Safest way to send a gift from USA to Vietnam

10POSTS

11 years ago

I was advised to post this topic here as it would give me a better response.

I live in the USA near Little Saigon, Orange County. I have a family member in Vietnam whose birthday is coming up soon. I want to buy him a gift here in the US, then ship it to him in Vietnam.

In the past, I have used the company "Zippost" to send him chocolate, and it worked without a hitch. This time, I plan to send him a more expensive gift (costs A LOT more than chocolate). I don't know if Zippost is right for expensive gifts (worth over $100 USD).

I do not know any reputable shipping companies. I have researched shipping services online in Little Saigon and all of them either have no reviews or negative reviews. I am afraid that the gift will be stolen or lost if I send it.

Which company can I trust to send my gift to Vietnam? Is insurance available? If it gets lost, I want to be fully covered by insurance. Will there be any additional issues (taxes on the gift, etc)?

1 member reacted to this post

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Budman1 ViP

1612POSTS

11 years ago

Without hesitation I can recommend, as a few other members here can:

golden-freight.com/index.html

Get a hold of the POC Christine she'll take care of it.

1 member reacted to this post

spajcte Guest

0POSTS

11 years ago

For what i have heard, is that you cant send use Electronics, not sure what you are sending. Just a Heads Up!!

Now I personally havent spoken to any of the companies myself, dont even know what companies are out here.

I'm sure you will get feedbacks/informations from expats that either work in the field or have more knowledge/contacts with companies here in Saigon.

Good Luck

1 member reacted to this post

charlesle9 Member

10POSTS

11 years ago

@sbonilla75, I'm sending a new electronic. Worth +$100. I'm not sending any liquids, weapons of mass destruction, or anything like that!

@Budman, thanks for the suggestion. I'll look into that.

rubytran7691 Active member

47POSTS

11 years ago

I think best is you ask friend,who is going to visit vietnam. Because its so difficult to trust vietnam post.

1 member reacted to this post

rubytran7691 Active member

47POSTS

11 years ago

Ask who is going to come vietnam, then they can bring to help you

charlesle9 Member

10POSTS

11 years ago

I know no one that is going to Vietnam anytime soon. My only other choice is to book a flight and go to Vietnam myself.

For those here who have experience with this company, how reliable is Golden Freight?

JasonBourne1 Member

18POSTS

11 years ago

To the OP: I would not ship it. I understand your options are severely limited and personally, I myself have never shipped anything from America to VN because I go home quite frequently but I know first hand of many many people who have shipped electronics, and it's rarely a smooth process. Things get "lost" somehow, and if they don't get lost, be prepared to have to pay a bribery fee. How much that is depends on what it is and who you're dealing with exactly. You mention that it's over $100 but that doesn't really help us out that much. Care to share exactly what it is? That way maybe we can help you out a little more.

Jason Bourne

2 members reacted to this post

charlesle9 Member

10POSTS

11 years ago

@ The Bourne Identity

It's an iPad. It cost me a lot of dough. Budman recommended Golden Freight and I'm am considering sending the iPad with that company. I still feel iffy about sending anything expensive to Vietnam because there is a very high chance of theft.

But for those who have sent expensive gifts via Golden Freight, how was the service? Is there insurance available?

milkybunnyHCM Serial expat

329POSTS

11 years ago

#10

My friend gave me the suggestion of shipping it to a company. She said if it's marked with an obvious business like ____ International School, they don't give any trouble. She swears by this technique so she has all her gifts from Ireland sent to the International school she works at.

charlesle9 Member

10POSTS

11 years ago

#11

I don't have the luxury of using the international school method.

I have not heard any personal experiences from members using Golden Freight. Now I feel iffy about sending the iPad.

Happy8888 Serial expat

563POSTS

11 years ago

#12

Send it DHL, door to door .If no one is home on the Vietnam end , they will ring the receiver and organize a mutually acceptable time to deliver. They will not release the goods without a signature. Insurance will cost 1.9% of the shipped items value.

