Aramex global shopper

[recre8]

I'm really agitated with Aramex again. One package was invoiced using an incorrect HS Code so the duties payable was much high than it should be. I easily managed to get someone to send me the SAD500 and sent back the correct HS Code and was told it would be 15 minutes for the worksheet to be updated and the correct amount payable to reflect.
Fast forward two days.
I have now phoned several times over the last two days, each time being promised it would be 15 minutes and still no change. Esther in accounting is supposed to update the amount, and I phoned her as well and was again told she'll get right on it. Now, it's Wednesday afternoon, two days later, and the package will definitely not reach me by this weekend as I had hoped.

Aramex's shipping is smooth and usually problem free, but any hiccup with customs and the entire process falls apart catastrophically. I mainly blame a few bad apples at Aramex, because updating an invoice is not rocket science.

 

[recre8]

I just received word from Aramex that they can't update my total because:

The below request will be done next week Wednesday due to SAP maintenance
Kindly note that SAP system will be down from Wednesday 23-Oct-2019 (12:00 PM Amman time) up to Tuesday 29-Oct-2019 (08:00 AM Amman time) due to system upgrade activities.

I'm stunned that such a large company can take an essential system offline for a week.

EDIT: Special shout-out to Olivia-Kourtney who assisted me by manually updating my shipment total and helped me make payment be EFT.

 

[MegaTesla]

Has anyone used buyee, zenmarket or fromjapan to buy from auction sites (like Yahoo) in Japan and then used AGS to ship it here?

 

[Dill]

Has anyone bought from Aliexpress using AGS? How do I buy a phone from Aliexpress for the upcoming 11.11 sale? Where do I ship to and how much do I declare the item for?

 

[McSack]

Has anyone bought from Aliexpress using AGS? How do I buy a phone from Aliexpress for the upcoming 11.11 sale? Where do I ship to and how much do I declare the item for?

AGS was great but getting the necessary docs out of the supplier to actually get the phone shipped was another story. Got to the point where I had to dispute the sale on aliexpress and payment was withheld before I got any joy.
Declared what was on my invoice

 

[Dill]

AGS was great but getting the necessary docs out of the supplier to actually get the phone shipped was another story. Got to the point where I had to dispute the sale on aliexpress and payment was withheld before I got any joy.
Declared what was on my invoice

New to this and never shipped with AGS before. Would you explain the process and what documents they require?

Order from Aliexpress and ship to AGS warehouse(Hong Kong or Singapore or Malaysia?). Then from there they require an invoice before shipping to South Africa?

The phone is the Xiaomi redmi note 8 and its going for sale at $150.

 

[DeeinSouthAfrica]

New to this and never shipped with AGS before. Would you explain the process and what documents they require?

Order from Aliexpress and ship to AGS warehouse(Hong Kong or Singapore or Malaysia?). Then from there they require an invoice before shipping to South Africa?

The phone is the Xiaomi redmi note 8 and its going for sale at $150.

First thing you do is add your preferred AGS address to Aliexpress. (My Aliexpress app is totally Hong Kong, right down to the currency).
Contact the seller. Make sure he has stock and is willing to send to HK. If not, most are willing to send insured to New York.
Confirm that he will not include invoice in parcel. This is very important as most Chinese try and "help out" by adding a cheaper invoice. If your uploaded invoice is different from any invoice found in the parcel it is a minimum R2000 fine. Aramex have no say in this, it is levied by customs. There is no appeal.
This happens!! I have been fined twice, both times by shipments via DHL. I am now older and wiser and over R4 grand poorer.
Once parcel is shipped, have patience. HK or NY are busy Origins and it can take 3 days after delivery before you see it pop up on the AGS website.
AGS will email you over and over again, so you will know when to upload invoice.

 

[ItherNiT]

Hey everyone, it seems DHL launched their own version of AGS, I just got an email from paypal.

If anyone is interested: https://www.africa-eshop.dhl/ It seems like mostly US an UK are covered. Bonus for those interested, there was a coupon code (5% off) in the paypal email: PPGIFT
Seems like you need to install their chrome addon or use their mobile app though.

 

[Gtx Gaming]

Hey everyone, it seems DHL launched their own version of AGS, I just got an email from paypal.

