2972 Columbia St., Torrance, CA 90503, USA: Scam and fraud or legit?

Is the following address used for scams and frauds?

2972 Columbia St.
Suite # XXXXX
Torrance, CA 90503
USA

No, this is one of the warehouses used by Shipito (Eastbiz Corp.).

Shipito warehouse: 2972 Columbia St., Suite # XXXXX, Torrance, CA 90503, USA

What is Shipito (Eastbiz Corp.)?

Shipito (Eastbiz Corp.) is a US package forwarding company (also known as a freight forwarder, a mail forwarder or a shipping forwarder) allowing to overcome geographical shipping restrictions and ship online purchases to

• Alaska, Hawaii,


• U.S. Protectorates and Insular areas (Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Marshall Islands, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, or Federated States of Micronesia),


• APO, FPO, and DPO Addresses,


• DOS Addresses,


• other countries including but not limited to Canada, the U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Mexico, Brazil, India, Russia, Kuwait, Virgin Islands, Japan, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Luxembourg, Monaco, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Estonia, Lithuania, Portugal, Slovenia, Sweden, Australia, Korea, New Zealand, Singapore, Slovakia, Bahrain, Israel, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, The Bahamas, Bermuda, Brazil, Cayman Islands, the Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan,...

Shipito is one of the largest freight forwarders. It has tens of thousands of customers from all over the world. Shipito Facebook page has more than 12'700 likes:

See also: US online stores shipping and not shipping to Shipito warehouse in Torrance, California (2964 Columbia St., Torrance, CA 90503, USA).

Can the "2972 Columbia St., Torrance, CA 90503, USA" address be used for scams and frauds?

Yes it can be used for legit as well as illegal activities like ANY other address. BUT I and many of my friends use it for making legit purchases in US online shops that don't ship overseas. Also even US individuals and US companies use Shipito package/parcel forwarding service for shipping to Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Marshall Islands, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, or Federated States of Micronesia.

Information for online retailers about Shipito

Shipito and victims of stolen credit cards

If you're a store owner who shipped product to 2972 Columbia St., Torrance, CA 90503, USA and got a chargeback, contact Shipito immediately if you are a victim of credit card fraud. If they find that a stolen credit card was used, they immediately send packages back to you. Shipito has zero tolerance policy. Fraud accounts are immediately canceled.

Shipito and international sales

Shipito offers a program where they can guarantee all sales to online retailers if they are purchased directly by Shipito. This allows online retailers not to lose international sales, while Shipito takes the risk of accepting international payments.

Visit Shipito web-site

Shipito freight forwarder offers lower shipping rates for TNT Economy

Shipito freight forwarder (parcel forwarder, package forwarder, shipping forwarder) negotiated lower shipping rates for it TNT Economy shipping method. The price for shipping to Europe, Middle East and Africa was decreased dramatically.

The price decrease is not final yet. Shipito need to increase the volume of packages sent via TNT Economy substantially before March 24, 2015, then these lower rates will become permanent for Shipito and its customers.

Boxberry - new courier shipping method from Shipito for shipping from USA to Russia

Shipito has finally offered a cheaper shipping method for customers from Russia. It is a courier service - Boxberry.

Boxberry offers very fast shipping 5-15 days, depending on your location in Russia. Damage + Delivery insurance is optional and available at extra cost.

Packages are picked up in the California warehouse of Shipito once a week, on Friday. Then they are delivered by air from Los Angeles (LAX airport) to Moscow (VKO airport), where Boxberry will take care of express customs clearance and delivery throughout Russia.

First pick up is on the 7th of November 2014. The shipping method is already available in the shipping calculator.

Boxberry shipping method is available in all Shipito warehouses. Packages from Tualatin, OR warehouse or Minden, NV warehouse will need additional 2-3 days to be transported to CA.

I have tried to compare prices and it appeared that Boxberry with insurance costs about the same as USPS Priority Mail International (EMS) without insurance. Note that Boxberry insurance is optional and quite pricey. I didn't have any problem to calculate the price for large 36x17x17 boxes that I used in the past. The only problem was that Boxberry doesn't allow the value of the goods to exceed $1000 USD.

