How to save on shipping? Which shipping consolidator ?

[Eric Lee]

With US shipping being so expensive now and getting higher, many of us non-US collectors have been forced to either pay as much or more in shipping for our decks from the US or not buy at all. It also makes it tough to buy stuff from Amazon or Ebay as they don't ship overseas or you are forced to pay way more than the cost of the item itself.

I notice some of us use an shipping consolidator/agent to reduce our shipping costs while some are not aware of such services or can't decide.
Here's a starting point for those new to this: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/nancy-la ... 34628.html

So that's why I started this thread. Let's share the consolidator services we use and see which ones can give you the best deal for your country. If you have any other ways to save on shipping , please do share with us!

I'll start first.

I use ComGateway (CGW). That's only because my credit card had an offer for shopback.com, an online portal where you get a small % cashback for online purchases if you use their portal first before going to another online webstore. They had 3% cashback for CGW so that's when I signed on. I knew about other services like Borderlinx, MyUS, Vpost, etc, but most charged a monthly or annual fee to be a member. At that time I wasn't very active on Kickstarter or collecting cards, so it wasn't worth it at the time.

CGW :
-No monthly or annual fee
-Based in Oregon, which has no sales tax. So you save there already if you do online shopping.
-Standard 30 days free and then pay $1 per day after that.
-Website is very easy to use. (their customs declaration is a bit of a pain. 1x to declare value, 2x to itemize and declare the value of each item)
-Occasional discounts on shipping like $11 off during Singles day (11/11), 20% off for Amex cards, 50% off 2nd shipment in May, etc. Customer service is very responsive and resolved all my issues immediately.
- They also have a standard buy for me online shopping program for 10% of the cost.

Shipping Rates: (shipping to Malaysia). There's a shipping calculator on their site where you can see the rates for your country.
Note that It costs about USD 14 to ship 2-4 decks, via regular USPS and around $20 for more than 4 decks. So if I have more than 3 packages and around 10-12 decks, I already save as it costs more than that to send 3 separate packages.

First 0.5kg: US$24.90 Express , US$20.75 Standard, US$20.75 PRIME
Every additional 0.5kg : US$3.90 express , US$3.25 std , US$2.90 Prime
Speed of Delivery (business days): 3 - 4 express, 5 - 8 std, 4 - 5 Prime

Insurance and Fuel Surcharge additional

This is about the same as the other popular services I listed.

What make CGW stand out is their Prime upgrade. Once you make 3 shipments (very easy to reach if you use their service during Black Friday and Christmas!) You get upgraded to Prime FOC where you get 60 days free storage, reduce shipping charges, free reduction (but useless for packages of cards) and auto express shipping! This lasts for 6 months and you need to ship 3 times to maintain your Prime status.

The Prime status is why I'm still with CGW at this moment as with Kickstarter I can have all my US pledges sent there. If I need to have more packages to make it worthwhile, I can go to PCD or PCN (free shipping and 10% if you know how to get the code), Amazon, Ebay , etc. to have my orders send there and make up the volume.

Although I must admit this is not good for my bank account in 2018. suddenly so many options are open to you , besides just KS, Amazon and Ebay. Also, I get tempted to go for higher KS tier pledges since shipping is not a big hinderance anymore. So if you don't have good self-control, don't use this!

If you want to give this a try, please PM me. CGW now has a referral program, where you and I will get a discount for the next shipment if I refer you. From their website: "Everybody wins with comGateway! Get unrivaled access to U.S. online shopping with the best international shipping rates and services. Your friend also gets discounted shipping on their first shipment." The discount should be 15%
https://secure.comgateway.com/refer-a-friend .

So that's for ComGateway. Please share with us what you use and the rates. This will help all of us to save!

[Eric Lee]

Geez, that was a long post, now that I look back. Anyway for the TL;DR summary:

Int'l card lovers, consider using shipping consolidators to save or take advantage of free US shipping if you plan to buy from the US or UK. Most are US.
Those who have used them, please do share here what you use and why. I'm always keen to see how I can save more on shipping.

