Buy from outside of Singapore, deliver by Vpost

aster · Post by **aster** » Tue, 26 Jan 2010 11:08 pm

Be careful about ordering from Amazon.com/vPost. The way to go is to order from... amazon.co.uk (unless you're getting some crazy deal from the .com site that cannot be turned down). But for the most part (movies, tv) you should go to the .co.uk address, and here's why...

First of all forget about vPost when you order from amazon.co.uk. When you use vPost with them then you've lost the plot at the very start, because by delivering to a local address in the UK you are charged the full price for the items that you see on-screen (which include VAT - which is another way of phrasing GST).

If you order from .co.uk directly to Singapore, then the VAT savings (it will be deducted from the final price for the order) will virtually always be greater than the delivery costs, so at the end of the day you get the products delivered here cheaper than UK residents get them with their free delivery.

Tried & tested, I do it all the time.

EADG · Post by **EADG** » Tue, 26 Jan 2010 11:31 pm

GeorgeStevens wrote:
EADG wrote:Again, see my post in this thread about a US-based company to do exactly what some here are looking for, it's tried and tested.
Took a look at your recommended site, MyUS- S$65 to ship a 1 lb package! Probably good if you are shipping a lot, and I would have saved money if I had used them at Christmas, because they repack. But for smaller orders or books, as discussed in this thread, they seem very expensive.

Agree, my friend uses it for big things like guitars and amps he buys on eBay.

Will look into the alternatives you and r.n.t suggested, they look good.

chip · Post by **chip** » Fri, 19 Feb 2010 9:21 pm

Have had spotty service with vpost, but the latest may be the last. We ordered an electronic game board for my son but vpost won't ship it because it has batteries. And now they way they have to charge us $110 to return to shipper!

CopperSquad · Post by **CopperSquad** » Tue, 29 Jun 2010 11:59 pm

For books, it's Amazon and Book Depository (bookdepository.co.uk).

Amazon's shipping has been slower lately and books have been arriving late or not at all. Currently having one a month past ETA. They will resend the package if it hasn't arrived in maybe 4-6 months? That was how far the date they gave me was to "contact them again" if it hadn't arrived by then. That order arrived a week or weeks later. The one that's one month past the ETA has not arrived yet.

Book Depository on the other hand...the books come in 1 week and it's really awesome. Love the speed and been getting the last few books from there.

As for other items that do not ship directly to Singapore, I use Comgateway and they've been great so far. Fast shipments and good service. The live chat makes support really quite instant. Used that a couple of times so far out of the maybe 7 shipments I've made.

Haven't used VPost or Borderlinx, but Comgateway is great for me and I'll just stick to that!

@aster, great tip!

observer · Post by **observer** » Thu, 01 Jul 2010 1:40 pm

I know "ickle" above is a spammer, digging up all the old threads to "recommend" viaddress. But I must respond anyways, I went to viadress' website and its the dodgiest website of all the other companies. So to everyone, please be careful. For a company to rely on spammers as advertising... well, just be careful.

Post by **nakatago** » Thu, 01 Jul 2010 2:34 pm

observer wrote:I know "ickle" above is a spammer, digging up all the old threads to "recommend" viaddress. But I must respond anyways, I went to viadress' website and its the dodgiest website of all the other companies. So to everyone, please be careful. For a company to rely on spammers as advertising... well, just be careful.

the other singapore boards verify observer's, er, observation.

Post by **Strong Eagle** » Thu, 01 Jul 2010 3:05 pm

nakatago wrote:
observer wrote:I know "ickle" above is a spammer, digging up all the old threads to "recommend" viaddress. But I must respond anyways, I went to viadress' website and its the dodgiest website of all the other companies. So to everyone, please be careful. For a company to rely on spammers as advertising... well, just be careful.
the other singapore boards verify observer's, er, observation.

Fixed!

QRM · Post by **QRM** » Mon, 30 Aug 2010 8:16 am

Just an update, so far VShub has been kack, they lost items, takes over a month plus for deliveries, web site says 8 days. When I complained about the first shipment taking a month they assured me the next shipment will be sent by express, the second box arrive almost one and half months later!

VSHUB blamed sing post saying they collected it ages ago, and gave me a tracking number which shows it was just collected the day before!

If they where upfront and just said sorry you are right all our stuff normally takes a month to ship, or we messed up and will put it right then I can deal with that, every time you email them with a problem you get some sort BS back, its like they have a black book of lame excuses next to the keyboard.

Trying Bongo next.

Post by **x9200** » Mon, 30 Aug 2010 8:39 am

I am trying at this moment for the first time http://www.borderlessbuys.com.sg/ aka comgateway via Amex services.

Calmday · Post by **Calmday** » Tue, 31 Aug 2010 12:28 pm

I have been using these guys for many years. I have never had any complaints.

http://myus2.myus.com/

btwang · Post by **btwang** » Sun, 12 Sep 2010 8:31 am

nakatago wrote:I just did some more research.

What I wanted costed 370 USD, Amazon US (530 SGD).
I looked at Amazon France, it costed 399 Euro (834 SGD).
The thing costs 670 SGD locally. Hong Kong and Australia were fruitless.

I was like, "WTF?!?"

Maybe if I keep saying it, I'll finally accept that 670 SGD is ok.

BTW, the vpost option is only for things Amazon US won't ship internationally. I looked at Amazon's shipping rates to Singapore and they looked reasonable. If they'll ship, that is.

With vpost, they'll go by either volume or weight, whichever is higher. Amazon has been known to ship stuff in oversized boxes. I remember about some guy ordering 17 hand towels. All came in separate boxes, all with bubblewrap. Just imagine the volume those 17 boxes took. So, like what many people said, shipping by Vpost can cost you your first born child. Oh and don't forget the GST if your stuff is > 400 SGD.

can we told Vpost a price less than 400SGD to avoid GST?

Post by **sundaymorningstaple** » Sun, 12 Sep 2010 9:38 am

observer · Post by **observer** » Sun, 12 Sep 2010 6:36 pm

aster wrote:Be careful about ordering from Amazon.com/vPost. The way to go is to order from... amazon.co.uk (unless you're getting some crazy deal from the .com site that cannot be turned down). But for the most part (movies, tv) you should go to the .co.uk address, and here's why...

I just reread this bit, and felt like I should say, no this is not quite correct! For movies and TV in bluray, you should always try to order from US, not UK, because of the region restrictions. For blurays (which I often order), Singapore is the same region code as US (Region A). UK blurays will not work here on your SG players!

Post by **Strong Eagle** » Mon, 13 Sep 2010 7:41 am

Singapore is not the same region as the US. The US is region 1. The discs you buy or rent in SG or region 3.

observer · Post by **observer** » Mon, 13 Sep 2010 8:09 am

No, SE you are wrong on this one. Perhaps you mean DVDs. I was talking about blurays. Blurays are on a different region system than DVDs. Again, for those buying blurays, US is the same region lock as SG (Region A).

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