How to choose a package forwarding service?

Your virtual address for online shopping.

If you prefer online shopping, then to save on shipping you will need a reliable parcel forwarding service, or Mail Forwarding – a service that provides a virtual address where your purchases from stores will be delivered. A virtual address is your individual «apartment» (Suit) at the real address where the company’s large warehouse is located. In the warehouse, the mail forwarder organizes space for its customers so that parcels don’t get lost or mixed up with the wrong recipients.

It is important that the mail forwarder you choose, and therefore the address, is in the same country as the store you are ordering from. Otherwise, you lose the shipping savings.

What services does a mail forwarder (MF) provide?

One of the important advantages that probably all MFs have is free storage time, which usually lasts 60 days. This means that you can buy something and during this period your parcel will sit in the warehouse, waiting until you are ready to send it. The benefit is that the more items there are in a parcel, the more cost-effective it is to ship — the shipping cost per item goes down. Sometimes stores have very good deals, or you may not have enough money for everything you want to buy abroad, so you make purchases as you can, then consolidate the parcels into one and send a bulk shipment home.

That is why the main function of an MF is to receive your item, put together your parcel, and ship your orders safely and securely. With EasyShip, customers pay only for shipping the consolidated parcel to the address you specify; all other functions are free.

But besides the main tasks, MFs usually offer a wide range of additional services that are sometimes needed for shopping or can help you save money. For an extra fee, you can have the contents photographed, remove shoe boxes, pack the parcel in a sturdy bag, insure it, return an order to the store, make one parcel for several recipients so as not to exceed the duty-free limit, and more. Some MFs charge a fee for renting a virtual address for a certain period: a month, three months, six months, a year. If you don’t shop often enough, address rental costs may not be worth it for you.

Purchase service

Sometimes an online store, due to its marketing policy, does not sell to foreign customers. In such a store, you won’t be able to pay for the item with a plastic card issued in your country, because the store will reject your payment based on the card number. In such cases, the MF provides a purchase service for that store; usually the service fee is 10% of the item price, but there are limits on the maximum commission. By buying the item for you, the MF also takes the store’s call and confirms the order.

If you have no experience

When making your first independent purchases abroad through an MF, keep in mind:

• large orders are better insured for the full amount and sent using a delivery method with tracking by parcel number;
  before you shop, use the shipping calculator on the MF website to estimate the approximate shipping cost of the parcel (item weights are often listed in product descriptions on store websites);
• make sure the item you are buying is not listed in the list of goods prohibited for import into your country;
• find out the duty-free customs limit;
• study all the MF services that can help you save money;
• start with small, inexpensive parcels.

What is important to consider when choosing an MF?

Perhaps the strongest argument in favor of one MF or another is shipping cost, but besides this factor, you should also consider other aspects:

The company you trust with your parcels should have a good reputation and a well-established system of communication with customers.

The minimum shipping cost for a parcel of a certain weight will differ from one MF to another. It ranges from 0.5 kg to 2 kg. It is more advantageous to choose a forwarder with a lower minimum weight.

A low price can mean a long delivery time (up to 2 months), no parcel-number tracking, no option to insure the parcel contents, as well as high warehouse service fees. This needs to be taken into account, and the delivery options should be studied carefully.

There are scammers among MFs too, but you can easily identify them by the lack of positive reviews and suspiciously low prices for services and shipping.

If you need an oversized item, for example skis, ask your MF whether they can ship such a parcel. The same applies to fragile items, appliances, and electronics.

EasyShip cares about making sure you don’t get lost when choosing a mail forwarder. You can learn about our advantages in the «Why us» section.

Happy shopping and a fast reunion with your parcels!