Field Trip offers FREE admission to 13 USA museums

Field Trip offers FREE admission to 13 U.S. museums:

• Conservatory of Flowers, SF
• California Academy of Sciences, SF
• Walt Disney Family Museum, SF
• Museum of Contemporary Art, LA
• Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago
• Adler Planetarium, Chicago
• The Field Museum, Chicago
• Museum of the city of New York, NY
• Museum of Arts and Design, NY
• National Building Museum, DC
• Portland Children’s Museum
• Portland Art Museum
• Pittock Mansion, Portland

If you are around one of the following 13 museums, you will get a Field Trip card with “Free Entry” in the title (check the ‘nearby’ tab). Show the card on your phone to the admissions staff and they’ll take care of the rest.

Field Trip for Android
Field Trip for iOS

Source

Russian parcel forwarder SPSR USA offers a no sales tax address for tax free purchases

Russian parcel forwarder SPSR USA offers a no sales tax address in Delaware allowing customers from Russia to avoid state sales tax completely.

SPSR USA uses SPSR Express for shipping parcels from the USA to Russia. SPSR has offices in 6000 locations in Russia allowing you to avoid using Russian Post and USPS completely.

Examples of fees charged by USPS Express Mail and Shipito shipping forwarder in 2013 for sending packages from the United States to Russia

I’m continuing to post detailed fee structure for sending my packages from the United States of America to Russia. The fees of both Shipito and USPS grow every year, so you may find it useful to compare the figures from my previous post for 2010-2011 and 2012. This article will be updated each time I send a new package from the USA to Russia via Shipito throughout 2013.

Shipito fee structure 2013

• Package Location: Tualatin, OR
  10.80 lbs (4.9 kg)
  19″x14″x7″ (49x36x18 cm)
  USPS Express Mail International
  Mailout fee: $8.50
  Repacking fee: $16.00 (8 packages consolidated)
  Postage: $104.58
  (Carrier) ($100.27)
  (Bank fee 4.3%) ($4.31)
  Insurance: $30.32 (3% delivery + damage insurance; higher than normal insurance rate because the package contains jewerly, a watch or a cell phone)
  Alternative shipping methods offered by Shipito for delivering this package to Russia:
  • USPS Express Mail (5-6 business days)
    Postage: $104.58
    Insurance: $30.32
    TOTAL: $134.9
  • USPS Priority Mail (6-10 business days)
    Postage: $88.23
    Insurance: $41.95
    TOTAL: $130.18
  • Airmail Economy (15-30 business days)
    Postage: $102.56
    insurance not available
    Tracking is not available
    TOTAL: $115.1
  • Airmail Priority (8-20 business days)
    Postage: $113.14
    Insurance: $60.16
    Tracking is not available
    TOTAL: $173.3
  • Airmail Express (15 business days)
    Postage: $104.58
    Insurance: $60.16
    TOTAL: $164.74

  

  Total per 1 kg of gross weight: $32.53
  Total Shipito fees (not including USPS shipping, insurance and Shipito monthly fee): $28.81
  TOTAL: $159.4
  Shipito service plan: Old Virtual Mailbox ($100 / year, available for old customers only)

• Package Location: Tualatin, OR
  14.30 lbs (6.49 kg)
  17″x13″x13″ (42x34x32 cm)
  Mailout fee: $8.50
  Repacking fee: $18.00 (9 packages consolidated)
  Postage: $130.40
  (Carrier) ($125.02)
  (Bank fee 4.3%) ($5.38)
  Insurance: $23.97 (3% delivery + damage insurance; higher than normal insurance rate because the package contains jewerly, a watch or a cell phone)
  Alternative shipping methods offered by Shipito for delivering this package to Russia:
  • USPS Express Mail (5-6 business days)
    Postage: $130.4
    Insurance: $23.97
    TOTAL: $154.37
  • USPS Priority Mail (6-10 business days)
    Postage: $113.93
    Insurance: $33.44
    TOTAL: $147.37
  • Airmail Economy (15-30 business days)
    Postage: $135.7
    insurance not available
    Tracking is not available
    TOTAL: $145.54
  • Airmail Priority (8-20 business days)
    Postage: $149.7
    Insurance: $49.35
    Tracking is not available
    TOTAL: $199.05
  • Airmail Express (15 business days)
    Postage: $130.4
    Insurance: $49.35
    TOTAL: $179.75

