Buying International

[samuelNZ]

Gidday everyone, not a regular poster at all but have a question.

I am looking at studying next year and am gonna have to save as much of my hard earned cash as possible, so Im about to stock up on a few supplements.

I figured id be best to buy internationally from the websiite http://www.supplementcentral.com

I am just wondering if anyone has any legal information EG: NZ CUSTOMS, or something along those lines which states anything to do with buying a large quantity of supplements?

Anything to do with the taxes/dutys would help me out alot.

P.S - I am looking at spending around $1000NZ

[Phedder]

P.S - I am looking at spending around $1000NZ

I have minimal knowledge of ordering from overseas and was going to post a thread about bb.com at some point, but from what I've gathered orders totaling over $1000NZD is when duty taxes get added? Please correct me if I am wrong someone. That's a shit load of supplements too if you're keeping it basic.

[Chemo]

anything over 400 dollars and they start charging taxes and crap. I think if even the shipping bill puts you over 400 they will start charging.

Ive had some stunning BB.com bills ><

[Phedder]

anything over 400 dollars and they start charging taxes and crap. I think if even the shipping bill puts you over 400 they will start charging.

Ive had some stunning BB.com bills ><

So do you think it still ends up cheaper ordering in bulk overseas compared to locally from shotgun or hennie? Like the OP I plan on stocking up with my summer savings before uni next year.

[Darkmanx]

I honestly think its cheaper to buy bulk from over seas. I always order it so that i know that i will come in under the $400 limit in NZ dollars and i usually as a rule of thumb depending what the currency is doing always multiply my USD with 1.5 to give me a rough estimate of NZD value. This is a overestimated value so you will be ok.

The other trick is to order bulk in bits like order one batch that come in under the $400 then about 4 days later order the next lot cause by then the firts lot would have left the states and is already sitting at customs in NZ. this way you wont pay taxes or anything. If by any means two baches end up at customs even if they had separate order days you will end up paying gst on whatever the total is of the packages cause customs sees that as one value. So i recon 4 days is more or less enough between orders.

This method worked wonders for me in saving shitloads of money but i have been caught out with the cenario where two of my baches came at the same time and i was charged. I ordered the second lot of supps only a day after the firts lot and bb.com packed them both and sent it on their merry way.

Anyway if you do have a grand it probably would be better because shipping realy does get cheaper the more you order. This was from bb.com though and i havent tried any other site, yet.

It does get a bit trickier to work out but here is a crash course. take your $1000 now work out as you are filling your basket on the site till you get about US$570=NZ855 this is with the shipping then add 15% GST on the $855 give you about NZ$983 plus give or take an extra $30-$50 for customs cost for some shitty reason. Thats all customs do is take somewhere between $30-$50 for something to do with the type of product you bring in and also the good old Kiwi fav the GST which is 15% of the total amount including shipping in NZDollars.

As far as products that are not allowed here in NZ, the list is long and the versions that we do have is what i call watered down versions. Be very carefull what you order from some sites in the us cause alot of them will let you ship it but come to NZ and customs have a wee look they will destroy it or sent it back with the bill sent to u. I would advise you to research some products that u are interested in and their ingredients and then go to medsafe's database and look it up and see if anything comes up that might raise a red flag.

Hope all this info helps and this is all from my own expreriences and not everyone on here will agree about these methods but hey they worked for me. I consider my way the safer way to do things but thats just me. Take or leave it it would not bother me i just want to help.

[deepmen15]

I have got things from bb.com in the past and they reached just fine in the past. But this time I bought few stuffs from bb worth $396 NZD… They were cheap and I got a good deal

=========================================================

(1) SciFit Creatine Monohydrate, 1000 Grams Shipped From: ID

(1) Bodybuilding.com Neoprene Padded Lifting Straps, One Size Shipped From: ID

(1) PharmaFreak Technologies RIPPED FREAK, Free Sample! Shipped From: ID

(2) SciFit Caffeine Powder, 100 Grams Shipped From: ID

(2) Higher Power Green Tea Extract, 100 Capsules Shipped From: ID

(2) Solaray Forskohlii Root Extract, 60 Capsules Shipped From: ID

(2) MRM CLA 1250, 180 Softgels Shipped From: ID

(2) MRM Sample Shaker Cup Shipped From: ID

(2) Cheap Supplements BCAA, 250 Grams Shipped From: ID

(1) USPlabs OxyELITE Pro, 2 Bottle Combo Shipped From: ID

(2) USPlabs OxyELITE Pro, 90 Capsules: Kit - USP028 Shipped From: ID

(1) USPlabs PowerFULL, 90 Capsules Shipped From: ID

(1) FREE GIFT: Bodybuilding.com Tornado Mixer, 18 Fl Oz Shipped From: ID

I got them on the 16 Nov… and I am still waiting …. Hope its not stuck with customs

:doh:

[vracula]

