We are happy to announce that Meshbottles is now shipping to Canada, the UK, and Australia. We are publishing this press release because there are a few things we wanted to highlight with regards to this new service. Please feel free to share with friends.
As you have probably guessed cross border shipping is expensive. Sometimes outrageously expensive, so after much deliberation, we decided to utilize the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to be able to provide you with the best shipping rates possible, should you wish to place an order from outside the United States. While the USPS has far better rates compared to courier services such as FedEx, UPS, or DHL there is one caveat: customs clearance is done independently and delivery is carried out by the receiving country's national postal service.
Source: Complete Guide to USPS International Shipping (Whitepaper, 2015)
This means that duties, taxes, and other fees might be applicable before your package can be delivered to you. In this case, your local postal service will be in touch to arrange payment. We will do our best to call this out before your purchase to avoid surprises.
In order to master this type of fulfillment, we are going to implement it in phases. In Phase 1 we will be enabling the service to the following 3 countries, with more countries to be added later:
- Canada
In Canada you can spend up to 20 CAD and not incur any duty on your order. GST is 5% and due on any order above 20 CAD. You are responsible for duties and taxes that are collected upon delivery.
- United Kingdom (Great Britain & Northern Ireland)
In United Kingdom you can spend up to 135 GBP and not incur any duty on your order. VAT is 20% and due on any order above 15 GBP. You are responsible for duties and taxes that are collected upon delivery.
- Australia
In Australia you can spend up to 1000 AUD and not incur any duty on your order. GST is 10% and due on any order above 1000 AUD. You are responsible for duties and taxes that are collected upon delivery.
Our shipping rates are based entirely on the Price List of the USPS which is available on-line via the Postal Explorer. The following table is a summary:
Rates are in USD and are current as of March 2018. No markups. We reserve the right to change shipping rates without notice. 6+ bottles, please contact us for a quote.
According to the USPS, First Class Package International (FCPI) is the most affordable postage for sending mail pieces not exceeding 4 lbs. No insurance is included, and deliveries generally take between 7-21 business days, depending on the final destination. Priority Mail International (PMI) includes up to $200 insurance for merchandise for loss or damage, and provides deliveries between 6 to 10 business days.
If you have any questions regarding the above, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us.