# Your online purchases **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 8, 2009, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-online-purchases/505744 "2009-08-08T15:49:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2009, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-online-purchases/505744/21 "2009-08-09T11:47:01Z")
> [@Cicero](#): > > How did he get around the voltage difference? [US-Germany voltage adaptor](http://www.voltage-converter-transformers.com/plug-adaptors-for-germany.html) - available on-line. šŸ™‚ I live in a small English country town, so buy books, DVDs (especially US TV series) and computer games online. I love _m_z\*n! šŸ˜‰ ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2009, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-online-purchases/505744/22 "2009-08-09T11:53:28Z")
Thanks. I knew you could get them for smaller items such as razors but wasnā€™t certain if they worked with large things. Ignorance fought! ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2009, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-online-purchases/505744/23 "2009-08-09T12:56:04Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > Curious, as Iā€™ve never even considered buying groceries online before - how do they handle refrigerated or frozen items? If you buy produce online is the quality generally good? They have a refrigerated truck, and they carry the bags into the kitchen for you and set them on the counter. Iā€™d pay the $10 just for that part! LOL! I was worried about produce myself, and didnā€™t order that the first few times. When I finally did, it was great. Imagine having the produce manager of the store pick out the very best fruit for you. Itā€™s still not as good as Whole Foods produce, and the selection is pretty minimal (bananas, apples, oranges, etc.) but what I got was great. I use [Peapod.com](http://Peapod.com), and Iā€™m a raving fan of the service. I only wish they had more bulk items, and the selction for babies is pretty low. One would think that new parents would be their primary customer entry point? But if you canā€™t get soy formula or a large package of Pampers, whatā€™s the point? Anyhoo, you can also do an ā€œunattendedā€ delivery. Thatā€™s where they deliver everything in coolers with dry ice, and itā€™s packed well enough to still be good for about four hours. Iā€™ve only done this twice, when I was working non-stop, and both times it was a pain waiting for them to come back for the boxes etc. The second time I threw them out after six months and as many phone calls. At least they didnā€™t charge me for them. Iā€™m actually waiting for a delivery right now, and I spent the time I normally would have spent going to and from the store cleaning out the fridge. Yay! Also, with Peapod, you can enter your store card number, and it will pull up a list of the items you normally purchase. It makes shopping quick as a flash, although it was a bit of a ā€œBig Brotherā€ jolt the first time I saw that! Have I mentioned Iā€™m a raving fan of this service? šŸ˜› ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2009, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-online-purchases/505744/24 "2009-08-09T14:04:16Z")
Books, DVDs, fragrance. Iā€™d buy more things if the shipping costs werenā€™t so huge. Iā€™m a maniac for household storage stuff and Iā€™ve found myself drooling at the mouth at some items available in the US which I canā€™t get here. Alas, they either donā€™t ship overseas or charge an arm and a leg to do so. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2009, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-online-purchases/505744/25 "2009-08-09T16:55:47Z")
I buy my meds online. Also I spend way too much at Netrition on sugar free and low carb products but they are so worth the money. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2009, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-online-purchases/505744/26 "2009-08-09T20:24:11Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > Curious, as Iā€™ve never even considered buying groceries online before - how do they handle refrigerated or frozen items? If you buy produce online is the quality generally good? I guess they handle it similarly to when you buy your items in the store and say ā€œdeliver it.ā€ The fee in Chicago is generally between $5.00 - $10.00 for delivery. I tried this years ago (around 2001, I think) the store sent it very quick, it was well done, I specifically bought fruit to test it, and it was very convenient. It was also like $25.00 more than I wouldā€™ve spent going myself. So if you got money Iā€™d say yeah itā€™s a good thing. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2009, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-online-purchases/505744/27 "2009-08-09T20:28:42Z")
> [@jabiru](#): > > Books, DVDs, fragrance. > > Iā€™d buy more things if the shipping costs werenā€™t so huge. Iā€™m a maniac for household storage stuff and Iā€™ve found myself drooling at the mouth at some items available in the US which I canā€™t get here. Alas, they either donā€™t ship overseas or charge an arm and a leg to do so. You should try getting a pen pal šŸ™‚ Seriously in the US they band CFCs so now my asthma inhaler which sold for $15.00 is now $54.00. This is because the inhalers are no longer generic. I found that I can get it from New Zealand, not the CFC kind but the brand name for $4.00 American and have my friend mail it to me. With the cost of fax and postage, I send her paypal and even with the exchange and such, it total cost me just under $10.00 to get the same inhaler from NZ. (Includes: Inhaler cost, postage cost, packing cost, and exchange rate). Of course she is going out of her way for me. And I must note I DO have a prescription. I had my doctor write it out and I faxed it over to her pharamcist in Christchurch. So if you get friend in the USA they can often buy things for you on the cheap and itā€™s cheap to ship ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-online-purchases/505744/28 "2009-08-10T00:45:48Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > You should try getting a pen pal šŸ™‚ > > \ > > So if you get friend in the USA they can often buy things for you on the cheap and itā€™s cheap to ship If I already knew someone in the US, Iā€™d certainly consider asking him/her but I definitely wouldnā€™t seek out a penpal so they could forward my purchases to me. And youā€™ve reminded me about medications. I donā€™t need to buy prescription meds over the 'net but there are some herbal/alternative meds Iā€™ve tried which are unavailable here which Iā€™ve bought online. Iā€™m thinking of trying melatonin and itā€™s not available in Australia. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-online-purchases/505744/29 "2009-08-10T01:07:48Z")
Generally I buy CDs or sheet music. Itā€™s easier to buy them online myself than to get a shop to order them on my behalf. That always ends up taking longer and costing more. ---
**Author:** ![JR\_Brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JR\_Brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JR_Brown)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-online-purchases/505744/30 "2009-08-10T20:59:23Z")
Books. Books, art books, comic books, fantasy, graphic novels, SF, manga, books about booksā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![lshaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e36b37/32.png) [@lshaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lshaw)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-online-purchases/505744/31 "2009-08-11T06:37:33Z")
Things that are difficult to obtain where I live or things that are significantly cheaper online. For ex: Back when the FDA blocked the sale of sunscreen with mexoryl, I had them shipped over from Europe. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-online-purchases/505744.md?page=1)