Monday, April 30, 2012

Amazon problem: Group my items into as few shipments as possible doesn't work in many cases

Every time you place an order on Amazon that is sold or shipped by Amazon LLC, you can choose from one of the following shipping preferences:

  • Group my items into as few shipments as possible

  • I want my items faster. Ship them as soon as they become available (at additional cost)



But even if you choose the "Group my items into as few shipments as possible" when ordering all items from Amazon, chances are Amazon will send you several packages:
When you choose the option to "Group my items into as few shipments as possible," we combine shipments where we can. Since we don't always have all the items you order at the same fulfillment center, we can't always send everything in one package.

To fill your order as quickly as possible, we will ship order from multiple fulfillment centers in separate shipments.

For each shipment in your order, we charge a portion of the total per-shipment fee plus the per-item fee for each item in that shipment. Your total shipping charges reflected the amount you would have paid if your items had all been shipped together.

Our website offers items for sale both by Amazon.com and by registered sellers. You can add items sold by Marketplace sellers as well as items that are sold by Amazon.com to your Shopping Cart. You'll only need to fill out our order form once, but the items will be divided into separate orders based on seller. If the seller of an item isn't Amazon.com, you'll see the seller's name on the Shopping Cart summary page and in our order form.

When you buy from a seller, the seller will process and ship your order. Items ordered from one of these sellers will have separate shipping charges.


Most shipping forwarders like Shipito charge either for package consolidation or for every incoming package, so beware of the additional charges you may have due to several shipments.

If you have the same problem with Amazon, try to contact their support. The more requests like this they have, the more attention they will pay to customers using shipping forwarders.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Nano Bike Parts coupon codes 2012

Nano Bike Parts (Germany) is a German bike shop selling bicycles, bike parts and accessories. It offers international shipping.

Nano-Bike-Parts.de coupon codes:

  • Offer: 10% discount on 2012 bicycles
    Coupon code: bc153848
    Valid until 31.04.2012

Discounted furniture and home decor at private sale (sample sale, flash sales, daily deals) sites


  • HomeSav is private shopping club (flash sale site, sample sale site, private sale site, designer sale site) offering furniture, home decor, lifestyle and family products. All products are carefully selected by a team of highly experienced buyers and home designers and are available for up to 80% off retail.

    HomeSav is a free members-only site that hosts one to seven day sales on products ranging from brand name home decor and furniture, to fine porcelain and one-of-a-kind giftware.

    HomeSav has a team of industry and design experts who look for products, brands and artisans that not only make fashion statements, but who can also produce high quality products. They look for items that are trendy and in-the-now, as well as those that are timeless and versatile.

    Brands are willing to work with HomeSav because it has a large and passionate membership base who appreciates great home decor and furniture. Likewise, artisans and emerging designers gladly work with HomeSav so to gain exposure to large, enthusiastic and savvy audience. They are thus willing to provide HomeSav members with exclusive prices.

    HomeSave offers sales event every day. The sales are comprised of 10-40 products at a time, which are limited in quantity, and are available through HomeSav for a select period of time. Every sale event ranges in length from 1-7 days.

    Prior to sales date all offers are announced via Twitter, Facebook, and email.

    HomeSav

    HomeSav currently accepts the following forms of payment:
    • Credit cards: Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover Cards.
    • PayPal

    All prices are shown in US dollars for US members and Canadian dollars for Canadian members. You will be charged in the currency of your country of residence.

    Sales tax will be charged to all orders that are processed with Canadian, Pennsylvanian and Nevada shipping address.

    HomeSav has warehouses in both Canada and the United States, you will never have to pay duties.

    Standard shipping rates across North American are based on total order size (excluding furniture). Orders over $100 are shipped for free.
    Handling fees may apply. Additional $25 per order to remote locations in Canada and US including (but not limited to) Hawaii, Alaska and North West Territories.
    Shipping times will vary, as some items are shipped directly from the manufacturer. Shipping time estimates are clearly marked on each product.

    Furniture orders, when needed, will be delivered by freight delivery and may take longer to arrive than a home decor shipment. The freight delivery service will contact you via phone or email to schedule your furniture delivery. The charges for freight delivery are below:
    Freight Delivery
    1 Item $199
    2 Items $249
    3 Items $349
    Additional Items are $75 each.

    Registration and membership are free. Register on HomeSav now and get a free $10 credit!

     


  • One Kings Lane is a private sale site (flash sale site, private shopping club, sample sale site) offering world's top home decor brands and designers at up to 70% off retail. Multiple new sales start daily.

    One Kings Lane is passionate about all things home. It brings its members exceptional value on furniture, accessories, gifts, vintage items and more. It offers curated collections from leading design visionaries. Exceptional value on top-brand, vintage and designer items for the home every day.

    Also One Kings Lane offers a peek behind the scenes, beyond the sales, with fresh, engaging features and Tastemaker profiles that inspire, entertain and inform.

    One Kings Lane

    Sales tax applies to items being shipped to California, New York, or Pennsylvania.

    One Kings Lane accepts payments from Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and PayPal. PayPal is available to all US PayPal customers that ship to a shipping address within the US. The payment limit for a PayPal order is $60,000. Only credit cards with U.S. billing addresses are accepted.