2 members reacted to this post

DanFromSF Serial expat

615POSTS

11 years ago

#13

Happy8888 wrote:
Send it DHL, door to door .If no one is home on the Vietnam end , they will ring the receiver and organize a mutually acceptable time to deliver. They will not release the goods without a signature. Insurance will cost 1.9% of the shipped items value.

Won't DHL (and FedEx) potentially hit him with an import tax of up to 100% of the declared value?

charlesle9 Member

10POSTS

11 years ago

#14

On the DHL site, it says their insurance is assessed by the weight of the item, not the value. An iPad is a small weight, and the insurance will likely cover a fraction of its value.

I'm prepared to bring the gift to Vietnam myself, but I don't have enough money for a flight right now.

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Happy8888 Serial expat

563POSTS

11 years ago

#15

Sorry, you are right about the weight, which would be cheaper than the value anyway and certainly a lot cheaper than buying a ticket here . I recently sent 15kgs of " stuff" here and didn't pay any import duty

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charlesle9 Member

10POSTS

11 years ago

#16

Happy8888 wrote:
Sorry, you are right about the weight, which would be cheaper than the value anyway and certainly a lot cheaper than buying a ticket here . I recently sent 15kgs of " stuff" here and didn't pay any import duty

Do you have any other suggestions for me? I won't use DHL due to their insurance policy.

Happy8888 Serial expat

563POSTS

11 years ago

#17

You have 3 choices 1/ send it by post 2/send it by courier or 3/ bring it yourself. You pick

charlesle9 Member

10POSTS

11 years ago

#18

Happy8888 wrote:
You have 3 choices 1/ send it by post 2/send it by courier or 3/ bring it yourself. You pick

For now, I pick the courier service since it provides tracking. What company/companies do you personally recommend?

Happy8888 Serial expat

563POSTS

11 years ago

#19

DHL,UPS,FED EX etc etc etc .Use google

2 members reacted to this post

Budman1 ViP

1612POSTS

11 years ago

#20

I used GF last year to ship a sensitive piece of electronic's. They ship air cargo with China Airlines out of SJI to TSN. Then sent it down to me here in the Delta. It appears they have there own system of clearing cargo and door to door service. Although what I had them ship was a little more expensive than a Ipad it was critical for it to be cleared at TSN and not enter the VNPT system, which it never did. If the need arises I would use them again with out a doubt.

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charlesle9 Member

10POSTS

11 years ago

#21

Budman1 wrote:
I used GF last year to ship a sensitive piece of electronic's. They ship air cargo with China Airlines out of SJI to TSN. Then sent it down to me here in the Delta. It appears they have there own system of clearing cargo and door to door service. Although what I had them ship was a little more expensive than a Ipad it was critical for it to be cleared at TSN and not enter the VNPT system, which it never did. If the need arises I would use them again with out a doubt.

Alright I decided to use Golden Freight to send the iPad.

I read this post: fedex.pissedconsumer.com/never-ship-to-vietnam-20100919199069.html

Based off that, I felt the iPad had a very high chance of being lost.

if GF really does have their own system, then I feel more assured.

Budman1 ViP

1612POSTS

11 years ago

#22

charlesle9 As I said before I wouldn't hesitate to use them again, however you really need to get a good cost estimate from Christine. They did door to door service for me from SJ to my house down here in the Delta,. I'm sure your costs will be less expensive because the item (Ipad) will be delivered in Saigon.

charlesle9 Member

10POSTS

11 years ago

#23

I emailed Christine about sending the iPad from USA to Vietnam. She said it is $75 + $25 shipping = $100 including insurance.

I don't live in San Jose. It's a six hour drive from my house to there. I will contact her later about payments.

tomkat70 Contributor

194POSTS

11 years ago

#24

charlesle9 wrote:
I emailed Christine about sending the iPad from USA to Vietnam. She said it is $75 + $25 shipping = $100 including insurance.

I don't live in San Jose. It's a six hour drive from my house to there. I will contact her later about payments.

