Economic way to send parcel to Kenya

[Gikomba_Hawker]

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Just sharing some info in case it's of help to a Kenyan out there.

I recently had to urgently send a parcel to Kenya from America and did not use the U.S. Postal system or UPS of FedEx. Instead, I took a chance with one of two companies I had recently discovered. They are both based in California.

I first had to mail my package to California. After the company received it, my family member had it after 15 days. Once the package arrives, they call the person who you listed. My sister simply went to the company's office in Nairobi and picked it up. They can also deliver the package to the recipient in Kenya for an extra fee.

The company sends the packages to Kenya once a week.

To me, the advantage to using this company is that it's safe and the delivery charge covers all the taxes that may be charged. I think that since the company is a freight company, it gets a better Customs rate (if I understand it correctly). And there's a good tracking system.

They charge $15 per kg (free online calculators can easily convert pounds to kilograms). They have a minimum charge of $45.00. My package was small (less than 1 kg) so it cost me $45.00. I needed to have it in Kenya very quickly.

There are Kenyans in Kenya who are using these companies to buy things on Amazon. They have even posted YouTube videos about their experience. This is how I got to know about these companies.

Anyway, I'm new to this forum. I do not completely know what one can post or not post. If people are interested to learn more, I can post the website of the two companies in America I know that provide this service. Maybe most of you already know about these companies in which case simply ignore my post.

I'm a big believer in sharing info. You never know, someone could be desperately looking for the info that you assume is common knowledge.

[audacityofhope]

Just sharing some info in case it's of help to a Kenyan out there.

I recently had to urgently send a parcel to Kenya from America and did not use the U.S. Postal system or UPS of FedEx. Instead, I took a chance with one of two companies I had recently discovered. They are both based in California.

I first had to mail my package to California. After the company received it, my family member had it after 15 days. Once the package arrives, they call the person who you listed. My sister simply went to the company's office in Nairobi and picked it up. They can also deliver the package to the recipient in Kenya for an extra fee.

The company sends the packages to Kenya once a week.

To me, the advantage to using this company is that it's safe and the delivery charge covers all the taxes that may be charged. I think that since the company is a freight company, it gets a better Customs rate (if I understand it correctly). And there's a good tracking system.

They charge $15 per kg (free online calculators can easily convert pounds to kilograms). They have a minimum charge of $45.00. My package was small (less than 1 kg) so it cost me $45.00. I needed to have it in Kenya very quickly.

There are Kenyans in Kenya who are using these companies to buy things on Amazon. They have even posted YouTube videos about their experience. This is how I got to know about these companies.

Anyway, I'm new to this forum. I do not completely know what one can post or not post. If people are interested to learn more, I can post the website of the two companies in America I know that provide this service. Maybe most of you already know about these companies in which case simply ignore my post.

I'm a big believer in sharing info. You never know, someone could be desperately looking for the info that you assume is common knowledge.

How about you share this information: What made you settle on the moniker "Gikomba_Hawker"? Does the average Gikomba Hawker sends his or her parcels to California? 

[Gikomba_Hawker]

I just liked the handle. I don't know what else to say.

[Gikomba_Hawker]

The company I used to send a parcel to Kenya is called Savo Store (https://www.savostore.com/). They have an office in California and Vision Plaza on Mombasa Road in Nairobi. If you call Sydney Karanja in California office he will gladly answer any questions you have. Just keep in mind that being in California the company operates under Pacific Time.

Kenyans in Kenya can now afford to order laptops from America due to these kinds of air shipping companies. And Kenyans in America have a safe and cheaper alternative to the postal system, UPS, DHS and FedEx for parcels.

Here are some Kenyans who discuss their experience with the company:

[Kim Jong-Un's Pajama Pants]

Curiosity.  Why can't they join Amazon as a shipping provider specializing in that region?  What makes them cheaper?  Shipping in bulk to one location?  Do they have insurance?  Why do I have issues viewing prohibited items https://www.savostore.com/pages/prohibited-items/?

