ComGateWay - The Ultimate Guide To Shopping Online (US)

Christmas is just around the corner. 

I have always enjoyed shopping online for great deals, especially during the Black Friday sales!

For the uninitiated, Black Friday is the day after thanks-giving in the United States. Why is this day so special? You may ask.

Well, because it's a day of major discounts and shopping! I guess it's also the day when the majority of USA goes shopping for their X'mas presents !

Whilst many U.S retailers do ship to Singapore, most of the times, the steep discounts will only be enjoyed when you buy and ship to the "U.S". (Do note the exchange rates, as in most cases, you will need to pay in USD)

Here comes the part which is more relevant to you. In the following section, I will guide you on some of my favourite retailers and how to use the ComGateWay freight forwarding.

I choose ComGateWay mainly because they are more reliable albeit more expensive than VPOST (aka SingPost).

In my opinion, it's really important that the goods arrive in 1 piece and without delays. Maybe i would just do another guide on VPOST for comparisons sake.

So here we go:

Some of the major U.S. sites that I buy from and are ComGateWay friendly:

Polo Ralph Lauren (Link)

- Up to 60% discounts 

(Really affordable Polo Tees)

Amazon (Link)

- 40-50% Discounts on computer parts 
(some items even ship for free to Singapore)

J.Crew (Link)

- Additional 30-40% off sale items

(Great quality shorts and shirts)

Bluefly (Link)

- Discounted designer bags 

Without further ado, lets go to the step-by-step guide of shopping/shipping using ComGateWay !.

1) Setup a ComGateWay account

ComGateWay do run promotion codes/discounts (Usually with DBS/POSB Cards) during the festive periods.

2) Take note of your U.S address (This is your SHIPPING Address)

Your Personalised Address!

3) Buy from an online merchant that accepts international credit cards

* Not all merchants accept international cards. Mainly because they want to protect their distributors/agencies. 

A good example is how cheap COACH is in the US. Imagine if everyone just bought online !?! :))

Fill In Your ComGateWay Address

I will write a separate article on how to save a couple of bucks using the eBates rewards program. It is important that you read it here!.

4) Ship the goodies to your ComGateWay address

Simply ensure that you have shipped the items out to the ComGateWay address.

Track It!

5) Wait for your goodies to arrive at the ComGateWay warehouse

Once your goods have arrived at the warehouse, it will be processed and displayed on the "Packages at U.S Address" tab.

Here, you can access and view the merchant's invoice.

Check the invoice

Declare Package Values

Do note that packages with value SGD400.00 and above (Freight inclusive) will incur a 7% GST surcharge.

6) Consolidate your purchases, repack (if needed), and pay for the shipment

ComGateWay does provide re-packing service if:

• The savings on international shipping is significant (after repacking fee: min 1kg)
• Your purchase can be transported safely after the repack.

7) Patiently wait for the DHL/FedEx guy to arrive at your doorstep!

Enjoy your goodies! :)