Fedex is lowering prices for Shipito parcel forwarder

FedEx is lowering prices for Shipito parcel forwarder. So its customers almost all around the world. The prices are going down usually by 5-10% worldwide, however in some cases the discount can reach up to 40%. The new pricing is put in place already.

The biggest discount is concerning low weight packages to countries in Central-Eastern Europe like Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, etc. For example 3lb package to Prague, Czech Republic, is going down from $86 to $52 with FedEx Economy, or from $106 to $65 with FedEx priority.

Another country with very nice discount is Brazil, where low weight packages are cheaper by 10%-28%. 3lb package to Rio De Janeiro is discounted from $67 to $48 with FedEx Economy and 5lb package from $94 to $81 with FedEx Priority.

No more additional insurance for Shipito customers from Russia

I started skipping insurance at Shipito parcel forwarder, because I didn't want to pay an extra 1% if I consolidated a cell phone, some electronics with lithium battery, a watch or jewelry. When I was sending something expensive I was preferring to use a courier service. And when I was sending something cheap, I didn't want to pay extra bucks.

From April 10, 2014 Shipito is no longer requiring customers from Russia to pay this extra 1% for insurance. Normal insurance rates apply.

How to get a virtual US Mastercard debit card if you are not a resident of the USA (US Unlocked / NxPay)

Shipito, an American parcel forwarder, started cooperation with US Unlocked to give you the opportunity of having your own virtual US debit Mastercard card with US billing address. Shipito is not the only company offering such a service via US Unlocked. The latter company has been working with many partners including American parcel forwarding companies. You can also get a card directly from US Unlocked, but some partners provide your a $5 discount when you sign up via them (so your setup fee will be $10 instead of $15).

Non US residents can now get the US Unlocked card and pay in the American online shops requiring a USA debit or credit card.

Please note the the US Unlocked card is NOT accepted by Paypal as well as many subscriptions web-sites (like online music services). Some online shops can reject transactions if you use a virtual USA address provided by a parcel forwarder. But many online US shops requiring a USA billing address will accept your transaction.

Note that some American online shops accept transactions that use a virtual USA address provided by your parcel forwarder as a billing address. And some shops accept your transactions if you use your real billing address, but change the country to the USA, choose any state and a ZIP code belonging to this state.

The US Unlocked Card is a virtual prepaid Mastercard debit card with US billing address. As it is a virtual card you will not have the actual plastic in your hands, but you will use the number, expiration date and billing address provided to you for online payments. As it is a pre-paid debit card, you can only spend the amount of money that you have put onto the card. If an online shop or service asks you to enter your credit card information, you can use your US Unlocked debit card. The card can be reloaded, i.e. you can add funds to it anytime.

To apply for a US Unlocked Card you will need to set up your account, providing some personal details such as your name, home address and date of birth. In the registration process, you will be also automatically offered to use your Shipito suite number and address. The next step is to make a card load payment which will include a one-time application fee. Your card will be issued approximately 2-4 business days after they have received your payment (provided you have passed the address and ID check). Then you will be able to use your virtual debit card on most US websites.

NxPay is the platform to which the US Unlocked Card belongs. NxPay is the authorized issuer of virtual pre-pard Mastercard cards. When applying for a US Unlocked Card, an NxPay account is created for you. Through Manage Account in US Unlocked Card page you are able to manage your NxPay account.

Current fees associated with the US Unlocked virtual debit card:

Set-up fee (one-time)	$15.00
Transaction fee charged by NXpay per load.	$0.30
Load Fee (upfront)	$3 and 3% or $4 and 4%*
POS (point of sale) fee domestic	$0.50
POS (point of sale) fee international	$0.75
Declined transaction fee domestic	$0.75
Declined transaction fee international	$0.75
Monthly maintenance fee**	$3.50
Balance Transfer/Closure fee	$11.50
Replacement Card	$5.00

* Varies per payment method. Payment methods offered vary per country. Price differs due to increased cost of payment processing and fraud control measurements. Payments are done in your local currency. US Unlocked's payment processors apply a daily wholesale rate plus a fee of 2% to 5%, depending on the currency used. These currency exchange rates are competitive with the ones applied by commercial banks and currency exchange companies.