Good for summer sales and BF/CM sales as most if not all have a 30 day limit for free storage before charging per day.
Allows you to buy on Amazon retailers and Ebay sellers who only ship to US.

Shop around to see which one fits best for your country (see link provided and do your own search).
Most have shipping calculator for your country to see the rates. Watch out for extra charges like fuel and insurance .

Why I still use CGW despite it being standard like the rest? (Haven't tried others)

- No annual/monthly fee
- after 3 shipments you get upgraded to Prime status good for 6 months. (easy to do if you order a lot during BF/CM and split into 3 shipments)
-Prime gives you 60 days free, lower shipping charges, express shipping and free reduction (decks don't apply but good if you buy other things as well)
- Occasional shipping discounts and rebates.
- Friend referral so you and your friends can try them out and get 15% off your 1st shipment fee.
PM me if you want to try this out.

[PipChick]

wow, this is actually a really great thread/post and I dunno why I past up on reading about it before - thanks Eric for the information and your experience Really awesome for us international folks!

For me, I'm living in Germany and usually split my orders between having them sent here and eating the international costs, or having them sent to my parents' home in the US since I do visit about once or twice a year (or have them visit me and schlepp my decks along with lol) so I've never considered using a consolidating service before; but, considering my online orders are often from the US and KS shipping is significantly lower if not free for those shipped within the States (plus, I can be a bit impatient having to wait lol) - it definitely sounds like something maybe worth seriously considering.

I guess my only reservation would be if I'd still be hit with VAT (ugh) - Any other people here in Europe use a consolidating service and if so, which one and what is your experience??

[MagikFingerz]

I guess my only reservation would be if I'd still be hit with VAT (ugh) - Any other people here in Europe use a consolidating service and if so, which one and what is your experience??

This is what's keeping me from using such a service too. I'm assuming some form of trickery is required (like marking it as a "gift"). Some of the services I've read about states they can remove all invoices from your packages, so if they then can avoid stating any specific value on the customs form (which I assume they won't lie on) you could, uhm... ameliorate your receipts/invoices if/when customs asks for them

[guru]

I gave 3 Kalevala backers (6 or 6+ decks) in Europe a letter addressed to Customs where I mentioned that the product in the package is a reward/gift which the recipient has got due to the successful completion of a crowdfunding project. As Kickstarter is a crowdfunding platform and not a store, so the products should be considered as gift and they can contact me for more details.

Result: Customs released the package after the receipt of the letter, and that too, without any VAT/tax.

[MagikFingerz]

I gave 3 Kalevala backers (6 or 6+ decks) in Europe a letter addressed to Customs where I mentioned that the product in the package is a reward/gift which the recipient has got due to the successful completion of a crowdfunding project. As Kickstarter is a crowdfunding platform and not a store, so the products should be considered as gift and they can contact me for more details.

Result: Customs released the package after the receipt of the letter, and that too, without any VAT/tax.

I've always wondered where KS "rewards" fall in the customs regulations. Still, judging by first and second hand past experiences with Norwegian customs, they can pretty much rule in whosever favor they please without any way to repeal.

[Gonzalo]

It used to be, at least in Spain, that Customs wouldn't hit you if you bought something under 100€. Not anymore, though.

I'm going to have to pay VAT for each of my recent purchases of the David Blaine Split Spades and the Dead on Paper Oracle from last Black Friday. Mind you, VAT is just 21% of the value. The problem are the charges of almost 20€ for "Customs processing" for each deck.

So, I'll end up paying over 30€ (21% VAT, 20€ for processing) for a $15 deck. Yikes.

[Eric Lee]

I gave 3 Kalevala backers (6 or 6+ decks) in Europe a letter addressed to Customs where I mentioned that the product in the package is a reward/gift which the recipient has got due to the successful completion of a crowdfunding project. As Kickstarter is a crowdfunding platform and not a store, so the products should be considered as gift and they can contact me for more details.

