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.

Melissa & Doug toys with direct shipping from USA to Russia from Myhabit

Myhabit offers international shipping for many items. But in many cases one can't ship pretty heavy. Yesterday I did manage to order 7 Melissa & Doug toys with 3 other items. Direct shipping to Russia costed me only 15 USD.

UPS (United Parcel Service) has acquired i-parcel

i-parcel is a service allowing American and British merchants to localize their web-site, accept international payment method as well as international shipping to many countries of the world. On October 7, 2014 UPS announced the acquisition of i-parcel. Now the i-parcel web-site features both UPS and i-parcel

The largest US online retailer Amazon, as well as its subsidiary - Myhabit private shopping club - use the following international shipping methods:

• UPS courier service (AmazonGlobal Priority Shipping), 
• i-parcel (AmazonGlobal Expedited Shipping). 

It will be interesting to see whether the companies will start using each other assets as well as whether the prices will go down or not, whether the conditions will change or not. Also it is interesting whether UPS is considering to acquire the main rival of i-parcel - Borderfree (former FiftyOne).

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.

Gilt offers International shipping for $9.95. Why is it more expensive in reality?

American private shopping club Gilt started offering international shipping for $9.95 USD (it was $19.95 before).

Some conditions apply:

Starting on May 1, 2014, receive $9.95 USD flat rate shipping ("$9.95 Shipping") on qualifying Gilt.com purchases shipping to addresses outside of the United States. Excludes taxes and any additional delivery charges. Excludes use of freight forwarding services. Valid only on gilt.com, may be subject to product restrictions or exclusions, does not include any additional delivery or supplemental shipping charges above flat rate shipping. Customer will pay the difference between flat rate shipping and any alternative chosen method. $9.95 Shipping may be suspended or terminated at any time.

I had many problems applying coupons and special offers at Gilt in the past. All of them were resolved in one way or another, but I didn't really want to contact support each time I order something online.

Tried to test the new shipping rate during my last order and was shocked. I added a single t-shirt into my shopping cart and the shipping cost was more than $32 USD. Tried to add 2 more clothing items and the shipping became even more expensive. This was weird. I can understand why several heavy items are more expensive to ship, but this situation was beyond my comprehension.

Tried to contact support via the live chat. While I was waiting for the reply, I tried to play more with my shopping cart. Added one $80 sweater and the shipping became $9.95. Removed it from the cart and added a couple of 60-80 USD items and the international shipping was still $9.95.

The support team clarified that economically it makes more sense for them to ship larger orders! Oh Really? How about writing about it when describing the new shipping offer???

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

Free 2-day shipping and free returns via FREE perpetual ShopRunner membership for American Express cardholders

American Express cardholders can get ShopRunner Perpetual Membership for FREE.

The contingency is that you need to enroll with your American Express card and keep it as your default payment method. Your complimentary ShopRunner Perpetual Membership may be canceled if you remove the American Express card as the default payment method.

ShopRunner's members save time and money with benefits including free 2-day shipping with no minimum order, free and easy return shipping, exclusive member offers, and easy 2-click check out.

Select online stores like Toys'R'Us, Newegg, Calvin Klein, Brooks Brothers, Tommy Hilfiger, GNC, American Eagle Outfitters, eBags, Drugstore, Beauty, Chefs, Blue Nile and hundreds of others support ShopRunner.

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.

How to buy Apple Macbook Air / Pro in the USA and ship it to an international destination (like Russia)

What US stores sell Apple Macbook Air / Pro and ship it to international destinations

• Apple Online Store USA claims that it doesn't ship to freight forwarders (parcel forwarding companies). Many customers got their orders canceled and received the following message after trying to buy a Macbook, iPad or iPhone:

  Thank you for your recent order with the Apple Online Store. We appreciate your business. We are unable to complete your order. We do not ship to freight forwarder addresses. Therefore your order has been canceled. For Apple's Online Store Sales Policy please visit: apple.com/legal/sales_policies/ To locate an Apple Authorized Reseller in your area: apple.com/buy/ If you wish to reorder, please visit apple.com/store or call 1-877-422-5368. We apologize for the inconvenience and look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, The Apple Online Store

  At the same time many customers did manage to purchase Macbook Air, Macbook Pro notebooks, iPhones and iPads from the US Apple Store. Some of them even used an international credit or debit card (virtual USA was address used for billing). And successful purchases happen not only when using a new freight forwarder or a new warehouse of an old freight forwarder. The reason why Apple cancels some orders while shipping other ones to freight forwarders remains unknown.
• Amazon USA offers Macbook Air and Macbook Pro notebooks. And sometimes prices are even lower than at the Apple Store. Amazon purchases can be shipped to freight forwarders like Shipito.
  
