Ultimate guide to online shopping

THE internet is home to brilliant bargains on everything, if you know where to look. Brush up your knowledge of the best places to buy online with our essential guide.

AT ITS best, online shopping is convenient, affordable and can help you find exactly what you want in a matter of minutes.

But it can easily turn into a disaster, when you find yourself hit with mammoth shipping costs, sent an item that looks nothing like the photo and facing more fees and effort to return it.

With Australians now threatened with paying GST and “parcel pick-up” tax on overseas internet purchases, it’s time to brush up your knowledge of the best places to buy online.

Here are some of our favourites — save extra cash with comparison site Finder’s online coupon codes and visit Want it Now to find retailers who offer same-day delivery.

FASHION

Hello Molly offers chic fashion with free delivery.

ASOS: Global fashion giant for men and women with an Australian warehouse and hundreds of brands. Free shipping for orders over $40, returns up to 28 days and student discounts. Seventy per cent off sale now on.

MISSGUIDED: Young, fun, affordable fashion, brands like Kookai at a low price. Australian store offers free shipping for orders over $40, returns up to 100 days, express delivery for $9 and student discounts.

THE ICONIC: Australian-based website with super-fast three-hour delivery in Sydney and Melbourne, free overnight shipping and free returns within 100 days. Brands include Finders Keepers and River Island.

HELLO MOLLY: Bohemian, romantic clothing for women. Free express shipping Australia-wide. Orders received before 2pm are shipped the same day.

BEGINNING BOUTIQUE: Summery, chic Australian fashion. Free express shipping Australia-wide, returns up to 14 days and student discount. Twenty-five per cent off shoes now.

PRINCESS POLLY: On-trend fashion at a reasonable price. Free express shipping for orders over $50, returns up to 30 days and free returns on orders of $100 or more. Ten per cent off if you sign up for the newsletter.

SHOPBOP: Hundreds of designers from “the editors of what’s cool”. Free express delivery for orders over $100 and returns for up to 30 days.

BOOHOO: Urban, youthful fashion for men and women at low prices, with 100 new pieces launched each day. Free shipping over $40, returns up to 30 days, student discounts.

HUNTERS & GATHERERS: Quirky Australian boutique for men’s and women’s fashion, gifts, homewares, furniture, artwork, accessories and kids’ clothing. Dispatch within 24 hours, free shipping, returns up to 60 days and every order is giftwrapped.

GLUE STORE: Urban fashion for men and women. Free delivery on orders over $75, three-hour express service and returns up to 30 days (including to your nearest store).

SABA: Sophisticated Australian fashion for men and women. Delivery in three to five days, free over $200, returns within 21 days. Thirty to 50 per cent sale now on.

BEAUTY

STRAWBERRY NET: Hundreds of cosmetics and beauty products, free shipping worldwide for skincare and makeup, free returns within 30 days and discounts of up to 70 per cent off some top brands. Loyalty program with 10 per cent off.

PRICELINE: Australian store with popular makeup brands, fragrances and health products. Free delivery for orders over $100 or more and loyalty programs.

TRAVEL

HOTELS. COM: Thousands of hotels with Tripadvisor reviews pulled in alongside your search. Rewards program earns you free stays with every 10 nights booked, 24/7 customer service.

WOTIF: More than 13 million rooms on offer plus flights and special packages advertised in the newsletter. “Mystery hotels” offer even greater savings.

CONTIKI: Epic guided tours and experiences for the intrepid 18- to 35-year-old traveller. Hundreds of tours available in five continents and 10 to 25 per cent off sale on now.

TECHNOLOGY

Go straight to Microsoft’s online store for the Surface 3.

DICK SMITH: Trusted Aussie brand for TVs, computers, sound systems and cameras. Delivery from $5.95 or pick up in store seven days a week.

DWI: Massive range of amateur and professional digital cameras, smartphones, tablets and other gadgets. Free shipping to metro areas, dispatched within 24 hours and live chat customer service.

MICROSOFT: Major player offers free shipping on computers, phones, tablets and accessories and returns up to 14 days. Offering express delivery of Surface 3.

MISCELLANEOUS

EBAY: The original marketplace website, selling everything from collectibles to sporting goods. Save hundreds of dollars on new designer clothing if you know exactly what you want, and order new or refurbished electronics for a fraction of the usual price. Thirty per cent off sale on tech and office supplies now on.

THE BOOK DEPOSITORY: Millions of titles at cheap prices and free shipping worldwide. Dispatched within two days of ordering.

PETITE GRAND: Luxury Australian brand selling beautiful jewellery. Shipping is $6 within Australia.

WOW HD: Australian site with extensive list of cheap vinyl for music lovers, as well as cheap DVDs and CDs. Free shipping on everything.

MY MESSY ROOM: Adorable clothes, books, toys and homeware for children. Beautiful wrapping for gifts and free delivery on orders over $150.

KOGAN: Australian company selling electronics, homeware, appliances and more at discount prices. Fourteen-day money-back guarantee. Sales on a wide range of products on now.

SHOP TIL YOU DROP

There are many more fantastic stores online, with new deals popping up all the time. Look out for free and express delivery, cheap returns and sales, and keep an eye on social media for exclusive deals.