If anyone is interested: https://www.africa-eshop.dhl/ It seems like mostly US an UK are covered. Bonus for those interested, there was a coupon code (5% off) in the paypal email: PPGIFT
Seems like you need to install their chrome addon or use their mobile app though.

Considering how quick dhl is, then this might be worth it.

DHL makes aramex look like the post office in terms of getting stuff through customs.

 

[Wisemansa]

The maximum weight for an individual item is 1kg, and the maximum dimensions are 30x30x30 centimeters. If the item is heavier than 1kg the item may be refunded back to your payment method.

 

[Bresder]

I ordered an item on amazon last week Friday, it hasn't arrived yet and was expecting it today as it says on Aramex tracking site. Aramex sent me an email to confirm for custom identity check. I did not get a request for any fees because import fees were included in the purchase. But my problem now is nothing is happening on the tracking site as it only says "in transit" with no further detail explaining what's happening. I phoned Aramex (which was a nightmare to get ahold of them) and they said it's either on it's way or it could be on it's way but may be held at customs... now I don't know what to do but wait.

 

[silver6933]

Aramex 'new' approx date is 15 days later than expected.

The package has now sat in origin country for more than 10 days. All paperwork was in order.

 

[The_Imp_ZA]

Wow. That's a pathetic post TradeKing. What are you on about bud? You a disgruntled customs employee?

Yeah man, I commit fraud on my tiny eBay purchases for parts you can't get here. In fact I'm soo good at it the UK or US eBay seller plays along, Paypal plays along, and I even get a branch manager to forge my stamped in branch bank statements. Everyone's in on it. You know, some say I'm actually Nigerian, just I'm soooo good at bullshitting everyone thinks I'm a white dude.

Catch me if you can.

By the way, the issue I had ended up being resolved. Had nothing to do with fraud lmao, you chop. Unfortunately I don't know what the issue was, neither did the Aramex clerk. I asked the clerk to inform the customs agent that I would not be re-submitting the exact same documents for a fourth time, and for a more detailed report that wasn't just one sentence long on why they kept rejecting my parcel, and a day later it was cleared so yeah, who knows.

Maybe the current issue with customs is that you're at the whims of people who either hate their jobs or get treated like **** or are overworked so they hate their jobs. Instead of making the import process easy, fixing the mess that is SAPO so people don't have to use third party companies, and legitimizing it as a revenue stream for SARS, who really needs all the help they can get to make up that deficit, nah let's keep it obtuse. Everyone's a fraudster, right? I swear this is the only country where people are afraid to import and participate in the global economy because of how convoluted and silly it is.

 

[DeeinSouthAfrica]

By the way, the issue I had ended up being resolved.

Glad to hear that. I think people are swamped at AGS, and a bit of kindness never hurts. Honey rather than vinegar gets things done faster - even if some are total idiots you feel like swinging a cricket bat at!

 

[Tinuva]

I agree that post by @Tradeking is laughable. Most of us are just trying to get our items and dont have time to play the fraud game. That we leave to the expert politicians.

 

[DeeinSouthAfrica]

What people outside looking in don't realise is that fraud its easy to do.
Photoshop the 8 to look like a 6, and voilà, that expensive $800 invoice is now $600.
You've gotten away with it before, so why not again?
Then customs asks for the suppliers invoice and stamped bank statement and - you're screwed.

 

[Tinuva]

What people outside looking in don't realise is that fraud its easy to do.
Photoshop the 8 to look like a 6, and voilà, that expensive $800 invoice is now $600.
You've gotten away with it before, so why not again?
Then customs asks for the suppliers invoice and stamped bank statement and - you're screwed.

Erm its easy to shoplift too, or steal, or whatever. The problem is when you get caught, most people don't want to live with that consequence. Anyways, off topic.

 

[enerdude]

Get 10% off shipping to shop the Singles’ Day sale with your AGS China address.

 

[Gtx Gaming]

Shipment from amazon, taking its time again

Had send bank statements and invoices, which I do have as purchased directly from amazon.

 

[mr_norris]

Hi everyone.

Has anyone dealt with returns and AGS? I am wondering if I'll have to pay import duties for replacements. That would suck

If I don't make sense, I bought Plantronics earphones, they were faulty, so I shipped them back with the good 'ol SAPO. Plantronics then shipped replacements to my AGS address in NY. I suspect I'll have to pay import duties when they arrive here, but it would be nice if I could get around that - it was R500 the last time