Showing posts with label usa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label usa. Show all posts

Monday, January 4, 2016

23 Industrial Blvd, FFXXXXX Fishisfast, New Castle, DE (Delaware), 19720-9005, USA: scam or legit

Is the following address used for scams and frauds?


23 Industrial Blvd
FFXXXXX Fishisfast
New Castle, DE (Delaware), 19720-9005, USA
Phone (302) 689-3120

No, this is a warehouse address used by FishisFast parcel forwarder (package forwarder, freight forwarder, mail forwarder).

FishisFast LLC is registered at 23 Industrial Blvd, New Castle, DE 19720.

What is FishisFast?


FishisFast is a US package forwarding company (also known as a freight forwarder, a mail forwarder or a shipping forwarder, a parcel forwarder, a package forwarder) allowing to overcome geographical shipping restrictions and ship online purchases to the following countries: Russian Federation, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Japan, Korea, Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, American Samoa, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Antarctica, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Plurinational State of, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Bouvet Island, Brazil, British Indian Ocean Territory, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Congo, The Democratic Republic of the, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Côte d'Ivoire, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Falkland Islands (Malvinas), Faroe Islands, Fiji, Finland, France, French Guiana, French Polynesia, French Southern Territories, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guatemala, Guernsey, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Holy See (Vatican City State), Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Islamic Republic of, Iraq, Ireland, Isle of Man, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jersey, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Korea, Democratic People's Republic of, Korea, Republic of, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macao, Macedonia, Republic of, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mexico, Micronesia, Federated States of, Moldova, Republic of, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Montserrat, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Norfolk Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Palestinian Territory, Occupied, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Pitcairn, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Réunion, Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Svalbard and Jan Mayen, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, United Republic of, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tokelau, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, United States Minor Outlying Islands, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of, Viet Nam, Virgin Islands, British, Virgin Islands, U.S., Wallis and Futuna, Western Sahara, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Åland Islands

Shopping online has become the easiest and least expensive way to shop in the US. That's why in 2012, they launched Fishisfast parcel forwarding to extend that experience to everyone, no matter what country you're in. They receive your items for you, let you inspect them yourself and make it easy to have them delivered to you.
Their whole team at Fishisfast is dedicated to constantly improving your experience whether it's through enhancing their web app, shipping and receiving your items or making sure they're delivered safely and quickly.
FishisFast is one of the most popular package forwarders delivering purchases from USA to Russia. It has thousands of customers from all over the world. FishisFast Facebook page in English has hundreds of likes:



The company has a similar community of followers in the popular Russian social network vk.com.

Can the "23 Industrial Blvd, FFXXXXX Fishisfast, New Castle, DE (Delaware), 19720-9005, 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 many US online shops that don't offer international shipping from the USA. Also even US individuals and US companies can use parcel forwarders like FishisFast to ship 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 FishisFast


FishisFast and victims of stolen credit cards


If you're a store owner who shipped product to 23 Industrial Blvd, FFXXXXX Fishisfast, New Castle, DE (Delaware), 19720-9005, USA and got a charge-back, contact FishisFast immediately if you are a victim of credit card fraud. Most parcel forwarders, especially the large ones like FishisFast, have zero credit card fraud tolerance policy. Fraud accounts are canceled and packages are sent back to sellers.

FishisFast and international sales


Online retailers may suggest parcel forwarders like FishisFast to their customers, so that they can more international sales.

825 Dawson Dr, Suite 10-XXXXX Pochtoy.com, Newark, DE, USA : Scam and fraud or legit

Is the following address used for scams and frauds?


825 Dawson Dr
Suite 10-XXXXX Pochtoy.com
Newark, DE 19713, USA
Phone 858-633-6353

No, this is one of the warehouses used by Pochtoy parcel forwarder (package forwarder, freight forwarder, mail forwarder).

Pochtoy.com LLC resides at 621 Regis Ave, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (PA). But it offers a tax free location in Newark, Delaware as well.


