Buying online is believed to be a regular practice in almost every country. Probably all of you reading this post have already purchased some products or requested a service online. One of the advantages of this type of commerce is undoubtedly convenience, which includes receiving the ordered product or service swiftly. Although the delivery time (die Lieferung) varies from country to country; in general, it does not take too much time to receive what you bought. Thanks to the significant development of logistics services, the time between purchase and delivery has been dramatically reduced.

What to say about “Lieferung” in Germany? Well, you probably have the same idea I had before I moved here: receiving orders quickly and the requested services being performed promptly. But things do not work like that. Not all products and services in Germany are delivered as fast as you imagine. At least this was what my personal experience showed me. Getting services such as cable TV, fixed phone line, and an internet connection could take longer than you are accustomed to in your home country. These types of services, in my home country, for example, usually are delivered within 24 hours, in some cases on the same day. Therefore, pay attention to the delivery time when requesting these type of services.

The same could happen with some specific products. Most of the stuff you buy online is delivered fast. However, some products, for example, furniture, may take longer, sometimes longer than we are used to. Talking about my personal experience once again: I bought a wardrobe in a major German store online, and it took five weeks to be delivered. Buying similar furniture online in my country could take, in some cases, only two business days. However, it is different for other types of products, electronics and home appliances, for instance, are delivered fast.

But this is not a problem, and you can easily work around this. For example, buying in second-hand shops (Gebrauchtmöbelmarkt). Here in Rottal-Inn, there are at least two second-hand shops, one in Pfarrkirchen (SWS. Eggenfeldener Str. 29), and another in Hebertsfelden (Erwagus. Mühlstraße, 2). You can buy almost everything you need for your new apartment there, from cutlery to wardrobe. You can also buy clothes, decorative objects and many other household utensils.

And there are plenty of reasons to buy things in second-hand shops. Cheap product in an acceptable quality is one of them. Additionally, and the most important reason, you do not have to wait that long; they deliver weekly. Not to mention the sustainable aspect of purchasing a second-hand product. By buying and using it, you are increasing its life cycle and preventing a new one from being produced. What can be better than being sustainable by buying satisfactory products and paying a low price for them?

Celso Brito is a Brazilian master student of International Tourism Development at Technische Hochschule Deggendorf (THD-ECRI). Experienced travel manager and tour leader, he has visited many countries around the world, mainly in Europe, South and North America. He loves literature, art, music, wine, gastronomy and is always ready for a trekking adventure.