But, it is also known that getting some of those gadgets is a very hard affair as international shipping is limited. And our infamous Customs department makes things much more harder. All this restrictions have led to either people using their friends and relatives, travelling abroad, as carriers or using small services like ShopandShip and iBhejo. Since last few years, the online e-commerce scene in India has seen a major boom and thus importing things from aboard has been fading away slowly as most of the gadgets are available here. And moreover, the process of importing things from USA(or UK) is much easier with the help of the following services. Disclaimer: International shipping laws and duties are complex matters. One buyer may get his/her item intact while another may face loss in transit, even when ordered the same item using same service. So, this list only shows the services which are popular and we can’t guarantee that your experience will be hassle free. As such, do exercise caution before using them. The main feature of this is that you don’t have to deal with customs at any step. Neither you need an international credit card as you can pay in Indian rupees. The final price you pay for a product contains shipping charges as well as import fees. All in all it’s a nearly hassle free service.
2. Borderlinx
Second, you will need a Credit card or Paypal account to make payment. This is particularly a major hindrance as many people in India don’t use Paypal and have Debit cards which don’t work for international payments. But there is a work around for this given at the end of the article.
3. eBay Global Buy
Which One Should I Use?
Borderlinx has an advantage that you can order from any site that ships to USA. But you will have to find out the the shipping cost and duties yourself, using their calculator. One thing to note is that eBay coupons are also applicable on eBay Global Store items so you get a discount of 8-9% if you have a coupon. And below are some of the tips which can help in the process.
Many of these shopping sites require a international credit card or Paypal for making payment. If you don’t have any of them, you can use a virtual VISA card service like Entropay to make a payment in foreign currency.Before buying, make sure the item is permissible to be imported to India. You can find the list of prohibited items here(doc file download).Many international websites will detect your location from your connection and will only show products and deals for international customers. To get around this, use an VPN connection. Preferably use a paid plan, as you are going to use for financial transaction. We have some options.International shipments require signed delivery and sometimes you also need to give the delivery personnel a copy of your ID.
To conclude, these three are not the only providers of this service. There are many more small sites online,and still more offline, but obviously your experience will vary. If you know any other such site that you use or have doubts, do share with us through comments.