What is Pochtoy?


Pochtoy is a US package forwarding company (also known as a freight forwarder, a mail forwarder or a shipping forwarder, a parcel forwarder, a package forwarder) allowing to overcome geographical shipping restrictions and ship online purchases to the following countries: Australia, Azerbaijan, the UK, Armenia, Belarus, Belgium, Hungary, Germany, Greece, Georgia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Israel, India, Italy, Kazakhstan, Cyprus, Kyrgyzstan, China, Lithuania, Latvia, Mexica, Moldova, Mongolia, Netherlands, UAE, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Finland, France, Montenegro, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Sweden, Estonia, Japan and Russia.

Pochtoy is one of the most popular package forwarders delivering purchases from USA to Russia. It has thousands of customers from all over the world. Pochtoy.com Facebook page has more than 6'000 likes:



The company has even more followers in the popular Russian social network vk.com.

Can the "825 Dawson Dr, Suite 10-XXXXX Pochtoy.com, Newark, DE, 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 many US online shops that don't offer international shipping from the USA. Also even US individuals and US companies can use parcel forwarders like Pochtoy.com to ship 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 Pochtoy


Pochtoy.com and victims of stolen credit cards


If you're a store owner who shipped product to 825 Dawson Dr, Suite 10-XXXXX Pochtoy.com, Newark, DE, USA and got a chargeback, contact Pochtoy.com immediately if you are a victim of credit card fraud. Most parcel forwarders, especially the large ones like Pochtoy.com, have zero credit card fraud tolerance policy. Fraud accounts are canceled and packages are sent back to sellers.

Pochtoy.com and international sales


Online retailers may suggest parcel forwarders like Pochtoy to their customers, so that they can more international sales.

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

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).

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


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.

Thursday, June 13, 2013

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.

SPSR Express - New shipping method from Qwintry parcel forwarder

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:

Monday, May 20, 2013

Field Trip offers FREE admission to 13 USA museums

Field Trip offers FREE admission to 13 U.S. museums:

  • Conservatory of Flowers, SF

  • California Academy of Sciences, SF

  • Walt Disney Family Museum, SF

  • Museum of Contemporary Art, LA

  • Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago

  • Adler Planetarium, Chicago

  • The Field Museum, Chicago

  • Museum of the city of New York, NY

  • Museum of Arts and Design, NY

  • National Building Museum, DC

  • Portland Children's Museum

  • Portland Art Museum

  • Pittock Mansion, Portland


Field Trip: FREE admission to 13 US museums

If you are around one of the following 13 museums, you will get a Field Trip card with "Free Entry" in the title (check the 'nearby' tab). Show the card on your phone to the admissions staff and they'll take care of the rest.

Field Trip for Android
Field Trip for iOS

Source

Sunday, May 19, 2013

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: No sales tax location address in Delaware

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.

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Free subscription to the Scientist magazine (print edition) for US and Canadian qualified individuals

Qualified individuals (professionals in the life sciences industry) from the USA and Canada can get a 1-year subscription to the print edition of the Scientist magazine. Individuals from other countries may use mail forwarders or subscribe to receive the digital version of the magazine via e-mail. You need to fill an online form to subscribe.

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Download "2012 (US) Consumer Action Handbook" ebook for FREE today (PDF, Mobi, ePub)

2012 (US) Consumer Action Handbook 2012 (US) Consumer Action Handbook is available for free download now (ePub, Mobi, PDF).

Use the Consumer Action Handbook (CAH) to get help with consumer purchases, problems and complaints. Find consumer contacts at hundreds of companies and trade associations, local, state, and federal government agencies, national consumer organizations, and more.

