To all those who have ordered stuff from Net-a-porter/outnet

I have ordered from Saks which was a while back, they added quite a lot at checkout for delivery, might have changed? Recently matches, who were the best by far and also shopbop which was good not as quick as Matches. Just added 20uk pounds and items delivered to my door via courier. You can also track online your packages. :) I don't really buy clothes unless have tried them on or shoes as sizings are always different, but bags, jewellery, scarves, ect are always fine.

I use Shopbop all the time!!! Excellent service and delivery 3-4 days direct, no charge! For US brands wayyyyy cheaper than on net-a-porter! All my Tory Burch and Marc Jacobs products I purchase online from Shopbop and never ever had any problems with delivery! I'm a very happy "return customer" (which is normally once a month) ;)

Guys I want to order some Tory Burch shoes and a handbag, been browsing net-a-porter. Did they deliver directly here? Or did you Shop and Ship? Is it cheaper to buy from them and have it sent here? I am going to the UK next week but if anyone can advise the most cost effective way of doing this I would be very grateful, thanks! Thanks for the GIFT tip :) Hi TDB, Net-A-Porter UK delivered directly here. I didn't use Shop and Ship. I used my Dubai address and my Dubai-based Credit Card. As for Tory Burch, her stuff always gets marked way, way down at Bloomingdales back in the states so if you can shop on there through the US site (I just got a 25% off all purchases code in an email yesterday - which you could probably find online). I suppose you would have to use shop & ship to use their US website. You should get some great deals for your money. (The selection online is not as large as my 59th street store - but it is still a great alternative). As for Shopbop, I haven't ordered from them since moving here. But have ordered from them starting back in 2004 and again had great experiences and their customer service is also great. Tory Burch will definitely be less expensive coming from the states - and most certainly in department stores that mark down heavily like Bloomingdales. However, Net-A-Porter and Shopbop sell some styles exclusive to their sites. So if you see an item on a particular site and don't find it elsewhere, and you really love it, I'd snatch it up while you have the chance. Happy shopping!

Just to second the feedback, I order a LOT from Net-a-porter, at least once a month and think it is one of the best sites for on-line shopping. They are very quick, only last week I ordered items at 3.30pm tuesday and the items arrived at 3.30pm Thursday, 48 hours turnaround. I have never been charged additional duty (as this I think is built into the price). I've not used their returns yet, so can't comment, however, when they have messed up (only once in the gazillion times I've used them), they gave me credit on my account as compensation. In addition, if you want to buy for DH/OH, their mens site mrporter.com is good too. Another good on-line site I've just discovered and used very recently is jcrew.com, again, very quick turnaround time and delivers directly to UAE from the US. Happy Shopping :-)

Colleagues of mine have used Shopbop and have recommended it to me although I've not used it personally. You mentioning it has reminded me I must try it! Naughty TBD!!!

TDB...I get stuff from The Outnet all the time and it's couriered direct (hence a reduction in price from the UK price). The return service is fine and refunds are made quickly. On your Tory Burch purchases, I was really shocked when I made a short visit back to UK in March, at how expensive it was (much more than I remembered it). It might be worth looking on US websites, which I find much cheaper. Banana Republic / Gap always seems to have 30-40% discounts (currently awaiting a dress, belt and sandals!) and Amazon in the US is a treasure trove (my most recent purchase was a Cole Haan bag that is 1500 AED here and I got it for $200). I use a comination of my UAE credit card and shop and ship. I buy much more online than I do in the shops!

if you shop n ship you pay VAT .