    One Kings Lane can ship to street addresses in the continental U.S, Alaska, and Hawaii. Because most of our products are shipped via FedEx, we cannot deliver to P.O. Boxes or APO/FPO addresses. One Kings Lane does not ship to U.S. Territories, including Puerto Rico and Guam.

    Registration and membership are free! Register on One Kings Lane now and get a $15 credit!

     


  • theFoundary captures the thrill of discovery. theFoundary members receive emails announcing new, Daily Events and Specialty Shops. Expect to find home furnishings and accents, products for active lifestyles, and a touch of the unexpected. Daily Events offer indulgences at up to 70% off retail prices.

    Each day theFoundary offers a fresh selection of products to define your home and style. Each announcement includes 4-7 different Events, offering selections of products from a variety of home and lifestyle categories.

    theFoundary finds that brands and designers who are as passionate about their products as they are. They also also provide a desirable environment for artisans to share their creations with a wider audience. This allows theFoundary to offer great prices to its members.

    Designers are often willing to concede to lower prices in exchange for the exposure they receive when their creations are featured in the Foundary. And since our product quantities are limited, even established brands view the Foundary as an opportunity to share the products they're most proud of.

    Specialty Shops define your home with handpicked products. Quality and style lead the way for inspired layouts, coveted brands, emerging designers, and curated selections. These longer-lasting Shops create a rich look through integrated editorial content, style tips, and sharing features.

    theFoundary

    theFoundary accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover cards as well as Paypal.

    Most products are available to be shipped via standard ground shipping ($5.95 - $9.95 per order).
    Items that require freight delivery are subject to delivery fees.
    Some items like magazines, gift cards and other specialty products ship for free.

    Many of the products are available for international shipping. International shipping costs, including those shipping to Canada, must be calculated manually. Any international order placed will be stored in theFoundary system until shipping charges have been calculated. You'll be contacted via email between 48 and 72 hours from the date you place your order, and notified of the cost before your order is processed. Your credit card will not be charged until you have verified and accepted the charges. Shipping costs do not include duty, tax, or brokerage fees, as these are billed separately.

    Invitation to theFoundary

     


  • Joss & Main is a private sale site (flash sale site, private shopping club, sample sale site) offering limited-time sales on the world's best brands for your home and life.

    Joss & Main offers insider access to the highest quality housewares, furniture, decor accents, lifestyle accessories, giftables, and more at prices up to 70% off retail.

    Main features:
    • The top brands and merchandise for the home
    • Deep discounts of up to 70% off what you would pay at retail.
    • Limited-time sale events featuring new brands almost every day.
    • Exposure to fresh ideas

    Joss & Main offers carefully curated events which usually last just 3 days. The events showcase distinctive designs and trends, along with the talents of noted influencers from the interior design community. Besides products Joss & Main brings you new ways, new designers, fresh looks to fuel your own creativity.

    Each day, members receive an email invitation to exclusive sale events on the best merchandise at prices up to 70% off retail. New brands and products are added daily by a talented group of buyers who continually strive to find you the best deals on the brands you love. Design connoisseurs delight in the breadth of the product and brand offerings, as well as the lush, editorially-minded presentation and content that inspires.

    Joss & Main partners with top brands and suppliers to offer insider access to the highest quality merchandise. This allows to bring Joss & Main members incredible deals on a wide variety of premium goods for the home.

    Joss & Main

    In some cases goods are shipped directly to you by our partners while sometimes we receive the items from the partner or supplier and then ship them to you ourselves.

    Joss & Main currently accepts credit card payment from Visa, MasterCard, and American Express.

    Joss & Main charges a flat $9.95 to ship all small parcel items that are purchased on the same day. Small parcel items are smaller and lighter and will be shipped out via UPS, FedEx, or USPS.

    Joss & Main charges an additional fee for larger items that ship via freight or with in-home delivery and installation. This fee varies based on item size and weight as well as your location and can be seen once you add a product to your shopping bag.

    Joss & Main ships to street addresses in the continental U.S. Because most of our products are shipped via UPS, we cannot deliver to P.O. Boxes or APO/FPO addresses.

    Registration and membership are free!
    Joss & Main invitation link

     


  • Fab is a design sale site (private sale site, private shopping club, flash sale site, daily deals site) featuring the following sales:
    • furniture,
    • lightning,
    • kitchen,
    • pantry,
    • home,
    • gifts,
    • art,
    • gadgets,
    • men's,
    • women's,
    • kids

    Fab is for customers who crave beautiful, well-designed things.

    Fab offers daily flash sales of design items and longer-term curated sales based on specific themes. Fab allows to save up to 70% off retail.

    Fab procures every item directly from designers and manufacturers. It guarantees the authenticity of each and every product it sells.

    Fab employs a team of design experts and enthusiasts who hand-pick their product selection. They also work with several designers and writers who serve as guest curators of their collections. Above all, they look for design products that they love. The team is looking for fashion, furniture, accessories and anything else that captured their imagination.

    Every day Fab features thousands of new design products across all price points and categories. It regularly has 3 day sales, 7 day sales, 30 day sales, and longer term collections on the site. The goal is that every day you can come to Fab and discover fresh everyday designs.

    Fab sales are unique. Quantities are limited and items may sell out fast, so we recommend that you check in at the beginning of every sale.

