How to Ship Packages and Luggage from The Philippines to USA or anywhere in the World? My Personal Experience with SendmyBag.com

I’ve been based in the US for some time now and although it’s considered as a shopping haven, there are just some things that can only be found in the Philippines– our favorite Mama Sita’s to get that authentic taste of our favorite Filipino Dish, Mang Tomas, Boy Bawang, Pinipig Polvoron, Chocnut, Cheese Ring, and the list goes on and on. Yes, I can find it here on Filipino Stores, but it’s just so damn expensive that I think it’s not worth it!! An OFW or a Pinoy based abroad will know what I mean (the struggle is real, mga kababayan!!). This is just one of the reasons why I’m dying to get luggage filled with this goodies from the Philippines to the US aside from the very important documents, laptop, and clothes that I left behind which are all in my excess baggage.

Anyway, I was looking for a reputable company which can send such parcel and I’m happy that SendMyBag sponsored to ship one luggage for us from the Philippines all the way to Florida, USA 🙂

WHAT IS SEND MY BAG?

Send My Bag™ started by just trying to help students get their bags home more quickly and easily without having to pay extravagant excess baggage fees charged by the airlines and without dragging their huge suitcases out on the road and on buses and trains.

From its humble beginnings, Send My Bag™ now operates thousands of routes, has developed specialist and unrivaled cross-border customs clearance procedures and provides support from the UK and NYC 7 days a week. And yes, their prices beat airline baggage charges!

WHO IS THIS SERVICE FOR?

This service is perfect for students, OFWs, and everyone who loves traveling. Your journey to your dormitory in Spain, your dream skiing destination in the French Alps, or the surf paradise in Siargao Islands in the Philippines will be much easier and much cheaper when you don’t have to carry all those luggage and ski equipment toward your journey 🙂

MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH SENDMYBAG.com

Yvette (my amazing VA) shipped a 30 Kg. Luggage (which I left in the Ph when we visited) filled with clothes, my laptop, pretty pens and highlighters (which I love!), Christmas gifts for Jon and me, dried mangoes, as well as our Two Monkeys Merchandise. I am paranoid when it comes to sending parcels; I always wonder if it will get to me in good shape or if it will even reach me at all. Haha! So I tracked it now and then using their website, and I must say that their tracking system is very accurate– it was provided with the date when it was picked up from Yvette, when it arrived and it departed in and from their DHL facility in Manila, Hong Kong, and Florida, up to the point the shipment was delivered. Surprisingly, it arrived only within three days from the time she shipped it (faster than Amazon!! Can you believe that?!) without any damage to the luggage and the things inside. Nothing was missing, and everything is completely intact. Now, there are Two Very Happy Monkeys sailing in Florida 🙂

HOW TO SHIP A PARCEL FROM MANILA TO USA?

Shipping a parcel has never been easy with SendMyBag!

STEP 1: Get a quick quote for free. Just use their Quick Quote Tool— indicate the Collection Country and the Destination Country and an estimated rate, as well as the estimated time of arrival, will be provided. (Rates will depend on the weight of the parcel, the Collection, and Destination country, as well as the expected time of delivery which can be Economy or Express).

STEP 2: Book online. If you think their price is the best for you, then go ahead and book it online. All you have to do is fill I the necessary details, choose a collection day which can be any workday of the week, and pay using your Visa, Maestro, Mastercard, or AMEX. It is highly recommended to book at least 24 hours in advance for domestic shipments, 48 hours in advance for non-EU collections and 72 in very remote areas. You will have to pay by the end of the process.

STEP 3: Prepare your bags. Here comes the most exciting part– packing all your goodies!! Make sure to wrap all fragile items in bubble wraps and tightly close the lids of your containers. These could either be placed in a bag or a box. You can also have your golf bag, ski bag, or bike shipped 🙂 Just take note that there are some items which CANNOT be shipped. I’ll discuss more this later.

STEP 4: Print all the labels and attach them to your bag. After you’re done paying for it, a booking confirmation email will be sent to you which includes a tracking number and links where you can download your labels. Print these and attach them to your bag as they are compulsory for shipping on all their services.

STEP 5: Collection. Your bags will then be collected by their driver, and it usually takes place between 9AM-6PM.

STEP 6: Track your bags. You can do this by logging in to your account and select your delivery to see how far on its way it is. You may track both their local and international couriers.

STEP 7: Delivery. SendMyBag takes pride in the fact that more than 95% of standard deliveries and 99.5% of express deliveries of unaccompanied luggage arrives on time. However, unexpected disruptions could arise anytime so you should try to understand. If you’re sending within Europe on an Express Service, you’re covered by their on-time guarantee. As with collection, the named recipient or sender does not need to sign for the item; it can be anyone at the delivery address – for example, a concierge or the reception desk at your hotel may receive it for you, but you have to notify them in advance.