  Total per 1 kg of gross weight: $27.87
  Total Shipito fees (not including USPS shipping, insurance and Shipito monthly fee): $31.88
  TOTAL: $180.87
  Shipito service plan: Old Virtual Mailbox ($100 / year, available for old customers only)

• Package Location: Tualatin, OR
  24.50 lbs (11.11 kg)
  26″×13″×13″ (67×34×34 cm)
  USPS Express Mail International
  Mailout fee: $8.50
  Repacking fee: $20.00 (10 packages consolidated)
  Postage: $180.30
  (Carrier) ($172.87)
  (Bank fee 4.3%) ($7.43)
  Insurance: $10.04
  Total per 1 kg of gross weight: $19.70
  Total Shipito fees (not including USPS shipping, insurance and Shipito monthly fee): $28.5
  TOTAL: $218.84
  Shipito service plan: Old Virtual Mailbox ($100 / year, available for old customers only)

Do you use Shipito or any other shipping forwarder? If you do, are you satisfied with its fees and service? How much did it cost you to send you package?

Free subscription to the Scientist magazine (print edition) for US and Canadian qualified individuals

Qualified individuals (professionals in the life sciences industry) from the USA and Canada can get a 1-year subscription to the print edition of the Scientist magazine. Individuals from other countries may use mail forwarders or subscribe to receive the digital version of the magazine via e-mail. You need to fill an online form to subscribe.

Download “2012 (US) Consumer Action Handbook” ebook for FREE today (PDF, Mobi, ePub)

2012 (US) Consumer Action Handbook is available for free download now (ePub, Mobi, PDF).

Use the Consumer Action Handbook (CAH) to get help with consumer purchases, problems and complaints. Find consumer contacts at hundreds of companies and trade associations, local, state, and federal government agencies, national consumer organizations, and more.

Source: U.S. General Services Administration, Federal Citizen Information Center
Released: 2012
Pages: 156
Publication ID: 5131
Item number: 568X
Languages: English and Spanish

My top American online stores and private shopping clubs where I make most of my purchases

I have received 22 packages from my freight forwarder Shipito to this date. I’ve started with smaller packages of 3-8 kg and ended up getting packages of 9-18 kg. I’ve been buying all kind of stuff from electronics and toys to clothing and shoes. Most of my purchases have been coming from 3 online sources:

• Amazon USA,
• private shopping clubs (fashion sale, private sale, sample sale, flash sale sites),
• sports online stores.

Amazon USA

Personally I prefer to use amazon.com more than any other US shop. There are several reasons for that:

• Amazon is the largest online store in the USA.
• Accepts international debit and credit cards.
• Ships to freight forwarders (also know as mail forwarders, package forwarders, parcel forwarders) like Shipito.
• Very good customer service and at refunds.
• You don’t need to pay californian sales tax (9.5%) when shipping from Amazon to the Californian warehouses of Shipito package forwarder.*

* Note that you do need to pay sales tax for some merchants from the Amazon marketplace. Also note that you may use another warehouse of Shipito in Tualatin, Oregon, which is a no sales tax location.

My overall experience with Amazon is very positive. However there is a group of sites where prices for clothing, shoes and many other items are more attractive every day.

American private shopping clubs (fashion sale, private sale, sample sale, flash sale sites)

I buy most of my clothing and shoes from USA private shopping clubs (also known as fashion sale, private sale, sample sale, flash sale sites). These sites are usually an invitation only clubs (see the invitation links below). They organize flash sales events for its members that typically last 1 to 3 days. Members can buy fashion, designer clothing and shoes for men, women, kids at discounted prices (typically 40-90%). You can also buy jewerly, cosmetics and many other types of good there. My favorite private shopping clubs:

• Ideeli (16 orders for the past 18 months!),
• RueLaLa,
• Modnique,
• Myhabit,
• Gilt,
• LeftLaneSports,
• Zulily.