    Fab

    You can see current sales on the Fab home page, and they publish a calendar of upcoming sales each week. You can also check out what's upcoming on Fab's mobile apps (iPhone, iPad, Android).

    Fab members automatically get a $5 credit when they upload the first picture they have taken of a Fab purchase to the Inspiration Wall.

    Fab ships to any street address in the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii, and Canada. It ships orders via UPS, FedEx, United States Postal Service, our White Glove delivery service, and multiple local carriers in Canada including Canada Post and UPS. Fab does not ship to PO Boxes or APO addresses. Currently it doesn't ship to any of the U.S. Territories such as Puerto Rico.

    Invitation to fab

     

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

How to purchase a mountain bicycle (MTB) or a hybrid bike in Germany or the UK and ship it to Russia or any other country

When I started purchasing stuff in the USA and China, one of my first ideas was to buy a mountain bicycle (MTB) or a hybrid bike. I really liked the prices in the USA on web-sites like bikesdirect.com. The problem is that the package with the bike is oversized, so it is not possible to ship it by USPS Express Mail or USPS Priority Mail. Some bikes on eBay can be sent anywhere in the world, but the shipping rates are usually outrageous. I was not willing to buy a bicycle in China, because of the potential problems with the quality of Chinese products. The next obvious step for me was to search in Europe. Luckily there are a couple of shops there that ship anywhere in the world including Russia. And they exclude VAT when shipping outside the European Union.

German bicycle (bike) shops shipping internationally



  • Nano Bike Parts (Germany) - bike shop selling bicycles, bike parts and accessories. Excludes VAT when shipping outside the European Union. Sells mountain bikes, cross bikes, road bikes, kids bikes,... Wide range of Cannondale and Cube bikes. The most popular bikes among Russian clients are Cube Acid, Cube LTD Pro, Cube Race Pro. Bike shipping to Russia costs 49 EUR. Web-site in multiple languages including Russian.



British bicycle (bike) shops shipping internationally



  • Chain Reaction Cycles (the UK) - bike shop selling bicycles, bike parts and accessories. Bike shipping to Russia costs USD $85. Doesn't sell Kona and Cube bicycles to clients in Russia. Doesn't pack bicycles good enough for shipping via Russian Post. Excludes VAT when shipping outside the European Union. Web-site in multiple languages including Russian.

  • Wiggle (the UK) - bike shop selling bicycles, bike parts, accessories and bike clothing. Bike shopping to Russia via DHL costs 50 British pounds. Excludes VAT when shipping outside the European Union. Web-site in multiple languages including Russian.

Friday, April 20, 2012

Get $2 in MP3s from Amazon with code MOMROCKS

Amazon offers a $2 Amazon MP3 Store Credit for free via code "MOMROCKS". Amazon applies the credit to your Amazon account which can be used toward the purchase of any MP3 in the Amazon MP3 Store.

Promotional offer is valid from April 19, 2012 through April 22, 2012. You must redeem the credit by 11:59 p.m. PST on April 22, 2012. Limited to one promotional credit per customer.

Get $2 Amazon MP3 Store Credit for Free

Friday, April 13, 2012

Review: Shipito complaints after 18 months of using it

I've been using Shipito for more than 18 months. I have consolidated 124 packages and sent 20 of them to Russia. Lots of experience not only to write praises, but also complaints.

What I don't like about Shipito

  • Changing service plans. Shipito has been introducing new service plans, changing current ones and removing them. This is very annoying.

  • Hidden Charges. Shipito does mention that they charge extra for heavy packages ($10 for over 30 pounds, $20 for over 70 pounds, $30 for over 100 pounds, $50 for over 150 pounds). The most interesting thing is that they charge extra $8.5 for consolidating large packages. And if you have consolidated your packages already and the consolidated package is ready to be mailed out, then they will charge $44 for consolidating this package with another one!!! They call it a double repacking fee.

    If you don't request them to take pictures of the contents of the packages, they will charge 1% as an additional insurance. Does it really have to do anything with insurance? Absolutely not. Plus they charge 1% as a warehouse insurance, although it is not related to insurance as well.

    And how about their Bank fee of 4.3%? They charge it even if you fill in your account using one of their partners.

    But can you find all this information on the Shipito Services and Prices page? For whatever reason they don't mention all these hidden fees at all:

    Shipito Services and Prices
    Shipito Services and Prices

  • Blurry pictures. Many of the pictures of the packages they make are blurry. In many cases it is next to impossible to recognize the sender of the package. You can notify them that the label is unreadable and they will take another picture. But why can't they always take good pictures?

  • Significant delays every Chrismas and New Year. Some customers had to wait up to a week for the packages to be consolidated and sent.

  • Account validation. Shipito requires you to send 2 IDs to verify your account. Moreover you need to send a utility bill and a notarized FORM 1583 to fully verify your account. You can receive packages, but not letters without providing the notarized FORM 1583.

  • Limiting the size of the mailbox. Although my mailbox has bee 44% full at most, I don't really want to have any limits. The more packages their customers send, the more they earn, so I don't understand why posing any limits like that at all.

  • Not working on holidays.

  • No mobile apps, so you can easily manage your account from an iPhone, Android smartphone,... The web-site is not mobile device friendly at all.

