Amazon Global: Shipping from Amazon USA to Russia directly

Amazon USA ships to 65+ countries directly via the Amazon Global Program: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Poland, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Romania, Russia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Venezuela.

The majority of items in Amazon's product catalog (automotive, baby, clothing, consumer electronics, health and personal care, home and garden, industrial and scientific, jewelry, pet supplies, shoes, software, sporting goods, tools, toys, video games and watches) can be shipped to the countries above.

To find the items that can be shipped internationally via the Amazon Global program:

• Go to the Amazon Global page.


• Keep the International Shipping filter selected in your search bar.
  

Items that qualify for international shipping will feature a note on the product detail page under Shipping that says "This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S."

I wasn't able to ship some houseware appliances and electronics including the Kindle Fire HD tablet.

Some other items were ready to be shipped to Russia:



Unfortunately Amazon uses UPS for shipping to Russia. Although this service is very fast, it is very expensive. Moreover after trying DHL Express I don't really want to test this service on the orders over 200 EUR (including shipping) to avoid any visits to the customs as well as any extra fees.

Shipito tips and tricks: Using the "Your note" field effectively

When I get a new package in the Shipito warehouse, I go to the "Packages in Warehouse" and click onto the "Your note" link on the right to the package. Then I enter the name of the shop in all caps as well as detailed about the items in the package:



In the example above I have entered "THE CLYMB" in all caps and the following content of the package

Hurley Men's Franch T-Shirt Black Medium, Hurley Women's Dreaming SS Tee White Medium, Hurley Women's Drop Off Tee Neon Pink Medium

Then after sending my package it is easy to see what was inside of it and from what shops exactly:



I enter much more details in the "Your note" field than in the customs declaration. This allows to find an item or shop easily without clicking onto the "details" links, because you can see all the shop names and all the items even in the consolidated package.

The best photo of a package from the Shipito parcel forwarder

This is the most hilarious photo of a package I have ever see. And it a real picture from the Shipito parcel forwarder, not graphics editors like Photoshop used:



Dude, you rock :D

Qwintry parcel forwarder allows to ship to Russia via SPSR Express

Qwintry parcel forwarder has finished testing a new delivery method - SPSR Express. Now it is available to all Qwintry customers shipping parcels to Russia.



The main advantage of SPSR is stable delivery time. On average it takes 10 days to deliver a parcel from the USA to Moscow and a couple of days more to other Russian cities and towns. Moreover this delivery method allows to avoid Russian Post completely, thus you will have better parcel handling and faster delivery.

The shipping cost is identical to USPS Express, so there is little to no sense to use the United States Parcel Service when shipping from the USA at all.

More parcel forwarders allowing to ship to Russia via SPSR Express:

• Pochtoy,


• Shopotam,


• NYCMSK

ShopRunner offers FREE 1-year subscription for American Express card holders

ShopRunner offers a ShopRunner 1-Year Membership for FREE when you enroll with your American Express card.



ShopRunner offers unlimited free 2-day shipping, free shipping on returns, and more. Stores that use this service include Toys "R" Us, Newegg, Lord & Taylor, Calvin Klein, eBags, and DrugStore.

Make sure to cancel your subscription before it ends up, or you will be billed automatically for the next year ($79).

ASUS Ivy Core i3 12" Touchscreen Laptop for $380 + $76 Rakuten superpoints for future purchases

Adorama Camera via Rakuten Shopping offers the 2.9-lb. ASUS VivoBook X202E-DH31T-SL Intel Ivy Bridge Core i3 1.8GHz 11.6" Touchscreen Laptop in Black for $379.99 with FREE shipping. It features an Intel Core i3-3217U 1.8GHz Ivy Bridge dual-core processor, 11.6" 1366x768 LED-backlit touchscreen LCD, 4GB RAM, 500GB hard drive, webcam, 802.11n wireless, Bluetooth 4.0, HDMI, 2-cell battery, and Windows 8 64-bit.



Apply coupon code "MEMORIAL" to get 7,600 Rakuten Super Points. You may use them for future purchases (these points are an equivalent of $76).
Deal ends May 29.

Purchasing KitchenAid 5 Quart Professional 5 Plus Standard Mixer and shipping it for FREE from the USA to Russia or any other international destination

I've bought a KitchenAid "5 Quart Professional 5 Plus Standard Mixer" at a private shopping club Gilt. And I was able to ship it for FREE from the USA to Russia using the MC51 coupon code. The coupon is valid until the end of May, 2013 and you may use it to get FREE international shipping when paying by Mastercard.

