How to buy unlocked Apple iPhone 4S from US Apple Store if you’re outside the USA

Apple Store USA started selling the unlocked version of Apple iPhone 4S. This time Apple started selling the unlocked version of iPhone very soon after its launch. Many international fans will be able to buy the latest version of iPhone in the USA.

Current price of Apple iPhone 4S in the Apple Store USA:

• iPhone 4S 16GB – $649.00
• iPhone 4S 32GB – $749.00
• iPhone 4S 64GB – $849.00

You can buy the unlocked version of Apple iPhone in the Apple Store USA, but there are 2 problems to address:

1. Apple Store USA ships within the USA only. So you need to get a virtual USA address from package forwarding company like Shipito.

    

2. Apple Store USA allows to pay with a US or Canada debit/credit card only:
   

   When an order is placed using a credit card as payment, the Apple Store will perform an automated check to confirm that the address information matches what is on file with the card-issuing bank. It is less likely that an automated response will be received from an international bank than from a U.S. bank. If a response is received and indicates that some of the information does not match, we must contact the bank for verification. If the card-issuing bank is outside the U.S., the secondary verification is not possible, and we cannot proceed with the order. For this reason, Apple strongly recommends that you use only credit cards issued within the U.S. or Canada.

   If you don’t have any credit cards issued within the USA or Canada, you may use Assisted Purchases services from companies like Shipito.

   

Bottom line: For purchasing Apple iPhone 4S, use a package forwarder (freight forwarding company) like Shipito for both a virtual USA address and paying for the purchase in the Apple Store USA.

Amazon problem: You attempted to purchase an item while in a different country than listed on your Amazon account.

You can buy ebooks from a Kindle Store from outside the U.S.. Let’s see whether it makes sense to have a U.S. address and whether you can buy ebook in the US Kindle Store using a U.S. address, while being outside U.S.A.

Kindle Store books are priced differently for people from different countries. The same book can be free for a customer from the U.S.A., while being not free for other customers. Here is an example: How to Make Money with Social Media: An Insider’s Guide on Using New and Emerging Media to Grow Your Business [Kindle Edition] by Jamie Turner, Reshma Shah is free for US customers and costs $2 for customers from Russia:

Kindle Store ebook for a customer from the U.S.A: How to Make Money with Social Media

 

Kindle Store ebook for a customer from Russia: How to Make Money with Social Media

 

If you move to another country, you can buy about 5 ebooks using your U.S. address. But then you will get the following message:

Name Surname, please contact us or change your country to complete your purchase.

You attempted to purchase an item while in a different country than listed on your Amazon account.

Are you traveling outside your country?

Please contact customer service in order to continue purchasing Kindle items.

Did you recently move to a new country?

You can easily update your country for your Amazon account.

Amazon: You attempted to purchase an item while in a different country than listed on your Amazon account.

 

If you want to order ebooks from a US Kindle Store while using a U.S. address, being outside the U.S., and without contacting Amazon customer service, you need to use a U.S. IP address. You can get it by using a U.S. proxy server, a U.S. VPN (Virtual Private Network). You can also use Tor, but the latter is risky. When you have a U.S. IP address, you don’t get any messages and can buy ebooks from Kindle Store without any problem.

Problem with www.SharkStores.com international shipping: No shipping methods were found for your address. Please edit your address to continue.

Part 1: SharkStores Payment and Shipping Restrictions
Part 2: Overcoming SharkStores Shipping Restrictions and shipping outside the US

SharkStores Payment and Shipping Restrictions

SharkStores has the following Payment and Shipping policy:

SharkStores accepts American Express, VISA and MasterCard payments. PayPal Express is also available.

SharkStores ships to any address in the United States and its territories. This includes Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands and Guam as well as all US Armed Forces addresses worldwide. And yes, Lulani, that includes Lana’i, Hawaii’s Pineapple Isle.

All orders placed on SharkStores include free shipping. If you require expedited shipping on a certain item, please call our Customer Service department at (888) SHARK-01.

In general, you can expect your order to ship within 24 hours. Orders placed Monday-Friday before 2PM EST generally ship the same day. Orders placed on holidays or weekends will generally ship on the following Monday.

