Table of Contents
Safety
Shopping online – tip no.1: before making a purchase, always check if the site is legitimate! If the price is suspiciously low, there is no clear contact information and/or terms and conditions explanation, if the text is poorly translated, or you spot any other weird signs, better validate the site: ask others in a dedicated Facebook group or write to the customer service and see if you get a trustworthy reply etc.
Paypal provides extra customer protection. If you make your payment via their system, it will be easier to get your money redeemed in case you stumble upon a fraudulent vendor, also, if a website offers Paypal payment, that’s a good sign in itself.
A list of fraudulent barefoot shoe sites in Hungary: https://barefootbudapest.hu/en/resources/where-to-buy-barefoot-shoes/ (the design is a standard and similar ones keep popping up all over the world)
Sizing
Yeah well. Ordering clothes online does involve a certain risk. Tip no. 2 – you can do a lot to minimise the chances of getting your size wrong:
- Don’t rely on your usual size, make precise, actual measurements – you can find detailed advice here
- Carefully study the sizing information on the manufacturer’s site and read customers’ feedback if provided (on Groundies’ website, for instance, there are many comments regarding the fit of each particular model).
- If you are in between two sizes, it is almost always better to size up – or, order both sizes, you can get the return shipping costs back anyway (see below).
Deadlines
Shopping online tip no. 3: important! Always check how long you have to return unwanted items. (In Hungary, it tends to be a minimum of 14 days, but some shops extend it to 30). It must also be stated on the website how long the vendor has before they must redeem your money – this will help you make a plan B if necessary.
Deviza exchange – save with Revolut
Shopping online tip no. 4: you can register for Revolut free of charge on your phone (and perhaps also get a physical card on top of their virtual one that can come handy if you travel abroad). Below a very reasonable limit, there are practically no costs and deviza exchange is done instantly at friendly rates. No need to establish various deviza accounts in a bank, you can easily convert money into various currencies at the blink of an eye. You can make card payments with it, but there is also a possibility to make bank transfers.
Return shipping – attention, updated!
Shopping online tip no. 5: in my experience, the Hungarian Post is both expensive and unreliable. I use these services for returns from Hungary (prices vary according to destination, best is to always compare the two):
US people suggest the following as the cheapest shipping service from the US back to Europe (I haven’t tried because I don’t live there!): https://www.pirateship.com/features
Paypal Refunded Returns – you can save the return shipping costs! (by 27 November, 2022 only)
Shopping online tip no. 6: local shops tend to work with friendly shipping conditions, some even offer free shipping above a certain value, but if you need to return your shoes internationally, it may prove pricey.
Paypal has a service that redeems the return costs up to 9.300 HUF/occasion in Hungary (the limit varies according to country and is clearly stated in the rules), up to 12 times/year. It can only be used for payments made via your Paypal account, which is where the refunds lands (so you will only be able to use that money for further Paypal payments, which is fair enough).
!!! UPDATE !!! Refunded Returns are cancelled by Paypal as of from 28 November, 2022!
Tips
- It may be optimal to register your Revolut card in your Paypal account. Pay attention: when making the payment, Paypal will offer to make the currency exchange (if needed), but their rates are exhuberant. Choose exchange at your bank’s rates (i.e. Revolut). This can save you thousands of Forints.
- If you shipped the shoes via a courier, Paypal will usually ask for a confirmation e-mail by the vendor in proof of the return. Bigger firms, such as Groundies, generate such confirmation letters automatically, but I had to ask some vendors to send me one specifically for this purpose. As this means processing time and as the proof must be submitted within 14 days from having made your refund request, you may choose to only make the request once the returned shoes have reached the vendor. Once approved, the refund usually land on your account within a few days.
How many pairs to order at one go?
- My initial strategy was to order one model at a time, but after a few failures I decided to change it, in order to save time & effort, and also to spare my nerves 🙂 If only you can, I suggest that you order several pairs from one shop, as the chances of getting at least one good fit are thus higher, and you can always return what hasn’t worked out. Sorry, there is the danger of falling in love with too many pairs though 🙂
- Some manufacturers, i.e. Wildlings, offer free international shipping above a certain value. If you cannot reach the limit alone, you may try to ask around in your local barefoot Facebook group(s), people may join in, so you can jump the limit or share the shipping costs among yourselves. List of Hungarian barefoot communities here
VAT, customs
Note that in case you order from outside the EU, you may need to pay VAT and customs fee on top of the price, which now also concerns post-Brexit UK!
If you are after American makes, google them! Some European online shops carry a choice of US barefoot shoes, too.