Have a credit card? Will shop!
Citibank Globeshopper is the solution for those who are clueless about shipping online purchases from the USA or UK to the Philippines. It is a better version of package consolidation to the Philippines.
Registration for the service is free. The way it works, a US or UK shipping address will be assigned to you. That’s the shipping address you will then use when shopping in US or UK sites. A notification email will be sent once the parcels arrive in your ‘US/UK address’. These packages can be consolidated for 30 days, and will be sent to your Philippine address upon your ‘go’ signal.
Here’s a more streamlined description of the service (taken from Citi website):
It looks like a really neat service at face value. But the whole thing is actually linked to shopping middleman Borderlinx. Once you click on register, you will be brought to Borderlinx’s website to complete the registration process.
Just an overview, Borderlinx is one of many websites offering shopping convenience for those not living in the US/UK. Other sites include MyUS, vPOST, VIAddress, BongoUS and ComGateway. Sites like these are popular in Asian countries because many US/UK shopping sites don’t ship overseas. It also allows the buyer to take advantage of ‘free shipping’ offers, and then pooling the shipments first before sending them overseas. With package consolidation and forwarding, there are less limits in shopping.
An additional feature of Citibank Globeshopper is the Concierge service. Some websites may not readily accept Philippine-issued credit cards like the BPI classic card and those without a VISA or Mastercard logo. In instances like these, the buyer may contact the Citibank Globeshopper Concierge to purchase the item for them (for an additional fee). The goods will be shipped to the buyer’s assigned US/UK address and follow the same process as regular purchases.
I haven’t tried this service myself, but it seems like buyers from the Philippines should me mindful of all the additional charges, including the tax charges. Borderlinx shows DHL as a partner from their homepage. Veteran online shoppers know for a fact that DHL charges way too much for tax documentation. Another thing to consider is the currency exchange rate.
It’s great to know that products from foreign websites are within reach. Citibank Globeshopper may just be one of many similar services, but I would expect a better customer service from this one since the entire set-up is offered specifically for Pinoys.
Overall, the idea is great, just make sure the item you’re buying is worth shipping overseas for – fees, timeframe and everything else considered.
