International Shipping

Whether it’s shipping a sofa or importing an iPad, international shipping has become infinitely more popular recently. Sometimes what you need to buy simply isn’t available in your home country forcing you to buy elsewhere. Perhaps you want to be the first of your friends to get your hands on the latest piece of gadgetry, or you want to compete in a foreign eBay auction.

Whatever the reason for your delivery, international shipping can be a cause for concern among many people. The uncertainty of international dealers, the worries about damage during transport and the increased costs associated with cross country shipping are enough to discourage even the most seasoned shopper.

If you’re unsure about international shipping costs or are concerned about the trustworthiness of some websites then you’ve come to the right place - we’ve compiled a checklist of what to look out for when you need international delivery.

Guide to International Shipping

Spotting a Legit Website
It seems simple to spot a dodgy dealer but many scam sites can easily disguise themselves to look genuine, your first line of defence is a good firewall or antivirus software – these should curtail any unsolicited access to your data. Secondly on payment pages it is vital that the site shows https:// the S stands for secure – you can also look for a key or padlock on the page or in the address bar. Also keep an eye out for secure payment certification, such as Verisign, Sagepay or Paypal.

Sometimes the easiest way to tell if a site is secure is to simply search the web, on your preferred search engine just try “sitename scam” or “sitename trustworthy” to see what others think of it. In the end it’s down to you but we suggest you err on the side of caution.

Country of Origin
Buying within the EU is usually your safest bet, members of the European Union are obliged to repair goods that are under warranty so if something does go wrong you can take some solace in that. You might have to pay for it to be transported back the manufacturer however.

Make sure you check that the country you’re buying from isn’t just importing it from elsewhere, hidden costs and charges can quickly mount up when buying internationally. Foreign electronics can also be delivered defaulted to their home language or be packaged with unusable chargers for example.

Buying on eBay
eBay (and other auction sites) have opened up a wealth of previously inaccessible goods to the world, purchasing goods from abroad is made a great deal easier through these means but the ease of buying and selling goods internationally can lead to some shady practices.

Whether buying from an eBay store or an individual there a few things that you should check to make sure that they check out before your checkout.

- Feedback: What was it for, when did they get it?
- Disputes: Has the seller been in any, what for?
- Item Description: An original description is often better than something copied from a website
- Photos: Be sure that there is at least one original photo of the auction, we’d strongly advise that you don’t bid on anything without a picture – regardless how tempting the price may be.
- Try contacting the seller before bidding

Delays and Complications With International Shipping
As you might expect, there are few things that can hold up delivery when buying from abroad, but fear not, these are to be expected and whilst it can be stressful if your items end up being delayed sometimes it’s unavoidable.

- Clearing customs: Anything delivered internationally must pass through customs and excise, foodstuffs and pets brought in from abroad can be particularly susceptible to import delays due to contamination concerns.

- Unforeseen events: The weather, political action, impassable roads, or overzealous volcanoes can all potentially slow international shipping. The further your goods need to travel, the more things there are to hold it up – so keep an eye and ear out for anything that could delay your delivery.