SHIPITO REVIEW 2023

Overview

Founded in 2008, Shipito is a long-running package forwarding service based in the U.S. They offer their services to over 220 nations and territories around the world.

They provide 3 warehouse virtual addresses, one located in California, one in Oregon, and a European-based address in Austria (EU).

This allows Shipito to provide international shoppers and those looking to forward packages abroad, (either for personal or business purposes) to easily utilize the company services no matter where they are based.

In their own words, they state that “Now you can shop in the US using your Shipito mailbox, US address, and have parcels shipped to you anywhere in the world.“

However, how are their package forwarding services when compared to the competition? How do they hold up to the demands of international shoppers, expats, travelers, and business users? Today, we’ll explore its features and prices, customer reviews, and rate its specific services overall.

Our Approach:

For our Shipito review, we have focused on four main questions:

• Is Shipito a good deal?
• Who are their packages best suited for?
• Are there better deals available?
• Who uses Shipito and how did they rate their experience?

Shipito Summary

In our opinion, Shipito is one of the best ways to start forwarding packages around the world. Even free plan users gain access to the U.S and E.U-based virtual addresses. These are also available with no setup fees. Opt for a low-priced paid plan and you can enjoy tax-free shopping available, superior support, and access to the rewards program that provides some quality bonuses based on your usage levels. Assisted shopping is also available.

Business users are well catered to as well, with low annual fees and the opportunity of low processing fees, shipping discounts, and long storage times the more that you use the services. Customer support is good with live chat options available, and they also have a great phone app. Add all of that together, you have what we believe to be the top choice package forwarding service on the market today.

Shipito Pros

• Low monthly fees on with a free monthly personal option
• Tax free shopping from the U.S
• Access to discounts through the rewards program
• Good level of phone and live chat suport (on paid plans)
• Easy to use Android & IOS app
• Bonuses for business users based on service usage
• Package consolidation on all plans
• Assisted shopping services for international shoppers

Shipito Cons

• No mailbox features such as mail scanning, shredding etc
• Individual shipping rates are not the cheapest on the market
• The high priced USA2ME plans offer free shipments. Not available here.
• Choice of only 3 virtual addresses

Shipito Alternatives

Another good option for package forwarding is USA2Me, which benefits from combined virtual mailbox services. Another service that provides a combination of good mailbox and package forwarding features is Traveling Mailbox. US Global Mail is another option for small volume users looking for a bargain.

Shipito Ratings

Value – 4/5

Shipito has various plans for personal and business use
We especially like the fact the plans are split between “Shipito Me” and “Shipito Business” in a clear and transparent way so that you know what you are getting. The former is for personal use and has 2 available plans including a FREE option (free virtual address) on a Pay-as-You-Go model. There are no setup costs associated with the free plan either, (which is better than USA2Me where a $23 setup fee applies). The annual paid plan gives customers access to an award system. The services become cheaper the more you use them.

The business category also has a flat rate monthly or annual fee (depending on what you opt for), with shipping and processing rates being lower the more you use the service each month. Overall, this results in one of the best value for money fee structures on the market. The monthly subscription is low for infrequent users, and those that require higher volumes will gain discounts due to their usage. We are impressed with this.

Customer Service – 4/5

Shipito has live chat support available over long hours
Shipito customer support scores highly in our opinion. The live chat option is available from 4 am to 6 pm, Monday to Saturday, and until 3 pm on Sundays (Pacific time zone). This is one of the most reachable package forwarding services on the market. Telephone (on paid plans) and email options are also available over the same period, however, the latter can be slow to respond. Customer service representatives have generally proved to be helpful. However, some customers have experienced problems, (see comments in the Shipito Customers section below).

Ease of Use – 4/5

Dedicated Android and IOS apps that are simple and easy to use
We always like to see dedicated phone apps when it comes to the mailbox and package forwarding services. This allows for easy mail and package management while on the move. For travelers, digital nomads, and remote workers this is important. Here, Shipito has invested in providing a clear and simple-to-use phone app where you can select all the important instructions for your shipment. The web app is good too, and business users and international shoppers may prefer to use this. Either way, the intuitive interface does mean you will be able to manage your parcels without confusion.

Included Features – 4/5

Shipito has a lot of great features geared towards package forwarding
Even on the free plan, Shipito provides a U.S and EU-based virtual address. Consolidation of packages and free 7-day storage is also available. Storage times go up on the paid plans, along with features such as Tax-free shopping, (via the Oregon-based address) and phone support.

For an extra fee you can also use the “Assisted Purchase” service, which makes purchasing products from U.S online vendors easier, (more on that below). This is the equivalent of the Personal Shopper feature you will find with USA2ME.

On the flip side, there is no cross-over with virtual mailbox services here. You cannot request scans of ordinary mail, or manage anything but packages with Shipito. It is strictly a package forwarding service.

Shipito Me: Price Plans

“Shipito Me” has 2 monthly plans for personal use. One has a free monthly subscription, the paid Premium plan costs $10 per month, (or $60 per year). The Premium plan then offers various benefits depending on the amount you use the service each month.

