TIP: Shopping online and can't get delivery to Ireland???

sudo911

Ok, so here's a common problem we all face every day.... you find something really nice & cheap online, but only to find that the retailer wont ship to Ireland ARRRGGGHHHHHH!!!!!

Well, I'd thought I'd share my workaround to this problem for those of you looking to avail of those fantastic January bargains..... I too was having it difficult to find someone that shipped to Ireland (sure, you'd nearly throw it across the water!!!) and when I DID find someone that shipped, the costs were WAY too expensive.

Take for example today, I ordered a Yamaha AX-863 home cinema receiver - and the cheapest I could find online was STG£499 - a complete steal of a price and £50-£100 cheaper than most, but no-one selling at this price would ship to Ireland .

The solution?

Paid by Visa and organised my own courier to pick it up at the store and deliver it to me. The catch? A few minutes online entering some data - and believe it or not, the courier was only £19 with DHL!!!!

For the courier check out TransGlobalExpress. They act like a broker, in that you can see the different quotes from the different courier companies.

Hope this helps and serves to be useful!

Sudo911.




List of Companies / Online Traders that do accept this method of shipment.

DO ACCEPT:

Tottenham Court Road Direct - UK - Audio Visual Equipment / TV / DVD / Home Cinema


DO NOT ACCEPT:

Basq

Very useful post..

Much appreciated sudo911.

clint_silver

post of the year.

Should really find some way of keeping this.

Dont know how many times Ive clicked off a site thinking what a bargain, if only they shipped to Ireland.

edit: Just registered and tried it for some parcels I received last week, I would have saved over £30 sterling. :0

mathie

Thanks sudo911.

So when I buy something do I have specify that it doesn't get shipped?
Do most websites allow collection?

PIMPHO

Good stuff! Let us know how you get on with the delivery? Will you get hit with customs charging vat on the item?

Basq

clint_silver wrote: »

Should really find some way of keeping this.

Will sticky it.. or append it to the Charter & Resources thread if there's a bit more interest.

inforfun

Nice one OP!

And come to think of it..... it is a simple solution really....

Whenever i run into the "no delivery to ireland" i always think "ok, feck it, i ll buy somewhere else."

samsamson

Excellent idea, thanks!

banchang

When you use these companies don't you automatically open yourself up to additional taxes & duties which would otherwise (normally) be missed if shipped through the mail ?

I always prefer US Postal Service, & avoid using UPS ever since they arrived at the door in a big brown van & asked me for extras which inflated the cost of my purchase by 25%.

fdevine

banchang wrote: »

When you use these companies don't you automatically open yourself up to additional taxes & duties which would otherwise (normally) be missed if shipped through the mail ?

I always prefer US Postal Service, & avoid using UPS ever since they arrived at the door in a big brown van & asked me for extras which inflated the cost of my purchase by 25%.

If you are buying from the UK as the OP appears to be doing, or indeed the wider European market you will not face any additional taxes.

Buying from the USA or anywhere else outside Europe will usually incur VAT and duty and administration fees when coming by courier.

+1 for the sticky

bittihuduga

so how does this work?

i should purchase online - pay by card - ensure it is store collection
and then ask these guys to collect it for me from store..
is that right?

but do all provide collection from store option if buying online?

Ice_Box

I purchased a very heavy range cooker in a similar way. It was free delivery to anywhere in the UK so I got it delivered to Hales Freight in liverpool who stuck it in their ferry and I collected in a hired van in Dublin. Saved about €1400 at the time.

Cully

+Sticky

I could have saved loads on my recent Electronic Drumkit Purchase :O

And many times I've thought if I could get something sent to a friend in UK or USA, and give my friend money to ship to ireland....

obvious niche actually.

bored_newbie

Seems like a good idea.

I got quoted £37.11 + vat to have a 37" tv delivered from England, undercutting richersounds' price for the same tv.

sudo911

Hi Guys,

Glad it was of use.

I rang the actual store rather than booking online (to confirm in stock, and that they would accept doing it this way). They were more than happy to do it this way, and couldnt have been nicer.