  • No branded duct tape. It would allow to identify whether your package was opened or not.

  • Not perfect packaging by default for Russian post. Some russian mail forwarders know really well how russian post works, so they take additional steps to prevent damages of your goods. And you don't need to pay any additional fees for this service.

  • Poor customer service. I must admit that sometimes they do solve your problems. But sometimes communication with their customer service turns into endless discussion, when they don't even recognize their own mistakes.

  • No ideal shipping method for Russian Federation. While Shipito offers great rates to customers from different countries of the world, the situation with Russia is very different. DHL Express, UPS, Fedex and TNT are not a good option in most cases in Russia (due to the problems with customs, lower limits,....) Some russian mail forwarders offer shipping methods that are faster than the state post, avoid state post and are cheaper than the state post.

Is it that bad that I will switch to some other shipping forwarder? The fees are not bad. You can find the fees I have paid to Shipito and USPS when sending packages from USA to Russia here, here and here. And here is an example of fees paid to Shipito and AT Post for sending my parcel from Austria to Russia. Despite all the negativity mentioned above, it works good for me. And my Virtual Mailbox plan will end up in more than 6 months. If I see any better shipping forwarder after that, I will think about it.

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Amazon's Clothing Store: 20% off your next clothing purchase

For a limited time, if you subscribe to the Amazon's Clothing Store emails and are a first-time subscriber, we will email you a promotional code redeemable for 20% off your next purchase of eligible Amazon Clothing Store products (up to a maximum purchase price of $1000) sold by Amazon.com. Purchases from sellers other than Amazon do not qualify. Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping (restrictions apply). You will apply the promotional code during the checkout process. See additional restrictions.

Flash sale sites (private shopping clubs) in the UK, Germany, France,Belgium and other European countries

European flash sale sites (private shopping clubs)



  • Vente Privee (vente-privee.com) is a European flash sale site (private shopping/sale club, fashion sale site, designer sale site) located in Paris, France. Vente privee (in French, ventes privees) was founded in 2001 and is a pioneer of private shopping. Vente Privee allows to purchase designer clothing with up to 70% discount off retail prices. It organizes fashion designer brand sales events over a limited period of time (typically 2-4 days), available only to members.Vente Privee offers shipping to the UK, France, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Spain and Italy.

    Vente Privee


  • Private Outlet- is a European flash sale site (private shopping/sale club, fashion sale site, designer sale site). It organizes short online sales of the most famous brands around the world with 50% to 80% discounts off regular retail prices.

    Private Outlet

    Private Outlet delivers into the following European countries: Metropolitan France, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Spain, Ireland, Italy, Luxemburg, The Netherlands, Portugal.

    Private Outlet (French)
    Private Outlet (German)
    Private Outlet (Spanish)
    Private Outlet (Italian)


  • brands4friends.de (Germany) is the leading German flash sale site (private shopping club, private sale site, fashion sale site, flash sale site, designer sale site) offering discounts up to 70% off retail prices. It offers sales of clothes, shoes, accessories, cosmetics, home and living products.brands4friends features top brands including Calvin Klein, Dolce und Gabbana, Quicksilver, Diesel, Ed Hardy, Abercrombie & Fitch, Ripcurl, Eastpak, Fila, La Martina, Khujo.

    brands4friends is the number one private sale site in Germany. It has 10,000 new customers per day.

    brands4friends.de (Private Sale GmbH) was founded in 2007 and is based in Berlin, Germany. In 2011 brands4friends was acquired by eBay Inc.

    brands4friends is a subsidiary of eBay, the world's largest online marketplace.

    brands4friends.de

    brand4friends address:
    Private Sale GmbH
    Kommandantenstra?e 22
    D-10969 Berlin

    brands4friends.de ships to Germany and Austria.

    As a member of the online shopping club brands4friends you gain access to limited time sales on brands4friends website. After registering you may subscribe to receive announcements about upcoming sales by e-mail.

    Web-site in German only.


  • Snapstore (Belgium) is a private sale site (flash sale site, private shopping club, sample sale site) offering a large assortment of fashion, decoration, and accessories at seductive prices of up to 70% off compared to high street prices.With over 20 years' experience in dealing with overstocks of brand name items, Cameleon is the pioneer in private sales in Benelux, and launched its online division in 2007: Snapstore by Cameleon. In 2009, over 2 million items have been sold. To date, Cameleon employs 150 people and its sales figures exceed 40 mln euro.Snapstore by Camelon works in a direct partnership with brand names and as a result it can guarantee authenticity of products sold.Snapstore organizes limited time online shopping events featuring leading brands of clothing (women's, men's and children's fashions), shoes, fashion accessories (handbags, sunglasses, belts, etc.), home textile, decorations and furniture. Snapstore offer you a unique selection of stock items, from past or current seasons.Each Snapstore sale presents one or several brands for 2-5 days, and is only available to members. Sales are announced by email once a week, and you will receive an invitation by email at the beginning of the sale, which grants you immediate access. In order to provide you exclusive offers, the items for sale are limited in stock. So be sure to sign in at the beginning of the sale to ensure you can buy your favourite items!

