Forward shipping

[SSSniperFox]

Hello, so i just discovered that forward shipping is a thing, and now im doing some research before jumping in and was wondering if any of you guys ever used one of these services, which one did you use and if you don't mind share your experience.
I was originally planning on buying a rx580 for my pc but found out about this and now i think i can afford a used gtx 1070 if i go this route, originally i couldn't afford it because the price on ebay for the card and shipping, averaged around 350$, however with forward shipping, the card and the service price average around 250$

For reference i live in Mozambique,Africa just so you get an ideia about the shipping price, also some sellers on Ebay sell the card a lot more cheap for US only shipping.

As to why i would rather get a used gtx1070 rather than a new rx580, guess you could say future-proofing it- just adding it so we stay on topic

[minibois]

I am not familiar with the concept for forward shipping, but keep in mind at certain values you are required to pay import costs and VAT/tax too.

 

For example, where I live everything under 22 Euros is exempt, 22-150 Euro you have to pay VAT and 150+ euros means both VAT and import taxes.

Plus on top of that you also have administration fees.

 

And shipping costs too!

So take all those things into account before deciding to purchase from foreign countries  

[SSSniperFox]

Yes im aware of the tax values, even there im going to save more money
Another term for forward shipping would be package fowarding IIRC

[Bombastinator]

So you buy something with US only shipping.  The package goes to a company inside the US that then ships it again, via possibly a different system, to another place outside of the US that has a different legal system.

 

I think I see where the savings is coming from.  Private sellers who only want to ship inside the US often do it because they want to avoid the interminable waits and legal hassles that come with international sales so much they are willing to sell their products for less. This is a way to hand that stuff to them anyway even though they sold their product for less to avoid it.  It might not actually work.

 

It might work if you can dupe a seller into shipping to one of those reshippers. You’ve also got to trust the reshipper to actually even send you the thing.  Any package that arrives in the mail spontaneously is the property of the person it is shipped to.  You don’t own the product the shipping company does.  I’ve heard of sellers discovering they’ve been duped by reshipping.  Sellers who thought they were shipping to Pennsylvania suddenly discovering they were dealing with, for example, Brazilian law and being very angry.  My memory is that reshipping companies are a bit fly-by-night.  They tend to get shut down.  I don’t know how legal or illegal the practice is in the US.

 

Decent chance you will go through the trouble of picking out a product, dealing with the auction, paying your money, and not actually receiving anything.  Or having massive problems with a product damaged in shipping if they do even send it to you.  Dangerous for both buyer and seller.

 

 

[Blue4130]

2 hours ago, Bombastinator said:

Any package that arrives in the mail spontaneously is the property of the person it is shipped to.  You don’t own the product the shipping company does.  

 

 

This is not true. 

[dizmo]

As long as you take into account all of the fees, and it still comes out cheaper, then yeah sure go for it.

Something to keep in mind:

• Tax
• Duty
• Shipping
• The reshipper fees
• Initial shipping to the reshipper

It often can be cheaper, as I use a similar service, however I'm not shipping as far internationally. You really have to watch it, as sometimes it's cheaper just to get it shipped through eBays Global Shipping Program; however that programs pricing can vary wildly, even for the same location and the same type of item.

 

Do you know the import rates for the card? I did a quick Google search and came up with this:

 

Quote

Duties on imported goods range from 0 to 25%. A duty of 20% is levied on consumer goods and a value-added tax of 17% is also assessed at the time of importation.

 

So, if your card costs $150 you'd have these fees:

1. $150 for the card
2. $20 for shipping to the reshipper (approx)
3. $10 fees (Shipitto used as example)
4. $70 shipping, insured (using box 15x12x6, 6 lbs)

So, if you go by the initial cost, then you have to pay: $310

However, items like this often include all associated costs to get the item to you, and then fees are applied. So your fee would be: $350

 

You really need to figure out how your country handles it's imported items.

 

On 1/18/2020 at 11:36 AM, Bombastinator said:

So you buy something with US only shipping.  The package goes to a company inside the US that then ships it again, via possibly a different system, to another place outside of the US that has a different legal system.

 

I think I see where the savings is coming from.  Private sellers who only want to ship inside the US often do it because they want to avoid the interminable waits and legal hassles that come with international sales so much they are willing to sell their products for less. This is a way to hand that stuff to them anyway even though they sold their product for less to avoid it.  It might not actually work.

