Automated Mail Forwarding with Bongo International

Today we present our final get-to-know-your-mailforwarder article, and this time we have a totally different approach – if you want your very own US address, an admin panel where you can view whats in your mailbox, how much its going to cost (and even get photos to check out the goods before they are sent), get instant postage quotes for your items and send them to up to 5 different address, then Bongo US is for you, and today Greg from Bongo tells us how it all works.

Tell us a bit about how Bongo US began?

The owner of the company spent numerous years working for a shipping and logistics company in NYC. He realized that the most challenging component to shipping always revolved around international shipping. Many companies weren’t educated on the proper way to produce international shipments and they were all afraid of the online fraud aspect.As he walked the streets of NY, he realized how many people travel to NYC to go on shopping sprees. Many of them were looking to buy American products and many of them were looking to take advantage of the weak US dollar.Either way, he realized the value that consumers overseas would gain by having a US address and someone to process international shipments for them. Thus, Bongo International began.

Can you give us a quick overview of how the order process works?

Sure! The process is very simple. Once the consumer signs up online, they are immediately provided with their very own US address.At that point, they go through a brief activation process. After filling out a form required by the United States Postal Service (Form 1583) they are asked to confirm a refund that Bongo issues to their credit card.At this point, they can go to ANY US based online retailer and make purchases. Remember that the company doesn’t need to ship internationally. With a US address, you will make all your purchases as a domestic order.

If the online retailer doesn’t allow international credit cards, then Bongo can make the purchase for you with their US credit card (Personal Shopper Service).Once the purchases arrive at our warehouse, we update the online virtual mailbox provided to the customer. From here, the customer can decide if they want to view an image of a product purchased, forward the items, consolidate them with other purchases, or trash items.Orders processed before 4:00 EST are sent out through DHL the same day and delivered to Australia typically in 3 days

What would you say to those who have yet to try a mail forwarder?

Take it slow. Try a Pay-Per-Use service before you sign up as a subscription customer. Pay-Per-Use customers pay only $5.00 to set up their account and they pay a slightly higher shipping rate (still 25% off DHL prices).There is a leap of faith to put your credit card information in the hands of a mail forwarder. I would highly suggest making contact with the mail forwarder over the phone or through an online chat. If they can’t take your call (or call you back) and answer all your questions, move on to another company.Look for a mail forwarder that doesn’t have a lot of hidden fees (read the FAQ’s) and make sure that you have full control over your shipments and when they are sent. Many mail forwarders force you to ship every week or bi-weekly. This process forces you to spend more money on shipments that you may have wanted to consolidate with future purchases before shipping.Ask as many questions as you need to. The only way you will feel comfortable with this process is to ask questions so that you are well educated.

What payment methods do you accept? (ie. Credit Card/Bank Deposit/Paypal etc)

All accounts get set up with a valid credit card. There is a tremendous amount of online fraud. The details of a credit card help us to confirm the identity of our customers.

What are your favorite American online stores to shop at?

Here are a couple of my favorites…
UrbanOutfitters.com
KennethCole.com
BananaRepublic.com
SportRobe.com – Just think this is a cool idea! – Great gift for guys!
Zappos.com
ToolsDirect.com
TigerDirect.com
BestBuy.com
Apple.com
NewEgg.com
Amazon.com
CametaCamera.com
ThompsonGroup.com

Missed Part 1 & 2?

Read our Interview with Rachel from Parcel From Paris , a Parisan based Mail Forwarder and Personal Shopping service and Price USA , an australian based US shopping service