I found it on Galleon.PH!

I love shopping! Really. That's why you'll notice a lot of my posts here are about sale or promos. And lately, I have been fond of getting items online. Aside from the convenience of doing it anywhere you are anytime you want, you get to skip the heavy traffic, bunch of people in shopping malls, hours of walking and (sometimes) long lines in the cashier.

I've already tried a lot of online shopping sites in the country. However, there are still items that I badly want yet only available outside of the country. And yes, I've also tried buying items from eBay and Amazon. Downside of shopping from sites outside the Philippines is that (1) they do not offer shipping here, (2) shipping fee costs too much, or worse, (3) there are additional fees that I need to pay on top of the shipping fee. Though some items are way cheaper from other countries, there are some instances too that I even paid almost a quarter of the actual price of the item I got! (Does anyone know how the Customs come up with the fees and taxes?)

Anyway. So I came across with this new site called Galleon (not sure if it's really new but I just learned about this now) that offers products shipped from abroad. They pretty much have a wide selection of items from electronics, apparel, health and beauty products, books, sports and outdoors, books and supplies, and a lot more! In all fairness, most of the items I've seen as I browsed through the site is really not available in some of the top online shopping sites in the country. Here are some of the items that I've been wanting to get:

Ghostek Atomic 2.0 Waterproof Case

I have been looking for a waterproof case for my Galaxy Note 5 but am unlucky finding one. The Ghostek Atomic 2.0 case is made of strong aluminum alloy bumper, a heavy-duty scratch resistant touch sensitive screen guard, rubber for non-slip grip and protect port openings, and polycarbonate film seals. It's not just a waterproof case. It's also dust-proof, snow-proof (nice to have but is no use here haha), mud-proof, and shockproof. It's got good reviews in Youtube too!

LightInTheBox Chandelier

I have been wanting to get a new chandelier for my living room that will fit perfectly with my theme. I have first seen this one in eBay and I was kind of hesitant to buy it because, again, I'm afraid that customs will overcharge me for this item. I also tried looking for it in malls but I can't find this exact item (if you happen to have seen this anywhere, PLEASE let me know where so I can check it out).

Cyxus Round Portable Mini Spot Self Fill Light Spotlight

Woot! What are the odds that I'll find this item here when we were just wondering last night where to get one! I attended a friend's party last in one of the bars in BGC and we were struggling taking selfies because it's kind of dark inside. We're using another phone for lighting so it's a bit hassle for the one taking the picture holding two phones at the same time. Then one of the guests brought out this mini round spot light and clipped it on the phone we're using. Yeah, we were amazed because it's our first time to see one!haha This sure does come in handy especially for selfie addicts!

After browsing through Galleon.PH and familiarizing myself with the site, here are the things I loved about it:

Prices are all-inclusive and they take care of shipping, customs and taxes.

Yes, no more surprise and hidden charges! Before you checkout, you'll immediately see everything you have to pay.
Ships nationwide and delivers via air (6-12 business days) and sea (35-40 business days)

This I've got to see when I make my first purchase.
Has efficient customer care. With that, buying and shipping of items not on their website can be requested.

I had a really good experience with their support! I was checking the prices of some items and wanted to make sure that what I'm seeing from my end is real. When I checked the price of Ghostek, it shows in the product page "+ International Shipping" and there are two options: via Air (Php229) and via Sea (Php100). Thinking that prices are all-inclusive, I find the prices shown in the page really cheap. So I had to chat with one of their agents to verify the prices. The agent I talked to is really nice and he even offered to call me to make sure all things are clear. See screenshot below:

For everyone's information, the price you see in the checkout page is the final amount you have to pay. That's it! I checked out other items after our chat and the shipping varies depending on the size of the item you're getting.
Has multiple payment modes.

They accept payments through BDO (bank and online deposit), BPI (bank and online deposit), Dragonpay, and Paypal. Although they accept bank deposits, I hope they can also add Cash on Delivery so shoppers (without credit/debit cards) don't need to go to banks anymore.
Has a “Ship My Item” feature where in Galleon.ph act as a PO box service but you don’t get charged shipping fee by the box but on the item itself.

This is another service that sets Galleon.ph apart from other online shopping sites. You can ship an item from the US to Galleon's address in US. You will get a quote based on the size or dimension of the item and not by the box. Shipping cost starts at Php208. For more info about this feature, click here.