Those who have already ordered goods from America often face the problem - how to choose a reliable reseller? Why is it needed, and by what criteria to choose it, we will describe in this article. First, let’s explain why people order goods “from overseas”.
The fact is that the prices of so many products in the United States are much lower than in Russia, even taking into account the payment for shipping. We have practically no other products at all, or we have them, but they are not branded. Plus, electronic trading platforms like Amazon quite often sell at great discounts. But far from all stores in America offer delivery to Russia. It is at this stage that mediators join the business. In the United States there are not very many, but you can find the optimal one if you wish.
There are no ideal intermediaries
Based on reviews on the Internet, we can conclude that there are no ideal ones. However, there is a rating of the most reliable delivery intermediaries from the United States, which we give below. In the meantime, a few words about the fact that the Russian buyer, if he orders something in America, must be prepared for all sorts of surprises. In such a complex process as sending parcels to Russia, it cannot do without various kinds of difficulties. And a good mediator is not the one who manages to avoid them (because it is practically impossible), but the one who quickly and successfully corrects his mistakes, and who has a well-established support service. Ideally, when compensation is offered for a miss during delivery from the USA to Russia by intermediaries.
What errors can be? The data on the address or weight of the package may be inaccurate. She may even get lost. Despite the fact that the business of the intermediary is quite technologically advanced, and their conditions are approximately the same, these companies (or individuals) work in different ways. The sets of services provided and the rates vary. However, there are also factors on the "incoming" side (on the customer side) that affect the process of sending a perfect purchase - these are order parameters and other requests.
US Reseller Criteria
Choosing an intermediary according to only one criterion would be a mistake. It is better to focus on a set of criteria, and, having already analyzed them, make a choice. Plus, for each buyer, the main thing is its own criterion. Someone cares about price, but someone wants to avoid losing their order at all costs. So, what to focus on when choosing an intermediary in the USA for sending?
Incoming Parcel Cost
Today, in conditions of enormous competition between intermediaries, many of them do not take money for accepting and processing parcels and designate this on their sites as a free service. However, it would be more honest to say that the cost of these processes is simply included in the prices of their other services.
How does an intermediary for purchases in the USA work?
Suppose you purchased something on Amazon and specify the information of your intermediary as the addressee, where your order arrives, which he will then redirect to you, to Russia. If there are few such orders, then the cost of receiving and processing a parcel from an intermediary is not critical for you. And if there is a lot, then a tangible amount can run up. The same Amazon, with a complex order, likes to split them into several items (for example, because its components are in different warehouses). And if you expected to pay a fee for one amount of money, then here you will come across the fact that you will have to pay the same amount for each of the parcels. Therefore, those intermediaries who claim the acceptance of a parcel as a free service is still more profitable.
Is storage in stock free?
In one form or another, everyone has this service, however, the terms of the free stay of the parcel in the warehouse are very different. For some, this is a month, and for other intermediaries in the United States, up to six months. Often it depends on the “turnover” and the size of the storage facilities.As a rule, this service is irrelevant for the average customer. However, for those who for various reasons are more convenient to "accumulate" their orders in the warehouse, this information will be important.
Are photographs of packages and their contents taken?
The prices for this service and the conditions for its provision by intermediaries are very different. Some take one common photograph, while others agree to photograph all things individually. In the latter case, the price will add up depending on the number of items, as well as on the degree of detail you require.
Experienced people recommend that those who order purchases from Amazon generally refuse this service, since this seller very rarely sends something by mistake. But if it comes to acquiring a private person from the Ebay service, and especially if this is a used item, it is better to request a detailed visualization. Then the price of this service will be important.
Resellers often provide basic photos of the parcel and the address block on it for free, so that the customer makes sure that his shipment is really in their warehouse.
How much does shipping from the USA to Russia cost?
Methods and cost of delivery
This, of course, is a very important point, although it is not the most important. Almost all resellers use the US State Postal Service (USPS). Therefore, all prices are formed depending on the cost of its services.
There are also “hybrid” ways of delivering consignments - various private transport companies deliver the parcel to the Russian Post office in Berlin, and then the logistics are carried out by this company that we all know. If the intermediaries for the delivery of goods from the United States use this method, then the tariffs will vary greatly.
The third way is to order delivery to fully private logistics companies. For many who would not like to trust their mail to Russian Post, this service will be a priority. But, of course, it is more expensive.
If you choose courier delivery, then whether the volume of the parcel is taken into account in calculating the cost will be of considerable importance. For example, if your order is voluminous, but light, then I would not want to overpay for volume.
An intermediary for purchases in the USA charges a certain commission.
Payment methods and fees
How are the parcel postal services paid? Plastic cards "Visa" and "MasterCard" - this is a universal way to pay for intermediary services. Some intermediaries accept payments through QIWI, Paypal, Webmoney, Western Union, Amazon Payment, as well as checks from Mr.Rebates or Ebates.com cashback systems, etc. It is better to check this in advance.
Fees for replenishment of the account take almost everything, and their size is very different. The lowest is 3.1 percent, and other intermediaries rate this service at 4.3 percent of the purchase amount.
Affiliate Programs
Not all intermediaries from the USA to Russia have such programs. But if you choose a permanent partner for sending your orders, then it is better to find out who has gifts and discounts for regular customers. Resellers can also use various coupons, cumulative discounts, promotional codes and so on.
Service for the purchase of goods, assistance in the acquisition
This service is offered by many. It is only reasonable to use it if you cannot place an order yourself. For example, the store you are interested in accepts payment only with American cards. The extra charge for this service will be about 10 percent of the price of the purchased product. Some resellers of goods from the United States are ready to provide you with it and for 7 percent.
Among other important criteria, there is also the possibility of consolidating outgoing parcels (as a rule, they do not charge for this, but there are exceptions), the provision of packaging materials (the situation is the same as with consolidation of consignments), as well as insurance of consignments.With the latter - the conditions are very different, and it is better to study them on the sites.
Rating of intermediaries from the USA
Consider the most popular firms.
After examining the reviews about the intermediaries, as well as their total conditions for the transfer, the following companies with a good reputation can be noted: EasySHIP, LiteMF, Shopozz and Shopotam. LiteMF, by the way, has the lowest shipping insurance percentage. LiteMF, FishIsFast and Shipito have the most convenient conditions for consolidating shipments - a free three-month period.
For example, they write about Shopozz service that it is one of the few companies with which there were no problems after the introduction of sanctions against Russia. But with LiteMF, due to its growing popularity, shipping time has slightly increased - from two days to a week. However, judging by the reviews, this pays off by the comparative cheapness of their services. About FishIsFast, users write that this intermediary is very accurate with the packages, he has a well-established support service, and employees always send detailed photo and video reports about the status and contents of the shipment.
Recommendations
It is necessary to compare intermediaries not by a single indicator, but by a number of criteria, depending on the features of your specific order. If you analyze only the monetary factor, then you can lose in speed of delivery or in terms of insurance.
If you carefully analyze the conditions of all intermediaries in the United States, the conclusion you will come to is obvious - one of them is ideal for one type of order (for example, from Amazon), and some other one is good for orders from private traders and etc. Therefore, it is impossible to determine the "best" mediator for all and for all occasions. Often people who regularly purchase goods in the USA turn to several companies, depending on the criteria that are relevant to them for different purchases.