I have got things from bb.com in the past and they reached just fine in the past. But this time I bought few stuffs from bb worth $396 NZD… They were cheap and I got a good deal

=========================================================

(1) SciFit Creatine Monohydrate, 1000 Grams Shipped From: ID

(1) Bodybuilding.com Neoprene Padded Lifting Straps, One Size Shipped From: ID

(1) PharmaFreak Technologies RIPPED FREAK, Free Sample! Shipped From: ID

(2) SciFit Caffeine Powder, 100 Grams Shipped From: ID

(2) Higher Power Green Tea Extract, 100 Capsules Shipped From: ID

(2) Solaray Forskohlii Root Extract, 60 Capsules Shipped From: ID

(2) MRM CLA 1250, 180 Softgels Shipped From: ID

(2) MRM Sample Shaker Cup Shipped From: ID

(2) Cheap Supplements BCAA, 250 Grams Shipped From: ID

(1) USPlabs OxyELITE Pro, 2 Bottle Combo Shipped From: ID

(2) USPlabs OxyELITE Pro, 90 Capsules: Kit - USP028 Shipped From: ID

(1) USPlabs PowerFULL, 90 Capsules Shipped From: ID

(1) FREE GIFT: Bodybuilding.com Tornado Mixer, 18 Fl Oz Shipped From: ID

I got them on the 16 Nov… and I am still waiting …. Hope its not stuck with customs

:doh:

is it not tracked?

[drizzt]

is it not tracked?

The cheaper shipping generally isn't (if that's what deepmen has gone for).

Good luck mate, I'd say after the GST increase you'd be right on the cusp of crossing that minimum-charge threshold - it was about $400 (incl your shipping cost) when GST was at 12.5%.

Hope you get it through without the charge and it is just taking a while :nod:

Edit - actually just did some quick calcs, if I'm right, and they're still setting $50 as the minimum they'll bother chasing, then the point you can be charged at will be somewhere around $330 these days?

[Darkmanx]

I have got things from bb.com in the past and they reached just fine in the past. But this time I bought few stuffs from bb worth $396 NZD… They were cheap and I got a good deal

=========================================================

(1) SciFit Creatine Monohydrate, 1000 Grams Shipped From: ID

(1) Bodybuilding.com Neoprene Padded Lifting Straps, One Size Shipped From: ID

(1) PharmaFreak Technologies RIPPED FREAK, Free Sample! Shipped From: ID

(2) SciFit Caffeine Powder, 100 Grams Shipped From: ID

(2) Higher Power Green Tea Extract, 100 Capsules Shipped From: ID

(2) Solaray Forskohlii Root Extract, 60 Capsules Shipped From: ID

(2) MRM CLA 1250, 180 Softgels Shipped From: ID

(2) MRM Sample Shaker Cup Shipped From: ID

(2) Cheap Supplements BCAA, 250 Grams Shipped From: ID

(1) USPlabs OxyELITE Pro, 2 Bottle Combo Shipped From: ID

(2) USPlabs OxyELITE Pro, 90 Capsules: Kit - USP028 Shipped From: ID

(1) USPlabs PowerFULL, 90 Capsules Shipped From: ID

(1) FREE GIFT: Bodybuilding.com Tornado Mixer, 18 Fl Oz Shipped From: ID

I got them on the 16 Nov… and I am still waiting …. Hope its not stuck with customs

:doh:

Did you order with normal post or courier?

[alps]

I have got things from bb.com in the past and they reached just fine in the past. But this time I bought few stuffs from bb worth $396 NZD… They were cheap and I got a good deal

=========================================================

(1) SciFit Creatine Monohydrate, 1000 Grams Shipped From: ID

(1) Bodybuilding.com Neoprene Padded Lifting Straps, One Size Shipped From: ID

(1) PharmaFreak Technologies RIPPED FREAK, Free Sample! Shipped From: ID

(2) SciFit Caffeine Powder, 100 Grams Shipped From: ID

(2) Higher Power Green Tea Extract, 100 Capsules Shipped From: ID

(2) Solaray Forskohlii Root Extract, 60 Capsules Shipped From: ID

(2) MRM CLA 1250, 180 Softgels Shipped From: ID

(2) MRM Sample Shaker Cup Shipped From: ID

(2) Cheap Supplements BCAA, 250 Grams Shipped From: ID

(1) USPlabs OxyELITE Pro, 2 Bottle Combo Shipped From: ID

(2) USPlabs OxyELITE Pro, 90 Capsules: Kit - USP028 Shipped From: ID

(1) USPlabs PowerFULL, 90 Capsules Shipped From: ID

(1) FREE GIFT: Bodybuilding.com Tornado Mixer, 18 Fl Oz Shipped From: ID

I got them on the 16 Nov… and I am still waiting …. Hope its not stuck with customs

:doh:

I ordered mine on the 22nd November and Im still waiting as well.... normal post

[deepmen15]

All my previous buys were tracked...They had no problem... This time i thought I'd do some cost cutting ....Hence went for the cheaper option..So it is not tracked N i have no clue were it is stuck.......At this point I'd pay extra (customs duty) but atleast have my xmas gift with me :roll:

[tomsammce]

why would u buy all that and try skimp on a track and trace cost... :roll:

[drizzt]

why would u buy all that and try skimp on a track and trace cost... :roll:

It can be a fair difference in cost between the standard (7-21 day I think?) and express (5-10 day) shipping rates from BB.com, depending on how much it weighs in at. Generally the gap widens with the more stuff you order, so the slower option becomes more attractive.