Now, you may get knockback from some retailers about only having the purchaser picking it up rather than a courier for security reasons, but I'm sure you can charm the pants of them to concede!;

MOD: I think sticking this would be a great idea, as it would save people a good few quid (especially giving the current economic climate).

Agree on the VAT/Customs charges as well for imports outside of the EU, but then again USPS doesnt always work out where you dont pay any customs! This was more intended for UK/European purchases. (although I know of a very very good sound store in Germany that ships drumkits for €15!)

Sudo911.

Basq

Stickied.. and fixed the thread title to read "Shopping online and can't get delivery to Ireland???"

podge3

I have used www.interparcel.com a lot over the past few years for this, but the Transglobal crowd look to be even better value.

Thanks OP.

sudo911

Did I miss the apostrophe? :rolleyes: Give me a break, it was 1am!

Basq

sudo911 wrote: »

Did I miss the apostrophe? :rolleyes: Give me a break, it was 1am!

And a 't'..

.. I know, I'm pedantic!

unklerosco

This'll be great for ebay purchases... Cheers

Cully

sudo911 wrote: »

(although I know of a very very good sound store in Germany that ships drumkits for €15!)

If you are talking about Thomann, they don't have the TD-6, and the next version up is too expensive... Even the version down is way more expensive than what I found elsewhere..

Also... Their standard shipping to Ireland is €15, but any order from them over €199 is free...

basquille wrote: »

.. I know, I'm pedantic!

You should be... You're a mod. It's part of the territory :P

rubadub

I was suggesting getting stuff delivered to the couriers in this thread
The couier could be close to the border so cheap. Also you could ring and arrange to get stuff from lots of different shops sent to them, then one cheaper delivery to you. Also allows you get stuff from online stores, with no pickup option. It would cost more to have a courier collect from many shops.

I was wondering about loopholes in this thread

The other idea I recommended before was if you are going to the US, ring your hotel in advance and say you are expecting business deliveries, and confirm it is OK. Then shop around online to US only stores, go for out of state stores so there is no tax. The postage should be cheap within the US too, and less risk of customs trouble.

A mate of mine used to ring taxi firms, get lads to go to late night takeaways and buy him stuff, then stop in petrol stations and get smokes etc, all delivered to him, they knew his number so new he was going to pay up.

There are people in the US and UK who will forward items onto you. A woman in the US will even go out shopping for you. If you found the equivalent of a US bargain alerts site you could spot bargains in shops and pay her to get it for you. Again you can get multiple items from several shops sent to her.

unklerosco

rubadub wrote: »

The other idea I recommended before was if you are going to the US, ring your hotel in advance and say you are expecting business deliveries, and confirm it is OK. Then shop around online to US only stores, go for out of state stores so there is no tax. The postage should be cheap within the US too, and less risk of customs trouble.

Most of the online stores I've seen wont ship to hotels... I was gonna do this while I was there. The other option is to get items shipped to Fed Ex, UPS etc pick up points...

Corholio

Would this work for example, ordering an xbox from game.co.uk or hmv.co.uk etc as they dont ship something over 1kg to Ireland? and if it does how would i go about doing it? Seems like a great thread though OP

_Whimsical_

rubadub wrote: »

There are people in the US and UK who will forward items onto you. A woman in the US will even go out shopping for you. If you found the equivalent of a US bargain alerts site you could spot bargains in shops and pay her to get it for you. Again you can get multiple items from several shops sent to her.

Have you found many UK services that offer mail forwarding?
I've only found one.www.my-uk-mail.co.uk. It works like the US service you mention.You get a mailbox for a month and can send whatever you like to it.Then they will forward all your packages to you together or individually if you prefer.They will also buy online on your behalf if the company you wish to buy from will not accept non UK registered credit cards.

There's an initial charge of £7 to set it up.Then you either pay £10 per month for the mailbox or £50 for a full years use.The posting on charges seem ok.Looks like a good option if you want to buy many small items in the UK. Would be ideal though if you could find someone to share the mailbox over a year and split the cost with you.