Hi Chareles9,

Why don't you send your family member the money and he can buy the ipad himself or whatever he likes. It's better than all the hassles and worried. Since you said you live in Little Saigon, you can use the company called " Gui Tien Le." to send out the money. The cost is only about $1 per $100. Plus all the electronics bought in Vietnam will carry a warranty in case it break down. An Ipad in Vietnam is probably cost about $50 US more than the states.

Tom

AmericanEnglishVN Active member

33POSTS

11 years ago

#25

Budman is right.

I use Golden Freight in San Jose all the time. You can send your item to them in San Jose via US DOMESTIC MAIL and they will forward to Vietnam by Air Freight. It then arrives in HCMC 5 days later. They have their own system worked out with customs. You pay when you pick it up at their office in Tan Binh or when you have your package delivered to you (in HCMC). Otherwise you can pay by Visa or MC.

If you want to buy a bunch of items from different vendors in the states (Amazon, Macys, Walmart, Safeway, etc...), just go online and purchase all the items but have them sent to Golden Freight's address in San Jose (Attention: "your name" on the shipping label) and then email them all the tracking numbers. They will then consolidate and repack all your items into one box for you.

Please Note: Be sure to ask them for 2 price quotes - one Port to Port (no customs - you go to the airport and walk it thru/do your own) and the other Port to Door (delivered to your home in VN and customs paid for you). Then you can see the difference what they are charging you for customs. IMHO, it's almost always worth paying the extra money to have them handle the customs for you. You can, however, save a little money if you agree to pick up at their office in Tan Binh instead of having it delivered to you. It also seems to be a little faster that way too (Their office is located near Superbowl). Or you can take the gamble of paying 1.15 usd a pound and walk it thru customs on your own, though I don't recommend this unless you really know what you are doing (I've heard some real horror stories).

Their rates are as follows:

PORT TO PORT

1.15 usd per pound to the airport (25 lb minimum) (no customs included, you have to do your own)
15 usd doc fee at airport in HCMC
35 usd packing fee (multiple parcels/no extra charge)

DOOR TO DOOR (HCMC)

3.50 usd per pound ( 15 lb minimum) customs included (for most items like clothes, food, etc...)
No doc fee at airport
35 usd packing fee (multiple parcels/no extra charge)
Some customs surcharges may apply for high value items like phones, laptops, etc.....So you should email them beforehand to get a quote if you are ordering something of high value.

They also offer a shopping/pickup service if you need something from Costco, Ace Hardware, etc.....and they can ship perishable items with dry ice (for a slightly higher fee).

1 member reacted to this post

AmericanEnglishVN Active member

33POSTS

11 years ago

#26

If you are in Little Saigon (southern California), there are a ton of other businesses there just like Golden Freight. Try Vien Dong Shipping on Bolsa Avenue. They appear to offer the same service.

viendongshipping.com/

spajcte Guest

0POSTS

11 years ago

#27

Hello iv been using golden freight as well . My last few boxes have been over charged by weight by quite a bit. Im in the process if looking for a new shipper. Christine doesnt reply in a timely manner

spajcte Guest

0POSTS

11 years ago

#28

I have sent nearly 10,000 usd of goods through GF in the last year. I sent it all to the airport 1.15 a lb. Including electronics and projectors . Tp cases of vitamins . You walk it through customs. You are the first person to open that box. In front of customs. I even shipped a mermory foam bed. I have never been charged duty. The customs people there are reasonable. Just tell them you will taking the item back out of the country when you go. . I have never gotten anything broken in my boxes. Even fragile projector lamps. The down side. GF is not good for following up on your tracking numbers and informing you what they have. And my last box I was charged 86lbs and it wss only really 66lbs. And no I wasnt charged dimensional weight. Also when I first started shipping with them they used width by length by height divided by 166. =dimensional weight now they divid by 116. To jack up the price.

zhscott New member

6POSTS

11 years ago

#29

I found the problem to be less about the company shipping something, and more about VN Customs. They stop many things of any value and in the end, I just told people to not send anything.