While you may use Assisted Purchases from Shipito or any other service when making purchases in online stores, such services won’t work well with flash sales that private shopping clubs offer. So it is really great that the above mentioned private shopping clubs support international debit/credit cards and ship to freight forwarders like Shipito.

Although there are plenty of private shopping clubs, they offer fashion and designer clothing mostly. So I still have to shop for many sporting goods elsewhere.

American sports online stores

I make purchases in several trusted sports online stores and outlets:

• Sierra Trading Post,
• Department of Goods (outlet),
• Altrec (and Altrec outlet),
• REI (and REI outlet),
• Backcountry.

I buy sports clothing, shoes and gear mostly on sales or in the outlets.

Share your experience

How do you like American online stores and private shopping clubs mentioned in this article? Do you prefer to make purchases elsewhere?

Shipito can ship lithium batteries and electronics with lithium, Li-ion, Li-pol batteries through postal system again

Packages with lithium batteries and electronics with lithium, Li-ion, Li-pol batteries can be delivered through Shipito Airmail Priority shipping method again. Tracking is not available at this moment, but packages are insured. Shipito Airmail Priority packages are handled by postal services around the world.

USPS does not accept lithium batteries and electronics with them because they use passenger planes to transport packages. But some other postal services do NOT have these restrictions, because they use cargo planes. Shipito Airmail Priority packages containing lithium, Li-ion, Li-pol batteries are routed through these postal services, so you may easily overcome the lithium battery restrictions! Moreover Shipito Airmail Priority is cheaper than USPS for light and small packages, so you can even save money by using it.

Update (08/13/2012)
Customers from Russia can also use Shipito Airmail Express. This shipping method comes with both tracking and insurance.

Update (11/07/2012)
Customers from Russia can also use Russian Post Standard. This shipping method comes with both tracking and insurance.

Update (11/11/2012)
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 many international destinations, when permitted by the destination or host country.

Package forwarders allowing to deliver lithium batteries and electronics from USA to the Ukraine

Now that USPS prohibits international delivery of lithium batteries and electronics with lithium, Li-ion, Li-pol batteries, many customers from the Ukraine will face problems delivering electronics from the US. The problem is that when you use courier services like DHL, Fedex, UPS you will need to pay for customs clearance in some cases, even if you don’t exceed the limit of 200 EUR / month. Plus when you use courier services the limit includes the shipping cots. Luckily package forwarders (also known as mail forwarders, freight forwarders, parcel forwarders, shipping forwarders) started shipping packages from the USA to Europe in containers. Many package forwarders shipping to Russia won’t work for the Ukraine when shipping lithium batteries and electronics due to different logistics. But there are package forwarders that will work for the Ukraine. And their prices are often lower compared to USPS Priority Mail or USPS Express Mail International.

• Shipito is one of the largest package forwarders of the USA. Delivers packages with lithium batteries and electronics to the Ukraine by Polonez Parcel, Shipito Airmail Priority and Shipito Airmail Express.
  • Polonez Parcel delivery is cheaper that USPS for large packages is cheaper than by USPS ($0.79/lbs, min 20 lbs, dimensional weight is used if greater than real weight). Packages sent by Polonez Parcel to the Ukraine are not insured.
  • Shipito Airmail delivery is cheaper than USPS for light and small packages (1-6 lbs). Tracking for Shipito Airmail Priority packages is not available, but such packages can be insured.
  • Shipito Airmail Express delivery costs about the same as USPS Express Mail. Shipito Airmail Express packages can be insured and tracked. Max content value is $1,000. Airmail Express packages are delivered to Belgium post and from there to by EMS into the Ukraine.
• Meest America (Most) is a delivery service shipping packages by sea and air. Besides delivering freight from the USA to the Ukraine, Meest provides storage and warehouse services, allows to consolidate and repack packages. Every package is insured with the company for $60.00. Additional insurance is available. Packages with lithium and electronics can be shipped by sea.
• RusBid is a package forwarder pretty well known in the Ukraine. Allows to ship packages to the Ukraine by Meest.
• BosMix is a package forwarder pretty well known in the Ukraine. Allows to ship packages to the Ukraine by Meest.