    Snapstore team of buyers is constantly on the hunt for bargains. To allow you to compare and ensure complete transparency for your purchases on Snapstore, it displays a comparison price, which they call the original price. This price (including VAT) is the current price, or last season's price in high street shops when it was first sold (outside seasonal sale periods). It is either the brand's suggested retail price, or a price collected in a store selling this item, or the price on the original label attached to the item by the manufacturer.

    Snapstore

    The delivery area is part of their agreement with brand name partners, so Snapstore can only ship to an address within the Benelux area (Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg).

    Delivery options:

    • Delivery to a Kiala relay point near you where you can go and pick up your package

    • Delivery to your home or work address:

      • with The Swap Group (TSG) in Belgium and Luxembourg and TNT in Belgium, Luxemburg and the Netherlands for some sales,

      • with DPD in Belgium, Luxembourg and in the Netherlands for other sales.

    For some sales in which products presented are of high value, delivery will be organized with DHL, with an enhanced level of security.

    Handling and delivery costs vary according to the number of items ordered. If the amount of items exceeds the size of one package, a second package will be prepared and shipped. The cost is 6 EUR per package. This covers the handling of the package, and the shipment to the address or pickup location.

    You can pay for your order on Snapstore by

    • credit card (VISA, Mastercard or American Express),

    • Bancontact card in Belgium,

    • iDeal in the Netherlands,

    • Paypal

    To ensure optimal security, Snapstore entrusts payment information on the site to Ogone, a leader in European online payment

    If you're not satisfied with your purchase for any reason, Snapstore by Cameleon will authorise the return if it is within 15 calendar days from the delivery date.

    Snapstore sales are only accessible to members duely registered on the site.


  • BuyVIP is a flash sale site (private shopping/sale club, fashion sale site, designer sale site) offering discounts up to 70% off. It allows you to buy fashion products , accessories, sports goods, electronic and household items from the most prestigious brands. Also BuyVIP provides travel offers. BuyVIP was founded by Amazon. Their partners are the most prestigious brands on the market. Over 6 million members trust BuyVIP.

    BuyVIP

    BuyVIP ships to Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Italy, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Czech Republic, Hungary, the United Kingdom, Cyprus, Canary Islands. Some products can't be shipped outside Germany due to size, weight or other restrictions.

    Shipping is free for orders over 100 EUR.

    Delivery times vary depending on the type of order:

    Sales Deals: Your order will be shipped within 3-4 weeks after order placement.

    Outlet: Your order will be shipped within 1-2 weeks after order placement.

    You need to register for free to enjoy daily discounts of up to 70% off. You may subscribe to BuyVIP e-mail newsletter and receive announcements about upcoming sales.

    Web-site in German, Portuguese, Italian and Spanish.


  • eu.fab.com is a members-only private sale (flash sale) site for design. It provides daily design inspirations and sales at up to 70% off retail.Fab.de sells design products. This includes extravagant lighting, Pop-Art posters, Eco-Pop armchairs, colourful cushions, street art t-shirts, Shabby-Chic cabinets, Neo-baroque mirrors, Italian espresso machines, modern African art, decorative ceramic, accessories and gimmicks, Danish lanterns, vintage carpets, quirky bath plugs, fresh home fragrances and much more.Fab.de provides good price advantages because:

    • It works directly with the manufacturers and avoid wholesalers and distributors and the costs that come with them.

    • It only sells online. That means it omits costs for sales staff and retail space.

    • It saves storage costs as its products are only in their warehouse for a day for quality control and assessment.

    • It offers upcoming designers a platform and a valuable worldwide market.

    eu.fab.com accepts the following forms of payment: Direct debit, Credit card (Visa/Mastercard), Sofort banking, PayPal.

    eu.fab.com

    eu.fab.com ships to Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.
    To order from the USA and Canada, please visit Fab.com.

    Membership is absolutely free.

    Invitation to eu.fab.com:
    eu.fab.com





European flash sale site (private shopping clubs) for kids, babies and moms



  • Zulily UK is a british private shopping club (private sale site, flash sale site, sample sale site, fashion sale site, designer sale site) allowing to purchase designer clothing for kids and moms at a discount of 50-90%.

    Zulily offers daily sales events on top-quality apparel, gear and other goodies for moms, babies and kids. They carry the best brands at the lowest prices. Members enjoy savings of up to 90% off retail prices. Zulily loves to find deals on favorite styles, and they love introducing new brands, too.

    Zulily is not a traditional British online store. Instead, they feature new items every day. They find great buys from lots of brands and work with them to ship you the goods. They don't keep stock in a warehouse. Zulily events last 72 hours ... then they're gone! New brands move in and get their three days on the site.

    Every day, Zulily launches new limited-time shopping events. Members receive a daily email revealing the latest events. From there, members (gleefully!) click to our site and shop. Members can also go straight to the site to shop every morning.

    Zulily UK

    Currently Zulily can ship to the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom.

    Standard shipping rates: UK & Ireland - 3.95 pounds, Europe - 6.95 euro.

    At the top of Zulily site, there's a link to change your currency. You have the option to shop in Great British Pounds or Euros (€).

    Some items are restricted for import into some countries. Any restrictions within your country will be made clear during checkout.

    Zulily accepts VISA, Eurocard/Mastercard credit cards, VISA and Mastercard debit cards, Solo/Maestro (UK only), PayPal.

