American forwarders thread - Stackry, Am-Forward

[Markgway]

My order came direct to the UK via the cheapest option.

Seems like the problem with Thomsen's order is that it ended up in the Czech Republic(!) first.

Surely there must have been somewhere closer if not Denmark itself?

Any company that you can't get hold off is suspicious.

Really sucks, mate.

[Modman]

Originally Posted by chip75

I've always used the cheapest option, haven't had any issues. Hopefully it's just stuck somewhere.

I use the cheapest option as well but I don't recollect Aramex ever being on the list of carriers to the UK, so I can't offer any insight.

According to their website they have 2 offices in Denmark, perhaps giving them a call might help, hope you get your package.

[drush9999]

I suspect the route from the US to the UK is simpler for us.
Also DHL used to ship door to door before, but now they hand it over to Royal Mail once it hits Blighty.

[alexrinse]

Originally Posted by Mr. Thomsen

Anyone had any bad experiences with parcels going missing when shipping with Aramex?

I switched from Shipito to Stackry in August, and as shipping was somewhat more expensive at Stackry, I just chose the cheapest option, which was Aramex. So far it has been working fine for me. In general, packages have been about 14 days to arrive, and as a huge bonus, I have yet to pay any form of customs fee or VAT. It appears all packages to the EU goes through a central facility in the Czech Republic. As Aramex are not represented in Denmark, the packages are then handed over to another courier who will take the last leg of the journey. My guess is that Aramex are not really set up to handle the customs issue, and since the packages is then shipped on from the Czech Republic, the Danish couriers just assume it has been shipped from inside the EU.

Usually, when the package arrives at the central in the Czech Republic and is passed on, I get a message from a local courier within a day or two saying that they now have the package and to expect it. But this time I have heard nothing. Now, the package supposedly left the central in the Czech Republic on December 23. Being Christmas and all, I would certainly expect some extra days transport time, but is has been about 14 days now, and I still haven't got any word that it has been picked up by a local courier.

To make matters worse, this is by far the largest shipment I have ever made. As one often does here, I even lowered the value considerably, in case it would be picked up by the customs. This, of course, now comes back to haunt me in case the package is lost, because it is insured for about a tenth of the total cost of the items in it.

We are talking about a majority of the two huge orders I made at the Scream Factory sale in October, some OOP stuff from eBay, and an OOP box + several other discs from Amazon, which I had shipped to Stackry, since I was about to consolidate a package anyway. All in all it contains around 30 titles, among them a box set from Kino and four of Scream Factory's four disc Universal Horror Collections. Total value? About $600.

Yes, I know, I am an idiot! I should have picked a more reliable courier, if I wanted to do the "write a lower value for the customs" trick, or I should have insured it for the full value. What can I say ... it went well with Aramex, until it didn't.

I still haven't given up hope that it is just held up somewhere due to the enormous amounts of packages going through at Christmas. But I am starting to sweat here. I fear some Aramex employee got himself a really nice Christmas bonus.

Aramex, of course, do not reply to any mails.

Aramex are Dubai-based. Call them in the UAE: +971 600 544000 -- when you get to the menu, choose the option that you wish to send a package*, or you will never speak to a human. The competence of the agent will be a lottery, so if you are struggling with them the first time, just politely end the call and try calling again. I have dealt with them before (usually no issues but once yes) and this is how I reached them.

*You can also try this method if you have a local number for them.

[Mr. Thomsen]

I found a different email address for them through Google, and wrote to it yesterday evening. They actually replied within hours and said they would forward it to the team responsible, so hopefully I will hear back.

As for the package going through the Czech Republic, all four packages I have received since I started using Stackry and Aramex in August have gone the exact same way. I figure Aramex just have a large central in the Czech Republic, and all packages to northern EU go through there en route to their final destination.

[chip75]

Best of luck, fingers crossed it's just delayed.

[Mr. Thomsen]

Re: my previous message about a missing package,

After not hearing back from Aramex, even though they promise to get back to you within 48 hours, I asked Stackry to contact them for me. Unfortunately, Stackry came back and said that the package was now considered lost ...

If anyone wants to see what I have lost, you can check out the ordered section under my collection here. The package contained all the Scream Factory releases, including the last four Universal Horror Collections (from their Ten Year Anniversary sale), the four Olive releases (from DD's buy-1-get-1 sale), several orders from Amazon (The Ida Lupino box from Kino and a few others) and a single OOP film noir from eBay. All in all some 30 releases with a total of about $600.