-JohnD- Serial expat

257POSTS

11 years ago

#30

I sent CASH (yes, I know) via USPS Registered Mail and it took three weeks, but it got there intact.

They keep it under lock and key (or so they say) the entire route. On the customs form, I wrote "Papers" 'cause I send bills, not coins.

That said, I like the idea of sending funds so that he can buy the iPad there.

It's good to know about the service to send money... thanks to all!

pilotadamp Banned

81POSTS

11 years ago

#31

It's easy - don't send it unless you want it to go missing or for Customs officials to 'hold ' it permanently. Still too much corruption in Vietnam and in my opinion it is highly structured

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spajcte Guest

0POSTS

11 years ago

#32

When picking up my boxes .I have never had any problems with customs. One time I had like 12 quart size vitamin bottles and other supplements. No questions asked. They were always polite and it doesnt hurt to be friendly and make the laugh

spajcte Guest

0POSTS

11 years ago

#33

they have excellent foreign choc in vn....sed money so they can buy wht they want

pilotadamp Banned

81POSTS

11 years ago

#34

crazy fuss wrote:
When picking up my boxes .I have never had any problems with customs. One time I had like 12 quart size vitamin bottles and other supplements. No questions asked. They were always polite and it doesnt hurt to be friendly and make the laugh

Naieve!!!

spajcte Guest

0POSTS

11 years ago

#35

Hows that naive? I have been shipping boxes to the airport every three months for two years. Customs are no different than cops here. They are looking for easy money. I found with a smile and some humor they are really quite nice.they drop a fee hints of wanted cash I make a joke back at them they move to an easier target.same as the police in my town. Iv sat in their trucks for an hour with my motorbike until they finally laughed and told me to get lost. Now when they see me they laugh and wave. If you make yourself an easy target they will get you. Im making over 8,000 usd a month here teaching with my viet wife. Youre most likely one of those hacks that is more than happy earning 1200 usd a month. Whos naive? I see holes in the system and I grab them.

Julien Founder

53176POSTS

11 years ago

#36

Hi there,

can we please re-concentrate on the topic ?

"Safest way to send a gift from USA to Vietnam"

Thanks !

DanFromSF Serial expat

615POSTS

11 years ago

#37

Back on topic: Did the OP ever get the iPad shipped over? Anyone? Bueller?

I do believe Serial expat

359POSTS

11 years ago

#38

zhscott wrote:
I found the problem to be less about the company shipping something, and more about VN Customs. They stop many things of any value and in the end, I just told people to not send anything.

In the last 7 years nothing has gotten through Vietnamese mail service, nothing. I would guess any well known international courier would be the best bet but can be expensive.

mcjerrybello Member

1POSTS

9 years ago

#39

hi this is Jerry, hey there is everything you need or want in VIETNAM I learned that it is safer and cheaper to just send the money by Western Union because if the item get damage in the mail your love one will not be able to enjoy it, yes you get pay for it but it is very inconvenient.also you will have to pay additional taxes. my experience is that your love one will be happy to get the money in just minutes after the transaction is done and you know that is always fun to go shopping a lot of people work very hard very long hours and shopping is a way of relaxation. in my visit to Vietnam i was very impressed with the beauty of the country and it people.there is more i will love to import from Vietnam than to export.

spajcte Guest

0POSTS

9 years ago

#40

mcjerrybello wrote:
hi this is Jerry, hey there is everything you need or want in VIETNAM I learned that it is safer and cheaper to just send the money by Western Union because if the item get damage in the mail your love one will not be able to enjoy it, yes you get pay for it but it is very inconvenient.also you will have to pay additional taxes. my experience is that your love one will be happy to get the money in just minutes after the transaction is done and you know that is always fun to go shopping a lot of people work very hard very long hours and shopping is a way of relaxation. in my visit to Vietnam i was very impressed with the beauty of the country and it people.there is more i will love to import from Vietnam than to export.

Do you realise that this thread is 2.5 years old.