Is it risky to send packages from USA to Russia via USPS Express Mail / Priority Mail?

Of course Russian Post is anything but careful with its packages. For example, see the following video showing how they can unload package:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MReC1XqwJrQ&w=420&h=315]

Sending anything via Russian post has always been risky. However the discounts in the USA make this risk very moderate for me. Personally I have never had any content of my packages damaged because of the shipping.

I think that the largest risk is when shipping electronics and this is due to the following facts:

1. You can get a malfunctioned item.


2. Your item may break down during the warranty period.


3. You package can be lost.


4. Items from your package can be stolen.

Note that for most electronics the warranty is valid in the USA (or North America) only.

I recommend to ship packages via USPS Express Mail. It is faster than USPS Priority Mail and it is only slightly more expensive. The faster it is the safer it is. Besides I believe that EMS attracts better professionals than the rest of Russian Post.

Also please note that you can insure your USPS packages. And although USPS is far away from ideal when paying the insurance for lost packages, shipping from the USA to Russia becomes less risky.

Make sure to open your package in the post office to verify its content. When tracking your package at russianpost.ru make sure to pay attention to any changes in the weight of your package.

Custom fees, duties and taxes (VAT) when shopping in the USA from Cyprus

A friend of mine lives on Cyprus. He was very impressed by my shopping in the USA and forwarding packages via Shipito, so asked me whether he could make purchases in the USA from Cyprus. Here is what I have found out.

Cyprus is a part of European Union (EU), so when you ship anything from the EU, you don't need to pay any customs fees or duties. Everything is different when you make purchases outside the EU. Goods from the USA, China,... are subject to duty.

CUSTOMS FEES and VAT in EUROPEAN UNION (EU)

MERCHANDISE+SHIPPING TOTAL	CUSTOMS FEES and VAT
< 22 EUR	No customs fees and No VAT
22 to 150 EUR	Only VAT applied
> 150 EUR	Both VAT and custom fees applied

If the merchandise plus shipping total is under 22 EUR, you do NOT need to pay any customs fee or VAT. But make sure that you take into account not only the amount you spend on your purchases, but also shipping costs.

If merchandise is between 22 and 150 EUR, you only have to pay VAT. The 150 EUR limit is calculated on merchandise value without any shipping fee. VAT however is paid instead on the total of merchandise plus shipping!

If merchandise is more expensive than 150 EUR, then you need to pay both customs fees and VAT. Both VAT and customs fee are applied to the merchandise plus shipping.

They will recalculate the price to Euro first using their own exchange rate table (at the day of the processing of the paperwork). Duty is paid at a percentage rate determined by the type of item. TARIC (Integrated Tariff of the European Communities) is designed to show the various rules applying to specific products when imported into the EU. TARIC for Cyprus can be found on the web-site of the goverment of Cyprus.

The VAT of 17% is calculated on the price of the item plus shipping and plus the duty charge.

Example:

Men's or boys' shirts of man-made fibres ($70 EUR) + $30 EUR for shipping.
Commodity code 6205 30 00 00



Duty 12%: 100 EUR * 12% = 12 EUR.
VAT 17%: (100 EUR + 12 EUR) * 17% = 19,04 EUR.
Duty + VAT: 12 EUR + 19.04 EUR = 31.04 EUR
Total: 100 EUR + 12 EUR + 19,04 EUR = 131,04 EUR

There may also be one or two other small charges depending on delivery method (for customs handling, courier handling).

Note that you can ask the seller to undervalue your package, but this is illegal. The customs official may request proof of price. You can get a big fine for undervaluing your package.

You can ship to Cyprus by USPS Mail or by courier services.

• United States Postal Service (USPS)
  The post office will deliver the customs form to your address/PO box. You will need to return the form to the post office along with an invoice for the goods. The post will then send the form and the invoice back to customs. Then the customs will process the paperwork, assess the duty and VAT payable, and release the package. Then the package will arrive in the post office and you will pay everything there. Note that you can go to the customs office yourself as well. And you will need to do that if your package costs more than 1000 EUR.
  


• DHL, UPS, TNT or FedEx.
  The courier should handle everything. You just pay the fees when the package is delivered or collected.
  

Note that customs will only do the assessment for private goods. If the goods are for commercial use, you'll need to to complete all the paperwork yourself, including TARIC codes, duty rates, etc.

Also note that if you are not a resident of Cyprus and plan to use your purchase outside the EU, you may try to return the VAT.

Success story on getting insurance from USPS for stolen (lost) iPhone 4

In my previous post I stated that it might be a good idea not to send notebooks, cellphones (including iPhone 4) to Russia, because USPS denied insurance claims for these items. And now I want to share a success story on getting insurance for a stolen iPhone 4.

