# Using Amazon to send items to Dubai



## telecompro (Apr 4, 2013)

Hi Guys,

I have tried to buy things from amazon and get the sent to Dubai with no success. It does not deliver to Dubai. I have tried to look for the items in amazon international but it does not have everything in there which different to the official amazon...

are there any ways to overcome this? i heard of shop and ship but not sure how good is that and whether it is expensive to use or not?

if you have other alternatives - please suggest.

thank you


----------



## Tropicana (Apr 29, 2010)

Aramex shop and ship is ok, it is costing me around ~150 dhs to have a box 3.5lbs heavy delivered so not a bad deal


----------



## Zexotic (Sep 3, 2011)

I use shop and ship and have never had a problem. It's AED 43 for per lb for goods delivered to your door. You can use their website to calculate the shipping. There are a few places where you can ship from using shop and ship: US, UK, Turkey, South Africa, India, Hong Kong/Shanghai.

An alternative that was suggested in one of the threads here is stackry. Check their website for details.

Hope this helps.


----------



## telecompro (Apr 4, 2013)

So it is only 43 per lb and nothing else..are there any taxes or additional charges?
Can i use my office's POBOX? or does it have to my personal address? Whats ur experience here?


----------



## SherifSleem (Dec 26, 2012)

The most professional service is myus.com 
they have free repackaging to minimize dim weight & free consolidation of multiple-store orders .


----------



## SherifSleem (Dec 26, 2012)

Note that beside Actual Weight there are Dimensional Weight , last time i paid $42.58 for 3 lbs with DHL express .
$2.00 fees for myus.com
$40.58 for DHL 
it deliver to Dubai within just 2 days , and DHL express deliver to any address "not POBOX" , but i prefer to receive it at any DHL service point like Mall of the emirates or Diera city center .


----------



## Canuck_Sens (Nov 16, 2010)

SherifSleem said:


> Note that beside Actual Weight there are Dimensional Weight , last time i paid $42.58 for 3 lbs with DHL express .
> $2.00 fees for myus.com
> $40.58 for DHL
> it deliver to Dubai within just 2 days , and DHL express deliver to any address "not POBOX" , but i prefer to receive it at any DHL service point like Mall of the emirates or Diera city center .



Thanks Sherif..I had never heard of them and will check it out..sounds like a good deal.


----------



## Fat Bhoy Tim (Feb 28, 2013)

Canuck_Sens said:


> Thanks Sherif..I had never heard of them and will check it out..sounds like a good deal.


1 - consolidated shipments might push you over the tax threshold of USD 250
2 - they might not include all the invoices, which means you're potentially guilty of smuggling (and avoiding tax).


----------



## Zexotic (Sep 3, 2011)

telecompro said:


> So it is only 43 per lb and nothing else..are there any taxes or additional charges?
> Can i use my office's POBOX? or does it have to my personal address? Whats ur experience here?


Only if the invoice is for above $250. Then you have an import duty of 5%. Under $250 there are no import or other costs. You can't use a PO Box. The delivery is done by Aramex to a place of your choice, or you can collect it from their collection point.


----------



## SherifSleem (Dec 26, 2012)

Fat Bhoy Tim said:


> 1 - consolidated shipments might push you over the tax threshold of USD 250
> 2 - they might not include all the invoices, which means you're potentially guilty of smuggling (and avoiding tax).


My English is not excellent but i will try to make things clear : 

1 - They attach a final invoice with the shipment , it contain all items with description and prices .

2 - Any international shipment in the world must contain a clear invoice describe the items and prices .
without it , DHL - Fedex - Aramex - TNT ..... etc will not accept the shipment .

3 - By US law , no company can export any thing without detailed invoice and description of shipment contents because it's may contain items strictly governed by exporting laws . " for example : Herbal plant called Hoodia you can't get it from US "

3 - Duty and Tax threshold in UAE = 269.99 USD or 1000 AED .

4 - What the problem if my shipment are over 269$ ? i will pay 5% !!
So , if you calculate it , one shipment with DHL for example with one shipping charge + 5% tax will be cheaper than 2 or 3 shipping charges .