Source: U.S. General Services Administration, Federal Citizen Information Center
Released: 2012
Pages: 156
Publication ID: 5131
Item number: 568X
Languages: English and Spanish

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

My top American online stores and private shopping clubs where I make most of my purchases

I have received 33 packages from my package forwarding company (parcel forwarder, freight forwarder) Shipito to this date. I've started with smaller packages of 3-8 kg and ended up getting packages of 9-18 kg. I've been buying all kind of stuff from electronics and toys to clothing and shoes. Most of my purchases have been coming from 3 online sources:
.


Amazon USA


Amazon logoPersonally I prefer to use amazon.com more than any other US shop. There are several reasons for that:

  • Amazon is the largest online store in the USA.

  • Accepts international debit and credit cards.

  • Ships to freight forwarders (also know as mail forwarders, package forwarders, parcel forwarders) like Shipito.

  • Very good customer service and at refunds.

  • International shipping available for many countries including Russia. Although products sold on the Amazon marketplace are not shipped worldwide. And even products sold by Amazon itself sometimes can not be shipped outside the USA.

  • You don't need to pay any sales tax (9.5% in California) when shipping from Amazon to the Oregon or Nevada warehouses of Shipito.*

* Note Tualatin, Oregon is a no sales tax location, so you will not pay any sales taxes when shipping to the Tualatin warehouse of Shipito. The warehouse of Shipito in Nevada allows to avoid sales tax as well, but currently this is only valid for shops that do not have any physical presence in Nevada. There are also several Californian warehouses of Shipito; you will have to pay the sales tax when shipping to any of them in many cases.

My overall experience with Amazon is very positive. However there is a group of sites where prices for clothing, shoes and many other items are more attractive every day.

American private shopping clubs (fashion sale, private sale, sample sale, flash sale sites)


Private sale I buy most of my clothing and shoes from USA private shopping clubs (also known as fashion sale, private sale, sample sale, flash sale sites). These sites are usually an invitation only clubs (see the invitation links below). They organize flash sales events for its members that typically last 1 to 3 days. Members can buy fashion, designer clothing and shoes for men, women, kids at discounted prices (typically 40-90%). You can also buy jewerly, cosmetics and many other types of good there. My favorite private shopping clubs:

While you may use Assisted Purchases from Shipito or any other service when making purchases in online stores, such services won't work well with flash sales that private shopping clubs offer. So it is really great that the above mentioned private shopping clubs support international debit/credit cards and ship to freight forwarders like Shipito.

Although there are plenty of private shopping clubs, they offer fashion and designer clothing mostly. So I still have to shop for many sporting goods elsewhere.

American sports online stores


I make purchases in several trusted sports online stores and outlets:

I buy sports clothing, shoes and gear mostly on sales or in the outlets.

Share your experience


How do you like American online stores and private shopping clubs mentioned in this article? Do you prefer to make purchases elsewhere?

See also:

Friday, May 4, 2012

Free museum admissions for Bank of America and Merrill Lynch cardholders

Museum on Us: Weekend pass to 150 museumsOn the first full weekend of every month, Bank of America and Merrill Lynch offer their cardholders admission to over 150 museums, zoos, science centers, botanical gardens for FREE. These museums are in Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Washington DC. The highest concentration of participating museums is in California, Florida, New York and New Jersey.

A photo ID and Bank of America credit card, ATM card, or Check Card must be presented. The admission is limited to the cardholder at the participating institution. Some exclusions may apply.

See the list of 150 museums (PDF document).
More details on the web-site of the Bank of America.

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:

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

How to make a free phone call to a toll-free number in the USA

Sometimes when making an online order online stores or private shopping clubs put your order on hold and request you to make a phone call. For example, this was the case with me when buying from BeyondTheRack and Timberland. Luckily major retailers offer toll-free numbers and you don't need to spend a penny when calling them (may be except for paying to your Internet provider). Skype is one of the free calling applications allowing you to make calls from your computer or a mobile phone to toll-free numbers in the USA for free.

