Parcel forwarder Shipito warns its customers about shipping knives via USPS. It gets many packages returned if they contain any type of knife when shipped by USPS. There are no problems to ship regular kitchen knives by Fedex, TNT, DHL or Airmail.
Please also take into account the rules and regulations of your local postal services and customs.
John from Shipito shared a couple of forum posts made from fake account:
And he also revealed the following message sent to Shipito forum members via peronal messaging system:
“Message from gentryhenry
22 May 2012, 21:35Hello,
A lot of people are complaining about Shipito price increases for MPS and other shipmments, more hiddent charges, and poor customer service. There is a great deal where MyUS.com is offering 20% off shipping on all DHL and FedEx shipments for an entire year for unhappy Shipito customers. (FYI – myus does not charge for consolidation either )
All you do is enter in the code “shipito20″ in the “My Discounts” tab in your MyUS.com account section after you register. I think it is only valid for customers that join in May so give it a try (better prices AND better service). You can read testimonials about myUS.com at www .myus.com/en/customer-reviews/
Good luck.”
John added that the forum was created not for posting with great difficulty disguised under fake accounts. He asked everyone to share, retweet this message and put it onto Facebook.
So if you want to trade Shipito or any other company for MyUS, use the following coupon:
Coupon code: shipito20
p.s. Personally I’m not interested in using DHL and FedEx from Russia. Nor am I willing to join the company using such tactics for bringing in new clients.
If you have more than one package going to the same delivery address, you may save money by using MPS (Multi Piece Shipment) service. You can usually get the best savings for several small packages. In some cases, MPS may be cheaper than consolidating these packages into one box. MPS can also significantly lower shipping costs for larger packages that cannot be consolidated.
If you use Shipito shipping forwarder and have a Shipito Virtual Mailbox, the MPS service is available for you. It is available for DHL, TNT and FedEx shipping methods.
FedEx MPS pricing is automatically available on each Shipito account. Just select more than one package for immediate mail out. Select the same FedEx shipping method (Economy or Priority). And make sure that the addressee is exactly the same. MPS discount will be automatically calculated and lower price charged on each package. Additional discount can be up to 30-40%.
MPS discount is not guaranteed. Expect to pay the quote you see on your shipment. If the MPS discounts kicks in the price is automatically lowered. Sometimes MPS discounts will not be as big as discounted rate already provided through Shipito. It seems that more packages you send at the same time the more likely is to get the MPS discount.
There are some limitations at this moment:
How to enter new DHL Express or TNT Express MPS Request ?
As you can see, the new MPS system on Shipito that allows to ship via DHL Express and TNT Express is better, because it shows you the exact MPS shipping rate. If it is cheaper than shipping separately, you can confirm the shipment and the price will be locked in and guaranteed.
VIAddress is a worldwide shipping forwarder offering a USA virtual address for making online purchases in America. Its membership is free. There are no fees for package consolidation, you may store your packages for free for 90 days. Assisted purchases are available. And VIAddress can ship to worldwide destinations via UPS, FEDEX, DHL, USPS. Looks attractive, isn’t it? Let’s find out whether there is any catch.
If you take a look onto VIAdress homepage, you will find a very attractive chart:
So I decided to compare VIAdress estimated shipping costs to the costs of real packages I sent to Russia in 2011 via USPS Express Mail using Shipito
| Weight, lbs | VIAddress Estemation | Shipito |
| 12.3 | $127.38 | $121.89 |
| 19.9 | $180.42 | $135.25 |
| 34.7 | $279.86 | $222.59 |
I do pay $50 for a yearly membership in Shipito, while VIAdress membership is free. But if I send a package of 34.7 lbs via USPS to Russia using VIAddress, I will pay extra $55+ compared to Shipito.
Unfortunately shipping fees is not the only problem of VIAddress. VIAdress has the lowest possible rating on BBB. And there many complaints about VIAddress from around the world, some of them even lead an investigation by The Indiana Attorney General’s office.
I have never been a customer of VIAddress, but personally I prefer to stay away from it.
Shipito shipping rates are one of the best. Considering the amount of services Shipito provides, their quality and cost, I think Shipito is one of the best freight forwarding companies.
My post about Comparison of Shipito and BundleBox had an immediate reaction from Nicola M.:
If you are a user that is likely to ship expensive pieces of apparel, shoes, hightech, gear/equipment – you might want to try BundleBox.