----------



## expatsue (Aug 21, 2013)

I don't know if this is of any help. I found this info on amazon.co.uk about their International Delivery Rates & Times . They ship to UAE, see towards bottom of page:

Amazon.co.uk Help: International Delivery Options & Rates


----------



## Emanef (Dec 19, 2012)

Hi guys

Just resurrecting this thread.... I'm looking to buy a couple of books from Amazon. I've tried the big bookstore here in the Dubai mall but they can't get them in (and if they could would take months apparently). What's the cheapest way to get them sent over to Dubai? 

It seems my options are to either buy them and have them sent to my sister in England and get her to have them posted, buy direct from Amazon and have them ship to here (not sure what carriers they use for international) or use something like Shop and Ship or Borderlinx, but I've never used either and not sure how the charges work out. 

And are any likely to incurr additional charges on arrival? The books are fairly chunky, probably up to 1kg each. 

Thanks.


----------



## XDoodlebugger (Jan 24, 2012)

Emanef said:


> Hi guys
> 
> Just resurrecting this thread.... I'm looking to buy a couple of books from Amazon. I've tried the big bookstore here in the Dubai mall but they can't get them in (and if they could would take months apparently). What's the cheapest way to get them sent over to Dubai?
> 
> ...


I use Shop & Ship without issue. It will be about 80AED per KG to ship them here with them. Haven't made the conversion to Kindle?


----------



## Emanef (Dec 19, 2012)

Ah, ok, that's not too bad then, thanks. Do you have to do the order from Amazon and then do the S&S booking seperately? And is it easy to work out the charges for that order before completing the order? I won't know the exact dimensions or weight of the books. 

Kindle is great for novels, etc, where you want to just read through from cover to cover - my wife uses hers all the time - but they're rubbish for reference books, etc. One is a camera reference book and the other a music song book. Both over 300 pages and both need to be easily flick-through-able, which is when the Kindle and tablets fall down!


----------



## XDoodlebugger (Jan 24, 2012)

Emanef said:


> Ah, ok, that's not too bad then, thanks. Do you have to do the order from Amazon and then do the S&S booking seperately? And is it easy to work out the charges for that order before completing the order? I won't know the exact dimensions or weight of the books.
> 
> Kindle is great for novels, etc, where you want to just read through from cover to cover - my wife uses hers all the time - but they're rubbish for reference books, etc. One is a camera reference book and the other a music song book. Both over 300 pages and both need to be easily flick-through-able, which is when the Kindle and tablets fall down!


You provide your shop & ship address to Amazon when you order, it has an address line that ID's you for them. Amazon sends it to the local address then S&S sends it on to you and hand delivers it. Along the way they will tell you weight and cost, you can pay in advance or by Paypal/Credit card before arrival. The only way you know approximate cost is by weight, no dimensional fee that I know of and definitelye wouldn't come into play for books anyway. The shipping weight is usually on Amazon.


----------



## XDoodlebugger (Jan 24, 2012)

XDoodle****** said:


> You provide your shop & ship address to Amazon when you order, it has an address line that ID's you for them. Amazon sends it to the local address then S&S sends it on to you and hand delivers it. Along the way they will tell you weight and cost, you can pay in advance or by Paypal/Credit card before arrival. The only way you know approximate cost is by weight, no dimensional fee that I know of and definitelye wouldn't come into play for books anyway. The shipping weight is usually on Amazon.


Sorry, I meant you can prepay with credit card or pay cash on arrival.


----------



## Emanef (Dec 19, 2012)

That's great, thanks mate, that sounds like it's the best option. Not sure I can wait until our next visitors come out at the end of September!


----------



## Malbec (Jan 2, 2014)

XDoodle****** said:


> You provide your shop & ship address to Amazon when you order, it has an address line that ID's you for them. Amazon sends it to the local address then S&S sends it on to you and hand delivers it. Along the way they will tell you weight and cost, you can pay in advance or by Paypal/Credit card before arrival. The only way you know approximate cost is by weight, no dimensional fee that I know of and definitelye wouldn't come into play for books anyway. The shipping weight is usually on Amazon.