You were charged duty?! Wow! I wasn't. *Now worried about the next purchase!!* I didn't know about the "gift" exclusion. Probably should have paid more attention to how my in-laws marked gifts they use to mail over to us in NY to avoid customs duties. Now I know better... Thanks again LadyBee. Invaluable advice :) *Chuckles* I've been receiving goodies like this for years. Works like magic. :)

You were charged duty?! Wow! I wasn't. *Now worried about the next purchase!!* I didn't know about the "gift" exclusion. Probably should have paid more attention to how my in-laws marked gifts they use to mail over to us in NY to avoid customs duties. Now I know better... Thanks again LadyBee. Invaluable advice :)

No worries. :D

I've bought from net-a-porter UK, most recently: a handbag in 2012. Very easy, very quick. I asked that the goods description included the word GIFT and was subsequently not charged anything in the way of duties/extra charges. I also used shop and ship for this though. So when my bag arrived, while it HAD been opened at Customs, the handbag box was in an Aramex plastic bag. Not sure if that made any difference to the duty/charges things. Their exchange policy is brilliant, not that I've had to use it. My advice is to always know exactly what you want to buy before you buy it. If you find a flaw etc in the goods, net-a-porter allegedly very good about exchanging. All the details for doing this? On the website. Any other questions, call their customer service number. Enjoy. :) LadyBee, that's a great idea! I've actually bought a few things as gifts too and it never crossed my mind to do that. Future orders will now be described as gifts and duty-free shopping it will be. Thank you so much for that invaluable advice! I learn something new every day :)

You were charged duty?! Wow! I wasn't. *Now worried about the next purchase!!*

Hi Flames, I have ordered from Net-A-Porter both back in NYC (same day delivery- woo hoo!) and now here in Dubai. Over the past year, I purchased a handbag, a few pairs of shoes, an evening and some day dresses, and ...even a bathing suit from here in Dubai. I used their UK website and found the exchange rate to be in my favor too (which was definitely a welcome surprise). Their return/exchange policy is very generous. I used it once and this was when I was about to purchase a bathing suit by an italian design house. I called them before ordering because I was concerned about sizing. The CSR advised me to order my size and then a size smaller and larger and then I could just return the ones that didn't fit. - I almost thought it was too good to be true. I mean returning bathing suits is not even really done in back in the states where it seems they take back anything. I was still hesitant, but the bathing suit was too amazing. So I followed their advice, took the plunge, received my order and returned the two that didn't fit (with tags on, etc. of course). My credit card was refunded very quickly and there is no return delivery charge - just call/email them before where they'll give you a specific return authorization number to write on your return invoice, apply the prepaid DHL label that was in your order, pack it up, send it off/have it collected by DHL and you are all set! As for import tax/duties. Yes, duties are charged as a percentage of the unit price. It is itemized on your invoice. TBH, even with the duty added, the total price of each item was still significantly lower than what you would pay here and out of curiosity I even compared one of the pairs of shoes I purchased with its namesake boutique during a trip back home in the west village and I discovered that I still paid less. (And in £ - which still blows my mind as I am always getting the raw end of the currency stick against the £ with my US$). Also, ordering from the UK site, there's No VAT. Just the import duty - which now looking at one of my invoices, calculates to be around 5% of the unit price. Oh and as a cute little gift, they sent me a nice black Net-A-Porter tape measure in a black Net-A-Porter cloth pouch with my order of bathing suits. A nice - and much needed - little extra that has come in quite handy with my subsequent purchases. All in all - a reputable site, great product line offerings and impressive customer service. Highly recommended! If you have any questions, don't hesitate to email or call their customer support before you order. They were extremely knowledgeable and thorough - a big plus in this day and age! HTH. I am very particular about my shopping online and off. I might pay a bit of premium - but too me fashion is art. Less is more. And quality reigns over quantity. Happy shopping!

I've bought from net-a-porter UK, most recently: a handbag in 2012. Very easy, very quick. I asked that the goods description included the word GIFT and was subsequently not charged anything in the way of duties/extra charges. I also used shop and ship for this though. So when my bag arrived, while it HAD been opened at Customs, the handbag box was in an Aramex plastic bag. Not sure if that made any difference to the duty/charges things. Their exchange policy is brilliant, not that I've had to use it. My advice is to always know exactly what you want to buy before you buy it. If you find a flaw etc in the goods, net-a-porter allegedly very good about exchanging. All the details for doing this? On the website. Any other questions, call their customer service number. Enjoy. :)