As I wrote earlier, I did mess up and write a far too low value for the customs. Had I done the math and realized the total was so high, I would have definitely had put a higher value. But due to Scream Factory splitting my two huge orders up in ten packages or so, I had lost feeling with how much was left and how much I had already shipped to Denmark. So in the end, the value was set at about a tenth or the true value.

It is pretty standard to do lower the value for the customs, as if you are caught, you won't even get a fine, they will just make you document the value and pay the appropriate 25% tax and the $20-22 customs handling fee. Usually, I will at least set the value as higher than the postage, though, and often more, maybe around half the true value.

It is of course a gamble, and this time it came back to bite me. But in my defense, in 25 years of importing discs from the US, I have only lost about three packages - and all of those have been sent with the regular postal service, like USPS, Royal Mail and PostNord. I have never before lost a package sent with a courier service.

I guess I just got complacent, lazy and too greedy - and now I pay the price.

As the set value is equal the insurance value, I will most likely not get more back than a tenth of what I paid back. I even had to pay Aramex about $100 on top of that in postage for the privilige to have my package stolen.

The stupid thing is that I was actually thinking about using a different, larger courier, like FedEX or DHL, as I knew Christmas could introduce problems. But I convinced myself that it had gone well so far, so why wouldn't it do so again.

Why indeed?

The package left the USA on December 19 and arrived at the Aramex hub in Tuchomerice in the Czech Republic on December 23. It supposedly left Tuchomerice shortly after, but there are no further updates.

There are a lot regrets with this. If only I had followed my gut instinct and chosen a different courier, or if only I had declared the full value ... if only Scream Factory had not taken so many weeks to ship the final parts of my order, it would have left Stackry well before Christmas and would probably not have been caught up in the chaos etc.

I try to say to myself it is only money, but of course it is a nasty experience. Not only am I out about $700 (including shipping), I also will have lost the incredible savings from those extraordinary sales, and it will be much more expensive to get the stuff again, even on sale.

Right now I will have to try to get the OOP items ASAP before they rise even more on eBay.

My sole comfort is that region-free Blu-ray players are still a niche thing, and hopefully whoever stole my package will be stuck with 30 discs he cannot even play.

Lesson of the day, if you are going to lower the value for the customs, do not lower it more than you are prepared to lose.

Lesson number two of the day, do not, as in NEVER, use Aramex. They may be cheap, but there is a reason for it.

Lesson number three, do NOT use Aramex!

/ end of rant ...

[chip75]

Originally Posted by Mr. Thomsen

Re: my previous message about a missing package,

After not hearing back from Aramex, even though they promise to get back to you within 48 hours, I asked Stackry to contact them for me. Unfortunately, Stackry came back and said that the package was now considered lost ...

So sorry to hear that, mate.

Is there any chance that it's just been misplaced somewhere? fingers crossed that's what happened.

Also are you covered by any chance with your credit card?

[Markgway]

Surely you can get something back? The packages have some insurance, no? Even if it's not full value.

[David Alp]

Please don't be disheartened. I am wondering if your package might currently be with UK customs -- and they probably have a backlog from the Xmas period, and they may contact you regarding your package. I won't soft-soap you, you may get a customs charge for underdeclaring the value -- but at least you shall know that your discs are not lost, and gone forever, and you might safely receive them.. I think that this is most likely due to all the Postal strikes we've had in the UK this December.

[Modman]

Originally Posted by David Alp

Please don't be disheartened. I am wondering if your package might currently be with UK customs -- and they probably have a backlog from the Xmas period, and they may contact you regarding your package. I won't soft-soap you, you may get a customs charge for underdeclaring the value -- but at least you shall know that your discs are not lost, and gone forever, and you might safely receive them.. I think that this is most likely due to all the Postal strikes we've had in the UK this December.

Its a shame when any packages goes missing but I think its highly unlikely to to be with UK customs, it was going to Denmark and was last recorded in the Czech Republic.

[Blu Lemmy]

Originally Posted by David Alp

Please don't be disheartened. I am wondering if your package might currently be with UK customs -- and they probably have a backlog from the Xmas period, and they may contact you regarding your package. I won't soft-soap you, you may get a customs charge for underdeclaring the value -- but at least you shall know that your discs are not lost, and gone forever, and you might safely receive them.. I think that this is most likely due to all the Postal strikes we've had in the UK this December.

You should read all the information again.

[blurayisnice]

From my experience, DHL is the most reliable courier to choose when using Shipito or Stackry.

