Vitacost Review (UPS vs DHL) Ordering from Vitacost

9 July Monday 7.15 p.m.

I better get this down before it slips away. I have purchased from Vitacost 3 times before and had wanted to post here, but never got round to doing it.

This is the 4th time, and I better be immediate about it. :) Now that it's freshly arrived.

I love Vitacost, I love their packing, I love UPS. :) 

This 4th package arrived at 6.20 p.m.. Delivery took only a week excluding Sundays (order was placed on 30 June). The moment the UPS man passed the box to me, wow, the smell was so nice! I mean the box, not the man.

The fragrance from the scents inside the box. Mmm... wonderful.

As mentioned in the previous post, this time, this parcel was held at customs for just a bit due to lack of information (regarding items inside, presumably). I think previous time when I used UPS, Vitacost also didn't list the items outside and it was fine, though smaller and lighter box. This time, could be because it's heavier and bigger box.

Vitacost offers only 2 delivery options: DHL and UPS. Their DHL is much cheaper than UPS, but beware... DHL takes a long time (2 weeks to 1 month) and it routes through Germany (ergo the long time, and hope there is no strike in Germany). One guy in a local forum called it "Deliver Halfway Lost".

In a way, he has a point because, the tracking is... half-baked. Tracks to Germany, then no updates. Then need to call DHL and ask for the Speedpost tracking number to track in SG (only when parcel arrives in SG. So, just call and ask for status.). DHL phone number get from DHL SG website.

The half-baked tracking number... is only if your order has been "upgraded" to DHL Priority. That is actually not really "priority" but DHL Global Mail (as some Vitacost customers realized). I found out it's actually Global Mail when calling DHL SG.

To track, click on this website and enter tracking number:  http://webtrack.dhlglobalmail.com/

Customers have been displeased because they pay for "priority" but it's actually standard global mail. They feel they have been conned.

However, it's actually better than standard DHL. "Priority" has at least a tracking number that can be used for a longer distance and in more detail than standard DHL. Even though Vitacost says there is no tracking for DHL standard, there is, but it tracks only very little in the US.

See my example: 

First time: DHL standard. It doesn't say when it leaves the US or anything else. Delivery took 2 weeks for 5 items. Vitacost shipped out on a Sat, surprisingly. 

Second time: DHL "priority" (global mail).  It was a "free upgrade" by Vitacost presumably depending on amount spent.. Checking online, IPZ-Ffm is Frankfurt. You can see it took close to a month (11 items). Once it hit Germany, it wouldn't move due to the airport strike at the time.

For DHL, upon arrival, delivery to the door is by Speedpost. So, a Speedpost tracking number needs to be acquired from DHL call center once you see it has arrived in SG after leaving Frankfurt.


The third time, I got fed up of waiting so long for my items being routed to Germany. What if they had another strike? Why couldn't it be sent out direct from the US?

Switched to the more expensive UPS just to try it out. Turned out to be a good choice.

3rd time: 12 items. First time using UPS. Took only 6 days to be delivered by the UPS courier. Not Speedpost. The boxes of my facial items were rather battered (compared to DHL that delivered everything perfectly beautiful).

See the detailed tracking. It was also updated in real-time throughout the day, and very fast movement of the parcel. I just don't know why it had to route to so many places in the US before going to Hong Kong. Why does it need to go to Anchorage, Alaska??  I told my bro, "Why does it need to go to the Land of salmon and bears first?".

And why is Vitacost (or a branch of it) in Las Vegas?

Price of such detailed tracking? US$56.74

Fourth time (this time):  15 items. Took 7 days. Everything perfect inside the box. Cost of shipping US$61.53. The part about more documentation required... refer to previous post's update. This was solved by calling UPS this morning. The UPS man came to deliver on the same day today at around 6.20 p.m..

Vitacost's speed at shipping out: Fast. For this 4th time, order was placed on 30 June. The shipping was 2 July. That's 2 days. The tracking is updated round the clock, so I assume UPS staff work round the clock.

Generally, it takes 2 days for Vitacost to ship out. Or rather, the e-mail with tracking number was sent to me first and only 1 day later it started showing tracking. I don't know why the first time purchase, it took the same day to ship out, a Saturday. Probably error in sending out that e-mail to me.

Total cost with shipping for 15 items this time is SGD 249 +.  Each item averages around SGD 16.60. Expensive but I love the shower gels (which are free of harsh chemicals) and other stuff that can't be found in SG.

Here are the stuff this time around: 

Vitacost wraps everything nicely and securely. Glass bottles are really super wrapped round and round with bubble wrap sheet. It's a sheet that SG doesn't sell. Pretty cool bubble wrap that's sticky only to itself, not to the product. Protects the item really well. 

You can see  the box has been slightly slit open at the top, probably by curious customs. But the package was not opened (the sides and top were still sealed). The fragrance within wafted out, and if the UPS lady had told them it was shower gels and toothpaste, it would explain the quick release of the parcel. Just with that slit, nothing inside can be seen.

The order list and Vitacost's brochure that they always send with their parcel:

Everything nicely sealed in zip-lock:  The nice fragrance is due to one of Deep Steep's bubble bath bottles. Spearmint and Honeydew (1 flavor in 1 bottle). Their fragrance for this is very strong.  (Update: the fragrance I discovered, is from a hole in the packet of Lavender Mineral Bath salt.).

The long horizontal bubble wrap contains my small bottle of Lavender essential oil. The far right back bottle beside the Mulberries is the Cupcake flavor shower shampoo (for hair, body and bubble bath). I have just used it for my night bath and it doesn't smell anything like Cupcake. :(  And I don't like that it moisturizes the bathroom floor.

Those Mulberries are very nice. A Vitacost reviewer said it's chewy and sweet. Another reviewer in Hong Kong said it was very nice. So, I bought it to try. Also, I think berries are good for my condition. I have never eaten Mulberries before.  Too bad I don't know what fresh mulberries taste like or look like.

These are true to the reviews: very good! Nice, slightly sweet, chewy.

You can see the expiry date: 12/11/13. All the items I received have good expiry dates (unlike another website called iHerb that reviewers said sent expired products).

The Kelp powder I've also used for my fried fish and it tastes very nice as well. I'll post it up later. I want to watch my Hakuouki anime now. Can't wait to watch... Hijikata-san. Please don't die (although I think he does, to match history).