    Only members can take advantage of zulily's low prices. Membership is free and signing up is fast and easy. Once you're a member, you'll be the first to know what they've got to offer every day.



European fashion outlets



  • THE OUTNET (the USA and the U.K.) - fashionable fashion outlet selling 200+ designer labels at up to 70% off. It offers discounted clothing, shoes, bags, accessories, jewerly, gifts for women. New arrivals are three times a week. Trend and style solutions are available for every occasion.

    Among 200+ designer lables you may find Badgley Mischka, BCBGMAXAZRIA, Calvin Klein Collection, Chloe, DKNY, Dolce & Gabbana, Donna Karan, Giorgio Armani, Levi's, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, Moschino, Ralph Lauren, Rebecca Minkoff, RED Valentino, Robert Rodriguez, Roberto Cavalli, Versace.

    THE OUTNET runs occasional free shipping promotions and weekly Weekend Shop-In sales, which start on Friday morning (BST) and run for 72 hours. During these sales TheOutnet offers additional discounts on selected items on top of their already good reductions. Shop fast while supply lasts.

    You may sign up for THE OUTNET email updates to always be in the loop about their promotions and events.

    THE OUTNET is a part of the NET-A-PORTER group. This means that THE OUTNET stocks a dazzling array of authentic designer looks. Everything is chosen with the same good taste and trend-conscious eye that has made NET-A-PORTER such a hit.

    The Outnet

    THE OUTNET has 2 web-sites:
    • European (International) site
      Serving: Europe, Africa, Asia, Middle East, Oceania
      Billed in Euros or Pounds Sterling
      Orders shipped from London, the U.K.

      Ships to United Kingdom, United Kingdom - Guernsey, United Kingdom - Jersey, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Bhutan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Botswana, Brunei, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Cape Verde Islands, China, Comoros Islands, Cook Islands, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Fiji, Finland, France, French Polynesia, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Guam, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome + Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Spain - Canary Islands, Sri Lanka, St Barthelemy, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan ROC, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor Leste, Togo, Tonga, Tunisia, Turkey, Tuvalu, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United Kingdom - Guernsey, United Kingdom - Jersey, Vanuatu, Vietnam
    • United States site
      Serving: US, Canada, Latin America
      Billed in US Dollars ($)
      Orders shipped from New York


    Please be aware that the price of an item may vary based on your shipping destination to reflect local market pricing. Please also note that by choosing your destination, you may lose the content of your shopping cart.




  • Dress For Less is a leading online designer fashion outlet in Europe. It offers exclusive products from leading brands/designers from around the world. Dress For Less sells discounted clothing and shoes for women, men and kids. Also it offers bags, accessories and jewerly. All of this, and only of the best quality and prices for you!

    Dress For Less searches the globe for the best & most reasonably priced bargains from the fashion world. They buy the best and most attractively priced items from overproduction, remains and end of season stock for you. With dress-for-less you can always be certain of getting one thing: The highest quality designer and branded goods at the lowest prices.

    The product range is large (approx. 12.000 items), but what you see in the shop today can already be sold out by tomorrow. Therefore it is worth visiting the Dress For Less site frequently and/or signing up to the newsletter. If you subsribe by e-mail, not only will you be able to stay informed about new arrivals and exclusive offers, but also will get a 10 pound credit onto your account.

    Dress For Less

    You can pay for your order using Visa and Mastercard.

    Dress For Less ships by DHL to 40+ countries worldwide:
    Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, B.-Herzegovina, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, China, Colombia, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Rep., Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey, UAE, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Venezuela

    Shipping rate depends on your destination. Normally you may choose between Standard and Express delivery.




US and Canadian private shopping sites that offer international shipping (and shipping to Europe)

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Examples of fees charged by USPS Express Mail and Shipito shippingforwarder in 2012 for sending packages from USA to Russian Federation

I'm continuing to post my expenses on sending packages from USA to Russian Federation. The fees of both Shipito and USPS grow every year, so you may find it useful to compare the figures from my previous post for 2010-2011.

Packages sent by USPS Express Mail International from USA to Russian Federation in 2012


  • Package Location: Tualatin, OR
    29.10 lbs (13.2 kg)
    37"x19"x14" (93x49x36 cm)
    USPS Express Mail® Int'l change
    Mailout fee: $8.50
    Repacking fee: $24.00 (11 packages consolidated)
    Postage: $199.40
    (Carrier) ($191.18)
    (Bank fee 4.3%) ($8.22)
    Insurance: $19.13
    (Carrier) ($11.49)
    (Warehouse 1%) ($7.64)
    (No content photos 1%) (not charged)
    Total per 1 kg of gross weight: $19.28
    Total Shipito fees (not including USPS shipping and USPS insurance): $48.36
    TOTAL: $251.03
    Shipito service plan: Old Virtual Mailbox ($50 / year)

  • Package Location: Tualatin, OR
    36.80 lbs (16.69 kg)
    36"x18"x17" (92x45x42 cm)
    USPS Express Mail International
    Mailout fee: $18.50 (including $10 surcharge for heavy packages over 30 pounds)
    Repacking fee: $22.00 (11 packages consolidated)
    Postage: $234.34
    (Carrier) ($224.68)
    (Bank fee 4.3%) ($9.66)
    Insurance: $29.40
    (Carrier) ($17.37)
    (Warehouse 1%) ($12.03)
    (No content photos 1%) (not charged)
    Total per 1 kg of gross weight: $18.23
    Total Shipito fees (not including USPS shipping and USPS insurance): $62.19
    TOTAL: $304.24
    Shipito service plan: Old Virtual Mailbox ($50 / year)

