“On Your Way” Brings the Amazon Shopping Experience to Lebanon
One of the things I miss most about living in the US is
Amazon.com. More than merely a marketplace, it’s a treasure trove that sells
absolutely everything under the sun (and then some).
On Your Way
Testing It Out
Registering As a Traveler
Outlook
I’m not exaggerating. I used
to skip the university bookstore, buying (and selling) ALL of my college textbooks
via Amazon. Last Christmas, I stumbled across gorgeous Ivanka Trump navy blue
pumps at a steal…on Amazon. Every perfume I have ever procured, from my very
first bottle of Burberry Brit back in grad school, was through Amazon. Most
recently, my son Stephen’s play pen, stroller, bottle sterilizer, bottle
warmer, and organic bamboo bath towel were unearthed…on Amazon.
Yes, folks. Amazon is life, and nowhere do you
appreciate its existence more than in Lebanon, where it is nonexistent. Here,
if you come across an imported product, particularly clothing or electronics,
it’s substantially marked up (been to Virgin Megastore recently?). Quite
often, too, you won’t even find what you’re looking for. Which quickly becomes
the bane of your own existence.
Up until today, I’ve been circumventing that hurdle by
enlisting my parents to transport my wish list every time they fly in from LA.
But the problem with that is obvious: they visit once a year, twice if I’m
lucky, and they’ve got limited baggage space. Waiting months on end for their
arrival is far from convenient, especially when I need something desperately
(try finding
women’s size 10 shoes around here – impossible!).
On Your Way
I recently discovered a service dubbed On Your Way, whose objective is pretty straightforward. You locate
an item online that you want from the US or Europe. Either it's not available
in Lebanon, or you can’t justify paying the steep price tag locally.
Submit the link of the product to onyourway.io,
including information like price and weight. Within 24 hours, you’ll receive an offer, including a calculated delivery charge. You’ll also be notified of a
guaranteed delivery date, likely between two and three weeks, but never beyond
four weeks.
Simply provide the link of the product you want, and receive an offer of delivery date and shipping cost |
Upon your acceptance, On Your Way will purchase the goods
and commission one of their certified travelers to transport it in his or her baggage. Said traveler will drop the stuff off at a central office in Mar
Mikhael, Beirut, from which you can arrange either pick-up or home delivery.
What’s comforting is that On Your Way will refund you the
entire price of product plus delivery should your item arrive compromised in
any manner. Their trusted travelers undergo a rigorous screening process once
they’ve registered their trip and indicated how much space they can dedicate in
their luggage (more on that later).
The advantages are self-evident: you can finally import
whatever gadget or gizmo you’ve had your eye on at a price that’s sensible,
transparent and up-front. There's even a nifty shipping price simulator on the website -- inputs include item price, weight, and size.
Sure, international couriers like Aramex provide the same end-result, but have you seen their shipping rates from the US? They make the Virgin Megastore option look enviable, and that’s if Virgin even carries the latest Microsoft Surface Book you’re hell-bent on owning.
Compute shipping price by specifying item price, weight and size |
Sure, international couriers like Aramex provide the same end-result, but have you seen their shipping rates from the US? They make the Virgin Megastore option look enviable, and that’s if Virgin even carries the latest Microsoft Surface Book you’re hell-bent on owning.
Testing It Out
It all reads fine and dandy on paper, er, onscreen, and user testimonials
sound reassuringly positive. But I had to try it out for myself. Well, to be
accurate, I’m currently waiting for the arrival of a pair of waterproof,
silicone bibs for Stephen!
My baby has recently graduated to solid foods, and let’s
just say he’s a rather playful eater. I read about these miraculous, 100%
food-grade silicone bibs that resist stains, don’t absorb water, and fit kids
aged 6 months to 6 years. American parents are raving about
them, rating them a cumulative 5/5 on Amazon. They sell for $19
a pair, and I’ve searched high and low for them in baby shops across Beirut, to
no avail.
So on Sunday, June 10, I submitted the Amazon link to On Your Way, verifying price and weight. A shipping rate of $12 was estimated and
confirmed less than two hours later, along with a delivery date prior to June 30.
I immediately accepted the offer. Now it’s a wait and see game. Be sure you’re
following me on Instagram to
witness the outcome!
Registering As a Traveler
If you’re reading this from the US, UK, or France; are
anticipating a trip to Lebanon anytime in the near future; and wouldn’t mind
carving out some real estate in your baggage to help subsidize your travel fare;
you might consider signing up as a traveler for On Your Way.
Fill out a basic questionnaire specifying your trip origin,
arrival date, and how much space you’re willing to parcel out. On Your Way will then
get in touch to conduct a background check, and if you pass, you’ll be sent a slate
of items which you have 48 hours to approve or veto. The most popular product
categories are electronics, shoes, clothing, cosmetics, and small automotive
accessories. Products you authorize are shipped from recognized online
stores to your address, to be packed and toted with you on your journey to BEY.
Once you’re here, On Your Way comes by and collects the goods, compensating you
in cash.
Register as a traveler with On Your Way, and make money carrying items in your baggage (photo source: valtech.com) |
It’s definitely worth looking into, because I’ve read that
registered travelers finance on average 80% of their flight costs using On Your
Way! Depending on the value and weight of what you transport, you could fetch $15/kg
(or $7/lb.).
Let’s do some quick math. Most international flights permit you two luggage weighing 23 kilos apiece. An empty suitcase
weighs around 6 kilos, so you can flesh it out with 17 kilos in goods. That
translates to $255 with On Your Way. Even if the airline charges $100
for a second bag that you weren’t planning on carrying, you could stand to
profit $155 by opting in to On Your Way.
Lebanese students studying abroad, are you reading this? Easy
moolah!
Outlook
I’m really excited about the potential of this service to
fulfill orders (and dreams) from abroad. Its simplicity is uncanny, and if you
really contemplate it, there’s a human connection on some level, as every order
sponsors a portion of a fellow Lebanese’s trip home. No doubt as the network of
registered travelers grows, delivery times will drop significantly, and
shipping costs might follow, too.
Heck, with a sufficiently large pool of travelers, it’ll be
as if Amazon finally landed in Lebanon. Well, veritably it will have, powered
by a Lebanese wasta à la On Your Way!
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