USPS is NOT comparable to FedEx. FedEx is the most cost-efficient. It provides a much better service than USPS. USPS is a lot cheaper but there are a lot of issues with packages being lost, broken, etc – Not to mention the fact that USPS offer a very poor customer service, compared to FedEx.
The level of service is key to explaining the different shipping rates.
…
If I may object to the way you conducted your comparison, I am not sure you are comparing apples with apples.
I do recognize that I wasn’t able to compare shipping rates of Fedex when sending via BundleBox and Shipito. The reason for that is that the Shipito calculator didn’t show me any rates for Fedex.
Another reason for me not to use Fedex is because they don’t seem to have a customs broker in Russia at all (!). So unless I want to risk my package to be returned, there is no reason to use it (Note that you will need to pay the return fee in case of return). One can try to send the following package to Russia:
But even Nicola has mentioned that Fedex is for expensive pieces of apparel, shoes, hightech, gear/equipment, so Fedex is clearly not an option for Russia. Now let’s leave Russia alone.
As for Fedex in general, Shipito offers “huge discounts negotiated” on behalf of their customers. And it has a warehouses in Portland, Oregon. Any purchase shipped to Oregon is not charged sales tax.
I must admit that USPS is not ideal. But none of my packages arrived damaged and none of them were lost. I really had some problems with the Russian post, and I couldn’t get any reply about package I filed a claim about for more than a month. But this has nothing to do with USPS.
During the last 6 months I received 39 packages that were sent mainly by USPS and UPS to my Shipito mailbox. And I sent all my consolidated packages to Russia via USPS Priority Mail and USPS Express Mail. Plus I got more than 10 packages from US sellers, who sent them to me directly via USPS and UPS. Nothing was damaged or lost (not my HP Envy laptop, not my Panasonic TM700 Camcorder, not 3 my Kindle book readers, not my pretty expensive clothing from private shopping clubs like Ideeli.
Shipito: 39 packages received, 9 packages sent
I didn’t have any problem with Fedex as well. But I was really disappointed when they left a couple of my packages at the entrance of an apartment house in San Francisco. They didn’t even try to call me. This was the time I decided to avoid them, since I didn’t see any reason to pay higher fees for such a service.
Even if you don’t like USPS, you can try to use UPS instead. There might be more risk to use USPS instead of UPS, Fedex or DHL, and the USPS service might be worse than what alternative companies offer, but at least your USPS packages can be insured and have tracking numbers.
Do you have a different experience with USPS, UPS, Fedex, DHL? Do you use any alternative services like Shipito Air Mail? Please share your thoughts.
BundleBox provides you with your personal USA parcel forwarding address. Registration takes a minute, and your address is available immediately. BundleBox has no registration or subscription fee. With your BundleBox address, now you can shop at any USA website, using your BundleBox address as your delivery address.
Once your purchases arrive at your BundleBox, we will notify you via email. When you are ready, and received all your purchases, you can book the shipment of your purchases to final destination.
BundleBox offers an Fedex express delivery service of 2-3 days and a Fedex regular delivery service of 4-5 days. The more items you bundle, the better our international shipping rates get.
Additional services
Unlike Shipito, BundleBox offers shipping via Fedex only. It might be the most reliable shipping method, but it is the most expensive one:
| Weight, kg | Example | Delivery service | |
| Express | Regular | ||
| 0.25 | CD, DVD, Necklace | BundleEnvelope – CA$26.00 | CA$33.71 |
| 0.5 | Adidas tank top, Tshirt, Watch, Xbox Game | BundlePack – CA$33.98 | CA$35.78 |