The KitchenAid "5 Quart Professional 5 Plus Standard Mixer" is on sale at Gilt again:



Note that this is a 110V mixer, so it requires a power converter for those who use 220V. Also note that new Gilt customers get $25 when joining via this link.

And don't forget to use a cashback service. Personally I use Extrabux to get a 3% discount for my Gilt purchases.

Is it prohibited to ship kitchen knives via USPS, DHL, TNT, Fedex?

Parcel forwarder Shipito warns its customers about shipping knives via USPS. It gets many packages returned if they contain any type of knife when shipped by USPS. There are no problems to ship regular kitchen knives by Fedex, TNT, DHL or Airmail.



Please also take into account the rules and regulations of your local postal services and customs.

Russian parcel forwarder SPSR USA offers a no sales tax address for tax free purchases

Russian parcel forwarder SPSR USA offers a no sales tax address in Delaware allowing customers from Russia to avoid state sales tax completely.



SPSR USA uses SPSR Express for shipping parcels from the USA to Russia. SPSR has offices in 6000 locations in Russia allowing you to avoid using Russian Post and USPS completely.

30% coupon code for Sierra Trading Post (a shop selling sporting goods)

Sierra Trading Post offers a discount of 30% site-wide via the coupon code "SFBMM5313". This offer is stackable with sale and clearance items.



And remember to use cash back services for your purchases. Extrabux allows to get 4% cash back when shopping at Sierra Trading Post.

I highly recommend this shop. We've made many purchases in it. It offers sports goods of well know brands including Columbia, The North Face, Patagonia, Arc'teryx, Marmot, & Timbuk2.

p.s. If you're not a client of Siera Trading Post, you may register for FREE via this link and get $10 onto your account.

eBates is celebrating birthday and offering 14% cashback in dozens of online retail stores

eBates cashback service is celebrating birthday and offering 14% cashback in dozens of online retail stores.



This offer is valid in the following online stores: Nordstrom, Macy's, Last Call, philosophy, AdamEveToys, All Posters, Angie's List, Art.com, Athleta, Avon, Banana Republic, BeddingStyle, Bogs Footwear, Bon Appetit, Burpee Gardening, Businessweek, Busted Tees, Champion USA, Cherry Moon Farms, Cheryl's, Colorful Images, Cosabella, Costume Discounters, Costume SuperCenter, Current Catalog, Domain.com, DrJays.com, Eastbay, eBags, Elizabeth Arden, FineStationery.com, Fingerhut, Florsheim, Fresh Produce, Funsational, Gap, Gettington, GlassesUSA, H&R Block, Hanes, Hanna Andersson, Harry and David, HearthSong, InkCartridges.com, Jib Jab, Jos. A. Bank, Just My Size, Karmaloop, Last Call, Lenox, Lillian Vernon, Macy's, Magazines.com, McAfee, Meaningful Beauty, Meijer, Murad Skin Care, Natural Advantage, New Vitality, Nordstrom, Nunn Bush, Nutri-Health, Old Navy, One Hanes Place, PaintYourLife.com, Perfumania, Personal Creations, philosophy, Piperlime, Plow and Hearth, Plus Size Lingerie Boutique, The Popcorn Factory, Poppin Proactiv Solution, ProFlowers, Puma, Puritan's Pride, Red Envelope, Reebok, Rodale Store, Roxio, ScoreBig.com, Shari's Berries, Sheer Cover, Shoes.com, Skechers, SkinStore, Snapfish, SpaLook, Spy Optic, Stacy Adams, Super Jeweler, Symantec, Tommy Hilfiger, Umi Children's Shoes, Under Armour. See the eBates web-site for more details.

p.s. I've been using eBates for more than a year now. It is one of the best cashback services allowing you to get an additional discount by simply clicking onto the link to the online store. You may get your cashback easily by Paypal.

eBay allows US sellers to ship internationally via Global Shipping Program (through a US parcel processing facility)

US eBay sellers now can ship their items located in the USA internationally via Global Shipping Program. All they need to do is to ship the item to a US shipping center (US parcel processing facility). International shipping experts there manage the international shipping and customs process, and send the item to the international buyer.