[Blu Lemmy]

Originally Posted by blurayisnice

From my experience, DHL is the most reliable courier to choose when using Shipito or Stackry.

Working in the world of operations, DHL are by far and away the best courier to use in most circumstances

[Mr. Thomsen]

Originally Posted by chip75

So sorry to hear that, mate.

Is there any chance that it's just been misplaced somewhere? fingers crossed that's what happened.

Also are you covered by any chance with your credit card?

Originally Posted by Markgway

Surely you can get something back? The packages have some insurance, no? Even if it's not full value.

I can always hope it is misplaced, though it seems a very slim hope by now. I did read somebody local complain on Trustpilot that Aramex took two months to deliver a package to him, so it is not totally out of the question.

As for being covered by my credit card, I don't know how that would even work. I mean, I am covered in the case of fraud, someone not delivering what was paid for etc. But in this case, everybody, well everybody except Aramex, actually did deliver.

Shout Factory, DD, the sellers on eBay etc. all shipped what I paid for, and tracking shows everything was delivered to Stackry. Stackry consolidated the package and added extra protection, as I paid them for. It is just Aramex, who did come through.

I will probably get something back. My claim is currently under review by Stackry, which takes another 28 days. But as they constantly mention their limited liability, I have no hope of getting more back than the $60 or so, I stupidly set the value as. That is on me, of course. I DO hope that I at least also will get the $100 back I paid Aramex to steal my package. After all, I paid them to transport one package from A to B, and there is no way they can claim they fulfilled that contract.

Originally Posted by blurayisnice

From my experience, DHL is the most reliable courier to choose when using Shipito or Stackry.

Yes, I also went with DHL with the package I just shipped from Stackry. It arrived here in 3-4 days. I have only had good experiences with DHL, so I'll probably keep on using them now. To me, it is no longer worth saving a few bucks using a slightly cheaper courier.

This will probably be the last package I get shipped from Stackry, at least for some time.

It is not that I blame them for the package getting lost or for their "limited liability", but I do blame them a bit for offering the services of what seems to be a highly unreliable courier. I checked Trustpilot afterwards, and Aramex doesn't exactly get stellar reviews.

I have decided to go back to Shipito, whom I have been very happy with before. I also decided, as an experiment, to cough up the money for an annual membership, which means I get access to their sales tax free warehouse in Oregon.

I did a bit of math, and while Stackry offers a free, sales tax free warehouse and charges smaller fees than Shipito, Shipito are permanently discounting the shipping, making it much cheaper to ship from them than from Stackry.

I compared them by entering the data from some of my previous packages in the shipping calculators on both websites. A package that cost me just under $100 to ship with DHL from Stackry to DK would only cost me around $70 to ship from Shipito instead with the same carrier. That makes Shipito's slightly higher fees much more feasible, and you actually get a discount of those, too, with a membership.

Of course, it is only an advantage if you ship a lot. For the last 6-8 months, I have consolidated and shipped a package about every 45 days, so if I keep doing that, or maybe every other month, it will still be cheaper for me to pay for that annual membership to Shipito than to keep using the free option at Stackry.

Sorry for the long post. It guess I am turning into an old man ranting at the sky.

[Sifox211]

Originally Posted by Mr. Thomsen

...As for being covered by my credit card, I don't know how that would even work ...

At least as far as the UK is concerned, using a credit card gives you cast iron protection: basically, if you pay for something using a CC and you don't get it, no matter what the reason, the CC company should give you a full refund. I'd contact them asap and notify them of this issue.

It's well known in the UK that if ordering stuff with a lead time you should do this. Examples include people buying furniture which has to be made to order. If the supplier goes bust, anyone who paid with a CC will get a refund. Everyone who didn't ends up at the back of a very long line of creditors.

[tomblu]

Hi everyone.

I currently find myself in somewhat of a predicament. I had a relative visiting USA for a few days this week. As such I decided to treat myself to a few blu-rays (as one does!). I ordered to an amazon collection hub.

Fast forward a couple of days and a few shipments have arrived but one seems to have gone missing. I have managed to get a replacement sent after a lot of messing about on the live chat. Most the items should arrive in time for collection (by said relative before having to head back to the UK) assuming the estimates are correct (fingers crossed, but my faith is low).