  Although Amazon offers international shipping of electronics to select international destinations, I wasn't able to ship even the cheapest models of Macbook Air like Apple MacBook Air MD711LL/A 11.6-Inch Laptop directly to Russia. I got the following error when trying to ship to my Russian address:

  Important Message Apple MacBook Air MD711LL/A 11.6-Inch Laptop (NEWEST VERSION) cannot be shipped to the selected address.

  It seems like the only way to Macbooks it to an international destination is via a freight forwarder (package forwarding company).
  
  Note that Amazon is also a marketplace where lots of sellers beside Amazon are present. It is very important to check the seller rating when ordering expensive electronics from the sellers besides Amazon. Also sellers may have their own shipping policy.
• Adorama - a very popular shop selling electronics. It is well known for selling photo and video equipment. But it sells Macbook Air and Macbook Pro notebooks as well.
  
  Adorama ships to many international destinations, but it doesn't ship to Russia at all.
  
  You may get special offers and pricing by registering in the Adorama VIP Membership program. Currently it is free.
• B&H Photo Video - a very popular shop selling photo and video equipment. It also offers Macbook Air and Macbook Pro notebooks.
  
  The shop doesn't offer international shipping of Apple Macbook notebooks. But you may ship Macbooks to a freight forwarder like Shipito and then get it delivered to your international destination.
• Rakuten (former Buy.com) - one of the largest marketplaces with many sellers. Some sellers offer Macbook Air and Macbook Pro notebooks. Make sure to use a seller with high rating only.
• eBay - the world's largest online marketplace. Not only companies sell via eBay, but also regular people. Make sure to buy a Macbook from a Top-rated seller. Also make sure you know what the terms used, refurbished and open box mean.
• MacMall - leading Apple Direct Reseller. It has great offers on Macbooks from time to time. But currently its web-site is not even accessible from some countries (including Russia), unless you use a US IP address (you may get it via ZenMate for Chromer, AnonymoX for Firefox, Tor,....)

Besides getting getting a new Apple Macbook, you may also get a refurbished one. Apple Store has the Mac special offers section where you may find Refurbished Certified notebooks:

 

Note that there are manufacturer refurbished and seller refurbished notebooks. You may also want to wait for the Black Friday offers. Although Apple Store itself doesn't offer the best prices during such sales, you may find great offers from other online retailers including Amazon.

Shipping Macbook Air / Pro internationally from a virtual USA address

Many freight forwarders (parcel forwarders) like Shipito offer virtual USA addresses. Although some American stores do not ship to freight forwarding companies or do not accept international debit and credit cards, You may use such an address for shipping your purchases from many US online stores.

After your purchases are delivered to the warehouse of your freight forwarder, you may ship them to an international destination. It may be cheaper to consolidate your packages into a bigger box rather then sending several parcels.

Some freight forwarders have their warehouse in no sales locations (For example, you may use the Oregon warehouse of Shipito). In other states you will need to pay sales tax from many online purchases. And it can be significant. Thus you will pay about $100 in sales taxes for a $1000 notebook in California.

Before using a freight forwarder, make sure to learn about customs fees and duties in your country.

Waranty

Apple offers international warranty, so you shouldn't have any problem repairing your Macbook at a local Apple Authorised Service Provider. But make sure to keep invoices; and save you online transaction into a PDF file as well.

Amazon Global: Shipping from Amazon USA to Russia directly

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

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

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

• Go to the Amazon Global page.


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

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

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

Some other items were ready to be shipped to Russia:



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

Qwintry parcel forwarder allows to ship to Russia via SPSR Express

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



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

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

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

• Pochtoy,


• Shopotam,


• NYCMSK

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

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



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

• The item must be physically located in the US.


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


• The package must not weigh more than 66 lbs.


• The package must not exceed 66 inches in length.


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


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


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


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


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


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


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

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

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

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

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

More details for eBay sellers can be found on eBay

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!

Russian shipping forwarder Shopotam (ex. EbayToday) offers more shipping methods bypassing Russian Post

Many major shipping forwarders offer alternative shipping methods bypassing state postal services and major courier services like DHL, Fedex, UPS. This allows to get better pricing and/or faster delivery. Moreover alternative shopping methods are more secure than state postal services.