 

It might work if you can dupe a seller into shipping to one of those reshippers. You’ve also got to trust the reshipper to actually even send you the thing.  Any package that arrives in the mail spontaneously is the property of the person it is shipped to.  You don’t own the product the shipping company does.  I’ve heard of sellers discovering they’ve been duped by reshipping.  Sellers who thought they were shipping to Pennsylvania suddenly discovering they were dealing with, for example, Brazilian law and being very angry.  My memory is that reshipping companies are a bit fly-by-night.  They tend to get shut down.  I don’t know how legal or illegal the practice is in the US.

 

Decent chance you will go through the trouble of picking out a product, dealing with the auction, paying your money, and not actually receiving anything.  Or having massive problems with a product damaged in shipping if they do even send it to you.  Dangerous for both buyer and seller.

There is so much misinformation I'd like to address here.

• I don't know why you brought up the fact there's a different legal system. It's not really relevant. Obviously one has to know what's illegal to bring into a country, and this doesn't fall under that.
• There's little legal hassle when shipping abroad. You simply fill out a customs form (usually online) and you mail it as you would any other package. The most frequent reason people don't want to ship abroad is because of the cost, which has always seemed odd to me as the cost is covered by the buyer. The second most reason would be scams.
• You don't have to "dupe" the seller into using the reshipper. It's shipped by them as it would be to any address in the US; once it says it's delivered at the location, it's signed for and he's completed his end of the agreement.
• You do realize that reshipping is a large industry, right? This isn't some shady backyard deal. It's a legitimate company.
• Any package that arrives in the mail spontaneously is the property of the person it is shipped to.  You don’t own the product the shipping company does.
  What on earth are you talking about here? You completely contradict yourself, and the second part of the statement is just blatantly wrong.
• It's not "fly by night." I've used similar services for over a decade and transacted tens of thousands of dollars with different companies.
• Product damaged in shipping is covered by the insurance. That's why the insurance exists. So there's little to no risk there monetarily, simply time lost.

There's actually a very slim chance that he won't receive anything. I'm not going to say it's impossible, but to say there's a decent chance is simply talking out your ass.

 

[Bombastinator]

1. Laws can change over borders. Ownership and return stuff can change.  It can bite in weird legal ways that are hard to predict.  I had a cousin who married a man who disappeared to South America and divorced her there.  He was abusive and awful, but The laws were much more favorable to him.  He took everything.  Money and children. She had nothing and not even visitation rights. It may not be an unknown for the buyer but it’s an unknown for the seller.

 

2. So hassle then.  Remember this is the seller. Who may not know how to do that.

 

3. Unless the buyer demands a refund.  Seen that happen.  
 

4. Some are some arent.  The one I’m thinking of where the buyer refused to pay involved a multi thousand dollar rosewood guitar.  Seller lost the guitar and got nothing.  A very angry person.

 

5. That one is a misunderstanding of terms having to do with “you” I think.  You ship something to an address in the US.  The person at that address then owns whatever it is, if they’re not a shipping company.  If the company is a shipping company in wherever, but not in the United States anything that comes to THEM (ie to their US address) is theirs.  If it’s addressed to somewhere else then no. 
 

6. “tend to” This whole thing rests on the seller believing they are shipping to a buyer inside the US.  There are places that do that.

 

7. “the insurance”? Which insurance? The stuff that the seller only took out to ship inside the US?  Or other insurance?  Much more expensive insurance?

 

This stuff applies if the seller and the the auction house,such as eBay, believe the thing is not being shipped outside the US and act on that belief.  Are there legal and protected ways to do these things? Sure.  It’s done all the time. But it’s also done other ways.  

[dizmo]

12 minutes ago, Bombastinator said:

1. Laws can change over borders. Ownership and return stuff can change.  It can bite in weird legal ways that are hard to predict.  I had a cousin who married a man who disappeared to South America and divorced her there.  He was abusive and awful, but The laws were much more favorable to him.  He took everything.  Money and children. She had nothing and not even visitation rights. It may not be an unknown for the buyer but it’s an unknown for the seller.

 

2. So hassle then.  Remember this is the seller. Who may not know how to do that.

 

3. Unless the buyer demands a refund.  Seen that happen.  
 

4. Some are some arent.  The one I’m thinking of where the buyer refused to pay involved a multi thousand dollar rosewood guitar.  Seller lost the guitar and got nothing.  A very angry person.

 

5. That one is a misunderstanding of terms having to do with “you” I think.  You ship something to an address in the US.  The person at that address then owns whatever it is, if they’re not a shipping company.  If the company is a shipping company in wherever, but not in the United States anything that comes to THEM (ie to their US address) is theirs.  If it’s addressed to somewhere else then no. 
 