** A monthly maintenance fee of $3.50 will be assessed to your US Unlocked Card. This fee will be assessed to your US Unlocked Card as long as there are funds remaining on your US Unlocked Card. When the card is loaded after 1-3 months of zero balance the card is incurred with the missed maintenance fee payments. If not loaded after 4 months the card closes, see term 17. A maximum of 3 months of missed monthly maintenance fees will be charged when a new card is issued to replace the closed card.

*** US Unlocked used to provide a Mastercard debit card, but in November 2013 they started replacing all Mastercard cards with VISA cards.

Special request from Shipito parcel forwarder: extra bubble wrap and security tape for $2 each

Shipito parcel forwarder has finally offered extra bubble wrap and security tape as special requests for consolidated packages.

All special requests that Shipito currently offers:

Visual check that content is not damaged	FREE	-
Remove Invoice	$1	Remove store invoices from the package(s)
Extra Bubble Wrap	$2	Put extra bubble wrap or packaging material to protect the items.
Extra Tape	$2	Put extra tape on the package seams
Security Tape	$2	Put security tape on the package, so it's evident if the package has been opened after shipping
Other Request	$5	Write your own request

Here is the extra bubble wrap used for protecting my package:

Good news for Russian customers of Shipito shipping forwarder (parcel forwarder)

Shipito shipping forwarder (parcel forwarder) has finally moved towards Russian customers. The competition among US to Russia parcel forwarders is so high that there were no reasons to use Shipito anymore. Although Shipito rates are still above many Russian competitors, the new changes are better than nothing:

• Shipito is shipping big volume by USPS Express mail. The shipping price was permanently lowered by 15%. If you are our status client (Silver, Gold or Diamond) you might have additional discount from already lowered price till the end of March (new benefits will be announced on April 1 for the 2nd quarter).
• Shipping rates in Oregon were 10% higher than in California. Now you can get the same shipping rate in Oregon as in California.
• SPSR Express shipping method is available for shipping from the USA to Russia.
• Mailout fee will be reduced to $1 on all for all Shipito plans (including Virtual Mailbox).
• Double consolidation fee will be waived.

I will ship a new package within a month and will update my article about shipping costs by USPS Express Mail and other shipping methods. We'll see whether the new pricing will make me stay at Shipito or not.

How much it cost to ship a package to Russia from the USA via Shipito, Qwintry, Mainbox and Shopfans parcel forwarders (USPS vs. courier service) in 2014

I've been using Shipito parcel forwarder for shipping to Russia for more than 3 years. I posted detailed fees that I paid for shipping via USPS Priority Mail International and USPS Priority Mail Express International (former USPS Express Mail International) in 2010-2011, 2012 and 2013.

But the competition among parcel forwarders shipping to Russia is amazing. So no wonder that many companies offer much lower shipping rates and much better service at the same time when shipping to Russia. Unfortunately this is not the case for many other countries where using Shipito is still one of the best ways to get a decent service and cheap rates.

The first alternative I've decided to test was a new Russian parcel forwarder Mainbox. It offers fast courier service delivery to Russia. Besides speed it has lots of other benefits. One of them is that unlike Shipito you don't need to pay any monthly or annual fees to have an account with Mainbox. When shipping my Dell XPS all-in-one computer and Sony A7 mirrorless camera I decided to avoid state postal service by all means. Moreover I needed to test my computer and camera before shipping them to Russia. Mainbox tested Dell XPS, checked dead pixels on the  screen for only $3. The camera focusing and lack of scratches on the lense and display were also done only for $3! Standard Mainbox shipping is fast enough, so there is no need to use express shipping.

It costed me $289 to ship a 19kg 77x62x32cm package with my Dell XPS computer to Russia by Mainbox.