[Gikomba_Hawker]

You ask what makes them cheaper? I think what makes them unique and advantageous is that since they are a shipping company, they are charged Customs by weight, not cost. If I understood correctly, this is what makes the real difference. This is why a Kenyan, who is not very rich, can afford to buy a laptop from America.

In terms of insurance, their website states:

Our Shipping Only - Air service only provides complimentary insurance on $100 of the value of your shipment. If your shipment has a value greater than $100, kindly email us at customercare@savostore.com to request additional insurance. The cost of insurance is 5% of the value of your shipment, with a minimum insurance charge of $30 (3,000 KES). This protects your shipment from loss while on transit. Kindly note that we do NOT provide any shipment protection coverage for items in our prohibited items list, fragile goods made of glass, ceramics, porcelain, earthenware or stoneware. We also do NOT provide any shipment protection coverage for liquids (including fragrances and lotions) or any goods that may leak or melt on transit.

I'm afraid I don't understand you when you say you have issues viewing prohibited items. What do you mean? With every country there are goods that are prohibited. I like the fact that Savo Store gives you a list in advance on their website.

By the way, you can call Savo Store. Sidney Karanja's number in California is (657)215-7361. He's very good at answering questions.

Curiosity.  Why can't they join Amazon as a shipping provider specializing in that region?  What makes them cheaper?  Shipping in bulk to one location?  Do they have insurance?  Why do I have issues viewing prohibited items https://www.savostore.com/pages/prohibited-items/?

[Kim Jong-Un's Pajama Pants]

I'm afraid I don't understand you when you say you have issues viewing prohibited items. What do you mean? With every country there are goods that are prohibited. I like the fact that Savo Store gives you a list in advance on their website.

By the way, you can call Savo Store. Sidney Karanja's number in California is (657)215-7361. He's very good at answering questions.

[youtub]xbsl..czIo[/youtub]

Curiosity.  Why can't they join Amazon as a shipping provider specializing in that region?  What makes them cheaper?  Shipping in bulk to one location?  Do they have insurance?  Why do I have issues viewing prohibited items https://www.savostore.com/pages/prohibited-items/?

I get an error when I click on the Prohibited Items List in the Shipping Only - Air section.  I get the impression I should see something else but I don't.  Maybe you call him and let him know.

Here is the error Fatal error: Class 'pagesModule' not found in /home/content/87/10352487/html/Controller/classes/controller.class.php on line 116

[Gikomba_Hawker]

bitmask,

I now see what you mean. The link that shows the prohibited items has a glitch. This is the first time I've seen this. I'll let them know. If I hear anything I'll post it here.

[Gikomba_Hawker]

Just got a call back from Sydney Karanja (I had left him a voice mail). They are already aware of the problem regarding the link to items that are prohibited for shipping to Kenya. They are working on it right now. He thinks the problem will be solved very soon. Will send me confirmation when the problem is solved.

He said if anyone wants to reach him via email, write to: customercare@savostore.com.

[Georgesoros]

This is an ad.
You are advertising for them.
You should have disclosed, if you had any integrity.
But, in the name of disclosure I like savo because they delivered for me in December.

[Gikomba_Hawker]

Georgesoros,

Don't make me laugh, my friend.

I am new to this forum so I'm still learning. Before I posted the company's name I asked whether it was ok to post the info (see my other post, "Question for moderators": https://nipate.net/index.php?topic=9695.0). I specifically requested that I get an answer from a moderator. It was indicated that I would likely not hear back from a moderator. To make a long story short, people seemed not to have a problem with it. If I had been told that it was not ok I would never have mentioned the company's name.

I do not work for this company. But I did discover it recently. The discovery was a big deal for me because prior to this I was being killed by the postal rates in America. Also, when I used the postal system items took a really long time to reach my relatives. Furthermore, I was only able to send books. I would never have attempted to send something like a laptop due to security or high Customs charges.

I wanted to share this information with other Kenyans, in case it can be of help. If this helps the company by acting as an ad so be it. What is wrong with supporting a new Kenyan business if it's providing a helpful service to Kenyans in America and/or Kenyans in Kenya?