Result: Customs released the package after the receipt of the letter, and that too, without any VAT/tax.

Wow, the lengths you take to ensure the best value for all your backers!
Just in case it's not been mentioned before, but....




AND



So.... Amy, how am I doing with the whole gif thingy?

[Kage X]

How did I miss this thread as well?

Firstly, Eric, my friend and fellow countryman, good job on a very well written article.

Secondly, thank you for your advice on using comGateway as a shipping consolidator, without which I wouldn't have been able to take advantage of the Black Friday sales offered by stores in the US.

Currently I'm still waiting for my purchases to be sent to CGW's warehouse. Once they are all there, I will decide whether to split my shipment into two in order to avoid paying Malaysian customs tax. Perhaps then I will share my experience here.

[Eric Lee]

Thanks, you all. I wonder what happens when there is no invoice and price list,but there is your declared list? What will EU customs do in this case? Will they hold the item and insist you produce receipt?

Oh yes, 1 more very good reason why you should consider using a shipping consolidator: NO. MORE. LOST. PACKAGES! (or very unlikely)

This was the main reason I finally jumped in. Between Oct 2017 to June 2017, I had lost a total of around 30, yes, 30 packages. Mostly Kickstarter, but some from online stores. Mainly from US, but also from places like Germany and UK. Not all of them decks.

Some I had to have KS pledges reshipped 3x before I got it. Thankfully most were gracious and were willing to reship that many times. (Jody, JR, Gio, thank you for your excellent customer service and understanding!) By the third time, I had requested them to resend to CGW.

Most were lost in customs. To this day, I believe that there's a customs official who has built a card collection thanks to me! So if you've faced the problems I had with lost packages, this can really help reduce your stress. So for me, it's worth the extra cost and time.

[MagikFingerz]

Thanks, you all. I wonder what happens when there is no invoice and price list,but there is your declared list? What will EU customs do in this case? Will they hold the item and insist you produce receipt?

They do that here sometimes, but it doesn't seem like they have a standard practice. Sometimes they just request a receipt from me without even opening the box.

[JacksandJokers]

Thanks Eric for this great thread.

For the past couple of years I have on occasion used Viabox.com (https://www.viabox.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)

They are a US based mail consolidation service and have been 100% reliable during the time I have used them.

I remember it was a bit of a hassle setting up the account in the first place and they only accept mail from USPS or courier's services (Fedex, DHL, UPS etc) - They wouldn't for example accept mail from Canada Post (I found this out the hard way).

On the plus side they will hold parcels free of charge for up to 3 months and you can specify the value of each parcel (Great for avoiding those import taxes).

Shipping time using their cheapest courier service (Aramex) takes approx 1 week from the US to the UK.

There is a shipping cost calculator on their website but for the most part the prices quoted are way under what you actually pay - Shipping is still not cheap & in most cases you will still get hit with import taxes but I find that it is often slightly cheaper to use this service and pay extra in shipping fees in order to lower the value of the taxes you are likely to have to pay.

I have never used this for KS projects so far, mainly because I like to have my KS rewards as early as possible and GW who ship most KS rewards tend to do a great job to help us avoid taxes.

In short - Yes I would recommend them but keep in mind that it still won't be cheap.

FYI - If anyone is interested in using this service please let me know, especially if you are UK based.
I am more than happy to import playing cards on behalf of others, particularly if I have items being held there already (which I do right now).

[Kage X]

Now that all my packages have arrived, allow me to share my first time experience using a shipping consolidator.

As advised by Eric, I used comGateway as my shipping consolidator during the BFCM sale. Their website is simple and user friendly. Along the way, I had Eric guide me through the declaration and shipping process. Once everything was done, it was just a matter of waiting for the shipment to arrive.