 

Mainbox fee structure in 2014:

• Package Location: Bear, Delaware (no sales tax location)
  19 kg
  77x62x32cm
  Mailout fee: $0
  Repacking fee: $0 (no packages consolidated)
  Postage: $286 ($28 for the first kilogramm, $12 for every additional kg)
  (Carrier) ($286)
  (Bank fee) ($0)
  Insurance: $0 (included into postage)
  Alternative shipping methods offered by Mainbox for delivering this package to Russia:
  • Express shipping
    Postage: $342 ($41 for the first kilogram, $14 for every additional kg)
  Total per 1 kg of gross weight: $15.2
  TOTAL: $289
• Package Location: Bear, Delaware (no sales tax location)
  1,44 kg
  31x25x22cm
  Delivery time: 8 days
  Mailout fee: $0
  Repacking fee: $0 (no packages consolidated)
  Postage: $44 ($30 for the first kilogramm, $14 for every additional kg)
  (Carrier) ($44)
  Bank fee $1.21 (1724.80 RUR ~ $50.21 was charged by Uniteller instead of $49 for filling the account in RUR. The option of filling the account in USD by Paypal was not available.)
  Insurance: $0 (included into postage)
  Testing working condition (optional): $3
  Using no sales tax warehouse: $2
  Total per 1 kg of gross weight: $34.87
  TOTAL: $50.21

Besides testing Mainbox, I still use Shipito for delivering packages to Russia via USPS Priority Mail Express International.



Shipito fee structure 2014

• Package Location: Tualatin, Oregon (no sales tax location)
  33.30 lbs (15.1 kg)
  36"x17"x14" (92x44x35 cm)
  Mailout fee: $18.50 ($10 extra fee for packages over 30 lbs)
  Repacking fee: $26.00 (13 packages consolidated)
  Postage: $225.21
  (Carrier) ($215.93)
  (Bank fee 4.3%) ($9.28)
  Insurance: $0 (no insurance)
  Alternative shipping methods offered by Shipito for delivering this package to Russia:
  
  
  
  • USPS Express Mail (5-6 business days)
    Postage: $218.66
    Insurance: $18.91 (optional)
    TOTAL: $237.57
  
  
  • Airmail Priority (8-20 business days)
    Postage: $343.09
    Insurance: not available
    Tracking is not available
    TOTAL: $343.09
  
  
  • Russian Post Standard (3-6 weeks)
    Postage: $243.76
    Insurance: $40.13 (optional)
    TOTAL: $283.89
  
  Total per 1 kg of gross weight: $17.86
  Total Shipito fees (not including USPS shipping, insurance and Shipito monthly fee): $53.78
  TOTAL: $269.71
  Shipito service plan: Old Virtual Mailbox ($100 / year, available for old customers only)


• Package Location: Tualatin, Oregon (no sales tax location)
  22.40 lbs (10.16 kg)
  27"x13"x13" (69x34x34 cm)
  Mailout fee: $8.50
  Repacking fee: $38.00 (19 packages consolidated)
  Postage: $137.37
  (Carrier) ($131.71)
  (Bank fee 4.3%) ($5.66)
  Insurance: $0 (no insurance)
  Extra security tape: $2
  Alternative shipping methods offered by Shipito for delivering this package to Russia:
  
  
  
  • USPS Express Mail (5-6 business days)
    Postage: $135.42
    Insurance: $17.79 (optional)
    TOTAL: $153.21
  
  
  • Airmail Priority (20-40 business days)
    Postage: $220.95
    Insurance: not available
    Tracking is not available
    TOTAL: $220.95
  
  
  • USPS Priority Mail (6-10 business days)
    Postage: $141.26
    Insurance: $29.43 (optional)
    TOTAL: $188.59
  
  
  • Russian Post Standard (3-4 weeks)
    Postage: $150.95
    Insurance: $37.64 (optional)
    TOTAL: $283.89
  
  
  • SPSR Express (8-15 business days)
    Postage: $186.76
    Insurance: $47.64 (optional)
    TOTAL: $234.4
  
  Total per 1 kg of gross weight: $18.29
  Total Shipito fees (not including USPS shipping, insurance and Shipito monthly fee): $54.16
  TOTAL: $185.87
  Shipito service plan: Old Virtual Mailbox ($100 / year, available for old customers only)
• Package Location: Tualatin, Oregon (no sales tax location)
  38.50 lbs (17.46 kg)
  36"x17"x14" (92x44x35 cm)
  Mailout fee: $18.50 ($10 extra fee for packages over 30 lbs)
  Repacking fee: $34.00 (17 packages consolidated)
  Postage: $201.42
  (Carrier) ($193.12)
  (Bank fee 4.3%) ($8.30)
  Insurance: $0 (no insurance)
  Alternative shipping methods offered by Shipito for delivering this package to Russia:
  