Do you know how long does it take for Aramex to deliver a package from US?


----------



## twowheelsgood (Feb 21, 2013)

@Emanef - do you only know one lot of people coming out ? At my company we have lots of folks so its a bit of a train of people going backwards and forwards and people often travel carrying Amazon stuff.

The prerequisite of course is that it comes from Amazon with the paperwork and you can see the order details, to ensure you're not being used as a mule.

I've just carted a lot back to the Uk as it happens - one of the privilieges of a 50+kg baggage allowance.


----------



## Emanef (Dec 19, 2012)

It's the time of year, not many people visiting whilst it's too hot! We'll have a row of people coming from the end of September!


----------



## XDoodlebugger (Jan 24, 2012)

Malbec said:


> Do you know how long does it take for Aramex to deliver a package from US?


About a week.


----------



## expatsue (Aug 21, 2013)

XDoodle****** said:


> I use Shop & Ship without issue. It will be about 80AED per KG to ship them here with them. Haven't made the conversion to Kindle?


Just a warning - Shop and Ship is fine until something turns up damaged. I ordered some lampshades from John Lewis via Shop and Ship and the box arrived completely bashed in, the lampshades likewise. I emailed photos to Shop and Ship in Dubai and eventually (after chasing) got a reply saying they would credit the value of the shades to my Shop and Ship account. a) there was no mention of crediting me with the cost of the shipping and b) I want the value of the lampshades back at least although I would accept a credit for the cost of shipping

Items to the value of of US$100 are covered under their terms and conditions but they don't stipulate how that will be discharged so I don't know how strong an argument I have. Actually the value of the lampshades is not high, it's just the principle of the matter. And I still have not had any further response from them in nearly two months despite chasing...


----------



## Malbec (Jan 2, 2014)

expatsue said:


> [...]
> Items to the value of of US$100 are covered under their terms and conditions but they don't stipulate how that will be discharged so I don't know how strong an argument I have. Actually the value of the lampshades is not high, it's just the principle of the matter. And I still have not had any further response from them in nearly two months despite chasing...


Can't you buy insurance for the product item? This should be usually a % of the value item in addition to the shipping fees. At least this is the case with other forwarders like ComGateway.


----------



## expatsue (Aug 21, 2013)

Malbec said:


> Can't you buy insurance for the product item? This should be usually a % of the value item in addition to the shipping fees. At least this is the case with other forwarders like ComGateway.


Yes they have something called SNS Protect. They say:

Worried about lost or damaged shipments? Don’t be. With SnS Protect, you can shop online with ease and have all of your shipments above US$100 and up to US$2500 or equivalent protected against loss or damage.

Our fees are as follows:

Shipment Value SnS Protection Fee
Up to US$100 No fee*
Every additional US$100 US$1 (or equivalent in local currency)
*Shipments of up to US$100 or equivalent are automatically covered by Shop and Ship as per the Terms & Conditions.

So I fell into the "up to US$100 or equivalent" category covered under their terms and conditions which say "Aramex’s liability for loss or damage is limited to the lesser of (i) the value of the shipment; or (ii) one hundred United States Dollars (USD 100) or its equivalent per shipment, regardless of the nature of the claim. Aramex shall not be liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential damages, such as loss of profit. "

So my shipment is covered but the T&Cs don't say how they will reimburse. However, I feel that reimbursing the value of a damaged shipment (they have admitted it happened while in their care) only as a credit towards any future shipping is a bit of a cheek. I'd be interested in anyone's thoughts.


----------



## Edino (Sep 22, 2013)

I have been ordering via Amazon at least several times per month for more than 2 years, and ship my items via ShopandShip. Aramex knows me so well now, that they deliver the items at my residence address even if I am not at home; they call me if they can drop the item over the gate which I most of the cases agree too. They also deliver on Friday. 

Till date I have not received any damaged items, but I did receive some cartons severely bashed.... I just do not know if this is due to Aramex, or Amazon shipping.....

Ps, its so rewarding to shop with Amazon. Besides that they have the best and cheapest collection, it avoids you from going into a shopping center and from shop to shop, just being told they do not have what you want, or its out of stock...


----------