Do you know any other package forwarders that allows to deliver lithium batteries and electronics with lithium, Li-ion, Li-pol batteries to the Ukraine? If you don’t live in the Ukraine, do you experience similar problems with your package forwarder?

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 many international destinations, when permitted by the destination or host country.

Free museum admissions for Bank of America and Merrill Lynch cardholders

On the first full weekend of every month, Bank of America and Merrill Lynch offer their cardholders admission to over 150 museums, zoos, science centers, botanical gardens for FREE. These museums are in Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Washington DC. The highest concentration of participating museums is in California, Florida, New York and New Jersey.

A photo ID and Bank of America credit card, ATM card, or Check Card must be presented. The admission is limited to the cardholder at the participating institution. Some exclusions may apply.

See the list of 150 museums (PDF document).
More details on the web-site of the Bank of America.

Examples of fees charged by USPS Express Mail and Shipito shipping forwarder in 2012 for sending packages from USA to Russian Federation

I’m continuing to post my expenses on sending packages from USA to Russian Federation. The fees of both Shipito and USPS grow every year, so you may find it useful to compare the figures from my previous post for 2010-2011. This article will be updated each time I send a package.

Shipito fee structure

Packages sent by USPS Express Mail International from USA to Russian Federation in 2012

• Package Location: Tualatin, OR
  29.10 lbs (13.2 kg)
  37″x19″x14″ (93x49x36 cm)
  USPS Express Mail® Int’l change
  Mailout fee: $8.50
  Repacking fee: $24.00 (11 packages consolidated)
  Postage: $199.40
  (Carrier) ($191.18)
  (Bank fee 4.3%) ($8.22)
  Insurance: $19.13
  (Carrier) ($11.49)
  (Warehouse 1%) ($7.64)
  (No content photos 1%) (not charged)
  Total per 1 kg of gross weight: $19.28
  Total Shipito fees (not including USPS shipping and USPS insurance): $48.36
  TOTAL: $251.03
  Shipito service plan: Old Virtual Mailbox ($50 / year)
• Package Location: Tualatin, OR
  36.80 lbs (16.69 kg)
  36″x18″x17″ (92x45x42 cm)
  USPS Express Mail International
  Mailout fee: $18.50 (including $10 surcharge for heavy packages over 30 pounds)
  Repacking fee: $22.00 (11 packages consolidated)
  Postage: $234.34
  (Carrier) ($224.68)
  (Bank fee 4.3%) ($9.66)
  Insurance: $29.40
  (Carrier) ($17.37)
  (Warehouse 1%) ($12.03)
  (No content photos 1%) (not charged)
  Total per 1 kg of gross weight: $18.23
  Total Shipito fees (not including USPS shipping and USPS insurance): $62.19
  TOTAL: $304.24
  Shipito service plan: Old Virtual Mailbox ($50 / year)

As you can see I haven’t received any shipping discounts this year, because I don’t have the Gold or even Silver status anymore. Plus Shipito added 2 additional hidden charges:

1. All customers pay the warehouse insurance of 1% (has nothing to do with insurance – just a hidden charge of Shipito)
2. All customers not having Silver, Gold or Diamond status need either to make pictures of all incoming packages (A special request for incoming packages allows to take 3 pictures of the package content for $1.00) or pay 1% insurance. Since I send my packages by USPS Express Mail, it is USPS that insures my packages (Carrier insurance) not Shipito. So again this is not insurance, but another hidden charge of Shipito.

Not to mention that they charge the bank fee of 4.3%. Yet again it is not mentioned on the “Our services & prices” page.

