THE SPECIALIST: The SSI Group's At Home Concierge Service
The SSI Group's dedication and commitment to bring quality service to its valued customers remains to be our top priority. In our efforts to bring our brands closer to customers safely and make shopping more convenient, “The Specialist”, SSI’s At Home concierge service dedicated to providing customers with personalized service to address their unique shopping needs, is here for you.
What is The Specialist?
The Specialist is an At Home concierge service created by the SSI Group to help facilitate and assist customers with their shopping needs via direct digital communication with customers and delivery at home or curbside pick-up. Whether you’re on the lookout for inspiring style to liven your day, or searching for something to make staying at home a little extra, The Specialist is here for anything you need.
How can customers order?
Step 1 - Customers may get in touch with SSI’s Customer Service team through any of the following channels to inquire about a particular brand or product:
SSI GROUP CUSTOMER SERVICE TEAM
Email: customerservice@ssigroup.com.ph
Telephone Number: 8-830-5000
Mobile Number: (0917) 552 9359
Facebook: facebook.com/SSILifePH
After calling Customer Service, a Specialist will be assigned to a customer to give further assistance.
Step 2 - Once the order has been confirmed, customers can settle payments via online through the following Stores Specialists, Inc. Account Numbers:
BPI: 1861-0095-44
BDO: 000-410118109
Pay By Link (BDO): An invoice shall be emailed with a link to pay
Customers also have the option to pay via all major credit cards. Portable terminals will be available and provided upon delivery. Cash on Delivery will be accepted for orders that are less than P5,000, through our third-party logistics providers. Please note that some brands only accept pre-payment via online transfer.
Step 3 - Customers to send the proof of payment, together with their name and order number, via email to: TheSpecialist@ssigroup.com.ph.
Step 4 - Customers’ orders will be delivered within 3 to 5 days for Metro Manila and 5 to 10 days for provincial. Depending on the size and weight, there will be a P200 delivery fee within Metro Manila for orders less than P5,000. For provincial orders, shipment and insurance is charged to the customer.
While prioritizing the safety and well-being of our customers, employees and the general public, The Specialist At Home concierge service will continue to operate and cater to clients even after the modified ECQ has been lifted, in order to align with the security and protective mandates placed within our community.
Which brands can customers shop from?
The SSI Group is currently offering The Specialist At Home concierge service for the following brands and is working on adding more brands in the coming weeks:
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: If I will place an order today and the delivery address is within Metro Manila, when will it be delivered?
A: If the delivery address is within Metro Manila, it will take 3 to 5 days from confirmation of order or payment. But kindly expect some delays due to travel restrictions in some areas.
Q: If I will place an order today and the delivery address is provincial, when will it be delivered?
A: For provincial, it will take 5-10 days from confirmation of order or payment. As with our Metro Manila deliveries, kindly expect some delays due to travel restrictions in some areas.
Q: Who will deliver the item?
A: The item will be delivered by our store head through an SSI Van within NCR if the total amount of the merchandise is P5,000 and above. If less than P5,000, the delivery will be through the 3PLs/Courier.
Q: Is it possible to deliver the item to a provincial address?
A: Yes, it is possible. For provincial areas, the 3PL/courier will facilitate the delivery. The shipment fee will be c/o the customer.
Q: Can I pay for the item using my credit card?
A: Yes, you may pay for the item using your credit card upon delivery (for Metro Manila areas only) if the item is worth P5,000 and up. Portable terminals can be made available and provided upon delivery for selected brands only and upon The Specialists’ confirmation of its availability. Please note that some brands only accept pre-payment via online transfer.
Q: Can I pay for the item online?
A: Yes, you may pay for the item via online banking (BPI/BDO transfer).
Q: Can I pay for the item via cash on delivery (COD)?
A: We encourage you to pay via online banking. Apologies, but no cash on delivery will be accepted for items worth P5,000 and up for safety and security reasons.
Q: I have a My SSI Life account, can I still earn points?
A: Yes, you can earn points using your My SSI Life account from participating brands of the loyalty program. Please provide your My SSI Life number to The Specialist once the order has been confirmed. Earning of points will be based on the entitlement under the My SSi Life terms and conditions as stated in the digital mobile app.
Q: How much is the delivery fee?
A: The shipment fee depends on your location and the item’s size and weight. Please contact your Specialist to get the exact shipment fee for your ordered item/s.
