Q: How can I lower my shipping weight?

Repackaging : Removes unnecessary boxes and reduces bulk Consolidation : Combines multiple packages into one shipment OneBox : Optimizes your packaging for the lowest possible volumetric weight 💡 Learn more about it here: Ship Smarter: Add-On Services

Q: When do I have to pay additional taxes and duties to the delivery agent?

Depending on your country’s customs regulations, you may be required to pay duties and taxes upon delivery. If so, your local courier (like DHL or FedEx) will collect the payment before or at the time of delivery. 💰 These charges are set by your country’s customs authority—not comGateway—and are separate from your shipping fee. To avoid surprises, check your country’s import rules or contact your local customs office for estimated duties.

Question 1

What is comGateway China shipping?

Accepted Answer

comGateway now offers a virtual address in Beijing, China. You can use this address to shop from Chinese online stores and ship your purchases worldwide — just like how you currently ship from your US virtual address in Portland.

Question 2

What is the consolidation service?

Accepted Answer

Consolidation, repack and storage are services we offer at your U.S. Address. Use these services (if applicable) to save on international shipping. Manage these services (if applicable) in My Packages

Have two or more packages you want to ship internationally?

Consolidation lets you ship multiple packages from your U.S. address together as one international shipment. This helps you save on shipping costs by avoiding duplicate base charges.

📦 Instead of shipping each box separately (and paying multiple base rates), we combine your packages into one shipment.

Select to ship them all at the same time to save on shipping costs (this will count as one shipment). Shipping them separately will cost much more than combining them together into one shipment.

Why does consolidation save money?

The base charge (for the first 0.5kg) is always higher than the per-0.5kg rate that follows.

So if you ship three packages separately, you pay the base charge three times.

But if you consolidate them into one shipment, you only pay the base charge once.

Consolidation details:

Consolidate up to 3 packages per shipment for free

Additional packages cost $1 each

Prime members get unlimited free consolidation

You can consolidate up to 15 packages in a single shipment

When is consolidation not a savings option?

Some countries charge taxes based on the total value of a shipment.
If combining packages pushes your total over a tax-free threshold, it may cost more in duties.

Always check your country’s import tax rules before consolidating.

Question 3

How can I lower my shipping weight?

Accepted Answer

Repackaging: Removes unnecessary boxes and reduces bulk
Consolidation: Combines multiple packages into one shipment
OneBox: Optimizes your packaging for the lowest possible volumetric weight

💡 Learn more about it here: Ship Smarter: Add-On Services

Question 4

When do I have to pay additional taxes and duties to the delivery agent?

Accepted Answer

Depending on your country’s customs regulations, you may be required to pay duties and taxes upon delivery. If so, your local courier (like DHL or FedEx) will collect the payment before or at the time of delivery.

💰 These charges are set by your country’s customs authority—not comGateway—and are separate from your shipping fee.

To avoid surprises, check your country’s import rules or contact your local customs office for estimated duties.

Question 5

How do I make a Customs Order Declaration?

Accepted Answer

Customs regulations require that we declare the value of all packages shipped internationally from the U.S. The declared value must reflect what you paid for the items inside.

If you bought directly from the merchant:

If the merchant included an invoice, we’ll use that to declare your item’s value

If there’s no invoice, you’ll be asked to declare the value yourself during the shipping process in your account

✍️ You must accurately declare the value

If you used BuyForMe:

No action needed—we declare the value based on your order with us.

Accurate Declarations Are Required

Submitting an incorrect or undervalued declaration can result in serious consequences, including:

Package seizure by Customs

Fines or penalties

Criminal charges in some jurisdictions

To avoid delays, legal issues, or loss of goods, you must always declare the true purchase value of your items—even if they’re gifts, discounted, or secondhand.

✅ When in doubt, use the amount you paid the merchant as your declared value.

Not sure what’s in your package?

Request our Package/Order Checking Service for $5. We’ll open the package and confirm the contents for you.

📧 Email us to request this.

Shipping to China? Read this first:

According to China Customs:

If your shipment contains multiple items, the total value must not exceed RMB2000

If it does, you’ll need to split the shipment (we can help—email or Live Chat us)

If you’re shipping one item, it can exceed RMB2000, but you must still pay all applicable taxes/duties

All imported goods are subject to a country's customs and duties. As limits and regulations vary with different countries, please check with the website of your country's governing authority.

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