For a listing to be eligible for the Global Shipping Program:

• The item must be physically located in the US.


• The item must be listed for sale on eBay.com.


• The package must not weigh more than 66 lbs.


• The package must not exceed 66 inches in length.


• The package must not exceed the maximum dimensions of 118 inches.


• Dimensions = length + 2 * (width + height). Length is the packages longest side.


• The package must not exceed the maximum dimensional (DIM) weight of 66 lbs. Dimensional weight = (length x width x height) / (dimensional factor) where the dimensional factor = 166.


• The transaction must not exceed a price of $2,500. If an auction-style listing results in a winning bid in excess of this amount, a message is sent to the winning buyer telling them to contact you directly to make alternate shipping arrangements. Sellers receive a notice when the listing ends and are responsible for arranging international shipping and applicable US export rules, regulations, and procedures.


• The item must not be ineligible, illegal, hazardous, subject to export restrictions, prohibited by eBay, or prohibited by the Global Shipping Program.


• The item must be listed in a category that is currently supported by the Global Shipping Program.


• PayPal must be included as an accepted payment method in the listing.

eBay sellers can currently ship internationally via the Global Shipping Program to the following countries only: Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Indonesia, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Portugal, Romania, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden, Slovakia, Slovenia, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom.

International eBay buyers from these countries can see an estimated delivery date that includes eBay seller handling time, estimated ship time to the US shipping center, and the estimated delivery time from the US shipping center (US parcel processing facility) to the buyer's location. International eBay buyer can see an estimate of the international shipping charges and the import charge. During checkout, the buyer can see the final charges which include the item cost, the international shipping charges, and the import charge. The international shipping charges include any US shipping, as well as program fees, third-party international shipping charges, fuel surcharges, and processing and handling fees. The import charge includes applicable customs duties, taxes, and third-party brokerage.

Unfortunately items contained in a single order should be shipped in a single package. Multiple orders (either belonging to the same buyer or different buyers) should not be combined and should be packaged in separate boxes.

Currently eBay uses a third party global technology and shipping provider Pitney Bowes Inc. for shipping internationally.

More details for eBay sellers can be found on eBay

35% coupon code for Sierra Trading Post (a shop selling sporting goods)

Sierra Trading Post offers a discount of 35% site-wide via the coupon code "EB041113B". This offer is stackable with sale items.



And remember to use cash back services for your purchases. Extrabux allows to get 4% cash back when shopping at Sierra Trading Post.

I highly recommend this shop. We've made many purchases in it. It offers sports goods of well know brands including Columbia, The North Face, Patagonia, Arc'teryx, Marmot, & Timbuk2.

p.s. If you're not a client of Siera Trading Post, you may register for FREE via this link and get $10 onto your account.

Restrictions for shipping lithium batteries via USPS (update from Shipito)

Below is the information regarding restrictions posed by USPS for shipping lithium batteries. Shipito, a freight forwarder, recommends to follow these requirements in order to ship lithium batteries without having your packages returned.



Lithium Cell: refers to things like AA, AAA, C, D batteries, as well as button cell batteries that you can find at a retail store.

Lithium Battery: refers to two or more cells wired together and to battery packs and modules like those found in laptop computers and smart phones.

New Lithium battery Limitations Effective November 2012:

• Battery must be installed in the equipment being shipped


• Maximum of 4 cells or 2 batteries per package


• NO spare batteries - no more than the number of batteries required to operate the equipment (Example: no extra battery for a cordless drill).


• NO large batteries - like those that exceed lithium content or watt-hour power limits (Example: elec. bike; scooters; elec wheelchair; etc.).

Lithium Battery Do's

• Mail piece contains no more than 4 cells or 2 batteries. Batteries are installed in equipment


• Package is in good condition and will protect the equipment during processing and transport

Lithium Battery Don't

• Do NOT ship lithium batteries packed along or separate from equipment


• Do NOT ship damaged or defective lithium batteries


• Do NOT ship packages with more than 4 cells or two batteries

If you follow these requirement, your packages should be going through USPS smoothly.

Red Sale Weekend on Ideeli featuring discounts up to 90%

Red Sale Weekend Starts on Ideeli With Up To 90% Off Day Dresses, Contemporary Shoes, Designer Apparel, Jewelry & Watches, Denim Collections, Classic Apparel, plus the ideelWOW: 2 Betsey Johnson Glitter Bangles for $16.99

 

Download iPhone/iPad application reminding about sunsets and sunrisesfor free

The best pictures can taken during the golden hour. And here is where the "Sol: Sun Clock" app for iPhone / iPad can help. It reminds you when it's sunrise or sunset, wherever you travel! Get if for FREE today!