THE SPECIALIST
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
I. SCOPE AND DEFINITIONS
a. The Specialist is SSI’s At Home Concierge service where customers may shop from participating brands at the comfort of their home. A virtual personal shopper will assist in the shopping experience and the item may be delivered to the customer or picked up from the store.
b. Please read these Terms carefully before using this service and placing your order. By ordering products from The Specialist, hereon referred to as the “Service,” you agree to be bound by these Terms.
c. Any reference to "we"/"us"/”our” in these Terms is a reference to Stores Specialists, Inc. - owner and operator of The Specialist, with office address at 4th Floor, Midland Buendia Building, 403, Senator Gil J Puyat Avenue, Makati, 1200 Metro Manila Philippines. We can be reached through email: customerservice@ssigroup.com.ph
d. Any reference to "you" means you, the user of the Service.
II. OUR CONTRACT
a. Your order constitutes an offer to us to buy the products you select from the Service. All orders are subject to availability and will not constitute a binding contract of sale until accepted by us. As soon as this offer is accepted by us, your order forms a binding contract of sale between you and us as further set out in Section III below.
b. Purchases made through the Service must be for your personal or gift use and are not to be used for resale, commercial purposes or any other commercial benefit. We reserve the right to refuse orders for multiple quantities of an item ordered by you or ordered to any one postal address.
c. The Service only sells products to individuals who can purchase with a credit card or other method(s) of payment as set out on the payment page.
d. The images of the products we send you are for illustrative purposes only. Although we have made every effort to display the colors accurately, we cannot guarantee that a device's display of the colors accurately reflects the color of the products. Your product may vary slightly from those images.
III. THE ORDER PROCESS
a. Customers may get in touch with SSI’s Customer Service team through any of the following channels to inquire about a particular brand or product:
Email: customerservice@ssigroup.com.ph
Telephone Number: 8-830-5000
Mobile Number: (0917) 552 9359
Facebook: facebook.com/SSILifePH
b. After calling Customer Service, a Specialist will be assigned to a customer to give further assistance.
c. The Specialist will then send photos and product information requested by the customer through the communication channel where the customer wishes to receive these.
d. Once the order is placed and confirmed by the attending specialist, an order number shall be given and the customer may settle the payment as stated in Section V (“Payment”) below.
e. We may, at our sole discretion, choose not to accept or to cancel your order for any reason which may include unavailability of the product, detection of possible fraud, or any other reason that we deem appropriate. For orders that were not processed or were canceled, we will either not charge you, or refund you the total amount paid.
IV. PRICES AND DELIVERY CHARGES
a. All of the prices that will be communicated by your Specialist include the currently applicable statutory value-added tax (VAT).
b. The prices are stated in Philippine pesos and exclude delivery charges.
c. Shipping fee is calculated based on actual weight and delivery location. Standard shipping rates are as follows:
d. Corresponding valuation charges may apply to cover insurance.
e. Free shipping (applicable to the first 3Kg) shall apply for orders worth ₱2,000 and above for beauty brands such as Acca Kappa, Beauty Bar, Bobbi Brown, Clarins, Clinique, Diptyque, Estee Lauder, Jo Malone London, Laura Mercier, L'Occitane, Lush, MAC and Nars, or worth ₱5,000 and above for other brands. Free shipping excludes oversized items or those that would exceed 20kg or a box size 50cm x 38cm x 14cm.
f. We reserve the right to change the shipping rates and free shipping policy at any time.
V. PAYMENT
a. Payment for your products must be made via Credit Card, Online Bank Transfer, Over the Counter Cash Deposit, GCash, Cash On Delivery (for orders P5,000 and below only) or other payment methods that we may offer and announce in the future. Please note that some brands such as Banana Republic, Bershka, GAP, Marks & Spencer, Massimo Dutti, Old Navy, Payless ShoeSource, Pull & Bear, Stradivarius, Tiffany & Co, TWG Tea and Zara only accept pre-payment via online transfer. We reserve the right to add or change modes of payment for any of our brands at any time.
b. The full payment price, including delivery charges and any additional charges for services you may have ordered, will be debited from your card/account. You confirm that the credit or debit card being used is not stolen, simulated, or a fraudulent account. All credit or debit cardholders are subject to validation checks and authorization by the card issuer. If the issuer of your card refuses to authorize payment, we will not accept your order and we will not be responsible for any delay or non-delivery and we are not obliged to inform you of the reason for the refusal. You may contact your issuing bank for more information.
c. For online bank transfer or over the counter bank deposit to our BDO or BPI account, please send proof of fund transfer or the bank-validated deposit slip to your attending Specialist. The Specialist, in turn, will coordinate with our finance department to verify your payment.
d. As necessary and in order to deter fraudulent transactions, we reserve the right to ask for photos of your credit or debit card and your valid government-issued ID, or any other document to verify your online payment details at any time before delivery of your orders.
e. For cash on delivery orders, please prepare and ensure that the exact amount of payment (inclusive of shipping and other applicable charges which we will inform you of in advance, if any, and subject to your prior approval) is ready and available for pick up upon delivery of your order to your stated delivery address. Your order will not be released to you or your authorized representative until our courier partners’ representative has acquired the cash payment during delivery.