| 0.9 | Camera, Baby fleece jacket, Cosmetics, Track Suit | BundlePack – CA$33.98 | CA$35.78 |
| 2.5 | Laptop, Set of kitchen knives, 2 pairs of Jeans, Jumper, Pajamas, iPad, eBook reader, Coat | CA$49.70 | CA$48.26 |
| 5 | Boots, Baby doll, Ugg Boots | CA$60.09 | CA$59.33 |
| 10 | Cowboy Hat, Power tools, Home Server, Steering wheel cover, 3 pairs of shoes | CA$90.59 | CA$79.86 |
| 25 | Electric guitar, TV | CA$158.61 | CA$140.45 |
| 50 | Kitchen chair | CA$250.55 | CA$213.59 |
| 100 | Lounge chair | CA$507.41 | CA$456.67 |
| Weight, kg | Example | Delivery service | |
| Express | Regular | ||
| 0.25 | CD, DVD, Necklace | BundleEnvelope – £18.94 | £28.25 |
| 0.5 | Adidas tank top, Tshirt, Watch, Xbox Game | BundlePack – £25.37 | £30.51 |
| 0.9 | Camera, Baby fleece jacket, Cosmetics, Track Suit | BundlePack – £25.37 | £30.51 |
| 2.5 | Laptop, Set of kitchen knives, 2 pairs of Jeans, Jumper, Pajamas, iPad, eBook reader, Coat | £48.04 | £41.78 |
| 5 | Boots, Baby doll, Ugg Boots | £61.08 | £54.72 |
| 10 | Cowboy Hat, Power tools, Home Server, Steering wheel cover, 3 pairs of shoes | £90.42 | £74.00 |
| 25 | Electric guitar, TV | £168.45 | £115.67 |
| 50 | Kitchen chair | £307.42 | £177.16 |
| 100 | Lounge chair | £549.60 | £316.89 |
| Weight, kg | Example | Delivery service | |
| Express | Regular | ||
| 0.25 | CD, DVD, Necklace | BundleEnvelope – AU$30.75 | AU$42.39 |
| 0.5 | Adidas tank top, Tshirt, Watch, Xbox Game | BundlePack – AU$37.83 | AU$49.28 |
| 0.9 | Camera, Baby fleece jacket, Cosmetics, Track Suit | BundlePack – AU$37.83 | AU$49.28 |
| 2.5 | Laptop, Set of kitchen knives, 2 pairs of Jeans, Jumper, Pajamas, iPad, eBook reader, Coat | AU$79.53 | AU$81.21 |
| 5 | Boots, Baby doll, Ugg Boots | AU$112.66 | AU$116.66 |
| 10 | Cowboy Hat, Power tools, Home Server, Steering wheel cover, 3 pairs of shoes | AU$182.65 | AU$184.48 |
| 25 | Electric guitar, TV | AU$345.97 | AU$317.85 |
| 50 | Kitchen chair | AU$651.61 | AU$435.08 |
| 100 | Lounge chair | AU$1146.11 | AU$765.35 |
| Weight, kg | Example | Delivery service | |
| Express | Regular | ||
| 0.25 | CD, DVD, Necklace | BundleEnvelope – RUR1609.12 | RUR2956.93 |
| 0.5 | Adidas tank top, Tshirt, Watch, Xbox Game | BundlePack – RUR1954.98 | RUR3013.19 |
| 0.9 | Camera, Baby fleece jacket, Cosmetics, Track Suit | BundlePack – RUR1954.98 | RUR3013.19 |
| 2.5 | Laptop, Set of kitchen knives, 2 pairs of Jeans, Jumper, Pajamas, iPad, eBook reader, Coat | RUR4020.39 | RUR3447.60 |
| 5 | Boots, Baby doll, Ugg Boots | RUR5216.59 | RUR5356.04 |
| 10 | Cowboy Hat, Power tools, Home Server, Steering wheel cover, 3 pairs of shoes | RUR9384.70 | RUR8189.01 |
| 25 | Electric guitar, TV | RUR17289.12 | RUR13956.70 |
| 50 | Kitchen chair | RUR30041.36 | RUR18517.86 |
| 100 | Lounge chair | RUR59666.55 | RUR36779.19 |
Bundlebox shipping rates: Canada
Bundlebox shipping rates: the UK
Bundlebox shipping rates: Australia
Bundlebox shipping rates: Russia
It costed me $121.89 to ship my last 12.30 lbs (5.58 kg) 17″×13″×10″ (44×34×26 cm) package to Russia via USPS Express Mail International. Compare with $290 for a 10.00 lbs package sent by Fedex Regular Mail via BundleBox. So even if you pay $50/year for the “VIRTUAL MAILBOX” plan on shipito (there are other options available as well), it will still be cheaper to use Shipito.
Shipito 12.30 lbs package sent via USPS Express Mail International
And even if you want to use Fedex only, Shipito offers FedEx, FedEx MPS, Fedex Freight. Plus you will be able to use other shipping methods in the future (USPS Express Mail, USPS Priority Mail, USPS Flat rate box and Flat rate envelope, UPS, Polonez Parcel, TNT, Shipito Air Mail and DHL).
Like BundleBox, Shipito offers package consolidation and assisted purchases. BundleBox has no hidden charges, no checkout fees, no ongoing monthly fees. Shipito fee structure is slightly more difficult depending on whether you want to consolidate your packages or not, but still it is pretty simple.