You will receive an e-mail confirmation containing the tracking number of your package once your item ships. Shipping information is available on your Account page, where you can also track your order.

Overcoming SharkStores Shipping Restrictions and shipping outside the US

SharkStores accepts international debit and credit cards, so there are no problems paying for your items. But when ordering from SharkStores you may get the following error message:

No shipping methods were found for your address. Please edit your address to continue.

SharkStores (DiamondShark) problem: No shipping methods were found for your address

 

It is easy to overcome this limitation and ship to your country. Just get a virtual address in the USA using a company like Shipito.

Shipito allows you to use virtual USA addresses. They have multiple locations in the USA. If you use their warehouse in Torrance, California, you will be able to consolidate your packages (if needed) and send them to your country by USPS Express Mail, USPS Priority Mail, Polonez Parcel, USPS Flat rate box and Flat rate envelope, FedEx, FedEx MPS, Fedex Freight, Shipito Air Mail, DHL, TNT.

I’ve received 10+ packages from DiamondShark (SharkStores) using my Shipito virtual USA address, so I can recommend both SharkStores and Shipito.

Here is my SharkStores (DiamondShark) package in the Shipito warehouse in Torrance, CA:

SharkStores (DiamondShark) package on Shipito

Visit Shipito web-site
Visit SharkStores web-site

How to buy ebooks from Amazon Kindle Store outside the U.S.

Is it possible to buy ebooks from Amazon Kindle Store outside the U.S. ?

To buy ebooks from Kindle Store ebooks outside the U.S., you may register a new Amazon account using an address in the USA. You can use the address of your family member, friend. Or you can get a virtual address mailbox in the USA from a service like Shipito.

If you have problems paying for Kindle Store ebooks with your credit card, just buy an Amazon.com Gift Card (e-mail gift card or printable gift card) and you will be able to pay with it for your order.

Please note that Amazon.com Gift Cards may not be redeemed for the purchase of products at Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de, Amazon.fr, Amazon.co.jp, Amazon.ca, or any other website operated by Amazon.com. You can use them on Amazon.com or Endless.com only.

How to buy ebooks from Kindle Store outside the U.S.A.

How to buy ebooks from Kindle Store outside the U.S. using Kindle for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch

1. Download the Kindle for iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch application from the iTunes App Store. It’s free.
2. Create a new account with Amazon.com. Use a US address as your delivery address. You can use a virtual USA address from companies like Shipito.
3. Sign in to the Kindle for iPad, iPhone, iPhone Touch app with your new account. Your iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch should appear in the “Manage Your Kindle” app.
4. If you have a US debit or credit card, you can pay with it.

   If you don’t have a US debit or credit card, just buy an Amazon.com Gift Card (e-mail gift card or printable gift card) from your non-US Amazon account.

5. Select a Kindle book. On the payment page, enter your Gift Card. Your payment will be processed and your ebook will be downloaded the next time you sync your Kindle for iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch app. Your purchased book will appear in the “Archive” section on the Kindle for iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch app.

   Note that Amazon can reject your transaction if you use a non-US IP address. You can get one by using a US proxy server, a US VPN.

How to buy ebooks from Kindle Store outside the U.S. using Kindle for PC

1. Download the Kindle for PC application from the Amazon, and install it onto your PC. It’s free.
2. Create a new account with Amazon.com. Use a US address as your delivery address. You can use a virtual USA address from companies like Shipito.
3. Sign in to the Kindle for PC with your new account.
4. If you have a US debit or credit card, you can pay for books from US Kindle Store with it.

   If you don’t have a US debit or credit card, just buy an Amazon.com Gift Card (e-mail gift card or printable gift card) from your non-US Amazon account.

5. Select a Kindle book. On the payment page, enter your Gift Card. Your payment will be processed and your ebook will be downloaded the next time you sync your Kindle for PC. Your purchased book will appear in the “Archive” section on the Kindle for PC.

   Note that Amazon can reject your transaction if you use a non-US IP address. You can get one by using a US proxy server, a US VPN or Tor (note that using Tor is risky).

Using assisted purchases for buying Amazon Kindle Store ebooks from outside the U.S.