USPS denied the insurance claim at first, but the guy didn't give up. He wrote to the "International Claims Processing Accounting Service Center". In his message he mentioned the following links:
http://www.rossvyaz.ru/activity/correlation/declaration/registerDeclaration/
http://www.rossvyaz.ru/press/news/news403.htm
http://tsouz.ru/db/entr/notif/Pages/Default.aspx

In his message he mentioned that iPhone 4 was not a prohibited item. And he attached the following papers and their translations (click to enlarge):






It took 3 weeks to get the insurance for the stolen iPhone 4.

Sierra Trading Post problem: Your order is being held. The name and address of the credit card holder does not match the bank's records.

Sierra Trading Post is one of the best online stores offering sporting goods and outdoor gear. It allows to save 35-70% every day.

I tried to make an purchase at Sierra Trading Post and ship my order to my package forwarder Shipito. I used Shipito virtual address for shipping and billing. I was able to make it, but then my order was put on hold:

[caption id="attachment_1861" align="alignnone" width="583" caption="Sierra Trading Post: Your order is being held"][/caption]

Subject: "Please Respond: Order #EXXXXXXXX On Hold Pending Response"
Message:
Your order is being held.

Customer Number: PXXXXXXXX

Order Number: EXXXXXXXX

Dear Vasya Pupkin,

Thank you for your recent order.

Unfortunately, it is being delayed because:

The name and address of the credit card holder does not match the bank's records. Please call your bank to confirm your billing address, then contact us by email or phone to provide updated information.

Please contact us immediately to verify your foreign credit card billing address.

Please refer to your order number and your customer number when responding to this letter.

Your merchandise will be held for 7 days. If we do not hear from you, we will cancel your order. If you have already taken care of this over the phone, please disregard this notice.

We apologize for the delay, and look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,
Sierra Trading Post
Customer Service Department

It was easy to resolve the problem. I just had to contact support once. I have explained that I was paying with my Russian debit card, but used my Shipito virtual address in Torrance, California for both shipping and billing. I also added that this worked fine in other shops including similar once like the Department Of Goods and Altrec (which is true).

Got my order without any problem. Luckily our ski pants and underwear had come before this year's abnormally freezing temperature affected us. So we've been enjoying them this winter.

Happy shopping!

p.s.
Use the following link to register at Sierra Trading Post and you will get $10 just for signing up:
www.sierratradingpost.com/invite~3095691/outlogic/

Purchasing Hartan Buggy IX1 baby stroller and PUKY Dreirad CAT S6 Ceety bicycle in Germany

I had successful experience in shopping for Britax/Romer car seat in Germany. So when I needed a baby stroller and a trike (bicycle with 3 wheels) I decided to check prices in German shops. As previously I was looking for German online stores with prices lower than in Russia. And of course I wanted a shop shipping outside the European Union and excluding VAT. I've reviewed baby strollers and bicycles before making my purchase, so I knew I wanted the Hartan Buggy IX1 baby stroller and the PUKY Ceety bicycle. I will show the shop I've made purchase from and compare prices below. And I will also show some useful tips.

Comparing prices onto Hartan Buggy IX1 and PUKY Ceety in Germany and Russia

According to Yandex.Market Hartan Buggy IX1 costs almost 500 EUR:
[caption id="attachment_1830" align="alignnone" width="485" caption="Yandex market: Hartan Buggy iX1"][/caption]

Compare with 239 EUR (including shipping to Russia) at KidsRoom:
[caption id="attachment_1829" align="alignnone" width="478" caption="KidsRoom: Hartan Buggy iX1 with shipping to Russia"][/caption]

To see the price with shipping and VAT excluded, add items to the shopping cart and choose your country.

Puky Ceety bicycle is new, so I wasn't able to find its prices on Yandex.Market. The lowest price I was able to find was 9500 RUB. Of course it was cheaper at KidsRoom.de (200 EUR), but not twice cheaper as with Romer/Britax car seat or Hartan Buggy IX1 baby stroller:

[caption id="attachment_1833" align="alignnone" width="481" caption="KidsRoom: Puky Ceety with shipping to Russia"][/caption]

Saving even more

I've bought 2 Puky Ceety bicycles and the Hartan Buggy iX1 stroller. As a new year gift I got Puky Wutsch (50 EUR) for FREE. Shipping for all these items was only 60 EUR:

[caption id="attachment_1836" align="alignnone" width="640" caption="kidsroom: Hartan Buggy iX1 and Puky Ceety"][/caption]

This purchase was sent in 3 packages by DHL.

So you can bundle your purchase to save on shipping. But make sure not to exceed 1000 EUR to avoid any customs fees and duties in Russia.

Mistake by paying with Paypal

This time I tried to pay for my purchase with Paypal instead of my debit card. My Paypal account is in USD, and Paypal has charged almost 4.5% for USD to EUR conversion. When I pay with my debit card, the conversion is usually only 0.5 - 1.0%. So I don't recommend to use Paypal in German shops when you purchase from outside the European Union.

