Stuck paying international shipping? Here are two stylish sites that will foot the bill for you.

Can you imagine handing over your purchase to the clerk at your local mall only to have her ask, “priority or standard?”… “Excuse me?” you ask in response. She explains, “do you want to pay the priority or standard rate to take your purchase home?” Hearing the annoyance in her voice you shy away from confrontation and whisper, “standard”. You fork over the additional $10, grab your purchase and scurry out the door. “What just happened?” you wonder.

Wouldn’t it be crazy if your local boutique starting charging you for the costs of running the store? From shipping, to international duty charges, to steaming-out wrinkles, stocking the shelves…can you imagine seeing those charges listed on your receipt as you walked out the door?

The reality of living in Canada and buying online is not that far off from the situation I’ve just described. The Shopping Supplement asks, “Why do companies charge loyal consumers like us these ridiculous charges?” The answer is something you may not want to hear…Because they can. Most online merchants pass additional costs, like shipping or duty, on to the buyer because they know that they can get away with it. Online shoppers, especially those in Canada, are so used to the “pay-to-ship” model that they don’t even think twice at checkout.

Let’s focus on what’s real. We don’t want to pay any more than we have to which is why I’ve put together a list of stores that get it. Free shipping, all the time, to everyone, period. It just so happens that these are also the sites I visit most and find some great deals:

• ASOS.com: Chose your currency, style, size, color –you name it and the option is there for faster shopping. Oh, and don’t forget free standard shipping wordwide, no minimums. Find your country rates for priority shipping here.
• Shopbop.com: What’s better than free shipping? It could only be one thing: Free Express Delivery, no minimums. Enough said. (But, btw: they also have every designer name you could ever want).

There are countless other sites that offer free shipping with a minimum purchase, but why settle? I know you’ll fall in love with at least one of the two I’ve mentioned above. And if I haven’t convinced you, check out an example of a “Savvy Sunday” deal at Asos that runs each week. Just another reason to love Sunday’s… and Asos:

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~Chelsea