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How do I shop and ship with comGateway? Why should I use comGateway to shop from U.S. online stores that already ship to my country? How do I use comGateway if the store accepts my card but won’t ship internationally? The online store I want to shop in does not ship outside the U.S. Is that what my U.S. Address is for? What if the store doesn’t accept my international credit card? When I buy it myself, who do I pay? How do I ensure that I am shopping the U.S. version of the online store? How do I use my U.S. address? What should I take note of before I checkout with the merchant? Can I cancel my order? Why am I unable to enter my U.S. Address as my shipping address in the merchant page? Can I use my U.S. Address as Billing Address? Which county within Oregon is my U.S. Address located in? Can you buy the item for me when the online store does not accept my international credit card? How do I estimate international shipping weight for delivery time and cost? How can I lower my shipping weight? Are there items I can’t purchase that are prohibited for international shipping? Can I ship lithium batteries or Items containing lithium batteries? Are there U.S. online stores I can't order from? What if I want to ship fragile items like LED/Plasma television sets?

When do I use the BuyForMe Service? Can you buy the item for me when the online store does not accept my international credit card? Can I use BuyForMe service even for merchants that accept my credit cards with a non-U.S. billing address? When you buy it for me, who do I pay? Where do I view my BuyForMe Order? Can I cancel my BuyForMe order? I have paid for a BuyForMe order but some items within my order are now unavailable and have not been placed. When will I be refunded for these items? How may I make a customized purchase from a merchant? Can I use the BuyForMe service to purchase eBooks/e-gift cards from any merchant? Can you auction for items on eBay on my behalf? How long does will it take for my BuyForMe purchase to reach my U.S. Address? A merchant promotion is ending soon; can you help me place my BuyForMe order immediately? How can I check the status of my BuyForMe orders? What are your accepted payment methods?

What do I do after buying from the merchant? How do I update what packages I expect? Why have I received more than one package at my U.S. address for a single merchant order? The merchant has indicated that my package(s) has been delivered to my U.S. Address. Why isn't it displayed in 'Packages at U.S. Address'? It says your office was closed when the courier tried to deliver my package. What happens next? Why hasn’t my package arrived at my U.S. Address yet? I don’t have my item’s tracking number, what should I do? How do I view and manage my packages? Do you have a package checking service? I want to check what’s in my package to ensure that the merchant delivered my items correctly and in good order. What should I do if my package was delivered to the wrong U.S. Address? What if the merchant sent me the wrong item? What should I do to prepare to ship my packages out? Can I ship to China if my shipment is worth more than RMB2000? How do I ship my packages home? Can I ship to multiple addresses from my one account? Can I return a package currently at my U.S. address? How long can I store my packages?

What’s the difference between Standard and Express shipping? How do I make a Customs Order Declaration? How do I track my shipment? When do I have to pay additional taxes and duties to the delivery agent? What should I do when I receive my package from the delivery agent? Why is my chargeable weight for international shipping different from the weight reflected in my Airway Bill receipt? What if I’m not home to receive my delivery? Can I cancel or change the details of my shipment like my delivery address? Can I return a package that I have already received? And do an international return? Will I be subject to U.S. Duties & Taxes when I return my items to the U.S? Where can I access information about U.S. Duties for imports? My package is damaged or lost— can I make an insurance claim? My item was lost in transit. When I bought it, it was US$50 on sale. Now it’s retailing for US$100. What is my claimable amount? What happens if my package is held at customs or rejected at the destination? What happens if the recipient refuses the package at delivery? Are there any addresses/postal codes that your courier is unable to deliver to?

How are shipping fees calculated? What is fuel surcharge? What are insurance fees? Are there any taxes and duties? Are there other fees?

What are your different membership types? What is Lite Membership? What is Basic Membership? What is comGateway Prime? Lite, Basic, or Prime—what’s the difference? How do I qualify for Prime Status? How long does Prime last? What happens when Prime expires? How do I know if I’m a Prime member? What is the Free Shipping Upgrade? I’ve made 6 purchases. Why am I not a Prime member yet? Is Prime worth it? What are CGW Dollars? How do I earn CGW Dollars? What do you do to protect my information? I can’t make payment, what should I do? What is the Business Program? How does the Business Program compare to other membership tiers? Who should join the Business Program? What are the exclusive perks of the Business Program? How do I join the Business Program? How does renewal work? Can I switch from Prime or Basic to Business mid-year? Is the Business Program available to corporate accounts or just individuals?

What happened to secure.comgateway.com & secure.hopshopgo.com? Can I still use secure.comgateway.com & secure.hopshopgo.com? How do I log in to the new system? Can I still use my CGW$ or HSG$? What will happen to my membership?

What’s the difference between volumetric weight vs actual weight?

Shipping weight is based on whichever is greater:

  • Actual weight – the physical weight of your package in kilograms
  • Volumetric weight – how much space the package takes up
📦 If your package is large but lightweight (like a pillow in a big box), the

volumetric weight

Why is volumetric weight sometimes used instead of actual weight?

In international air shipping, space is just as important as weight. Large packages—even light ones—take up valuable cargo room.

That’s why couriers charge based on the larger of the two: actual weight vs. volumetric weight.

How is volumetric weight calculated?

Volumetric weight is calculated using the package’s dimensions:

Length × Width × Height (in cm) ÷ Volumetric Factor

Our courier partners (DHL and FedEx) use the industry standard volumetric factor to determine billable weight.

🧠 We always compare both weights—and you’re charged whichever is higher.

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Heads up: Merchant weight ≠ shipping weight

The shipping weight listed by U.S. retailers (on your order confirmation) is usually based on domestic ground shipping, and does not correspond to international air shipping criteria.

Domestic ground shipping calculations:

  • Might not include volumetric weight
  • May use a different formula altogether

So don’t rely on merchant info for estimating international shipping cost—learn how to estimate your shipping costs here

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