can't. You shouldn't.

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Woolsworths Online VS Coles Online

 

If you live in Australia and want to do your grocery shopping online you have two giant retailers doing a great job at bringing everything you need to your doorstep. But, which one to choose? Well, I want to spill the beans. Actually, you decide. Here is my experience with the two giants, after dating the two. 

WHAT WHAT WHAT?	WOOLIES	COLES
Registration needed	Yes	Yes
Click and collect	Yes	Yes
Delivery to your door  =	Yes	Yes
Free delivery option	Yes	Yes
Minimum expenditure for free Delivery	300$ any time	Free every day when you select an 8 hr time slot and spend $150+.
Price for delivery	OK 11$ Depends on money spent	Good, 8-13$ depends on time slot chosen
Price of products	Good	OK
Easy to shop online	Very good	Very good
Variety of products online	Good	Good
Visual Design	Very good	Good
Functionality of store online	Very Good	Very good
Chat online to solve doubts	Yes	No
Update or modification of orders online before day of delivery	Only 3 hrs after order is placed	Yes
Replacements of products for sold-out products	Yes BUT They are lazy and sometimes don't replace, and send out of stock message and part of your shopping is not delivered, but the delivery fee is still charged, so you end paying a lot for what you buy	Yes, mostly works great, but sometimes they are lazy and replace a product with a different one, i.e. decaff coffee with normal coffee. Hello Hello, anybody in those heads?
Quality of products received	Very good	Very good
Shop by lists	Yes	Yes
Shop by recipes	Yes	Yes, but you have to go to a Coles subdomain
Catalogue specials available	Yes	Yes
Online-only specials	Yes	Yes
Variety of online-only specials Sells alcohol online	Poor No	Very good Yes
Order cancellation	Yes,  6pm of previous day if ordered for AM and 11pm if for PM	Yes, until 12am of previous day for orders AM, and 12pm previous day for orders PM
Cancellation fee	Yes, if after cut of time It depends	Yes, if after cut-off time Fixed, 30$
Minimum order	30$	50$
Tracking system	Yes	No
Detailed SMS info System	Yes	Yes
Availability of time slots	Good	Very good
Punctuality	Good	Good
Place of delivery	Door or block door	Door or block door
Friendliness of delivery guys	Excellent	Excellent
Helpfulness of delivery guys	OK	Very good
Mix-ups in deliveries	Yes	No
Samples given	Not yet	Sometimes
Payment by credit card	Yes	Yes
Payment by Paypal	Yes	No
Payment by Giftcard	Yes	No
Payment on delivery by EFPTOS	No	Yes
Request of feedback after delivery	No	Yes
Delivery-saver subscription	Yes	No
Purchases from businesses	Yes	Yes
Remote area delivery	Yes	Yes
What is the cheapest for online shopping?	I would say if you add up the prices of the groceries you get plus the delivery fees, the prices are very similar, perhaps a bit cheaper with Woolies if you do bulk shopping.
Which one I prefer for online shopping?	Coles for the variety of products and better organisation of the delivery, better replacement policies, delivery guys are usually more helpful and  less lazy, flexibility of payment and it is easier to get free delivery.

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