Americans abroad and international shoppers alike have probably found themselves in the predicament of not finding certain items that they really want. You may find these items in the United States, but you can’t order them without a shipping address in the US.
However, there are services that actually make this problem essentially disappear. These services are called mail forwarders.
What is a mail forwarding service?
A mail forwarding service is a company that provides for you a free United States shipping address. The packages are received at that shipping address and then they’re forwarded to you from there. Many times, there are certain products and stores that do not ship outside of the country, but this problem essentially vanishes with a service like this.
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What is Shipito?
Shipito is a service that forwards you mail to your home country. They service many countries all over the world so you can get your packages from the United States and to your doorstep. Shipito doesn’t charge you to open an account nor does it charge you for a US shipping address. Instead, you pay a flat handling fee of $3.25 for each package.
They also provide shipping services from the European Union, so you can even get European products shipped internationally by getting a free EU address.
How does Shipito work?
If any of the above sounds like it could solve a problem for you, then you are probably wondering how it even works. Well, we’ve broken it down into simple steps to help you figure it out.
- Sign up to get your free shipping address
- Shop at your favorite stores and use the free shipping address in your order
- Select your shipping provider and any extras you may need (i.e., bubble wrap)
- Wait until your package gets to you
What other services does Shipito provide?
Shipito also provides some extra services. For example, you can even ask them to shop for you. Put together a shopping list and Shipito will dispatch shoppers to put together your package. It’s pretty interesting and neat for people who may not have all the time on their hands to shop.
What are Shipito’s tax and customs policies?
Shipito makes it clear on their website that you will be responsible for customs and duties. However, when it comes to taxes, it depends on which warehouse you pick to store your items in. Their warehouse in Oregon, USA does not have any sales tax. It also provides up to 90 days of storage for premium members. Their California, USA warehouse offers the fastest shipping times and lowest rates, but will charge sales tax.
For the EU warehouse in Austria, they offer fast service in Europe and to Russia as well as same day package processing. However, no word was given on how long it takes to ship outside of Europe.
How can I get started using Shipito?
It’s simple, just click this link and you’ll head right on over to the website. From there, just sign up and get started shipping your American packages to your address!
Happy shopping!
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