PRODUCTS THAT YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO SHIP TO THE STATES FROM THE PHILIPPINES

Unfortunately, we cannot ship everything we want as we have to abide by the laws of the courier as well as the destination country (e.g. You cannot ship Magic Sarap in the US). Here are some of the  items that you ABSOLUTELY CANNOT ship:

1. Aerosols or any pressurized container, Perfume, Nail Varnish, Paints, or any other flammable liquid, Toner Cartridges, Tobacco and Alcohol, Money (including small change), and Medication;

2. Liquids, pastes & gels of all types are entirely prohibited on all International Express routes (including every route to and from the USA). It may nevertheless be sent on their European Standard (not express), UK Domestic & USA Domestic services;

3. Loose batteries of any kind. Lithium batteries can only be sent when they are securely installed on small electrical devices such as phones, tablets, and laptops with a battery power of less than 100Wh and not exceeding 5 kgs. There is a limit of one such item per shipment

4. Animals and animal products like Chicharon, Tuyo or any kind of dried fish, Shrimp Paste aka Bagoong, etc.;

5. Frozen items of any kind;

6. Foodstuffs, perishable, animal origin and controlled food articles and beverages including, but not limited to: Fruit & vegetables, dairy products (including dried products containing dairy such as protein powder), meat, fish, nuts, seeds, wine, beer, spirits, and champagne;

7. Packages that are wet, leaking or emit an odor of any kind;

8. Valuables and high-value items including but not limited to antiques, paintings, jewelry, precious stones and electrical equipment (low-value electrical equipment) may be sent but subject to your own risk;

9. Credit cards; and

10. Passports or other confidential personal documentation.

See a full list of prohibited items within their terms and conditions.

SOME STUFF THAT YOU MIGHT WANT TO SEND FROM THE PHILIPPINES WITH SENDMYBAG

Thanks to our readers, I was able to compile the list of things that we all are dying to have while we’re abroad (OFWs would understand!!). Good part is, these things can be shipped with SendMyBag 🙂

1. Important documents which are not confidential;

2. Clothes and shoes (it could be very expensive in the country where you are based);

3. Junk foods like Cheese Ring, Lumpiang Shanghai, Clover Chips, Nova, Boy Bawang, Dingdong, etc.;

4. Dried mangoes! YUM!!;

5. Curtains and bedsheets (again this could be very expensive in the country where you are based);

6. Polvoron;

7. Kapeng Barako (don’t we all love this??);

8. Snacks  like Fita, YanYan, and Pretzels; and

9. Noodles for cooking such as bihon, canton, misua, and palabok;

MY VERDICT!

Overall, I was very very satisfied with Send My Bag’s service. I highly recommend it to all our readers!! I still can’t believe it reached us within 3 days. Haha.  I was really amazed by how fast and hassle-free their service is from the booking, tracking and until the delivery. The delivery guy is very professional and their helpline is open 24/7. It’s indeed the fastest and most reliable way to send parcels wherever you may be in the world ♡

FAQS ABOUT Send My Bag™

1. I’m worried that the things inside the luggage will get lost. Should I lock it?

All luggage items being shipped internationally must remain unlocked for Customs and security purposes. Any locks will be broken by such customs officials for inspection and/or seizure and Send My Bag™ shall not be liable for such loss. 

2. I already booked it but I changed my mind. Can I cancel it?

Once logged in, click the order reference of the order that you wish to cancel. Their system will calculate what refund is due based on your order and issue this to you directly. It can only be canceled online up to and including the day before your collection is due to take place. Otherwise, you have to contact Customer Service.

3. Can I change my collection date?

Once logged in, click the order reference of the order that you wish to update. This may be done online up to and including the day before your collection is due to take place. If you purchased Cancellation & Change Cover when placing your order the change can be made free of charge, if you did not, a small admin fee will be charged.

4. My bag was damaged. How do I make a claim?

In instances where wheels or pull handles have been damaged please contact [email protected] in the first instance and a Send My Bag Team member will usually respond in approximately 2hrs. You will be provided with a damaged PDF. If after reading the information, you still feel that you wish to make a claim, please then respond to [email protected] following the instructions and their priority team will assess and respond to you within 24-48hrs.

5. I’m a student. Can I have a discount?

If you’re a student you can join #SMBstudents to access student pricing and NUS Extra, ISIC & Student Advantage cardholders all receive a 10% discount off standard prices. More information can be found on their Student Page.

6. Do they have ongoing promos?

All customers can earn Send My Bag points by sharing your unique referral link (easiest with the App), sharing a review or simply by placing orders. These points can then redeemed in return for a discount on your next order.

7. How do I get their app?

To download our app from the Google Play store click here. To download our app from the iTunes store click here. (This is the best way to track your items and get referral link, btw)

8. How do I get label holders? Do I really need one?

Yes, it is necessary. Label holders can be selected when placing your order and they will usually be dispatched within 1 working day and postage charges need to be paid depending on your collection and the speed of the service you select.  Labels holders are sent by post. They are not brought by collecting drivers, as such we recommend ordering label holders well in advance of your collection date. Click here for recommendations.

9. What time does the customer helpline open?

They are open 24 hours a day from Monday – Friday. Saturdays from 09:00 – 17:00 and again on Sunday from 12:00 – 20:00. All times are in GMT / BST.

10. Do I need to pay Customs Duties?

Most countries offer a generous allowance for ‘Used Personal Effects’ and therefore no duty or tax will be due in the majority of cases. Some countries will require further information such as passport copy or flight information in order to confirm the status of a consignment as used Personal Effects and relieve the shipment of fees – Such information can be uploaded in ‘Your Account’, ‘Current Orders’ when required. Further information can be found on our Destinations page.

For more information, visit their FAQs page here. Happy shipping, everyone!

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