As you can see I haven't received any shipping discounts this year, because I don't have the Gold or even Silver status anymore. Plus Shipito added 2 additional hidden charges:

  1. All customers pay the warehouse insurance of 1% (has nothing to do with insurance - just a hidden charge of Shipito)

  2. All customers not having Silver, Gold or Diamond status need either to make pictures of all incoming packages (A special request for incoming packages allows to take 3 pictures of the package content for $1.00) or pay 1% insurance. Since I send my packages by USPS Express Mail, it is USPS that insures my packages (Carrier insurance) not Shipito. So again this is not insurance, but another hidden charge of Shipito.

Not to mention that they charge the bank fee of 4.3%. Yet again it is not mentioned on the "Our services & prices" page.

If you want to calculate USPS shipping costs only, you can use USPS Shipping Calculator for Russia

Update (09/14/2012)
Since August 2012 there is no more warehouse insurance on Shipito. And you can choose whether you want to insure your package or not. Plus Shipito offers a 10% discount for USPS Express Mail for customers from Russia from 09/13/2012 to 11/15/2012. So it costed me less to send my last packages:

  • Package Location: Tualatin, OR
    29.50 lbs (13.38 kg)
    36"x17"x17" (92x44x44 cm)
    USPS Express Mail® Int'l change
    Mailout fee: $8.50
    Repacking fee: $16.00 (8 packages consolidated)
    Postage: $179.46
    (Carrier) ($172.06) (10% discount)
    (Bank fee 4.3%) ($7.40)
    Insurance: $15.49
    Total per 1 kg of gross weight: $16.4
    Total Shipito fees (not including USPS shipping and insurance): $31.9
    TOTAL: $219.45
    Shipito service plan: Old Virtual Mailbox ($50 / year)

  • Package Location: Tualatin, OR
    37.50 lbs (17.01 kg)
    36"x17"x12" (92x44x30 cm)
    USPS Express Mail International
    Mailout fee: $18.50 (including $10 surcharge for heavy packages over 30 pounds)
    Repacking fee: $20.00 (10 packages consolidated)
    Postage: $215.39 (10% discount for customers from Russia until November 15th, 2012)
    (Carrier) ($206.51)
    (Bank fee 4.3%) ($8.88)
    Insurance: $15.83
    Total per 1 kg of gross weight: $15.86
    Total Shipito fees (not including USPS shipping, insurance and Shipito monthly fee): $47.38
    TOTAL: $269.72
    Shipito service plan: Old Virtual Mailbox ($100 / year, available for old customers only)

  • Package Location: Tualatin, OR
    12.60 lbs (5.71 kg)
    17"x13"x13" (44x34x34 cm)
    USPS Express Mail® Int'l change
    Mailout fee: $8.50
    Repacking fee: $10.00 (5 packages consolidated)
    Postage: $114.56
    (Carrier) ($109.84)
    (Bank fee 4.3%) ($4.72)
    Insurance: $17.63
    Total per 1 kg of gross weight: $26.39
    Total Shipito fees (not including USPS shipping and insurance): $18.5
    TOTAL: $150.69
    Shipito service plan: Old Virtual Mailbox ($100 / year, available for old customers only)

  • Package Location: Tualatin, OR
    19.40 lbs (8.8 kg)
    26"x13"x13" (67x34x34 cm)
    Mailout fee: $8.50
    Repacking fee: $20.00 (10 packages consolidated)
    Shipping method: USPS Express Mail International (5-6 business days)

    • Postage: $149.49
      (Carrier) ($143.33)
      (Bank fee 4.3%) ($6.16)
      Insurance: $17.05
      TOTAL: $166.54

    Alternative shipping methods offered by Shipito for delivering this package to Russia:

    • USPS Priority Mail (6-10 business days)
      Postage: $129.02
      Insurance: $28.25
      TOTAL: $157.27

    • Airmail Economy (15-30 business days)
      Postage: $184
      insurance not available
      Tracking is not available
      TOTAL: $184

    • Airmail Priority (8-20 business days)
      Postage: $202.98
      Insurance: $45.99
      Tracking is not available
      TOTAL: $248.97

    • Airmail Express (15 days)
      Postage: $149.49
      Insurance: $45.99
      TOTAL: $195.48

    Total per 1 kg of gross weight: $22.16
    Total Shipito fees (not including USPS shipping, insurance and Shipito monthly fee): $45.55
    TOTAL: $195.04
    Shipito service plan: Old Virtual Mailbox ($100 / year, available for old customers only)

Do you use Shipito or any other shipping forwarder? If you do, are you satisfied with its fees and service? How much did it cost you to send you package?

See also:

Sunday, April 8, 2012

How you can prevent debit and credit card fraud

Craig made a comment that someone has stolen his credit card and sent $4,000 worth of items using a shipping forwarder. Here are some tips that can help you to prevent debit and credit card frauds:

  • Enable SMS (text message) notifications for all your debit and credit card transactions

  • Use a separate debit/credit card for online transactions. Use another one for major online transactions.