I prefer Shipito to BundleBox. Any idea why to use BundleBox?
Shipito has several warehouses in the USA. It allows you to use mail/parcel/package forwarding service. This is very helpful when making purchases in the US online shops that ship to the USA locations only. The only problem is that in some cases even if you plan to ship overseas, you will still have to pay the Californian sales tax (which is almost 10%) when shipping to the warehouses of Shipito in Torrance, California. That’s when other Shipito warehouses come in handy.
Shipito Oregon - No sales tax for USA shopping
Oregon doesn’t have sales tax!
Shipito has a warehouse in Tualatin, Oregon. Any purchase shipped to Oregon is not charged sales tax. So you can make your USA purchases and don’t pay any sales tax. After Shipito gets the package/parcel, they can ship to you anywhere in the world.
Services of Shipito in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon shipping location operational hours are 9AM to 5PM Monday through Friday.
Update (November 2011): Shipito warehouse in Oregon now offers full service including package consolidation, sending via USPS, accepting big packages.
Services of Shipito in Tualatin, Oregon
Note that Shipping is 10% more expensive compared to Torrance locations. Shipito cost to serve Oregon location is higher. You save on sales tax, but you pay little bit more on shipping. Make your choice.
You must have virtual mailbox and verified account to use Oregon location.
If you know a service that is better or cheaper than Shipito for making purchases which allows to avoid sales tax, please leave your comment.
To ship oversized packages/parcels from the USA to Eastern Europe you can use middlemen. For example, Shipito allows to ship oversized packages/parcels to Poland, Slovak Republic, Czech Republic, Ukraine, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Moldova, Belarus.
Oversized items shipping by Shipito.com
Some packages cannot be sent using USPS (United States Postal Service). USPS is usually the least expensive option for sending packages overseas but there are size and weight limitations for packages. To check mailing conditions and allowed size of packages please check the USPS website.
If your package is over the USPS limit we can send it to you by FedEx. We have a big discount on FedEx pricing and we will pass that discount to you.
If you don’t see a shipping method in the calculator then we do not officially support it. We can try to accommodate you but there is no guarantee we will be able to ship the oversize package. Please take it in to consideration before using Shipito service.
Container shipping to Eastern Europe by Polonez Parcel (ocean freight)
Packages are sent by ocean freight in a shipping container.
Our fees
Our basic fee for smaller packages up to 30 lbs is only $8.50, packages over 30 lbs and under 70 pounds require $17 in handling fees. Packages over 70 pounds have require a $30 overweight charge (same overweight charge applies as Polonez Parcel fee).
For packages with larger dimensions please use following formula: (height x length x width) : 140 = weight in lbs.
Oversized packages are charged based on cubic meters. Minimum price for 1 cubic meter is $200.
We will provide you with a quote once we know the dimensions, exact weight and declared value.
For countries in which container transportation is not available we will ship by FedEx.
Polonez parcel service
Areas Price/lb. Service/parcel Insurance/$100 Delivery time Minimum Weight Maximum Weight Poland $1.20 $10 per parcel
+$30 for 71-90lbs +$60 for 91-120lbs
+$100 for 121-200lbs$1.00 6-10 weeks 20 lbs no max Slovak Republic $1.45 $10 per parcel
+$30 for 71-90lbs +$60 for 91-120lbs
+$100 for 121-200lbs$5.00 10-13 weeks 20 lbs no max Czech Republic $1.45 $10 per parcel
+$30 for 71-90lbs +$60 for 91-120lbs
+$100 for 121-200lbs$5.00 10-13 weeks 20 lbs no max Ukraine $1.29 $10.00 $5.00 13-15 weeks 20 lbs 66 lbs Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia $1.49 $20 per parcel
+$30 for 71-90lbs +$60 for 91-120lbs
+1$00 for 121-200lbs$5.00 13-15 weeks 20 lbs 66 lbs Moldova $1.49 $20.00 $5.00 13-15 weeks 20 lbs 66 lbs Belarus $1.49 $20.00 postal service approx. 13-15 weeks 20 lbs 66 lbs *Polonez Parcel quotes are live only for Czech Republic and Ukraine in the shipping calculator. We have to do a manual quote based on the numbers above if you want to ship to other country. That can be done through special request you place on your account. Or you can calculate it yourself from the table above.
To find out how much it will cost you to ship a package/parcel with Shipito, just use Shipito shipping calculator
Do you know better ways to ship oversized packages/parcels from the USA to Eastern Europe?
