Things to consider before shopping on US websites from Nigeria

Posted by Felix Okoli on Wednesday November 12, 2014 at 11:41:17:

There are now a growing number of US websites that accept payments from Nigerian issued cards such as the Naira Visa card or Naira Mastercard and not all of them do offer direct delivery services to Nigeria. Online shoppers from Nigeria who would want their item delivered would still have to make use of a mail forwarding service unless they were living in the USA.

There are certain things a Nigerian shopper would have to consider before buying items from those online US shopping websites such as Amazon, BestBuy or eBay.

I've been able to buy a lot of things online mostly from US shopping websites and I just want to share some of my experiences here.

Things to consider
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- 1. If the item is already available in Nigeria: If the item is already available in Nigeria, it might not make much sense buying it on a US website as long as it's the same product with the same specification and also if the price is reasonable enough. If it's going to save you money or offer some other benefit buying direct from that US store, then go ahead else just visit that local store in Nigeria and pick up your stuff almost immediately. Prices of imported items tend to be cheaper when imported in containers than if you were to order for the items through air cargo.

- 2. Cost of getting the item: How much will it cost for you to get the item in Nigeria? It's not just about the store price but also other things such as taxes, import duties and shipping costs. Will it make economic sense if you buy the item directly from that US store if you are in Nigeria? If you can still accept the cost, then go ahead.

- 3. If the shopping website accept payments from Nigeria: Does that website accept payments from Nigeria? Have you tried you Visa and MasterCard to see if it's accepted? Well, you can first tell your bank to enable your card for shopping on that website and if you've still tried and they don't offer billing support for Nigerian residents, then it makes no sense to still try to shop on that website. You can also try your Paypal account and if that's accepted, then go ahead else, just forget it and save your money.

- 4. If the items are available on other competing websites: Apart from US websites, there are other shopping websites in developed countries like the UK, China and Hong kong. You can try sites like ASOS, Amazon UK, Aliexpress, DHGate and so on. If the items are available on Aliexpress for example, it might actually be quite cheaper and save you money that if you were to buy it om US websites. If the products for instance were made in China, it would actually cost more when sold on US websites than on Chinese websites.

- 5. If the item is import prohibited: You also need to first ensure that what you intend buying on a US website and importing into Nigeria is actually allowed by the Nigerian Customs service. Some items are not allowed into the country as imports and so you need to check that list before importing things. Things like firearms might be allowed on US websites but not in Nigeria.

- 6. If you are purchasing in single units or in bulk: It might not make much economic sense if you are buying in small or single units than if you were buying stuff at wholesale units. Buying things in bulk can help you save money n shipping costs per unit than if you were buying single units. You might just go ahead to buy single units if you need the items urgently and don't mind the cost but it would really save you money if you were buying a lot of items and then shipping them at once to Nigeria.

- 7. It the item is needed urgently: Things like wedding dresses, rings and some other items might be needed much faster than other regular items. Unless you need items urgently, you don't have to pay more to speed up your shipping period as you can delay it a bit and save money. I normally take advantage of free and discounted shipping costs by simply extending my shipping period. It's one of those things most US websites tend to offer to their customers when they are checking out. It would also help you decide what type of international shipping service you might want e.g. express or slow speed.

- 8. Cost of final shipping to Nigeria: How much will it finally cost you to get your items shipped to Nigeria? There is normally an international shipping cost Nigerian shoppers have to pay when shopping on US websites and stores. The goods will have to be moved from the USA to Nigeria and so a cost is normally made on transporting it. Courier companies tend to charge a fee based on the weight and dimensions of the package. Shipping vessels tend to cost less per container but that is mostly recommended for large or heavy items like cars, car parts and machines.

TO buy light items on US stores and have them delivered to Nigeria. you just need to make use of a mail forwarding service