VI. DELIVERY
a. Your attending Specialist will notify you of the estimated delivery date for your products which is usually within three (3) to five (5) business days in Metro Manila and up to fifteen (15) days for provincial orders (i.e. Excluding Saturday, Sunday and public holidays in the Republic of the Philippines) from the date when your payment is confirmed. It may take slightly longer to deliver products to very remote areas. We will endeavor to deliver all products you have ordered within the estimated delivery time, but these delivery dates are estimates only. Dispatch dates are not guaranteed and should not be relied upon.
b. If your order has not been received within our specified timescales, you may contact your attending Specialist to check the status of your order. All delivery timescales are subject to delays caused by seasonal or busy periods, weather and other unforeseen circumstances, though we will do everything we reasonably can to get your order to you on time. Please understand that during exceptionally busy periods (e.g. Christmas), or when the weather is particularly inclement, we and/or our couriers might need additional time to process and deliver your order. Please note that the delivery company may require a signature on delivery and will not leave products without a signature.
c. Orders may be placed from anywhere in the world, provided that the delivery address is within the Philippines.
d. Your order will be sent to the delivery address that you have given to your attending Specialist. We are not responsible if the given delivery address is incorrect or incomplete.
VII. RETURNS
a. Only products purchased from this service may be returned. Items that are bought on promo or sale are not valid for return or exchange unless the item is confirmed by SSI as damaged/defective upon receipt.
b. For returns and exchanges due to change of size, wrong item received, or faulty/defective/damaged items, please follow our returns procedure, so that we can assist you in the replacement or refund of your order. We reserve the right to reject the return of products which are not returned in accordance with our returns procedure. Please contact our customer service by emailing customerservice@ssigroup.com.ph to declare the items you wish to return. We will send you the necessary documents and provide instructions to facilitate your return request. Please take note that any return or exchange without prior notification through email shall not be accepted.
c. You have the right to return any purchased products for the following reasons:
Change of Size - The product you ordered does not fit on you.
Change of Colour - Only allowed if the item is damaged upon receipt.
Wrong Item - The product you received was not the product you ordered.
Damaged or Defective Item - The product you ordered was damaged when you received it.
d. Please note the following:
Items that are bought on promo or sale are not valid for return or exchange unless the item is damaged/defective upon receipt.
You may exchange the size of your item. You will not be charged for the return shipment fee for the first return or exchange. Delivery charges will apply for succeeding returns
Items may be exchanged following the brand's allowable period for return/exchange, counting from the date that the item was delivered. The brand's standard policy in the acceptance of merchandise return/exchange shall apply.
The value of the item at the time of exchange is the price paid or current selling price whichever is lower. However, if damaged upon receipt, the value of the exchange item would be based on the actual price paid by the customer.
Upon receipt of the item, it will be evaluated and confirmed if the item is acceptable for exchange. Once the returned item is approved for exchange, please note the following delivery dates to receive the replacement item below.
Metro Manila - 3 to 5 days
Provincial - 10 to 15 days
6. If the item is not approved for return, the customer will shoulder the shipment fee worth ₱200 via Cash-on-Delivery.
7. Items must be in good condition (unless the item was damaged upon receipt) with original packaging and tags still intact.
e. SSI shall replace the returned item with exactly the same item of a different size or color, or the same item in good condition. If the item is no longer available, SSI will coordinate with the customer for a suitable replacement.
f. In returning products, please follow the guidelines below. We reserve the right to reject any product returns if the following guidelines are not met:
The item must be returned together with its tape receipt and original packaging. Please reuse the packaging your order was shipped in to proceed with the return.
Unless the item is damaged upon receipt, please return your articles in mint condition, without them being worn or washed. The sole of the shoes has to be clean and intact.
All of the packaging (plastic, boxes), accessories (including but not limited to bags, cases and other packaging), and user manuals have to be returned and product labels must be attached to the items as sold.
g. Normally, parcels are returned to us within ten (10) working days but on some occasions returned parcels are delayed especially at busy periods like Christmas. Please allow up to fifteen (15) working days after order confirmation before contacting us. We thank you for your understanding.