  • Replace your debit / credit card once or twice a year.

  • Always check the web-site before making any online transaction (google for "web-site name fraud" and "web-site name complaint" and check the results).

  • Be especially careful when making online transactions using free Internet access, from a hotel,...At least make sure that the SSL protocol (https://) is used or you use a reliable Virtual Private Network (VPN).

  • Do not make any transactions from computers of other people and organisations (in a hotel, Internet cafe,...)

  • Always have a phone number of your bank, so that you can notify your bank about fraudulent transactions and block your card. Find out whether you can use online banking or mobile banking for blocking your card if needed.

  • Pay with Paypal, Skrill,... instead of using your debit or credit card.


I also recommend to be careful with software that you install onto your computer and web-site that you visit.
If you use Windows, I recommend to have a reliable firewall and an anti-virus. Personally I make online transactions in Linux or Mac OS only (I do not purchase anything from Windows, Android or iOS). Linux live CD can be a perfect solution for that.

What other methods to you use to prevent debit and credit card fraud?

Thursday, April 5, 2012

List of prohibited items and restrictions you must check before making any purchases in the USA from abroad

Before making any purchases in the USA for International shipping you must check the customs list of prohibited articles on the Universal Postal Union (UPU) web-site. However this list is not the only one you must pay attention to. You must also learn about restrictions, prohibitions,... that your postal service or your courier has.

I use USPS Priority Mail Express Internaional (former USPS Express Mail International) also known as EMS most of the time, so I check the prohibitions, restrictions and other information on the USPS web-site. The information provided there is country specific. If you need Country Conditions for Mailing to Russia (Russian Federation) by USPS Express Mail, see here.

USPS Express Mail International (EMS): prohibitions, restrictions,...


Now I will explain why it is important to follow the restriction on the USPS web-site. I have shipped a dozen of jewerly items and a couple of watches to Russia by USPS Express Mail. I got them without any problem. The customs of the Russian Federation allows these articles to be sent to Russia. However if your insured package with prohibited items is lost, USPS refuses to pay the insurance. So if your lose a package containing a $17 watch or a $10 jewerly item, USPS will refuse to pay the insurance not only for the watch or jewerly, but for the whole package!

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

How to purchase at Wal-mart (Walmart) if your order was cancelled

Walmart Many customers from Russia started complaining that their orders at Wal-Mart are being cancelled. The good thing is that it is still possible to make purchases at Walmart from outside the USA. Here are a couple of tricks you may try:


  • Enter your address in one line. Do not enter anything in the Suite field. Enter the suite (apartment, flat) number in the Street field instead.

  • Try to pay with a credit/debit card from some other bank.

  • Pay for your purchase with a gift card. You can use up to 3-4 cards for paying for your order. You can purchase Wal-Mart gift cards at CardPool or Ebay.

Is it worth purchasing Cybex Pallas 2-Fix car seat and Cybex Topaz baby stroller in German shops like www.kidsroom.de?

I've bought Cybex Pallas 2-Fix car seat and Cybex Topaz baby stroller at KidRoom for 425 EUR:

[caption id="attachment_1903" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Kidsroom: Cybex pallas 2-fix car seat and Cybex Topaz baby stroller"]Kidsroom: Cybex pallas 2-fix car seat and Cybex Topaz baby stroller[/caption]

I was choosing a car seat by the German ADAC tests again:

http://www.adac.de/infotestrat/tests/kindersicherung/kindersitz-test/default.aspx?ComponentId=29903&SourcePageId=31900

Cybex Pallas 2-fix is the safest car seat in the category of 9 to 36 kg (1 to 12 years). I was thinking about getting something less universal, but I wasn't impressed by the results in the category of 9 to 18 kg.

As for the baby stroller, I was choosing between Cybex Topaz, Babywelt Moon Buggy Flac, I'coo Pluto, Hartan Buggy I-go and Maclaren Techno XLR. I'coo Pluto was my second best choice, but I didn't really want to buy any additional accessories. Cybex Topaz 2011 comes with a great sun canopy (unlike older versions of this baby stroller) and with a rain cover. It is not the most lightweight baby stroller, but weights only 7,5 kg. It was a great compromise for me between weight, comfort, functionality and price.

I didn't save much when purchasing in Germany. According to Yandex Market the lowest price for Cybex Pallas 2-Fix and Cybex Topaz is 11'000 + 8'100 = 19'100 RUR. This price may not include shipping.

Yandex Market: Cybex Pallas 2-Fix

Yandex Market: Cybex Topaz

It costed me less then 17'000 RUR when purchasing at KidsRoom. Note that you won't get any warranty in Russia on items purchased in Germany. Also note that purchasing 2 items at KidsRoom instead of just one allowed me to save on shipping.

KidsRoom.de is not the only web-site recommended by Russian shoppers.
There are several other baby shops in Germany that ship to Russia directly and exclude VAT, namely: maxis-babywelt.de, babyshop.de, kidscomfort.eu, Loopoo.de, PingPong Online.

I'm happy with my purchase. Will it be worth for you to buy car seats and baby strollers in Germany from Russia?