  
  • USPS Express Mail (5-6 business days)
    Postage: $190.39
    Insurance: $18.86 (optional)
    TOTAL: $217.44
  
  
  • Russian Post Standard (3-4 weeks)
    Postage: $237.94
    Insurance: $40.02 (optional)
    TOTAL: $288.19
  
  Total per 1 kg of gross weight: $14.6
  Total Shipito fees (not including USPS shipping, insurance and Shipito monthly fee): $61.8
  TOTAL: $254.92
  Shipito service plan: Old Virtual Mailbox ($100 / year, available for old customers only)


• Package Location: Tualatin, Oregon (no sales tax location)
  30.90 lbs (14.01 kg)
  36"x17"x13" (92x44x32 cm)
  Mailout fee: $18.50 (extra $10 fee for packages over 30 lbs)
  Repacking fee: $36.00 (18 packages consolidated)
  Postage: $169.41
  (Carrier) ($162.43)
  (Bank fee 4.3%) ($6.98)
  Insurance: $0 (no insurance)
  Extra security tape: $2
  Total per 1 kg of gross weight: $16.12
  Total Shipito fees (not including USPS shipping, insurance and Shipito monthly fee): $63.48
  TOTAL: $225.91
  Shipito service plan: Old Virtual Mailbox ($100 / year, available for old customers only)


• Package Location: Tualatin, Oregon (no sales tax location)
  27.70 lbs (12.56 kg)
  36"x17"x13" (92x44x34 cm)
  Mailout fee: $8.50
  Repacking fee: $22.00 (11 packages consolidated)
  Postage: $155.16
  (Carrier) ($148.76)
  (Bank fee 4.3%) ($6.40)
  Insurance: $0 (no insurance)
  Extra security tape: $2
  Total per 1 kg of gross weight: $14.94
  Total Shipito fees (not including USPS shipping, insurance and Shipito monthly fee): $38.9
  TOTAL: $187.66
  Shipito service plan: Old Virtual Mailbox ($100 / year, available for old customers only)


• Package Location: Tualatin, Oregon (no sales tax location)
  14.10 lbs (6.39 kg)
  17"×13"×13" (44×34×34 cm)
  Mailout fee: $8.50
  Repacking fee: $12.00 (6 packages consolidated)
  Postage: $103.82
  (Carrier) ($99.54)
  (Bank fee 4.3%) ($4.28)
  Insurance: $0 (no insurance)
  Extra security tape: $2
  Total per 1 kg of gross weight: $19.77
  Total Shipito fees (not including USPS shipping, insurance and Shipito monthly fee): $26.78
  TOTAL: $126.32
  Shipito service plan: Old Virtual Mailbox ($100 / year, available for old customers only)

I also decided to test Qwintry parcel forwarder for shipping to Russia via USPS. It has a warehouse in the no sales tax location in Delaware, so I was wondering whether it will be faster and cheaper to send the package from the East coast (rather than the West coast in case of Shipito). Moreover Qwintry doesn't have any subscription fees, not does it charge for incoming packages as well as package consolidation.

Qwintry fee structure in 2014:

• Shipping method: USPS Priority Mail Express International (EMS) Package Location: Newark, Delaware (no sales tax location)
  33.16 lb (15.04 kg)
  18x18x22 inches (46x46x56 cm)
  Mailout fee: $0
  Processing incoming packages: $0
  Repacking fee: $0 (no packages consolidated)
  Packagin materials: $8
  Postage: $201.60
  Insurance: $0 (optional)
  Total per 1 kg of gross weight: $14.14
  TOTAL: $212.60

When shipping my Yamaha digital piano, using state post was not and option due to size limitations of the USPS. Mainbox wasn't able to ship this package due to the large size. So I decided to test Shopfans Express courier service for shipping Yamaha P155 to Russia.