6. “tend to” This whole thing rests on the seller believing they are shipping to a buyer inside the US.  There are places that do that.

 

7. “the insurance”? Which insurance? The stuff that the seller only took out to ship inside the US?  Or other insurance?  Much more expensive insurance?

 

This stuff applies if the seller and the the auction house,such as eBay, believe the thing is not being shipped outside the US and act on that belief.  Are there legal and protected ways to do these things? Sure.  It’s done all the time. But it’s also done other ways.  

You forgot to quote or tag me, but here we go:

1. Yes, they can. None of what you said has any relevance here. On top of that, he's importing a graphics card. It's not like he's importing arms
2. How to do what? Ship an item to a US address? The seller has no part in the reshipper arrangement.
3. Right, at which time he'd have to pay to return the item, and it wouldn't be worth it to him.
4. So you pick a large operation, not a small one. Not rocket science there.
5. They are shipping companies though. You seem to have it set in your mind that these are small businesses ran out of a house. They're not.
6. The insurance USPS provides on the package. Have you never shipped an item before?

[Bombastinator]

22 minutes ago, dizmo said:

You forgot to quote or tag me, but here we go:

1. Yes, they can. None of what you said has any relevance here. On top of that, he's importing a graphics card. It's not like he's importing arms
2. How to do what? Ship an item to a US address? The seller has no part in the reshipper arrangement.
3. Right, at which time he'd have to pay to return the item, and it wouldn't be worth it to him.
4. So you pick a large operation, not a small one. Not rocket science there.
5. They are shipping companies though. You seem to have it set in your mind that these are small businesses ran out of a house. They're not.
6. The insurance USPS provides on the package. Have you never shipped an item before?

I thought quotes automatically tagged.  It was what I was told anyway.

 

1. sure.  It could be anything.  There may be special rules involving guns.  I don’t know.  A GPU wouldn’t be any different than a guitar though.  Except it maybe costs 15 times as much and requires more special handling.

 

2. so you’re saying the transaction is officially concluded when the US shipper gives the package to the second shipping company.  That’s what I’ve been saying too. 
 

3. in the case I mentioned the buyer demanded the seller pay the return shipping.  Which he couldn’t afford because he was out several thousand dollars.  And the seller claimed the guitar was destroyed.  
 

4. Sure.  That works.  Provenance is good.  If the seller even knows it’s happening.  
 

5.  Are there such?  Sure. 
 

6. Yep.  they make you pay for the insurance.  Goes to definition of “provide”.  No implication of “free” insurance was intended.  What you pay to USPS though doesn’t cover stuff by the second shipper.  At least that’s what the guy who sold the guitar was told by USPS.  This CAN all be done on the up and up.  It just isn’t always.  

Edited January 19, 2020 by Bombastinator
Addition to guitar description

[dizmo]

1 hour ago, Bombastinator said:

I thought quotes automatically tagged.  It was what I was told anyway.

 

1. sure.  It could be anything.  There may be special rules involving guns.  I don’t know.  A GPU wouldn’t be any different than a guitar though.  Except it maybe costs 15 times as much and requires more special handling.

 

2. so you’re saying the transaction is officially concluded when the US shipper gives the package to the second shipping company.  That’s what I’ve been saying too. 
 

3. in the case I mentioned the buyer demanded the seller pay the return shipping.  Which he couldn’t afford because he was out several thousand dollars.  And the seller claimed the guitar was destroyed.  
 

4. Sure.  That works.  Provenance is good.  If the seller even knows it’s happening.  
 

5.  Are there such?  Sure. 
 

6. Yep.  they make you pay for the insurance.  Goes to definition of “provide”.  No implication of “free” insurance was intended.  What you pay to USPS though doesn’t cover stuff by the second shipper.  At least that’s what the guy who sold the guitar was told by USPS.  This CAN all be done on the up and up.  It just isn’t always.  

Right, it does. However you did neither.

 

They don't make you pay for the insurance, it's something you can add on. I didn't say it was free, did I? Nope. I didn't. Yes, the insurance you pay with the second shipper covers the package to you, the end user. They simply insure the package when they ship it. They ship a variety of methods, I'm just using USPS as an example.

 

What you heard from a friend of a friend really doesn't hold much weight.

If you don't know what you're talking about, you really shouldn't be making claims.

[RonnieOP]

Reship sites have been around for a while and work great for a lot of things.

 

Just do your research on which to use. 

 

Alot of fraudulant activity is used with reship companies and sometimes business will ban them. Also ive heard about customs not allowing them in certain areas (not sure how true that is). 

 

Just do your research and you should be good.