If the all deliveries do not make it in time, I am thinking to have amazon re-send the items that weren't delivered in time to stackry (or other alternative if there is a preference on which is best) and then have them forwarded. I got some good deal in all honesty, and also it is possible I will end up with 1/3 of the Dollars trilogy despite ordering all three, so I am invested in completing this order hahaha. Anyway I have some questions if anyone with experience using stackry wouldn't mind answering. I did try and search but couldn't find anything that explained well (may well be me being dumb).

1. How much is it likely to cost me to have say 5 blu-rays forwarded? (this number could be more or less depending on how quick amazon get my orders delivered). I would obviously like to have some kind of an idea of what I'm letting myself in for cost wise before having something sent to my stackry address.
   
   
2. How does the customs work? I believe I am allowed £135 of goods before I need to pay anything. I will most likely fall under this value, but how does customs/stackry know the value of the items? I got some good deals so would that be factored in, or is it RRP? I think I can tell Stackry to change the amount the goods cost, but would I need to do this? and if so how much would it cost?
   
   
3. How does consolidation work, amazon may well send my one order in multiple packages, does that mean I must pay for consolidation, again, how much might I be looking at for this?
   
   
4. Any other tips/tricks

I really hate how much faffing about this is but I carefully curated my purchase and would be annoyed to only get half of it.

Thanks to anyone that bothered to read my message and double if you reply.

[drush9999]

Originally Posted by tomblu

Hi everyone.

I currently find myself in somewhat of a predicament. I had a relative visiting USA for a few days this week. As such I decided to treat myself to a few blu-rays (as one does!). I ordered to an amazon collection hub.

Fast forward a couple of days and a few shipments have arrived but one seems to have gone missing. I have managed to get a replacement sent after a lot of messing about on the live chat. Most the items should arrive in time for collection (by said relative before having to head back to the UK) assuming the estimates are correct (fingers crossed, but my faith is low).

If the all deliveries do not make it in time, I am thinking to have amazon re-send the items that weren't delivered in time to stackry (or other alternative if there is a preference on which is best) and then have them forwarded. I got some good deal in all honesty, and also it is possible I will end up with 1/3 of the Dollars trilogy despite ordering all three, so I am invested in completing this order hahaha. Anyway I have some questions if anyone with experience using stackry wouldn't mind answering. I did try and search but couldn't find anything that explained well (may well be me being dumb).

1. How much is it likely to cost me to have say 5 blu-rays forwarded? (this number could be more or less depending on how quick amazon get my orders delivered). I would obviously like to have some kind of an idea of what I'm letting myself in for cost wise before having something sent to my stackry address.
   
   
2. How does the customs work? I believe I am allowed £135 of goods before I need to pay anything. I will most likely fall under this value, but how does customs/stackry know the value of the items? I got some good deals so would that be factored in, or is it RRP? I think I can tell Stackry to change the amount the goods cost, but would I need to do this? and if so how much would it cost?
   
   
3. How does consolidation work, amazon may well send my one order in multiple packages, does that mean I must pay for consolidation, again, how much might I be looking at for this?
   
   
4. Any other tips/tricks

I really hate how much faffing about this is but I carefully curated my purchase and would be annoyed to only get half of it.

Thanks to anyone that bothered to read my message and double if you reply.

1) 5 BDs may be a low number to make it worthwhile, but I paid $55 to ship 30 BDs recently including consolidation. So not sure.

2) You can value the goods however you choose, but you're only insured for the declared value. Never been issue for me declaring so the total comes to less than £135.

3) Consolidation is $2 per package stackry receive, but maxes out at $24 so can have more than 12 packages and they consolidate to the same price.

4) If you want $10 off use my referral:
https://www.stackry.com/register?referral=7363179

[Modman]

Originally Posted by drush9999

1) 5 BDs may be a low number to make it worthwhile, but I paid $55 to ship 30 BDs recently including consolidation. So not sure.

2) You can value the goods however you choose, but you're only insured for the declared value. Never been issue for me declaring so the total comes to less than £135.

3) Consolidation is $2 per package stackry receive, but maxes out at $24 so can have more than 12 packages and they consolidate to the same price.

4) If you want $10 off use my referral:
https://www.stackry.com/register?referral=7363179

Just to add the first $100 of the value of your package has free insurance, anything over $100 is going to cost you an additional $6.00 - you're not obliged to pay for insurance. If I remember rightly insurance covers only loss not damage.

[Sifox211]

I usually order about five BDs at a time and always choose the cheapest shipping, which is usually around $23. I don’t bother with insurance as its only a little over the included $100 cover and always declare the amount I paid (Criterion sale prices, eg, $20 a disk).