Shopfans Express fee structure in 2014:

• Shipping method: Shopfans Express (no other options available for a package of this size) Package Location: Claymont, Delaware (no sales tax location)
  57 lbs 5 oz
  Mailout fee: $0
  Processing incoming packages: $0 (via coupon code SFXZERO)
  Repacking fee: $0 (no packages consolidated)
  Postage: $309,05
  (Carrier) ($298,6)
  (Bank fee) ($10,45)
  Insurance: $0 (optional)
  Total per 1 kg of gross weight: $11.89
  TOTAL: $309,05

Links:

• Shipito
• Qwintry
• Mainbox
• Shopfans

See also:

• How much it cost to ship a package to Russia from the USA via Qwintry parcel forwarder in 2015

Shipito coupon code: 20% off for new customers

Shipito parcel forwarder offers a 20% discount to new customers

Coupon code: PayPal20 (use this coupon code when registering a new Shipito account)
Offer: 20% discount on annual Shipito Virtual Mailbox subscription in the USA.
Valid until: January 10, 2014

Russian Post Standard via Berlin becomes faster

All shipments sent by Russian Post via Berlin (Russian Post Standard shipping method) were previously sent by truck from Shipito warehouse to New York (JFK). It took about 4 days plus different waiting times at the airport.

Shipito is currently testing direct flight from Los Angeles to Berlin. The last Berlin post shipment was picked up on November 23. Shipment will be at the airport on November 24 and fly directly to Berlin. Shipment will be in Berlin on November 25 and Russian Post will pick up from there.

The biggest complain until now was that Russian Post Standard shipping method of Shipito parcel forwarder is not very fast. Direct flights from LA to Berlin may speed the process a little bit. The good thing about the Russian Post Standard shipping method is that Shipito had extremely low loss rate with it.

What Shipito warehouse to use and why?

Each Shipito warehouse has its own benefits. The following information will help you to choose one:

Overview of Shipito Warehouses

California

Lowest shipping rates and fastest shipping time, short term storage

Lowest shipping rates and fastest shipping time, short term storage

Oregon

No sales tax, more storage space compared to California

No sales tax, more storage space compared to California

Nevada

Best for long term storage and large consolidations

Best for long term storage and large consolidations

 

 

Shipito Virtual Mailbox

California

12 cubic feet

2× huge 36”x17”x17” boxes, effective January 1, 2014

2× huge 36”x17”x17” boxes, effective January 1, 2014

Oregon

36 cubic feet

Triple of California capacity

Triple of California capacity

Nevada

72 cubic feet

Six times California capacity

Six times California capacity

 

 

Free Storage

California

90days

Oregon

90days

Nevada

180days

 

Sales Tax in different Shipito locations

California

up to9%

Only stores based in California will charge sales tax

Oregon

0%

No sales tax on any transaction

Nevada

up to7.1%

Only stores based in Nevada will charge sales tax

 

Shipito Shipping Methods

California

usps

Lowest price

fedex

Lowest price

dhl

Lowest price

tnt

Lowest price

airmail

Lowest price

russian-post

Available

Oregon

usps

Approx. 10% more

fedex

Approx. 10% more

dhl

Approx. 10% more

tnt

10-13% more

airmail

Approx. 15% more

russian-post

Available

Nevada

usps

Lowest price

fedex

Lowest price

dhl

Lowest price

tnt

10-13% more

airmail

Approx. 15% more

russian-post

Available

 

Speed of delivery from Shipito warehouses

California

Fastest due to the proximity to LAX airport

Fastest due to the proximity to LAX airport

USPS, TNT and Airmail are 1-3 days slower due to transport through California hub. Other methods are the same speed as California.

USPS, TNT and Airmail are 1-3 days slower due to transport through California hub. Other methods are the same speed as California.

 

Shipping Wine with Shipito

California

Only from our Torrance I location (Columbia St). The only location authorized to ship wine by FedEx or DHL only.

Only from our Torrance I location (Columbia St). The only location authorized to ship wine by FedEx or DHL only.

Oregon

No shipping of wine allowed

No shipping of wine allowed

Nevada

No shipping of wine allowed

No shipping of wine allowed

 

Update (December 27, 2013) Russian Standard Post is available not only in the California warehouses, but also in the Nevada and Oregon warehouses of Shipito.