How to make a free phone call to a toll-free number using Skype for Windows

  1. Hit the "Call phones" button in the bottom left corner.

  2. Enter the toll-free number on the right side.

  3. Hit the green dial button.



[caption id="attachment_1628" align="alignnone" width="546" caption="Skype 5.5: How to make a free phone call to a toll-free number"]Skype 5.5: How to make a free phone call to a toll-free number[/caption]

 


Don't use Skype yet? Get Skype for free!


 

Monday, September 19, 2011

Get additional discounts in the form of cash back from American online stores

Cash back services get a commission on each sale that is generated. Most shopping-based websites keep that commission for themselves, while cashback services return a good portion of that commission back to customers.

Cash back services are not stores, and they don't sell any products. They are just shopping services that pay you cash back for shopping online. There are no points to redeem, no forms to mail in, and no fees.


  • ExtraBux allows you to get cash back at any of 2,500+ online stores. ExtraBux members get access to thousands of money-saving coupons.

    Once you have earned at least $10 available cash back and made at least one purchase, you can receive a cash back payment via check in the mail or through PayPal. You can also donate your cash back to charity. Payments are typically sent within 5 business days.

     


  • Mr.Rebates allows you to get cash back rebate at over 2000 popular stores like Best Buy, Dell, JCPenney, Nordstrom and more. Besides their staff adds daily money-saving coupons and special sales/price drops on hot products. The combination of the Mr. Rebates cash back rebate plus coupons/sales insures that you will save money on your online purchases. This adds up to big savings every time you shop with Mr. Rebates.

    The program is open to US and Canadian residents for both check and Paypal rebate payments. The program is open to international residents but Paypal is the only payment option for Cash Back Rebates. Cash Back Rebates can be requested once the amount in your "Available Rebates" account equals or exceeds $10.00 US Dollars.

     


  • eBates allows you to get cash back at any of 1,500 stores any time you start your online shopping trip at Ebates. There are no points to redeem, no forms to mail in, and no fees. Stores pay Ebates a sales commission for sending shoppers their way, and Ebates uses the commission to pay you cash back. Members of eBates have already earned more than $100,000,000 and you can join them today!

    Payment is sent every 3 months. If you've earned less than $5.01 cash back, the amount of money will be carried over to the next check. Payment can be received by check or through Paypal. You may also send your cash back to a charity, organization or family member.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

How to report a scam or fraud to U.S. government (civil and criminal law enforcement agency) online?

If you become a victim, there is help available from U.S. government. Below is a list of official USA government web resources to help you report internet scam or fraud.

  • Report Child Pornography on the Internet
    This website gives you information on how to report child pornography to the appropriate law enforcement agency.

  • Report Complaints about Foreign Companies
    Report complaints about transactions with foreign companies. Certified government agencies may use this information to investigate suspect companies and individuals, uncover new scams, and spot trends in fraud.

  • Consumer Complaint Form
    Report both civil and criminal complaints, such as Internet, telemarketing, and other consumer-related fraud through the Consumer Sentinel database. This tool is used by hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies to gain immediate and secure access to your complaint.

  • Further Ways to Report Internet Fraud from Cybercrime.gov
    View this helpful chart of where to report various Internet-related crimes, including hacking, spam, copyright piracy, and child exploitation.

  • Report Identity Theft
    If you believe you have been the victim of identity theft, use this form to send a complaint to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).  While the FTC does not resolve individual consumer problems, your complaint helps them investigate fraud and can lead to law enforcement action. 

  • Internet Crime Complaint Center
    Alert authorities of a suspected criminal or civil violation through the Internet Fraud Complaint Center (IFCC). The IFCC serves as a central place for Internet fraud complaints, works to find fraud patterns, and provides timely data of fraud trends.