VIII. YOUR PERSONAL DATA
a. By providing information with our Customer Service or our Specialist, you represent and warrant that you are using your actual identity, and all the information you provide is true, accurate, current and complete at the time you provide us that information.
b. If you find that the information transmitted is incorrect or no longer valid, it is your responsibility to change it. We will not be liable for any errors that may result in your submission of incorrect information.
c. When you communicate with us through email, chat, Viber, etc, you are communicating with us electronically. For contractual purposes, you consent to receive communications from us electronically and you agree that all agreements, notices, disclosures and other communications that we provide to you electronically satisfy any legal requirement that such communications be in writing.
d. The personal information that you provide to us whilst using the service will only be collected and used in accordance with our Data Privacy Policy, which can be accessed by clicking here. You expressly consent to the sharing of this data with SSI Group, Inc., Rustan's Group, and its affiliates.
IX. LIABILITY
a. Save as expressly set out herein, all conditions, warranties and obligations which may be implied or incorporated into these Terms by statute, common law, or otherwise and any liabilities arising from them are hereby expressly excluded to the extent permitted by law. That said, this does not affect the Terms which are included as a matter of custom and we acknowledge that we are under a legal obligation to supply products in accordance with the contract, are of satisfactory quality, reasonably fit for the purpose, and as described.
b. We only supply the products and the service for domestic and private use. You agree not to use the product or the service for any commercial, business or resale purposes. We will not be responsible for any business loss (including loss of profits, loss of revenue, loss of contracts or loss of goodwill) that you suffer as a result of our breach of these Terms, use of our service or our negligence.
c. This service is provided by us on an 'as is' and 'as available' basis. We make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, as to the operation of this Service or the information, content, materials, or products included on this Service. It is expressly agreed by you that your use of this Service is at your sole risk.
d. When you order products from the Service, our aggregate liability to you for any loss or damage arising in connection with these Terms shall be limited, in respect of each claim, to the purchase price of your order.
e. We are not responsible for any delay or failure to comply with our obligations under these Terms if the delay or failure arises out of any event which is beyond our reasonable control. Such events shall include, for example, failure of infrastructure, government intervention, epidemic/pandemic, wars, civil commotion, hijacking, fire, flood, accident, storm, strikes, lockouts, terrorist attacks or industrial action affecting us or our suppliers. This condition does not affect your statutory rights.
f. If an event beyond our reasonable control as described above takes place that affects the performance of our obligations in relation to products ordered from the Service under these Terms with you:
We will use reasonable endeavors to reduce the impact of any such event on the performance of our obligations;
We will contact you as soon as reasonably possible to notify you; and
Our obligations under these Terms will be suspended and the time for performance of our obligations will be extended for the duration of the event. Where the event affects our delivery of products to you, we will arrange a new delivery date with you after the event is over.
g. You may cancel the contract formed with us which is for the purchase of products by you from the service affected by an event which is beyond our reasonable control and which has continued for more than thirty (30) days. To cancel, please contact us through email at customerservice@ssigroup.com.ph.
X. FEEDBACK AND COMPLAINTS POLICY
a. We welcome any comments about our service so that we can improve what we are doing. Our aim is to deal with any problems quickly and fairly. If you have reason to complain about our services, please call or email our customer services team stating clearly that you are making a complaint. Our aim is to resolve your complaint within seven (7) working days, from receipt thereof or to provide you with a timetable if your complaint requires a longer period to resolve.
b. If you wish to contact us, you can reach us by email at customerservice@ssigroup.com.ph.
XI. ALTERATION OF SERVICE OR AMENDMENTS TO THE TERMS
We reserve the right to make changes to our policies, and these Terms at any time. Your usage of the Service and your orders will be subject to the policies and Terms in force at the time that you use the Service or that you order products from us unless any change to those policies or these conditions is required to be made by law or government authority (in which case it will apply to orders previously placed by you). If any of the provisions of these Terms are deemed invalid, void, or for any reason unenforceable, that condition will be deemed severable and will not affect the validity and enforceability of the remaining conditions.
XII. WAIVER
If you breach these Terms and we take no action, we will still be entitled to use our rights and remedies in any other situation where you breach these conditions.
XIII. GOVERNING LAW AND JURISDICTION
a. Your use of the Service, any purchase by you through the Service of any products and these conditions will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Republic of the Philippines and will be deemed to have occurred in the Philippines. You agree, as we do, to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Philippine courts. In case of any dispute arising from this Agreement which cannot be settled amicably despite efforts to do so, the case shall be filed in the proper court of Makati City, to the exclusion of other courts.
b. Please note that the contract formed between you and us under these Terms is between you and us. No other person shall have any right to enforce any of these Terms.