More trusted German online stores with baby strollers, car seats, toys,...

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

Links

• KidsRoom.de


• maxis-babywelt.de


• babyshop.de


• kidscomfort.eu


• Loopoo.de


• PingPong Online


• Yandex.Market (price comparison and reviews)

www.zulily.com review: Is Zulily a legit private shopping club or scam and fraud?

Private shopping sites for moms, kids and babies (fashion sale sites, private sale clubs, sample sale sites) offer designer clothing at a 50-90% discount.

Zulily claims to offer top-quality apparel, gear and other goodies for moms, babies and kids. But is it a legit shopping club or scam/fraud?

About Zulily

---

Zulily - U.S. private shopping club offering sales for kids, pregnant women, moms. It allows orders to be shipped to the USA and Canada. And it can ship internationally using its partner FiftyOne.


Zulily offers great selection of clothing for kids. Some sales feature toys, children books, clothing for moms and pregnant women, ...

Is Zulily a legit shopping club or scam and fraud?

---

I've made several orders from Zulily. Bought nursing dresses, lots of great clothing, shoes and toys for my kid. But instead of using FiftyOne for shipping internationally, I used Shipito. I did manage to pay for my orders with my Russian debit card (see this post to learn more). I decided to use Shipito instead of FiftyOne, because it is cheaper this way. Besides I wanted to consolidate my packages to save even more.

[caption id="attachment_268" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Package from Zulily.com on Shipito"][/caption]

I can confirm that you can trust Zulily. It is a great private shopping club for kids, babies and moms.

My rating for Zulily is 4.5 out of 5.

Links

---

• Zulily (private shopping club for moms, babies and kids)


• Shipito (US package forwarder)

www.prive.com review: Is Prive a legit private shopping club or scam and fraud?

Private shopping sites (fashion sale sites, private sale clubs, sample sale sites) offer designer clothing for men, women, kids at discounted prices. They allow you to buy fashion clothing as well as other stuff at a 50-90% discount. The only problem is that top US and Canadian private shopping sites do not offer International shipping. But there are exceptions.

Few private shopping clubs offer international shipping. Prive.com claims to ship not only to Canada, the USA, the UK, but also internationally. But is it a legit shopping club?

About Prive

---

Prive - is a members-only online retailer offering access to designer clothing for men and women at exclusive prices.
Prive features a unique selection of established designers and contemporary collections.

Does Prive ship internationally?

Currently Prive ships internationally. Orders shipped outside of Canada are not subject to any sales tax.

What countries Prive allows to ship to?

• Group A: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Brazil, Cayman Islands, Chile, China, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, El Salvador, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Grenada, Guyana, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea (South), Luxembourg, Malaysia, Morocco, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Saint Lucia, Singapore, Spain, St. Kitts & Nevis, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan.


• Group B: All other countries.

International Shipping Rates (except for the US and Canada)

	Xpresspost	Priority Courier
Group A	$50 (3-5 days)	-
Group B	-	$70 (2-5 days)

Is Prive a legit shopping club or scam and fraud?

---

I've ordered a couple of jeans and a jacket from Prive. I've sent them to the my virtual USA address (I've been using Shipito package forwarder). Here is my package from Prive on Shipito:



I've consolidated my packages (only one of them was from Prive.com) and sent them to Russia. I can confirm now that Prive.com is a legitimate shopping club.

Comparing Prive with my favorite shopping club

---

I still prefer to use a USA shopping club Ideeli with my shipping forwarder Shipito. Both Prive and Ideeli support International debit and credit cards, but there are many reasons why Ideeli is better:

• Ideeli allows you to add items to your order after placing it. You can also change your order or cancel it easily. This is very important when using flash sale sites. It is very disappointing that you can't change your order, add items or cancel your order on Prive.


• Ideeli has much more sales than Prive. And besides clothing for men and women Ideeli offers items for kids, home and travel deals.


• Prices on Ideeli are lower than on Prive.


• Ideeli has size charts, so it is much easier to find the size that you need.


• Ideeli ships your orders much faster than Prive.


• Ideeli has better photos of clothing.

Links

---

• Prive (private shopping club)


• Ideeli (private shopping club)


• Shipito (US package forwarder)

As of February 17th 2012, Prive.com is closed.
And they didn't return my 650 dollars of credits to me, so this is a scam.

www.KidsRoom.de coupon codes, discounts and promotions

KidsRoom.de is a German online store. It offers baby and children products: Car seats, Strollers, Baby on journeys, Baby furniture, Relax & Sleep, Highchairs, Feeding, Baby care, Safety, Babys amusement, Toys, Complete Offers, Baby clothes, Brand shops, Christening. KidsRoom.de offers worldwide shipping. And it excludes VAT automatically when shipping outside the European Union.

