Cheapest courier to send international parcels?

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sue-zee

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Hi everyone, I'm new to this forum so hope I'm posting in the right category :)

I'm busy launching my own little online store and would like to market to international clients too. My problem is delivering the items there without the courier charges being more than the actual item and still making it worth while to buy.

I also don't want the checkout to be a tedious process and would like to be able to be upfront with clients as to what shipping will cost them before they proceed to checkout, so would prefer to have a fixed rate.

Are there any couriers that offer a fixed rate / one rate for international parcels? Like the service Courier Guy offers for local deliveries?

My only option at the moment is to use SAPO normal parcels, but I am worried about reliability and it will also take much longer than a courier which might prevent clients from placing an order. SAPO also have the speed service option, which is cheaper than most, but some Zones/Counties are still quite expensive and can be as much as R1200 - R2000 (which in most cases is more than the item itself).

Would appreciated feedback and advice!
 
All private couriers are damned expensive if you want to send abroad. SAPO is a huge risk, but if you are looking at offering affordable shipping abroad, then I would say look at EMS. I have used them a few times. All my parcels are small and under 500g. I use their fastest shipping option and they charge me R450 per parcel.

I used them about 78 times this year alone and all 78 parcels were delivered, mainly in the US, within 7 days (the fastest parcel delivered was in 4 days from handing it in).

Although I hand the parcels to the Post Office, I have yet to get a single package that was not delivered in 7 days or one that went missing (touch wood....)
 
R.V said:
All private couriers are damned expensive if you want to send abroad. SAPO is a huge risk, but if you are looking at offering affordable shipping abroad, then I would say look at EMS. I have used them a few times. All my parcels are small and under 500g. I use their fastest shipping option and they charge me R450 per parcel.

I used them about 78 times this year alone and all 78 parcels were delivered, mainly in the US, within 7 days (the fastest parcel delivered was in 4 days from handing it in).

Although I hand the parcels to the Post Office, I have yet to get a single package that was not delivered in 7 days or one that went missing (touch wood....)
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Thank you for your advice, I think EMS will be the way to go. Luckily there's a post office close to me ;)
 
eehellfire said:
Speak to [MENTION=190249]ScottulusMaximus[/MENTION] (he's on the forum).
https://www.scottshipping.co.za/
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This ^. Had to return two PSU's to Corsair in America. Got quotes everywhere. Ranged from R1000 to R5000. Scott's got it done for about R700-R800 using one of the couriers that quoted me R1500 or thereabout LOL.

For heaven sake, stay away from the Post Office.
 
I know everybody hates Aramex for incoming, but they were 1/3 of the cost for a recent quote compared to DHL for outgoing to China
 
sue-zee said:
Thank you for your advice, I think EMS will be the way to go. Luckily there's a post office close to me ;)
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Mind sharing what you ended up using? I want to sell clothing to international clients but the shipping rates from FEDEX / UPS are more expensive than the items :/
 
Resurrecting this for anyone who has 2022/2023 experience. Scott's Shipping Services is by far the cheapest compared to the couriers I've generated quotes from (DHL, Postnet, Fedex). Am interested in the SAPO/EMS option though, is it worth the risk?

For context, I am trying to sell a few items on eBay
 
hackus17 said:
Resurrecting this for anyone who has 2022/2023 experience. Scott's Shipping Services is by far the cheapest compared to the couriers I've generated quotes from (DHL, Postnet, Fedex). Am interested in the SAPO/EMS option though, is it worth the risk?

For context, I am trying to sell a few items on eBay
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Sapo is never ever ever an option. Unless you want zero stars
 
BUMP, what is a good option to ship to Israel?
 
2025 any updates to EU? Looking to possibly send a phone to someone there if there are any options for R500 or so like Pudco equivalent.
 
Bliksis said:
Not Scott :ROFL:
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It's a a three year old budget model I just wanted to try and send to a family member who had theirs broken so just wanted to try my luck and see if there are any options other than SAPO (whom I won't use as there is like a 30% chance the item gets stolen even though they will be okay in terms of price).
 
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I am glad to notice your startup of an online store together with your international expansion. International shipment creates major difficulties because you need reliability alongside affordable pricing. The following alternatives exist for international shipment:
Your product store can host this service which delivers items tracked and is reliable through its real-time delivery updates. Businesses that need to maintain efficient spending should consider this as a suitable choice.
 
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