“Assisted purchases” are offered by many parcel/package forwarding services. One of them is Shipito. It allows you to get a virtual address in the U.S. for free. Shipito charges 10% for making purchases in online stores.

Buying free ebooks from Amazon that are not free outside the U.S.

Some books from Amazon are free for US customers only. If you pretend to be a customer from the USA, you can get these books for free. You don’t need a US debit or credit card for that. You only need a USA street address and a U.S. IP address.

Free ways to get a U.S. IP address

Amazon uses HTTPS protocol, so you won’t be able to use many free proxy servers and virtual private networks (VPNs). But you can use freeware (adware) software for Windows called Hotspot Shield. It shows ads, but is is a free VPN software supporting HTTPS protocol.

Another free way to get a U.S. IP address is by using free Tor. Tor is a system intended to enable online anonymity, composed of client software and a network of servers which can hide information about users’ locations and other factors which might identify them. This method is more difficult to set up, because you need to set it up with US “exit nodes” only. Besides someone else from the Tor network can potentially do something unlawful using you as an exit node, so Tor is pretty risky.

Share you experience about buying ebooks from Amazon Kindle Store outside the U.S.

What device do you use to buy ebooks from Amazon Kindle Store? How do you pay for your ebooks? How do you get a U.S. IP address?

How to ship oversized packages/parcels from the USA to Poland, Slovak Republic, Czech Republic, Ukraine, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Moldova, Belarus

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?

Problem with Amazon: Important Message: Item cannot be shipped to the selected address. How to ship outside the US?

Part 1: Amazon Shipping Restrictions
Part 2: Overcoming Amazon Shipping Restrictions and shipping outside the US

Amazon Shipping Restrictions

Amazon has the following Shipping restrictions:

Warranty issues and manufacturer restrictions prevent us from shipping certain products to all geographical locations. In addition, some items too big to ship to a P.O. box must be shipped to a street address. You’ll be notified while placing your order if we’re unable to ship specific items to the address you’ve selected. Below are some general guidelines for items shipped by Amazon.com to the following destinations:

• Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico
• APO, FPO, and DPO Addresses
• DOS Addresses
• U.S. Protectorates
• Prisons
• International Shipping Help

If you are purchasing an item from Amazon Marketplace, read about Marketplace shipping restrictions.

Books that require special handling because they are extremely heavy (for example, multi-volume sets) can be shipped only to locations within the U.S. Please also check the product detail pages for this and any other item-specific shipping restrictions.

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Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico Addresses

Some items from our Tools & Hardware, Electronics, and Outdoor Living stores can’t be shipped to Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico if they are extremely heavy, oddly-shaped, or considered hazardous. Additionaly, some items from our Health and Personal Care store cannot be shipped to these destinations. Check the item’s product detail page for eligibility and available shipping options. Only specific shipping options may be available for some addresses. Available shipping options will appear at checkout when you enter a shipping address.

APO, FPO, and DPO Addresses

Most items can be shipped to APO, FPO, and DPO addresses, except:

• cell phones and service
• computers
• furniture
• grocery items
• outdoor living items
• Target@Amazon.com items

Additionally, some apparel, baby, camera and photo, electronics, health and personal care, housewares, jewelry, software, sports, and tools and hardware items cannot be shipped to APO, FPO, or DPO addresses. An error message will appear at checkout if you enter an APO, FPO, or DPO address and the item isn’t eligible to be shipped to that address. Check the item’s product detail page for eligibility.

Learn more about shipping to APO, FPO, and DPO addresses.

DOS Addresses

Many items can be shipped to DOS addresses, except:

• Food items (for humans and/or pets)
• Some liquids
• Heavy items
• Items that look like weapons

For a full list of shipping restrictions at a specific DOS address, please contact the DOS facilities staff at that location or review the DOS restrictions beginning on page 26 here: http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/88704.pdf

U.S. Protectorates

Only the following items can be shipped to U.S. Protectorates:

• baby items
• books
• DVDs
• music
• software
• toys
• VHS videos
• video games

Learn more about shipping to U.S. Protectorates.

Prisons

Amazon.com delivers to penitentiaries, but we strongly suggest you contact the prison first to confirm that they accept deliveries and to note any special regulations the prison might have. Some prisons don’t allow delivery of hardcover books. Others place a limit on the number of items contained in a package.