I would love to know if people are using a cheaper or better alternative.

sudo911

Corholio wrote: »

Would this work for example, ordering an xbox from game.co.uk or hmv.co.uk etc as they dont ship something over 1kg to Ireland? and if it does how would i go about doing it? Seems like a great thread though OP

I wouldnt see why not.... the key will be to ring the local stores up North and pay for the product and then get them to put it aside and say a courier will be into the store to pick it up on your behalf.

I know richer sounds deliver south for £10 - so I'm sure you'll probably get it cheaper than coming in from UK.

kilkennykitten

Just wondering about ordering some electronic goods from play.com, don't know if you can collect from them but could you deliver to the courier instead maybe.

sudo911

Dunno about getting it delivered to the courier - cant see that happening, unless it was a smaller courier.

Again, if it was me I'd ring to see if it could be picked up from their warehouse where everything is being dispatched from. They will have couriers coming in and out of there on a regular basis throughout a day, so cannot see an issue.

Just thinkint that this might not work for online companies such as Amazon, Play etc - but you should all report back to this thread as to who does accept this method for shipment and those that dont.

MOD: Is there someway to track this - i.e.. keep a record for people so that they can quickly see who does and does not accept this method of shipment?

Cully

sudo911 wrote: »

MOD: Is there someway to track this - i.e.. keep a record for people so that they can quickly see who does and does not accept this method of shipment?

Couldn't you update the first post with a list every time someone posts info?

sudo911

Cully wrote: »

Couldn't you update the first post with a list every time someone posts info?

Good idea Batman! I'll get the ball rolling....

Basq

sudo911 wrote:

Good idea Batman! I'll get the ball rolling....

Fine for now.. but after a day or two, you won't be able to edit that OP.

I'll keep it updated then though.

sudo911

basquille wrote: »

Fine for now.. but after a day or two, you won't be able to edit that OP.

I'll keep it updated then though.

Cheers!

nobeastsofierce

Awesome thread all round guys, and a couple of people touched on something I'm very interested in, that being delivery from US sites. can you generally get stuff delivered from sites like newegg to fedex dropoff points, and then onto ireland?

Realising I'd prob get stuck with the customs more often than not, it could still work out well, unless fedex shipping is REALLY out there

unklerosco

nobeastsofierce wrote: »

Awesome thread all round guys, and a couple of people touched on something I'm very interested in, that being delivery from US sites. can you generally get stuff delivered from sites like newegg to fedex dropoff points, and then onto ireland?

Realising I'd prob get stuck with the customs more often than not, it could still work out well, unless fedex shipping is REALLY out there

As was said earlier, there are people who offer this as a service(google) but the chances are still there it could get stopped by customs.. I usually order stuff from ebay in the US. Everything I've gotten via USPS comes in duty free... Fed Ex, DHL etc all have their own customs checks so ur deffo gonna get charged with them.

What I said earlier about getting stuff sent to Fed Ex points etc only makes sense if ur gonna be in America to collect it, otherwise ud have to get Fed Ex to send it onto you and they're gonna collect the customs charges. Last thing u want as all these companies charge you on top of the customs charge...

What I've started doing recently is getting stuff sent to my cousin. Shipping within the us is usually free from online stores.. He then just sticks it in the post to me... :p

DonJose

I have a US PO Box with www.myus.com Really handy for buying stuff on Amazon.com or Ebay and other sites that dont ship to Ireland. Yearly premium membership is $60 and they ship via Fedex/DHL and a 10kg parcel costs around $120 to ship. It really saved my ass in Xmas 2007 when I couldn't find a Nintendo DS anywhere in Ireland, got it on Amazon.com for €100 with free game

sudo911

DonJose wrote: »

I have a US PO Box with www.myus.com Really handy for buying stuff on Amazon.com or Ebay and other sites that dont ship to Ireland. Yearly premium membership is $60 and they ship via Fedex/DHL and a 10kg parcel costs around $120 to ship. It really saved my ass in Xmas 2007 when I couldn't find a Nintendo DS anywhere in Ireland, got it on Amazon.com for €100 with free game

Hey, now that's an excellent resource.... dont see shipping options with USPS though... so you would be caught for customs....:(

rubadub

unklerosco wrote: »

As was said earlier, there are people who offer this as a service(google) but the chances are still there it could get stopped by customs.. I usually order stuff from ebay in the US. Everything I've gotten via USPS comes in duty free... Fed Ex, DHL etc all have their own customs checks so ur deffo gonna get charged with them.