Personally I've been using the Oregon warehouse for most of my purchases. It takes longer to ship from Oregon, this warehouse lacks some shipping methods and shipping from this location is more expensive. However the benefit of using Oregon is that it is a no sales tax location.

Learn more at the Shipito web-site

Shipito Airmail shipping method can not be used for shipping lithium batteries anymore

Shipito has announced that their Airmail provider stopped shipping lithium batteries and routed some of the packages by USPS Priority in the last few weeks (without notifying Shipito).

So Shipito Airmail shipping is not available for lithium batteries effective immediately. If your package contains lithium battery and has selected Airmail you will need to select new shipping method.

There are still alternative shipping methods available. For example USPS Priority, USPS Express, Russian Post, FedEx, DHL or TNT.

Personally I'm not affected by this change. Airmail method is more expensive for my packages of 8-18 kg (17-35 pounds). But this is yet another call for Russian customers not to use Shipito. The Russian post shipping method is still not available in the Oregon warehouse (the only US no sales tax location of Shipito). Moreover it is not a good shipping method for Russia at all, especially considering the fact there are 5 companies that offer their own express shipping to Russia using alternative methods.

Benefits of Silver members of Shipito freight forwarder (parcel forwarder)

I have upgraded my annual membership at Shipito and got the Silver status.

It allows me to choose one of the following benefits once:

• FedEx Priority: 5% Discount from Tualatin, OR warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Tualatin Shipping Country: all Available until: December 31, 2013
• FedEx Economy: 5% Discount from Tualatin, OR warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Tualatin Shipping Country: all Available until: December 31, 2013
• USPS Priority: 5% Discount from Minden, NV warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Minden Shipping Country: all Available until: December 31, 2013
• USPS Priority: 5% Discount from Torrance, CA warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Torrance Shipping Country: all Available until: December 31, 2013
• USPS Priority: 5% Discount from Torrance II, CA warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Torrance II Shipping Country: all Available until: December 31, 2013
• USPS Priority: 5% Discount from Hawthorne, CA warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Hawthorne Shipping Country: all Available until: December 31, 2013
• USPS Priority: 5% Discount from Hawthorne II, CA warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Hawthorne 2 Shipping Country: all Available until: December 31, 2013
• USPS Priority: 10% Discount to Brazil from Torrance, CA warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Torrance Shipping Country: Brazil Available until: December 31, 2013
• USPS Priority: 10% Discount to Brazil from Torrance II, CA warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Torrance II Shipping Country: Brazil Available until: December 31, 2013
• USPS Priority: 10% Discount to Brazil from Hawthorne, CA warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Hawthorne Shipping Country: Brazil Available until: December 31, 2013
• USPS Priority: 10% Discount to Brazil from Hawthorne II, CA warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Hawthorne 2 Shipping Country: Brazil Available until: December 31, 2013 Russian Post: 12% Discount to Russia from Torrance, CA warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Torrance Shipping Country: all Available until: December 31, 2013
• Russian Post: 12% Discount to Russia from Torrance II, CA warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Torrance II Shipping Country: all Available until: December 31, 2013
• Russian Post: 12% Discount to Russia from Hawthorne, CA warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Hawthorne Shipping Country: all Available until: December 31, 2013
• Russian Post: 12% Discount to Russia from Hawthorne II, CA warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Hawthorne 2 Shipping Country: all Available until: December 31, 2013
• USPS Express: 5% Discount from Torrance, CA warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Torrance Shipping Country: all Available until: December 31, 2013
• USPS Express: 5% Discount from Torrance II, CA warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Torrance II Shipping Country: all Available until: December 31, 2013
• USPS Express: 5% Discount from Hawthorne, CA warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Hawthorne Shipping Country: all Available until: December 31, 2013
• USPS Express: 5% Discount from Hawthorne II, CA warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Hawthorne 2 Shipping Country: all Available until: December 31, 2013
• USPS Express: 5% Discount from Minden, NV warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Minden Shipping Country: all Available until: December 31, 2013
• USPS Express: 5% Discount from Tualatin, OR warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Tualatin Shipping Country: all Available until: December 31, 2013
• TNT Express: 5% Discount from Minden, NV warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Minden Shipping Country: all Available until: December 31, 2013
• TNT Economy: 5% Discount from Minden, NV warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Minden Shipping Country: all Available until: December 31, 2013
• TNT Express: 10% Discount from Torrance, CA warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Torrance Shipping Country: all Available until: December 31, 2013
• TNT Express: 10% Discount from Torrance II, CA warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Torrance II Shipping Country: all Available until: December 31, 2013
• TNT Express: 10% Discount from Hawthorne, CA warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Hawthorne Shipping Country: all Available until: December 31, 2013
• TNT Express: 10% Discount from Hawthorne II, CA warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Hawthorne 2 Shipping Country: all Available until: December 31, 2013
• TNT Economy: 10% Discount from Torrance, CA warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Torrance Shipping Country: all Available until: December 31, 2013
• TNT Economy: 10% Discount from Torrance II, CA warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Torrance II Shipping Country: all Available until: December 31, 2013
• TNT Economy: 10% Discount from Hawthorne, CA warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Hawthorne Shipping Country: all Available until: December 31, 2013
• TNT Economy: 10% Discount from Hawthorne II, CA warehouse Valid from Shipito warehouse: Hawthorne 2 Shipping Country: all Available until: December 31, 2013
• Austria Post: 10% discount Valid from Shipito warehouse: Austria Shipping Country: all Available until: December 31, 2013
• 5x Free Express Processing Q4 Valid from Shipito warehouse: all Shipping Country: all Available until: December 31, 2013