I've done it once before, took about a month to arrive, so I just pony up for the faster option now - haven't had worse than a 1-week delivery time after quite a few orders :nod:

[deepmen15]

why would u buy all that and try skimp on a track and trace cost... :roll:

It can be a fair difference in cost between the standard (7-14 day ==> BB.com) and express

Thanks drizzt for answering the question 8) .... ok I am a bit relieved after hearing your experience..next time I'd pay more and get the express... :nod:

[PeterDolan]

Ummm maybe they just like me more but the more I buy the better the track and trace option gets better!

[deepmen15]

Ummm maybe they just like me more but the more I buy the better the track and trace option gets better!

Ohhh!! I get you ...more you buy better it gets hmmmm interesting...But i still feel tracking option is better coz then you have peace of mind as you know where it is stuck lol :pfft:

[PeterDolan]

I go with fed ex which is the fast one and track and traced, it works out cheaper than the other version, I tend to by $300+ worth of stuff though

[drizzt]

Seems that you're right for the bigger orders PD, I was curious so I tried a little experiment. I added one of each of the top 10 items to the cart, and the quicker option was cheaper by about 15 USD :-s In saying that though, it seems the mid-range purchases might be the other way around...

I just re-tried the order I made a few months back (3 of the 3 x tub deal on Jack3d), and total cost using FedEx is about 20 USD more than using UPS (slow ship). That's a fair saving if you aren't in a hurry to get 'em. Start chucking more stuff in the cart though, and it eventually gets cheaper again to use FedEx :shrug:

Anyway we're going a little off track here, but bottom line I guess is go with FedEx if you can 8) If not for the speed of the ship, then do it for the peace of mind you get with the tracking.

[PeterDolan]

I've heard from a few guys on here that they're still waiting on their UPS orders a month after it's been dispatched. I'd rather make that extra payment to guarantee delivery security

[Chemo]

Yeah i never understood the shipping, after you spend a good 200, the fast shipping becomes cheaper.

BB.com is great for bulk buys. Probably better for the Commercial mixes of BCAA (xtend) Creatine complexes/preworkouts and fishoils etc. Cant get multi vits off them though :C

For bulk whey id go with nutratech, shotgun or eat me, unless your really keen on the upmarket blends, then again bb.com will end up being cheaper.

Keeping in mind nutratech, has bcaa's beta alanine and aakg now.

I love me xtend though \:D/

Tracking, ive never had any problems with bb.com, the slow usps option can take a month to arrive though, much better than Muscle and strength, or any of its competitors. Ive never gone express unless it was cheaper, bb.com are very reliable.

[vracula]

so just explain this to me someone,if the gst doesn't add up to 50$ they just don't bother charging you anything?

[vracula]

I've heard from a few guys on here that they're still waiting on their UPS orders a month after it's been dispatched. I'd rather make that extra payment to guarantee delivery security

I agree ,ordered a bottle of amp from them ,went for cheaper shipping,never received it.

[Phedder]

Would it be safe to say that if you only ordered items which are available here on the main supp sites that it'd have no problems getting through? Mostly stuff like PP, Creatine, Multi-vit, Fish oil etc?

[PeterDolan]

Would it be safe to say that if you only ordered items which are available here on the main supp sites that it'd have no problems getting through? Mostly stuff like PP, Creatine, Multi-vit, Fish oil etc?

Yup, I haven't had any problem yet

[drizzt]

Would it be safe to say that if you only ordered items which are available here on the main supp sites that it'd have no problems getting through? Mostly stuff like PP, Creatine, Multi-vit, Fish oil etc?

Generally, yes, but BB.com will usually tell you when you confirm your order what items (if any) that they won't ship to you.

You will find that some multis/vits/minerals (I've tried to purchase Optimum Optimen Multi, and Optimum ZMA) won't get shipped. I've heard that Optimen/ZMA don't get through because of the zinc content. Pity, because there's a huge saving to be had there

I find that really odd, because you can buy the exact same product from NZ, but you just can't import it :crazy: I've never heard the reasoning for it.

I tried to take the gamble and order Optimen/ZMA from a different site that would ship it (OrbitNutrition I think?) that had similar prices to BB.com, but that was more than a month ago, and I haven't seen it yet.