Did I save any money using a shipping consolidator? Definitely! A lot of sites offered free US shipping, so that's already some savings there. My 2 shipments of about 20-25 decks each cost about $100 each. That averages to about $5 per deck, which is better than the $15 per deck shipping charges if I were to ship it straight from the seller to me. It also took only 6 days for the shipment to arrive at my doorstep.

The only unpleasant experience I had with this was not so much comGateway's fault but rather FedEx's. As I have to pay customs tax if my shipment were to exceed MYR500 in value, I was careful not to exceed this value, hence my splitting of my shipment in 2. No idea what happened, FedEx informed me that I have to pay an equivalent of $50 each for both my shipments as customs tax. 2 phone calls to FedEx later, they informed me that there will be no tax payable. When I received my shipment, I noticed on the delivery note that FedEX shall absorb the customs tax. I take this to mean that they screwed up on the customs declaration and now had to pay the taxes themselves.

Will I use comGateway again? A definite YES! I think their shipping charges are reasonable enough. The only thing to be wary of is on FedEx's part as I heard from Eric that he had, on more than one occasion, similar experiences with FedEx as well.

[Bradius]

I imagine as a huge shipper, FedEx is a big target for import duty requirements and it is likely tough keeping each countries rules correct. I imagine they would rather get hit occasionally with excess tax requirements they have to eat than huge fines from the country. Still, you can bet it eventually gets added onto the average shipping cost as FedEx is not in the business to loose money. One of the reasons international shipping is so expensive.

[Eric Lee]

I imagine as a huge shipper, FedEx is a big target for import duty requirements and it is likely tough keeping each countries rules correct. I imagine they would rather get hit occasionally with excess tax requirements they have to eat than huge fines from the country. Still, you can bet it eventually gets added onto the average shipping cost as FedEx is not in the business to loose money. One of the reasons international shipping is so expensive.

That's interesting to know. BTW, did USPS shipping increase their rates AGAIN for 2019? Will from PCD had to increase his US free shipping from $50 to $75. So I gather that they did. If so, what's the new rates like ?

[PipChick]

As advised by Eric, I used comGateway as my shipping consolidator during the BFCM sale. Their website is simple and user friendly. Along the way, I had Eric guide me through the declaration and shipping process. Once everything was done, it was just a matter of waiting for the shipment to arrive.

...

guys, I just wanna take a moment to say that I'm really REALLY glad this topic was created and appreciate that Eric has not only taken the time to share his valuable insight and personal experiences in finding & using a consolidator to save himself money and the hassle of international shipping, but to also hear that he's helping others to do so as well! That's goin' above & beyond and mad props to him for his contributions to the community!

WOOT WOOT! Eric, you're an MVP and can we also get more of you? perhaps one in every color? please?? lol, seriously, you're awesome and it's great to have you here. Don't stop being awesome!



And ps. your gif game is on fleek lol

okay, that's all; carry on.

[Eric Lee]

Yup, USPS shipping going up soon. I wonder how much more expensive it'll get on KS and online. This is getting expensive for us int'l folk

https://blog.stamps.com/2018/10/19/usps ... y-27-2019/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Magic Tapp]

https://blog.stamps.com/2018/11/06/2019 ... -shipping/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

These are the relevant rates for international shipping. The rates are going up by around a dollar or so.

[PipChick]

https://blog.stamps.com/2018/11/06/2019 ... -shipping/

These are the relevant rates for international shipping. The rates are going up by around a dollar or so.

BOO!



Looks like I gotta be seriously checkin' out these consolidators...

[Jocu]

Hi guys, might as well chime in as an EU shipper.

I have contacted Gambler's Warehouse about doing our US distribution. Needless to say, that apart from the cost of getting the decks over there at the end of our KS campaign, it seems that US backers will actually be getting cheaper shipping than most EU backers at this rate.

They have great rates, very clearly laid out (1 deck - pay X, 2 decks, pay Y) and they have a good rep for everything else.