• Discount: 5 EUR (when spending 50 EUR and more)
  Coupon code: RYYSDMAB


• Discount: 5 EUR (when spending 50 EUR and more)
  Coupon code: O5W9ZPZR


• Discount: 5 EUR (when spending 50 EUR and more)
  Coupon code: 5PYDJZSG (expired)


• Discount: 5 EUR (when spending 50 EUR and more)
  Coupon code: Y50DOPC6 (expired)

To redeem your coupon

1. Navigate to KidsRoom.de


2. Add items to the shopping cart


3. Go to the shopping cart and enter or copy-paste your coupon code:
   

If the above mentioned KidsRoom coupon codes do not work for you, just contact KidsRoom support and they will send you a new 5 EUR coupon.

Amazon coupon code: Get $10 Kindle Textbook eBook credit for FREE

Amazon offers a $10 Kindle Textbook eBook credit for FREE via coupon code "ETXTBOOK"

Coupon code: ETXTBOOK
Link to redeem coupon

Promotional offer is valid from December 30, 2011, through January 9, 2012. You must redeem the credit by 11:59 p.m. PST on January 9, 2012. Limit one credit per customer.

Sample Kindle textbook you can buy:
Ready, Fire, Aim: Zero to $100 Million in No Time Flat (Agora Series) [Kindle Edition] Michael Masterson
Kindle Price: $9.99

Related links:
Kindle Textbooks
Best Sellers in Kindle Textbooks

Problem with Amazon: Order sent in multiple packages despite the "Groupmy items into as few shipments as possible" option

Most freight forwarding services like Shipito charge for package consolidation. Shipito charges $2 per consolidated package if you use a paid Virtual Mailbox plan ($50/year or $10/month). To avoid additional consolidation charges always use the "Group my items into as few shipments as possible" option on Amazon.

How to select "Group my items into as few shipments as possible" on Amazon

1. Add all the items to your cart.


2. When asked, select "Group my items into as few shipments as possible" as your shipping preference.
   
   

If you don't care about consolidation fees prefer to ship faster, choose the "Ship my items as soon as possible (additional shipping charges may apply)" option instead.

How do I take advantage of FREE Super Saver Shipping?

1. Place over $25 of eligible Amazon products in your Shopping Cart. Eligible items will say "FREE Super Saver Shipping..." next to their price:
   
   


2. Proceed to checkout.


3. Ship your items to a single U.S. address.


4. Select Super Saver Shipping as your shipping speed. Please note that your order will take an additional 3 to 5 days to ship.


5. Select "Group my items into as few shipments as possible" as your shipping preference.


6. Place your order, and enjoy the free shipping.

Problems with "Group my items into as few shipments as possible" option

If you make a single order on Amazon, there are several reasons why you may get it in multiple packages:

• Amazon has a marketplace. Orders from many sellers of the marketplace are not fulfilled and shipped by Amazon itself.


• Some items are shipped from different Amazon fulfillment centers.


• Orders marked as gifts may arrive as several packages.

But this list is not complete. For example, I ordered 4 toys from Amazon last week. All these toys were fulfilled and shipped by Amazon. All 4 toys would fit into a 26x13x13 box. But Amazon has sent these toys in 3 packages, although they were sent from the same fulfillment center and all of them were shipped the same day! So the following message about quicker service can be disappointing despite what Amazon thinks about it:

Greetings from Amazon.com, We thought you'd like to know that we shipped this portion of your order separately to give you quicker service. You won't be charged any extra shipping fees, and the remainder of your order will follow as soon as those items become available.

If you use Shipito for sending packages overseas, you can always upgrade your free service plan to the Virtual Mailbox to enable package consolidation. But when using any freight forwarder you should always keep in your mind that you may get multiple packages instead of just one.

How to combine multiple Amazon orders into the same shipment

When possible, Amazon tries to combine multiple orders into the same shipment. This helps Amazon to reduce the number of packages they need to send to you, so you receive fewer packages and have less packaging material to dispose of when you receive your orders.


Amazon tries to combine multiple orders into the same shipment if the orders meet the following criteria:

• Multiple orders are placed through the same customer account


• The orders are being shipped to the same address.


• Items from each order are located at the same Amazon fulfillment center.


• The orders are shipping at around the same time.

There are some cases when Amazon won't be able to combine shipments. For instance, they may not be able to combine the following types of orders:

• Orders that can't be shipped from the same fulfillment center to meet your promised delivery date.


• Orders shipping from different fulfillment centers.


• Orders being shipped to different addresses.


• Orders being shipped to an international shipping address.


• Orders marked as gifts.

Amazon will also try to combine orders for items that are placed via 1-Click ordering into a single order if the orders are placed in the same 30-minute time period.