App description:

Now your iOS device can remind you when it's sunrise or sunset, wherever you travel!

Sol: Sun Clock is the Swiss army knife of sunlight tools with a design inspired by the simplicity of the sundial. Use it to plan your day, guide natural sleep cycles, plan the perfect photograph or to map out the best times to go fishing.

• Be in tune: Sol will tell you how much sunlight you have left in the day or what time the next sunrise occurs.


• Find solar midnight and solar noon, and all three twilight (dawn and dusk) periods: astronomical twilight, nautical twilight, and civil twilight. Keep tabs on the next solstice and equinox.


• Reminders and Alarms: Use Sol as a natural alarm clock that you can set to any event (like sunset, golden hour or solar noon), and the alarm or reminder time will adjust gradually as the days change with the seasons.


• Automatic Location: Sol not only calculates the amount of daylight and sunrise and sunset times, but does so for any location in the world (both Northern and Southern hemispheres) by using your device's GPS... no network connection required.


• Other locations: Optionally, use the built-in map to choose any location in the world by moving the pin, or search using the name of any city.


• Optional location-aware alarms. Sol knows when you change with your location; and as you travel it will adjust any alarms you set relative to sunrise and sunset times. Create alarms for multiple locations around the world.

Note: Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life. However, GPS runs in the background ONLY if you have set location-aware alarms.

Can you reship/re-export packages to Cuba, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Somalia and Sudan

Shipito shipping forwarder forces all its customers to agree with the following in every customs declaration:

I hereby declare that these specific commodities are being exported from the United States in accordance with all applicable United States export control laws and regulations including regulations administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Department of State, and the U.S. Department of Treasury. As a customer of Shipito and/or Eastbiz Corporation, I agree not to export, re-export, or transship these commodities to any country that the United States has imposed an embargo or trade sanction upon, including but not limited to Cuba, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Somalia and Sudan or any destination for which United States requires an export license without first obtaining such license(s). Diversion of these commodities contrary to the United States law is prohibited. Any and all export license requirements are the sole responsibility of the individual and/or entity in contractual agreement with Shipito and/or Eastbiz Corporation.

It looks even more stupid considering the fact that most products sold in the USA and purchased there by the customers from the rest of the world are actually produced in Asia (mainly in China). Nevertheless if you buy in the USA something manufactured in China and then reship / re-export it to Cuba, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Somalia and Sudan, you will break the US laws. And that means if one day you visit the USA, its authorities can arrest you and jail you for breaking the law!

Great coupons and discounts from Sierra Trading Post (shop selling sporting goods)

Only today Sierra Trading Post offers a discount of 35% site-wide via the coupon code "EB031213B".

More over you may get 10% off by paying by V.me by Visa. This offer is stackable and valid until 03/26.



And remember to use cash back services for your purchases. Extrabux allows to get 4% cash back when shopping at Sierra Trading Post.

I highly recommend this shop. We've made many purchases in it. It offers sports goods of well know brands including Columbia, The North Face, Patagonia, Arc'teryx, Marmot, & Timbuk2.

p.s. If you're not a client of Siera Trading Post, you may register for FREE via this link and get $10 onto your account.

FREE one-year subscription to Better Homes and Gardens magazine

Get FREE one-year subscription to Better Homes and Gardens magazine, plus find out what FREE business publications you could qualify to receive, simply complete a form. This offer is provided by FreeBizMag.



Subscriptions and offers available only to qualifying residents of the 50 U.S. States, Puerto Rico and Washington D.C. But if you live outside the USA, you may try to use your virtual USA address from a shipping forwarder like Shipito.

Middle name required for postal shipments to Russia?

USPS has notified Shipito that customers will need to use their middle names when sending packages to Russia. So Shipito freight forwarder asked customers sending packages to Russia to add their middle names to the name field in the Shipito account.

Russian Post only requires name, surname and address to identify the recipient. Russian Post can not violate the rules of the Universal Postal Union. And this is perfectly described on the Russian Post web-site.



Update
Shipito recognized that it was misinformed by a USPS representative. Middle name is not required.