  • Internet Investment Fraud
    File concerns and problems with individual investors at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Complaints can alert the SEC to a bad broker or firm, an unfair practice in the securities industry, or the latest Internet fraud.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Ideel (former Ideeli) and international shipping: How to shop on Ideel.com from outside the USA

What is Ideel


Ideel is an american private shopping club (fashion sale site, private sale club, flash sale site, sample sale site). It offers designer clothing for men, women, kids at discounted prices. Private shopping clubs organize sales events for its members that typically last 1 to 6 days. Members can buy fashion clothing as well as other stuff at a 30-90% discount. Ideel (former Ideeli) is owned by Groupon.

Billing and international shipping restrictions on Ideel


Ideel.com states the following:
You must be a legal resident of the 50 United States or the District of Columbia, who have reached the age of majority in their jurisdiction (which is generally 18 years old, but does vary state to state). You cannot have more than one membership.


You need a US debit card or credit card to make a purchase on Ideel. You may also pay for your order via Paypal. No other payment methods accepted:

Screenshot: Ideel.com: Payment method

And Ideel can ship to the USA addresses only.

Overcoming billing and international shipping restrictions on Ideel


You can shop on Ideel.com from outside the USA even, if you want your purchases to be shipped outside the USA. You need to get a virtual address in the USA using a service like Shipito.

Here is a package from Ideel.com delivered to my virtual USA address:


Package from Ideel.com on Shipito before package consolidation and international shipping
Screenshot: Package from Ideel.com in the Shipito warehouse before package consolidation and international shipping

I use a U.S. virtual address from Shipito to get my purchases. Then I use Shipito to consolidate my packages and send them overseas. So international shipping is no longer a problem.


How to shop on Ideeli.com from outside the USA



  • Get a virtual USA address from Shipito or any other parcel/package forwarding service.

  • Register on Ideel using an invitation link: www.ideel.com/invite/outlogic
    Use your virtual address when registering on Ideel.
  • When making a purchase on Ideel.com just use your USA virtual address for shipping.

  • Billing can be more complicated.

    • If you have a U.S. debit or credit card, then pay with this card and use the address associated with it for billing. This is the best option.

    • Alternatively you may use the address from your debit/credit card, but change the country to the USA and choose some state and ZIP code associated with this state. I know several people who managed to pay for their Ideel purchase this way, but of course there is no 100% guarantee.

    • Also some Ideel customers use the virtual US address for billing successfully while using a non US credit/debit card.

    • Update (05 November 2011:
      Use your virtual address as a billing address, and pay with your International credit/debit card. don't need to masquerade your IP address and pretend you're in the USA. I've done this multiple times with my russian debit card and my virtual Shipito address in Torrance, California and Tualatin, Oregon. Many international customers have the same successful experience with Ideel, but I can't guarantee it will work for you.

  • After getting a package from Ideel delivered to Shipito, fill the customs declaration form, consolidate your packages if needed, and ship them to any country you like.


Share your experience on international shipping from Ideel


Do you use a U.S. debit or credit card for making purchase on Ideel? Do you use a virtual USA address? What parcel/package forwarding service do you use?

See also


I love Ideel and will continue shopping on their site. But you may find it easier to use Private shopping sites / private shopping clubs / fashion sale sites offering International Shipping. Then you won't need to deal with parcel/package forwarding services (freight forwarding companies), and you won't have problems paying for your orders from outside the USA.


Update (October 2013)

Ideel offers International shipping via i-Parcel


Ideel started testing international shipping a couple of months ago. The test is now over and Ideel allows to ship to the following countries: United States, Andorra, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bermuda, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Isle of Man, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Korea, Republic of, Kuwait, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Martinique, Mexico, Monaco, Montserrat, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saint Martin, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia , Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, St. Barthelemy, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States Virgin Islands, Vatican City State.

Update (August 14, 2014)

Ideeli is now Ideel

Groupon decided to do rebranding. So Ideeli has become Ideel.


Note that shipping via i-Parcel can be pretty expensive. Besides some products can not be shipped outside the USA. But you may still ship your Ideel orders to package forwarding companies like Shipito.