The First World Problem Thread - Page 221

meloncollie · #**4401** 07.06.2018, 13:18

	Quote:	throwawayzh
	Which retailer is it?

JJill.

As of this morning Landsend, Talbots and Nordstrom still allow European traffic.

(Scuttles off to place an order before it's too late.)

I'm in the States quite often, but usually only for a long weekend, so there is never any time - or inclination - for bricks and mortar shopping. I order in advance of a trip home, the boxes are waiting for me when I arrive. US retailers are very generous with returns, so I never worry about fit or satisfaction.

Shipping to Switzerland is expensive from most stores, so I save that for heavy items like sheets and towels from Landsend.

Blocking European customers will seriously, and literally, crimp my style. In almost 20 years here, I have not found a Swiss retailer I like for quality casual clothes.

(Any recommendations for German or French stores? I hate shopping, so rely on online purchasing.)

3Wishes · #**4402** 07.06.2018, 15:03

Out of curiosity I checked a few sites too. JCPenney blocks. Macy's doesn't (yet).

Bit of an overreaction by the retailers, I think. I'm like meloncollie - I tend to order online and ship to a U.S. address. There's no reason to block me just because I'm in Switzerland.

intheblue · #**4403** 07.06.2018, 15:22

	Quote:	throwawayzh
	Which retailer is it? Curious for my own records (finding an online retailer in the states with cheap international shipping has been a bit of a pain) Anyway, you can get around regional blocks with a vps. They only cost ~2-3CHF a month and are pretty easy to set up.

And who has cheap international shipping, please?

curley · #**4404** 07.06.2018, 17:53

	Quote:	3Wishes
	.....It seems they're all lumping CH in with EU to be on the safe side.

Yeah, Switzerland pops in and out the EU however it suits the world

curley · #**4405** 07.06.2018, 17:57

Swarms of mosquitos dancing one meter above ground - we desperately need swallow here!

Mosquitos doing that usually means, there is a thunder-storm coming. None in sight. Should I tell them?

18.18h: I told them. They left!

curley - the insect-whisperer

meloncollie · #**4406** 07.06.2018, 20:11

ETA:

LLBean offers free standard shipping to Switzerland on orders over 100. Now that's a bargain.

	Quote:	intheblue
	And who has cheap international shipping, please?

How do you define reasonable?

Most stores set the shipping cost by the order total.

I tend to look at the whole package. US prices tend to be lower to start with, plus I usually buy on sale, so that's an additional 20, 30, 50% off. The cost of shipping then isn't much of a factor, as my total is still quite a savings over buying in Switzerland - if I could even find what I want here, which I generally can't.

FYI, stores that use Borderfree can offer the option to pre-pay customs duty, which generally turns out to be a good deal, as you then often avoid the Swiss Post or private carrier administrative fees.

(Borderfree must be not be too happy with this latest GDPR wrinkle, as they stand to lose a good chunk of business if Europeans can't purchase in the US.)

simonminissale · #**4407** 09.06.2018, 09:49

I got a big problem. I went to the Volg. Thankfully this miserable overpriced Lade is no longer in my village but I was in a neighbouring one under instructions to buy some strawberries. The sign said, 500 grams for 5 franks. Obviously with too much time on my hands, I weighed some of the boxes. 420 grams, 430 grams, 390 grams and so on. All of them under, not one even within 10 percent margin of error. I mentioned this to the Volg lady, was met with a shrug and yeh well, you know, its hard to get them exact, being strawberries and all.She said that they might mention it to the farmer. Is that even legal ? I bought them anyway, muttering under my breath about the filthy Volg and the Farmers in cahoots, grifters and ripoff merchants the lot of them. For the record, yesterday, with still too much time on my hands, I was in migros. I satrted weighing punnets of berries and what do you know, every single one over the stated weight (albiet with damage, mushy bits and so on). You just cant win over here.

SOBEIT · #**4408** 10.06.2018, 13:01

	Quote:	simonminissale
	I got a big problem. I went to the Volg. Thankfully this miserable overpriced Lade is no longer in my village but I was in a neighbouring one under instructions to buy some strawberries. The sign said, 500 grams for 5 franks. Obviously with too much time on my hands, I weighed some of the boxes. 420 grams, 430 grams, 390 grams and so on. All of them under, not one even within 10 percent margin of error. I mentioned this to the Volg lady, was met with a shrug and yeh well, you know, its hard to get them exact, being strawberries and all.She said that they might mention it to the farmer. Is that even legal ? I bought them anyway, muttering under my breath about the filthy Volg and the Farmers in cahoots, grifters and ripoff merchants the lot of them. For the record, yesterday, with still too much time on my hands, I was in migros. I satrted weighing punnets of berries and what do you know, every single one over the stated weight (albiet with damage, mushy bits and so on). You just cant win over here.