On the EU side I have to say I'm finding it tough. Italy to Italy is ok, if a bit of a slow process sometimes with the local postal service. However Italy to EU seems to be ridiculously expensive. Let's put it this way - for more than 2 decks I'm being quoted more to send a package to France than if I sent it to Gamblers Warehouse for them to then resend back to France!!

Anyway, we found a company called http://www.packlink.it" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;. They seem to be a comparison shipper who get great rates for working regularly with all the main shippers. They give you instant quotes, good prices, and the website is slick.

They have a free Pro account which has more features and this is what I'm currently exploring. Whilst my price issue has been resoled, I'm still waiting to find out if it's possible to get estimates before knowing an address as I obviously need to quote backers.

I hope to get this soon and hopefully it can help Italian members. Needless to say I'll be very pissed off if it turns out that the US backers can get cheaper shipping on my KS campaign than someone in France which is only 800km away, but let's wait and see.

[Marcus]

Figured I'd contribute to this thread as I have some experience of this as well.

I've used Shipito in the past. https://www.shipito.com/en/shipito-pricing

For me it works great to use the annual option. I'm usually not in a rush so I bundle things up over several months and ship it all home in one go.

Current rates are $50 per year, then I can keep a package there for up to 180 days. Consolidations are $3 per package, processing fee of a package is $1.

[MagikFingerz]

Figured I'd contribute to this thread as I have some experience of this as well.

I've used Shipito in the past. https://www.shipito.com/en/shipito-pricing

For me it works great to use the annual option. I'm usually not in a rush so I bundle things up over several months and ship it all home in one go.

Current rates are $50 per year, then I can keep a package there for up to 180 days. Consolidations are $3 per package, processing fee of a package is $1.

How about customs, does it offer anything to alleviate the fees?

[Marcus]

If this is referring to your earlier post about customs forms, it's up to you to fill out the customs declaration correctly as you do that online. They also have the option to remove invoices, so I guess those two steps could be creatively used so to speak. I've just filled them out correctly myself as my oversized conscience would never let me sleep again if I did it wrong.

[Eric Lee]

Has anyone used this one before: https://www.shippingcart.com/home" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ?

They have an option for sea shipping as well. It takes about 45 days for packages to arrive from US to South East Asia, but shipping rates are much lower.

[MagikFingerz]

Well, the sons of bitches finally did it. As of this year, there is no limit below which packages are required to go through customs. That means 25% of the value of the contents, plus a ~$15 fee (minimum, might be higher) for the hassle of having to bill you.

So from now on, I either have to use a shipping consolidator, or stop collecting

[Bradius]

I am sorry to hear that MagikFingerz. I hope you can find a good shipping consolidator to use going forward.

A famous American politician once said "If you want more of something, subsidize it. If you want less of something, tax it." I appreciate it's simple clarity.

[theCapraAegagrus]

I am sorry to hear that MagikFingerz. I hope you can find a good shipping consolidator to use going forward.

A famous Anerican politician once said "If you want more of something, subsidize it. If you want less of something, tax it." I appreciate it's simple clarity.

Where is Anerica located?

[Bradius]

Where is Anerica located?

Somewhere between "n" and "," on my keyboard. My eye glasses are really bad this year.

[Magic Tapp]

I am sorry to hear that MagikFingerz. I hope you can find a good shipping consolidator to use going forward.

A famous Anerican politician once said "If you want more of something, subsidize it. If you want less of something, tax it." I appreciate it's simple clarity.

Where is Anerica located?

It is in between Camada and Nexico [emoji4]

[theCapraAegagrus]

I am sorry to hear that MagikFingerz. I hope you can find a good shipping consolidator to use going forward.

A famous Anerican politician once said "If you want more of something, subsidize it. If you want less of something, tax it." I appreciate it's simple clarity.

Where is Anerica located?

It is in between Camada and Nexico [emoji4]