How to Start Shopping in the USA – 7 Simple Steps to International Shopping!

America is the main market in the world. Here you can find everything, and at the lowest prices. But if you don’t have relatives or friends in the USA, buying goods in this country is no longer as profitable. Shipping goods to Russia directly is currently impossible due to sanctions, so our service will be an excellent solution. Save on purchases and get all the best deals in Prostobox!

What is a purchasing agent in America?

A purchasing agent in America is a company with its own warehouse that can accept your goods at its address, then process the package and forward it to Russia. It is also called a “mail forwarder,” from mail forward – to forward mail. 

If you have friends or relatives in America, you can also ask them for similar help. Have your packages delivered to their address, and they will forward them to you in Russia. This way you can also save money. But there are pitfalls: it’s unlikely that someone will be interested in regularly helping you without compensation. They may also live in a state that charges tax (from 2% to 15% in the USA), so you’ll end up paying more for your purchases.

Similar delivery services from the USA to Russia are also offered by agents on forums. They simply live in America and don’t mind earning a little extra. In this case you act entirely at your own risk. And you generally have to pay more than when working with large companies that can reduce prices through shipping volumes and even run their own delivery services with the most favorable rates.

In the end, forwarding companies save you several hundred or even thousands of rubles on every shipment from America to Russia. Plus they provide additional services and make the whole process faster.

How it works:

• you register on the website;
  
  
• receive your personal virtual address in the USA (free);
  
  
• enter this address on store websites as the shipping address;
  
  
• packages arrive at the warehouse and appear in your personal account;
  
  
• you choose how to ship them to Russia or other CIS countries and specify the destination (you can do this in advance to speed up the process and get even better rates);
  
  
• pick up the package at the specified pickup point or parcel locker in a few days.

As you can see, the process is simple and requires no time or effort. You simply order packages to a US address instead of a Russian one. And the savings are very substantial. Even if you shop in the USA only once or twice a year, a good agent from America to Russia will give you several dozen dollars in “profit,” not to mention that in many stores it’s simply impossible to make a purchase without a US address.

Why do you need an agent for shipping from the USA?

• Low shipping rates (see our “Calculator”);
  
  
• Free package receiving and storage, free removal of extra boxes;
  
  
• Purchases are made using an address in a tax-free state, so you pay 0% sales tax instead of 2–15% for regular Americans;
  
  
• A reliable agent from the USA takes responsibility for delivery and the condition of your cargo – this is not a corporation or a government agency;
  
  
• Additional services (packaging for especially fragile items, product photos, functionality checks for equipment, arranging returns to the store);
  
  
• Some agents (for example, Pochtoy.com) purchase items in stores themselves; these companies employ professional buyers who buy goods with their own cards so you don’t have to do it yourself. All you need to do is top up your balance in your personal account with a ruble card.
  
  
• Package insurance;
  
  
• Significantly faster delivery times;
  
  
• A mail forwarder lets you “become an American” in the eyes of the store, which is useful, for example, when joining a loyalty or rewards program for customers;
  
  
• Access to promotions and discounts that are usually available only to Americans.

There are many advantages to ordering through agents for shipping goods from the USA. And with Prostobox there are even more. After all, we are the first low-cost carrier for deliveries from American stores. With us, shipping is even faster and more affordable. Prostobox is the cheapest agent from the USA, yet our delivery speed is higher than everyone else’s, and we also have many promotions with great prices, for example on iHerb. We also have short guides for your first purchase: here.