A.K.A - Vulgar Overpriced Local Grocery (VOLG) I’m still waiting for a corner shop to open....think it’s going to be a long wait!

curley · #**4409** 10.06.2018, 13:44

	Quote:	SOBEIT
	A.K.A - Vulgar Overpriced Local Grocery (VOLG) I’m still waiting for a corner shop to open....think it’s going to be a long wait!

Those are long gone here thanks to Migros and Coop and thanks to Lidl and Aldi (=more biggies) will not return.
They were affectionately called "Tante Emma Lädeli". For a while they were defended, in the campaign against "Lädelistärbe" (the dying of them).

They couldn't compete, were accused of vulgarly overpricing their goods and abandoned for that

greenmount · #**4410** 10.06.2018, 13:49

	Quote:	simonminissale
	I got a big problem. I went to the Volg. Thankfully this miserable overpriced Lade is no longer in my village but I was in a neighbouring one under instructions to buy some strawberries. The sign said, 500 grams for 5 franks. Obviously with too much time on my hands, I weighed some of the boxes. 420 grams, 430 grams, 390 grams and so on. All of them under, not one even within 10 percent margin of error. I mentioned this to the Volg lady, was met with a shrug and yeh well, you know, its hard to get them exact, being strawberries and all.She said that they might mention it to the farmer. Is that even legal ? I bought them anyway, muttering under my breath about the filthy Volg and the Farmers in cahoots, grifters and ripoff merchants the lot of them. For the record, yesterday, with still too much time on my hands, I was in migros. I satrted weighing punnets of berries and what do you know, every single one over the stated weight (albiet with damage, mushy bits and so on). You just cant win over here.

Try to buy from farms..

Happy but Knackered · #**4411** 11.06.2018, 11:53

Put on 2 kilos. That 5 kilos suitcase full of chocolates, courtesy of Lindt's dividend

FCBarca · #**4412** 11.06.2018, 20:11

	Quote:	greenmount
	Try to buy from farms..

Once you buy farm fresh strawberries, nothing else compares. I love this time of year

simonminissale · #**4413** 11.06.2018, 20:35

The farms here charge the same, they were damn fine berries though, my Beef was the weight...

Bozza · #**4414** 11.06.2018, 21:04

	Quote:	Happy but Knackered
	Put on 2 kilos. That 5 kilos suitcase full of chocolates, courtesy of Lindt's dividend

yeah that checks out... 5kg * 5500cal per 1kg / 7200 cal. Actually it could have been worse

MusicChick · #**4415** 11.06.2018, 21:30

The apparently "perfume free" 50 SPF facial sunscreen...has a very particular odor. I am starting to hate it.

Medea Fleecestealer · #**4416** 14.06.2018, 07:47

It'll be the longest day of the year next Thursday. My central heating came on today because the system thinks it's cold enough that I need warming up.

SOBEIT · #**4417** 14.06.2018, 19:28

The OH cut the lawn.

curley · #**4418** 17.06.2018, 19:36

The landlord - who lives one house up - is doing his "big-screen-outdoor-football world championship" again.

That's gonna be a loud few weeks.

The good thing is, I only have to switch tabs when they all bawl over there to be informed about the important bits.

3Wishes · #**4419** 17.06.2018, 19:40

	Quote:	curley
	The landlord - who lives one house up - is doing his "big-screen-outdoor-football world championship" again. That's gonna be a loud few weeks. The good thing is, I only have to switch tabs when they all bawl over there to be informed about the important bits.

Gonna be noisy tonight when Switzerland plays Brazil.

I think some of the fans might be extra wound up thanks to Germany losing to Mexico earlier.

curley · #**4420** 17.06.2018, 20:06

	Quote:	3Wishes
	Gonna be noisy tonight when Switzerland plays Brazil. I think some of the fans might be extra wound up thanks to Germany losing to Mexico earlier.

Thanks for that info. See? I don't need to drag myself through entire games

So you think the Swiss might win? ROFL.
I think that would be politically incorrect. "Cobbler, stick to your last!" The explanation to that is <<"Do not presume to address matters beyond your competence.">>