Free Personal Plan: Free p/mo

The Shipito Free Plan has no monthly fee, meaning you only pay when you ship a package. Plan details include:

• Free monthly subscription
• Free USA and EU virtual address
• Free setup costs (this is better than USA2ME which charges $23 for setting up the free plan)
• Consolidation of packages
• Chat and email support
• 7 days of Free Physical Storage (USA2ME offers 30 day free storage on the free plan)

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Premium Plan: $10 p/mo

The Shipito Premium Plan opens up opportunities for gaining benefits and lower fees based on your monthly usage. You also get longer parcel storage times and access to phone support. Plan details include:

• Free monthly subscription
• Free USA and EU virtual address
• Free setup costs
• Consolidation of packages
• Phone, live chat and email support
• Access to the rewards program
• 45 days of Free Physical Storage (60 days on annual plan)

Shipito Me Rewards Program

The Shipito rewards program is available for premium users that opt to pay annually. This is broken into 5 levels, Standard, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond. Essentially, members earn points through shipping packages and inviting friends to the program. The more points you earn and the higher the level you reach, the more bonuses and discounts you gain.

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Shipito Business: Price Plans

The Shipito Business Plan also opts for a flat rate monthly ($12) or annual ($99) fee, with bonuses based on monthly usage. There is no free plan within the business category, however. Plan details include:

• $12 monthly subscription ($99 annually)
• Free setup
• Low processing fees ($2 – Free depending on monthly usage)
• 45 – 90 days of Free Physical Storage
• Shipping discounts
• Express Mailouts

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Additional Services and Charges

In a departure from many other package forwarding services, there is very little in the way of additional costs involved. This is in large part due to the fact there is no cross-over with a virtual mailbox service here. You cannot request scans of your ordinary mail for example. The main add-on service available with Shipito is Assisted Shopping.

Assisted Purchase

In situations where international shoppers want to purchase products from U.S e-commerce stores, and the vendor has policies in place making it difficult (such as the U.S Apple store), Shipito provides a personal shopper service to help circumvent any issues. This is called Assisted Purchase.

Essentially, you pay for the product using your Shipito account. Simply enter the URL of the product sales page into your Shipito dashboard, pay for the item, and Shipito will then purchase what you need.

It will be shipped to their address and they arrange forwarding delivery for you. Administrative fees apply for this service, however, it can be a good way of obtaining goods where vendor policies obstruct the process.

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Shipito Customers

Shipito is used by expat families, travelers, international shoppers, and business owners that

• Need a U.S or E.U-based virtual address for online shopping purposes or business package forwarding
• Want free access to a package fowarding service for infrequent use, or
• Looking to pay a low annual fee and reap the benefits of discount benefits through more use
• Need assistance buying online from U.S or E.U based ecommerce stores

Here are some verified reviews (from the Trust Pilot website) by people that use Shipito for their package forwarding needs:

“Shipito is such a necessary service and absolute delight to work with, thank you!“

“Took one day to register, another day to send, and four days in total to recieve my package from US to Germany.“

“Good as always. Very fast.”

“I had a great experience. I purchased two candles from an eBay seller in the US. They did not ship to the UK or Ireland. So I signed up to Shipito and set up a Fast Mailout profile. From purchase on 2 October to delivery by DHL on 11 October, I was pleased with the level of communications throughout.”

Contrary to our experience using Shipito, and the many positive reviews online, some customers have experienced problems. On closer inspection, many of these come from free plan users where the customer support is slower.

“I have to say that their support is very poor. Over 1 month ago I made an assisted purchase and although I have wrote 2 times to the support I have not yet received an answer”

“My first package was delivered to them two days ago, with a USPS tracking number, and they still don’t have any track of it. When contacting customer support, I was told to wait.“

“I have people whom I have referred to Shipito and there are now having nightmares with the customer service issues have been going on for 5 months now and no resolution.” 

It is good to see that Shipito answers a lot of the negative comments with a combination of apologies, explanations, and solutions.

Final Thoughts on Shipito

Essentially, Shipito is one of the best ways to start forwarding packages around the world. With the U.S and E.U-based virtual addresses, Tax-free shopping available, free and low-priced personal plans with access to bonuses and discounts, and assisted shopping there is a lot to like here. Business users are well catered to as well, with low annual fees and the opportunity of really low rates the more that you use the services. Customer support is good on the paid plans but can be slow on the free option. We really liked the easy-to-use IOS app. Add all of that together, and you have what in our opinion is the pick of the package forwarding bunch.

However, it is just that… a package forwarding service. There is no crossover with mailbox services here so if you need features associated with that, you will have to combine two providers (Shipito and Traveling Mailbox for instance), or go for another package forwarder.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How is the shipping rate calculated?

The shipping rate for each parcel is calculated based on the destination, carrier selected, the weight of the package, dimensions of the box, and declared value. The Shipito Shipping Calculator will help provide an estimate of shipping rates before you make your order. Watch this video for more information.

Q. What countries does Shipito ship to?

Shipito can ship to almost any country in the world, (the exceptions are mainly due to troubled areas where local infrastructure makes delivery impossible).

Q. Are there any restrictions on items I can send through Shipito?

Yes, please refer to the Shipito Prohibited and Limited Items list for more information.

Q. What about Custom duties and taxes? Are these covered in the shipping fee?

No. Shipito fees include all shipping charges to the country you are forwarding the package to. They do not calculate and include any duties or taxes associated with delivery. You will be responsible for reimbursing the courier for these.