If you want to calculate USPS shipping costs only, you can use USPS Shipping Calculator for Russia

USPS Postage International Price Calculator: Russia

Update (09/14/2012)
Since August 2012 there is no more warehouse insurance on Shipito. And you can choose whether you want to insure your package or not. Plus Shipito offers a 10% discount for USPS Express Mail for customers from Russia from 09/13/2012 to 11/15/2012. So it costed me less to send my last packages:

• Package Location: Tualatin, OR
  29.50 lbs (13.38 kg)
  36″x17″x17″ (92x44x44 cm)
  USPS Express Mail® Int’l change
  Mailout fee: $8.50
  Repacking fee: $16.00 (8 packages consolidated)
  Postage: $179.46
  (Carrier) ($172.06) (10% discount)
  (Bank fee 4.3%) ($7.40)
  Insurance: $15.49
  Total per 1 kg of gross weight: $16.4
  Total Shipito fees (not including USPS shipping and insurance): $31.9
  TOTAL: $219.45
  Shipito service plan: Old Virtual Mailbox ($50 / year)
• Package Location: Tualatin, OR
  37.50 lbs (17.01 kg)
  36″x17″x12″ (92x44x30 cm)
  USPS Express Mail International
  Mailout fee: $18.50 (including $10 surcharge for heavy packages over 30 pounds)
  Repacking fee: $20.00 (10 packages consolidated)
  Postage: $215.39 (10% discount for customers from Russia until November 15th, 2012)
  (Carrier) ($206.51)
  (Bank fee 4.3%) ($8.88)
  Insurance: $15.83
  Total per 1 kg of gross weight: $15.86
  Total Shipito fees (not including USPS shipping, insurance and Shipito monthly fee): $47.38
  TOTAL: $269.72
  Shipito service plan: Old Virtual Mailbox ($100 / year, available for old customers only)
• Package Location: Tualatin, OR
  12.60 lbs (5.71 kg)
  17″x13″x13″ (44x34x34 cm)
  USPS Express Mail® Int’l change
  Mailout fee: $8.50
  Repacking fee: $10.00 (5 packages consolidated)
  Postage: $114.56
  (Carrier) ($109.84)
  (Bank fee 4.3%) ($4.72)
  Insurance: $17.63
  Total per 1 kg of gross weight: $26.39
  Total Shipito fees (not including USPS shipping and insurance): $18.5
  TOTAL: $150.69
  Shipito service plan: Old Virtual Mailbox ($100 / year, available for old customers only)
• Package Location: Tualatin, OR
  19.40 lbs (8.8 kg)
  26″x13″x13″ (67x34x34 cm)
  Mailout fee: $8.50
  Repacking fee: $20.00 (10 packages consolidated)
  Shipping method: USPS Express Mail International (5-6 business days)
  • Postage: $149.49
    (Carrier) ($143.33)
    (Bank fee 4.3%) ($6.16)
    Insurance: $17.05
    TOTAL: $166.54

  Alternative shipping methods offered by Shipito for delivering this package to Russia:

  • USPS Priority Mail (6-10 business days)
    Postage: $129.02
    Insurance: $28.25
    TOTAL: $157.27
  • Airmail Economy (15-30 business days)
    Postage: $184
    insurance not available
    Tracking is not available
    TOTAL: $184
  • Airmail Priority (8-20 business days)
    Postage: $202.98
    Insurance: $45.99
    Tracking is not available
    TOTAL: $248.97
  • Airmail Express (15 days)
    Postage: $149.49
    Insurance: $45.99
    TOTAL: $195.48

  Total per 1 kg of gross weight: $22.16
  Total Shipito fees (not including USPS shipping, insurance and Shipito monthly fee): $45.55
  TOTAL: $195.04
  Shipito service plan: Old Virtual Mailbox ($100 / year, available for old customers only)

  

Do you use Shipito or any other shipping forwarder? If you do, are you satisfied with its fees and service? How much did it cost you to send you package?