For example, one of the biggest shipping forwarders in Russia Shopotam (former EbayToday) offers express delivery by SPSR Express and economy delivery by Boxberry. Both bypass Russian Post completely. And while you can deliver by SPSR Express much faster (5-10 days), the rates are comparable with USPS Express Mail International (EMS).



You may find more details on the Shopotam web-site.

USPS will begin accepting lithium batteries installed into electronics on November 15, 2012

Just in Time for the Holidays, U.S. Postal Service to Begin Global Shipping of Packages with Lithium Batteries. The Postal Service has worked collaboratively with the International Civil Aviation Organization, the Universal Postal Union and the Federal Aviation Authority to secure the changes needed to allow international mail shipments containing lithium batteries to begin.

Effective Nov. 15, 2012, Postal Service policies will be changed to allow specific quantities of lithium batteries - when installed in the equipment they are intended to operate - to be sent to many international destinations, including APO (Army Post Office), FPO (Fleet Post Office) and DPO (Diplomatic Post Office) locations when permitted by the destination or host country.

Items which can be shipped may include: cameras, video cameras, mobile/smart phones, Bluetooth headsets, laptop computers, shavers, portable DVD players, tablets, two-way radios, GPS devices and most other small electronic devices requiring lithium batteries to operate.

Items which cannot be shipped include any lithium batteries not installed in the equipment they are intended to operate. In addition, when installed, they may not exceed the quantity or limits defined in the IMM or DMM.

Domestic shipments of packages containing lithium batteries, and electronic devices containing lithium batteries currently remain unchanged.

The Federal Register final rule, and IMM, DMM and Publication 52 revisions, will be available at pe.usps.com.

Source

Is it worth using a freight forwarder for purchasing few cheap items in the USA from Russia and other countries overseas?

I got the following question from my friend:

I was trying to learn about freight forwarders like Shipito, but still can't find out what to do. I don't need a huge TV from the USA, I just want to buy some clothing for this fall. It can be from Walmart, for example. But if I will only buy a couple of hoodies for $30, will it make sense to ship them to Russia via a freight forwarder? Or will it cost the same ($100 for a couple of hoodies) if purchased in an offline retail store in Moscow?

Let's find out. We want to purchase 2 hoodies in Walmart or some other store which cost $15 each. Let's assume that shipping is free.

Free Shipito account allows to mail out your package for $8.5. Let's assume that the store will ship both hoodies in one package. Otherwise you will need to consolidate 2 packages and it will cost $10 (monthly subscription) and $4.5 for each package, totaling at $10 + $4.5 * 2 = $19.

Shipito Airmail Priority and Economy are cheap for light, small and inexpensive packages. Some rates for my several packages that are now in the Shipito warehouse in Oregon:

Weight: Dimensions: Insured amount:	USPS Express Mail (5-6 business days)	USPS Priority Mail (6-10 business days)	Airmail Economy (15-22 business days)	Airmail Priority (8-15 business days)	Airmail Express (15 days)	USPS First Class International Parcel (varies by country)	FedEx Economy (2-5 business days)	FedEx Priority (1-3 business days)
4 lbs. 2 oz. 13.80 x 11.60 x 8.80 $0	Postage: $74.06 Insurance: $3.41 TOTAL: $77.47	Postage: $61.04 Insurance: $6.53 TOTAL: $67.57	Postage: $39.3 insurance not available Tracking is not available TOTAL: $39.3	Postage: $43.35 Insurance: $5.7 Tracking is not available TOTAL: $49.05	Postage: $66.66 Insurance: $5.7 TOTAL: $72.36	Shipping method not available	Postage: $156.5 Insurance: $0 TOTAL: $156.5 (list rate $309.83)	Postage: $183.94 Insurance: $0 TOTAL: $183.94 (list rate $369.12)
2 lbs. 9 oz. 16.60 x 12.00 x 3.40 $0	Postage: $61.79 Insurance: $2.05 TOTAL: $63.84	Postage: $50.6 Insurance: $4.36 TOTAL: $54.96	Postage: $24.25 insurance not available Tracking is not available TOTAL: $24.25	Postage: $26.76 Insurance: $2.67 Tracking is not available TOTAL: $29.43	Postage: $55.61 Insurance: $2.67 TOTAL: $58.28	Postage: $36.28 insurance not available Tracking is not available TOTAL: $36.28	Postage: $142.8 Insurance: $0 TOTAL: $142.8 (list rate $221.06)	Postage: $165.99 Insurance: $0 TOTAL: $165.99 (list rate $290.84)
Weight: 0 lbs. 10 oz. Dimensions: 14.60 x 8.80 x 2.40 Insured amount: $0	Postage: $49.51 Insurance: $1.01 TOTAL: $50.52	Postage: $40.16 Insurance: $3 TOTAL: $43.16	Postage: $6.4 insurance not available Tracking is not available TOTAL: $6.4	Postage: $7.07 Insurance: $0.36 Tracking is not available TOTAL: $7.43	Postage: $44.56 Insurance: $0.36 TOTAL: $44.92	Postage: $16.11 insurance not available Tracking is not available TOTAL: $16.11	Postage: $142.8 Insurance: $0 TOTAL: $142.8 (list rate $145.51)	Postage: $165.99 Insurance: $0 TOTAL: $165.99 (list rate $197.5)