Examples of fees charged by AT Post (Österreichische Post AG) and Shipito parcel forwarder in 2013 for sending packages from Austria to Russian Federation

Most of the time I make purchases in the USA. But I also wanted to buy some heavy stuff from Germany. And I tested the Austrian warehouse of Shipito for sending my purchases from Germany to Russia (Shipito doesn't have any warehouses in Germany, but the one in Austria works fine for purchases from Germany and other EU countries). When making purchases in Germany and other countries of the European Union beware of the VAT (when you send packages outside the EU without using parcel forwarders VAT is excluded by many shops).

Shipito fee structure 2013

• Package Location: Tualatin, OR
  33.60 lbs (15.24 kg)
  36"×19"×17" (92×49×44 cm)
  AT Post Standard
  Mailout fee: $18.50 ($10 extra surcharge for heavy packages over 30 pounds)
  Repacking fee: $12.00 (6 packages consolidated)
  Postage: $93.87
  (Carrier) ($90.00)
  (Bank fee 4.3%) ($3.87)
  Insurance: n/a
  Total per 1 kg of gross weight: $8.16
  Total Shipito fees (not including USPS shipping, insurance and Shipito monthly fee): $34.37
  TOTAL: $124.37
  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: Examples of fees charged by USPS and Shipito for sending packages from the USA to Russia:

• 2013 
• 2012 
• 2010-2011

Discounts for Shipito customers having New Silver, Gold and Diamond statuses

Shipito parcel forwarder has announces bonuses for third quarter for customers having Silver, Gold and Diamond statuses

• USPS Express: 10% discount from Minden, NV warehouse


• FedEx Priority: 10% discount from Tualatin, OR warehouse


• Austria Post: 10% discount


• 3x Free Express Processing

The USPS Express Mail discount is the most interesting for me, although I haven't tried their warehouse in Nevada yet.

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.

Shipito is opening new warehouse in Nevada for customers to avoid salestax

Shipito, a package forwarding company, is opening a new warehouse in Minden, Nevada. The shipping cost will be the same as in California warehouses. Nevada is a smaller state than California so there is better probability that sales tax will be not charged. Only sellers with physical presence in Nevada have to charge a sales tax.






Another benefit is a bigger mailbox. This is the biggest warehouse of Shipito, so it is offering 4 times the size of California mailbox. You can store 12 36"x17"x17" boxes in Nevada.

Also free package storage for virtual mailbox is up to 6 months instead of 90 days.

The new address will be available to clients with status (Diamond, Gold, Silver) first and immediately after that to all customers.

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.

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!