Same here, no charge via USPS. I think the woman I heard of gave you the choice of who you want to use. Also I would say she might use some tricks if you wanted. e.g. unpack your goods, stick them all in a box with a personal letter as though you left them there or something.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055204527

Headshot

just wondering could someone give me some advice

i looking to buy some furniture from ikea in belfast

im not driving for 4hrs to belfast, so im wondering could i get a courier
to go and collect it, if i get ikea belfast to agree
plus iv no idea how to get there anyway

i rang ikea and was quoted a price of 100 pound to deliver to ireland

so thats out of the questions


any recommendations

signman12

Ikea belfast is beside belfast city airport,
but remember Ikea in ballymun dublin is supposedly opening it's doors in feburary, so this might be a better option for you

Headshot

signman12 wrote: »

Ikea belfast is beside belfast city airport,
but remember Ikea in ballymun dublin is supposedly opening it's doors in feburary, so this might be a better option for you

but i heard it could be late 2009 for dublin ikea?

signman12

sorry just read ikea's press release

"Company sources said it would be ready to trade feburary 2009. However, its opening date could be held up until January 2010, because of delays completing the upgrade to the M50motorway."

it would be nice to see actual work going on to finish the m50

butts

Thanks OP. I've been on the look out for a micro hifi with DAB and found my options limited because Pixmania.ie doesn't list DAB sets and Amazon and the sellers on it rarely ship to Ireland. Superfi.co.uk do deliver to Ireland for £30 and comwales.com for £25 (but they don't list any DAB sets). If I get my micro hifi using your approach I'll make sure to post again in this thread.

rubadub

I wonder where the cheapest dell store is in the EU? You might have to find the right combination, a country with cheap post/couriers and cheap goods.

drunkmonkey

rubadub wrote: »

I wonder where the cheapest dell store is in the EU? You might have to find the right combination, a country with cheap post/couriers and cheap goods.

you mean goods are cheaper in other EU countries?:eek:

super_freddie

Hi,

Some very useful info on this thread already!!

A specific query in relation to eBay though... a lot of auctions won't let you bid if your eBay registered address is in Ireland e.g. if the auction has UK as the only shipping destination. Any way around this?

Thanks,
super_freddie.

unklerosco

super_freddie wrote: »

Hi,

Some very useful info on this thread already!!

A specific query in relation to eBay though... a lot of auctions won't let you bid if your eBay registered address is in Ireland e.g. if the auction has UK as the only shipping destination. Any way around this?

Thanks,
super_freddie.

Email the seller beforehand and ask them to add u as a bidder or else change ur address to a UK one.. I've a UK, Irish and US address on my account. I can just go in n swap em over when I go to bid...

super_freddie

Thanks for that unklerosco. I've tried emailing the seller a couple of times but invariably they just don't bother modifying the auction especially if they're getting sufficient bids already...

In relation to having a UK / Irish / US address ... I know you can have more than one shipping address, but can you have more than one registration address? I was trying to do that but couldn't figure out how you could do it. Also, does it have to be a valid address in the particular country?

Thanks,
super_freddie.

unklerosco

Nope for the UK just change ur country to UK and add a UK postcode..

super_freddie

Cheers ... and for the US, just a valid US ZIP code?

dealhunter

I know of a service similar to this between the Northern Irl and the Republic. Had a monthly shop from Sainsburys delivered for €20 to Dublin saved a packet. Then used the service to get a TV delivered for €40 and saved €250 on the same TV in power city!!!

pcolan

dealhunter wrote: »

I know of a service similar to this between the Northern Irl and the Republic. Had a monthly shop from Sainsburys delivered for €20 to Dublin saved a packet. Then used the service to get a TV delivered for €40 and saved €250 on the same TV in power city!!!

Any links?