[caption id="attachment_2533" align="aligncenter" width="482"] Comparing Shipito shippping rates: USPS, Airmail Priority/Economy/Express, Fedex[/caption]

If you need to calculate your shipping rate, you may use the Shipito shipping calculator.

A couple of hoodies in the box will probably weight 3-4 lbs. Delivery of such a package without tracking and insurance will cost $25-40. Delivery with tracking and insurance will cost $50-60.

Bottom line: It is cheaper to buy a couple of hoodies in an offline store in Moscow.

But please note that many people like particular brands that offer more expensive clothing. In many cases this clothing is 30-50% more expensive in Moscow. Not to mention that in many other regions of Russia prices are much higher than in Moscow.

Usually it makes sense to send much heavier packages and/or packages with more expensive content. Otherwise you won't save much.

If you want to order a couple of t-shirts only, or a pair of  jeans, or a couple of hoodies, it makes sense to ask your friends who buy a lot in the same country. Or you may ask your relatives and friends whether they want to buy something in the USA as well. Personally I help my friends and relatives to buy few items regularly.

Good luck and happy savings!

Ideel (Ideeli) error: Invalid Transaction Type. Contact us if you think you have received this message in error.

I've been using Ideel private shopping club (flash sale site, fashion sale site, private sale site) for about 2 years. Never expected to have any problems paying with my debit and credit cards issued by Russian banks, especially after making 18 purchases with my Russian Mastercard debit card. But a couple of days ago I got the following error when using my new Mastercard: "Invalid Transaction Type. Contact us if you think you have received this message in error."



It appeared that Ideel doesn't allow to enter addresses outside the USA for both billing and shipping, so entering my complete real billing address in Russia was not an option. I tried to enter my real name, real street address and to use the rest from my Shipito virtual address, but it didn't work. Then I tried to use my US virtual address for both billing and shipping to no avail. Then instead of checking out I went to the account settings and tried to add my card from there. I was getting the same error no matter what address I was using.

It appeared that many customers from Russia and other countries have faced the same problem. This happens because Ideel verifies that the billing address provided matches the one on record with your bank. You need to contact Ideel support to disable this AVS system.  Then you should be able to check out using a foreign credit or debit card.

How to overcome USPS shipping restrictions for lithium batteries andelectronics sent to APO and FPO military addresses

USPS doesn't allow to ship lithium batteries and electronics with them to international destinations since May 8, 2012. USPS is the only postal service that can be used to send packages to APO/FPO/DPO locations.

But you can overcome shipping restrictions and deliver lithium batteries to APO and FPO addresses using Fedex or DHL. You will need to ship to specific locations like a specific battalion at Bagram Air Base. So you will need to use the name of the base, city, country, additional identifying information such as building number or barracks number, a contact name and phone number, and if possible, an email address.

Do NOT use APO/FPO addresses like

SSGT Kevin Taylor
Unit 2050 Box 4190
APO AP 96278-2050

SGT Robert Smith
PSC 802 Box 74
APO AE 09499-0074
Seaman Joseph Doe

USCGC Hamilton
FPO AP 96667-3931
SGT Jane Doe
CMR 1250
APO AA 09045-1000

when sending through Fedex or DHL. Such addresses can be used when sending through USPS only.

Also note that FedEx accepts consumer electronics containing lithium batteries of less than 100 watts for shipment overseas


Update (November 11, 2012)
Effective Nov. 15, 2012, USPS will start accepting specific quantities of lithium batteries - when installed in the equipment they are intended to operate - to be sent to APO (Army Post Office), FPO (Fleet Post Office) and DPO (Diplomatic Post Office) locations when permitted by the destination or host country.