How do you package forward apple products from America if you live abroad? And why would you want to?
The answer to the second question is simple.
Apple products are extremely popular all over the world. Although Macbooks, iPads, iPhones, and Apple Watches can be purchased from different countries, many international shoppers prefer to buy their Apple devices from the U.S.
The simple reason is, the retail prices of Apple product is cheaper in the U.S.
This has led to package forwarding companies being used by customers just for the purpose of buying Apple devices.
Smart shoppers can even signup for an Oregon-based virtual address and enjoy the benefit of a sales-tax-free purchase, further reducing the cost savings on buying Apple.
However, in recent years, Apple has started to cancel orders that are made using a package forwarding address.
Today we will look at why this has been happening, and how you can still use package forwarders to ship apple products abroad.
Package Fowarding Apple Products
Why is Apple reluctant to Ship to Package Forwarders?
Apple is reluctant to ship to package forwarding companies for one main reason. A delivery address that doesn’t match the billing address is a sign of fraud.
Apple has very high standards and knows that its products are a target for fraud due to their immense popularity.
They take extra care when orders are asked to be shipped to an address that differs from the billing address. The aim is to reduce the risk of the purchase being illegitimate.
Another red flag in the eyes of Apple is repeat orders being made to the same address.
This happens when a package forwarding company only has one virtual address. All customer purchases are shipped to the same address.
Also, Apple does not want to be liable if something goes wrong during the shipping process. A package forwarding service is one more link in the delivery chain. It is also one that Apple does not have direct control of.
Apple products are expensive and fragile if not repackaged properly. Apple does not want to run the risk of items being damaged in transit due to the negligence of 3rd parties.
How to Package Foward Apple Products
It is possible to use a forwarding service to send purchased Apple devices from America to your home country.
However, it will often mean utilizing the personal shopper feature of most services.
These come in various guises. For example, OPAS and USA2ME both have dedicated “Personal Shopper” features, Shipito calls it “Assisted Purchase.”
Essentially these services differ from your normal package forwarding function. This is because the item is ordered by your provider directly.
Their billing details are used and in some instances a virtual address dedicated to online shopping. Most importantly of all, you order the product through the dashboard of your forwarding account, not the website of the product vendor.
Your service provider (for a fee of course) then takes care of the rest.
This circumvents discrepancies between billing and shipping addresses and helps ensure your Apple product is ordered smoothly without being canceled.
I’m a 25 year veteran of USPS. I’m retired now, but as the editor of Mailbox Master, I can’t quite remove myself from the carrier industry just yet. 🙂