We’re unable to affix any special labels or instructions to the packages and on the outside will indicate only the destination address, our company name, and our return address. We also cannot allow gifts to be sent anonymously to inmates; the sender’s billing address will appear on the order invoice.

Because inmates cannot sign for deliveries, packages must be sent via U.S. Mail. While Amazon.com often sends packages via U.S. Mail, we also use UPS and FedEx. There is no way for customers to request a specific shipper. To avoid delivery problems, you might consider having the items shipped to you and then shipping them to the penitentiary via U.S. Mail.

Overcoming Amazon Shipping Restrictions and shipping outside the US

Amazon.com accepts international debit and credit cards, so there are no problems paying for your items. But when ordering from Amazon.com you may get the following error message:

Important Message: Item cannot be shipped to the selected address

Amazon.com: Item cannot be shipped to the selected address

 

It is easy to overcome this limitation and ship to your country. Just get a virtual address in the USA using a company like Shipito. Shipito allows you to use virtual USA addresses. They have multiple locations in the USA. If you use their warehouse in Torrance, California, you will be able to consolidate your packages (if needed) and send them to your country by USPS Express Mail, USPS Priority Mail, Polonez Parcel, USPS Flat rate box and Flat rate envelope, FedEx, FedEx MPS, Fedex Freight, Shipito Air Mail, DHL.

I’ve received 10+ packages from Amazon.com using my Shipito virtual USA address. Here is one of them:

My package from Amazon on a Shipito warehouse (before package forwarding)

Visit Shipito web-site

How to shop on Zulily.com from outside the USA (international shipping from Zulily)

Zulily is one of the best US private shopping clubs for moms and kids. It ships to USA and Canada only, but international shipping is also possible.

Zulily.com states the following:

Can zulily ship internationally?
Zulily can ship packages to street address in the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii, plus all US territories and APO/FPO/DPO addresses. Note that packages containing liquids cannot be shipped outside of the contiguous United States. If you’re shipping to an APO/FPO address, you may need to call their service team to complete your order. If you’re shipping to a PO Box, Zulily may contact you for more information.

Besides USA, Zulily ships to Canada. They use their global partner FiftyOne for payment and shipment of Canadian orders.

You need a US debit card or credit card to make a purchase on Zulily, a US Paypal account or a Gift Card. You can also use Zulily store credits.

Zulily.com payment methods

But you can still shop on Zulily from outside the United States even if you want your purchases to be shipped outside the USA. You need to get a virtual address in the USA from a company like Shipito.

You may pay for your Zulily order using an international debit or credit card (Visa, Mastercard). If your card is not accepted online, just call their toll-free number (You can call toll-free numbers for free using free Skype). This worked fine for me.

If your English is not good enough for making a phone call, you may use the “Assisted purchases” service from companies like Shipito. You may use the assisted purchase to buy the items that you want. Or you may use it to buy a Zulily gift card, and then pay for your order with the gift card.

Here is my package from Zulily (ordered by the phone using an international debit card):

Package from Zulily.com on Shipito

I use Shipito to consolidate my packages from online stores and private shopping clubs, and then send them overseas.

Ideeli and international shipping: How to shop on Ideeli.com from outside the USA

What is Ideeli

Ideeli 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.

Billing and international shipping restrictions on Ideeli

Ideeli.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 Ideeli. No other payment methods accepted:

Screenshot: Ideeli.com: Payment method

And Ideeli can ship to the USA addresses only.

Overcoming billing and international shipping restrictions on Ideeli

You can shop on Ideeli.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 Ideeli.com delivered to my virtual USA address:

Screenshot: Package from Ideeli.com on Shipito 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 Ideeli using an invitation link: www.ideeli.com/invite/outlogic
  Use your virtual address when registering on Ideeli.

• When making a purchase on Ideeli.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 Ideeli purchase this way, but of course there is no 100% guarantee.
  • Also some Ideeli 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 Ideeli, but I can’t guarantee it will work for you.
• After getting a package from Ideeli 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 Ideeli

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

See also

I love Ideeli 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.