I am grateful to the Kenyans on YouTube who put out videos on Savo Store. This is how I learned of the company. If only one Kenyan reads my post and discovers a new way to ship items to Kenya, then it was not a wasted effort. Sharing information is a good thing.

This is an ad.
You are advertising for them.
You should have disclosed, if you had any integrity.
But, in the name of disclosure I like savo because they delivered for me in December.

[Gikomba_Hawker]

Folks,

Just got an email from Sydney Karanja of Savo Store.

All the pages on the website should be good now, including the one that lists the prohibited items (stuff that cannot be shipped to Kenya):

https://www.savostore.com/pages/prohibited-items/

[Gikomba_Hawker]

By the way, when I got Karanja's email last night I realized that I've been spelling his first name wrongly (Sydney). Below is the correct spelling and I'm including his contact info again for convenience:

Sidney Karanja
(657)215-7361
customercare@savostore.com

[Gikomba_Hawker]

One thing I forgot to mention is that if you're in America and already have the stuff that you want Savo Store to send to Kenya, you have to first send it to their California warehouse, as I previously mentioned.

One economic way of doing this is by using Priority Mail at your local U.S. Post Office. The reason for this is that the post office will supply you with the box and label at no extra charge. But more importantly, it's a flat rate and you can fit as many things inside the box so long as they fit. In other words, the rate won't go up as the box gets heavier. That's why it's a flat rate. And there's insurance and tracking. They have different size envelops and boxes for Priority Mail:

https://www.usps.com/ship/priority-mail.htm

[Gikomba_Hawker]

Got this email today from Savo Store:

We hope you are doing well and staying safe. This message is in regards to our Shipping Only Service. We wish to notify you that we are dropping our 3 KG minimum weight requirement back to 1 KG effective immediately.
 
Any orders processed from today onwards will be subject to a 1 KG minimum weight requirement, equating to a minimum charge of $15.
 
Why are we dropping the minimum weight requirement back to 1 KG?
 
We've made significant strides towards ensuring that we can efficiently process numerous small orders quickly.
 
Besides continuously adding team members to our U.S. operation, we have improved upon the internal process that kicks into gear when your packages arrive at our U.S. warehouse, hence the reason we are now processing and shipping orders much faster and on the exact ship date that you select.
 
If you wish to use our Shipping Only service, click on the button below.
 
Our U.S. Address >> (go to: https://www.savostore.com/).
 
What are we doing to enhance your shopping and shipping experience with us?

Based on lots of reviews and feedback from customers, we've been working on upgrades to some of our processes as well as our web application. We are revamping and adding new features to the client portal. We'll be rolling out these features next month and we anticipate that you will find them quite useful and enjoyable to use.
 
Besides being lightning fast, the client portal will allow you to place orders, create shipments, track shipments with a lot more ease and speed than you are used to. We'll notify you as we roll out each feature.
 
If you have any questions, we are here to help. Simply reply to this email and we'll be happy to assist.

[Kadudu]

Used the service before and it works.
I had my two laptops within 2 weeks of my order. It is also affordable and they deal with the customs on their own.

By the way, when I got Karanja's email last night I realized that I've been spelling his first name wrongly (Sydney). Below is the correct spelling and I'm including his contact info again for convenience:

Sidney Karanja
(657)215-7361
customercare@savostore.com

[Gikomba_Hawker]

Kadudu,

I said this before and I'll say it again. This is a really good option for Kenyans to have in terms of shipping things to Kenya. Nice to hear that your experience with them went well.

Used the service before and it works.
I had my two laptops within 2 weeks of my order. It is also affordable and they deal with the customs on their own.

By the way, when I got Karanja's email last night I realized that I've been spelling his first name wrongly (Sydney). Below is the correct spelling and I'm including his contact info again for convenience:

Sidney Karanja
(657)215-7361
customercare@savostore.com

[Gikomba_Hawker]

How to import from Amazon USA to Kenya using Savostore | Mumo

[Gikomba_Hawker]

SavoStore.com
Package/Freight Delivery
https://www.linkedin.com/company/savo-store-online

[Gikomba_Hawker]

https://www.facebook.com/SavoStore/