Optimal amounts for successful delivery of nutritional supplements

[hyperdimension]

iherb sets an 80 USD maximum value and a 4lb or 1814g maximum weight for orders to Thailand. Deliveries from them seem to be working very well.

Would these same maximum limits be appropriate when ordering from other sites?

I would like to avoid exorbitant customs fees or needing to visit the customs office or hire an agent to clear the delivery.

In other old threads I have seen recommended maximum values stated as 30 USD or 50 USD, which feel too low, especially when delivery cost may be around 20 USD each time (for the cheapest non-courier option), depending on the merchant. A 30 USD limit may ensure a 100% success rate, but then you wouldn't be able to order much and delivery itself would be 40% of the total cost, so you'd get much lower value-for-money.

Based on your experiences (e.g. trial and error) what do you feel is the optimal amount that you think would ensure a very high chance of a successful delivery whilst also receiving a good amount of product?

[SantiSuk]

Since you asked USD nil. I prefer to spend my money on real food. May not apply to you but have to question those that live fast on junk/process foods and then supplement it sometimes with more manufactured items masquerading as something good for you.

Nothing personal and it's a free country (oops did I really say that?) but you did ask.

[Saastrajaa]

Anyone who relies on megavitamins and supplements in a misguided attempt to maintain or "improve" one's health is 1) making those who run dodgy companies rich and 2) producing expensive urine and poop...nothing more.

Edited May 27, 2016 by Saastrajaa

[Speedo1968]

"Based on your experiences (e.g. trial and error) what do you feel is the optimal amount that you think would ensure a very high chance of a successful delivery whilst also receiving a good amount of product?"

What you put on your plate and eat with a fork and spoon can / will meet all of the questions in your posting clip above.

You are lucky enough to live in a country that has such an exceptionally wide range of foods, at all times of the year and, in a wide variety of eating venues, why do you need to consume something out of a bottle. If you are looking for a high try eating a wild or perfumed mango.

Your various posting continue to get similar advice - eat food.

[Iamemjay]

Hyperdimension. I'm sorry you have to put up with the baboons above that don't even have the common courtesy of attempting to answer your question, but rathert dump their uninvited and probably ill-founded armchair pontifications on you.

If you are like me you have actually been prescribed certain supplements by doctors and if you don't take them your medical conditions worsen, you will realise the extent of stupidity in their generalisations.

To answer your question though, I'm starting to think, as much as I don't like it, the $50 limit is one that I should adhere to. Earlier I ordered a $US90 shipment and when it arrived with invoice attached, it was deemed as having a value of 6000B for the purposes of import duty. I of course objected at the Post Office. They agreed it appeared to be excessive and was informed that I could appeal and have it reassessed and they offered to send it back to have this done. In a moment of utter stupidity I trusted the "system" and agreed to it, That was the last I heard for 3 months, when I received advice from the original supplier that my parcel had been returned undelivered. I then had to pay the postage again - this time split into 2 packages. They haven't arrived yet so I don't know the final outcome.

Simultaneously to ordering the above, I ordered another product, this time worth $US35. That arrived with no problems at all.

[hyperdimension]

eat food.

I do eat food, in case anyone was wondering . I try to eat a lot of different vegetables. Though we can never know for certain that we are getting enough of every single nutrient that the body needs, because nobody can actually calculate accurately the amount of each nutrient that we get from the food that we consume. There are so many variables. It's tedious enough to "count calories" (which I don't do but maybe other weight-conscious people do), let alone all the other nutrients like the many vitamins and minerals.

So nutritional supplements are simply a form of insurance, in case I'm not getting enough of particular nutrients each day, and if it's only going to cost a few baht per day I don't see any problem. Many people spend much more than that on harmful substances.

But one problem in Thailand is getting such things delivered from other countries, so this thread is to try to determine an optimal "best-practise" approach by pooling experiences from many different people.

[hyperdimension]

If you are like me you have actually been prescribed certain supplements by doctors and if you don't take them your medical conditions worsen, you will realise the extent of stupidity in their generalisations.

I haven't been formally prescribed by a medical professional but I do a lot of reading about health and I do have some conditions that I've read that can be treated by particular supplements. I also like to use vitamins to cover for any shortfall that may occur from the food that I eat.

the $50 limit is one that I should adhere to. Earlier I ordered a $US90 shipment and when it arrived with invoice attached, it was deemed as having a value of 6000B for the purposes of import duty. I of course objected at the Post Office.

Thank you for sharing those experiences. It's exactly the kind of thing that I want to avoid. But I wonder if the amount was limited to under 80 USD, as iherb enforces, would it have come through. It's too late for you to try in this case, but at least we now know that a 90 USD value can be problematic, and a 35 USD value may not be.

What delivery company was used? From what I've read in other threads, a courier company (e.g. DHL, FedEx) should definitely not be used for deliveries of packages.

Some people recommend using a Thai name, maybe even in Thai script. It would be interesting to know whether these help.

Edited May 27, 2016 by hyperdimension

[GARYZX6R]

My last order from iherb which was recieved over a week ago was 60 usd and in a farang name.

[Iamemjay]

Yes I know. It seems to be the luck of the draw. I have just received one with a declared value of $US62 . It arrived quickly and without import duty. Only difference (significant? I don't know) is that I declared It as a gift, not merchandise.

[Iamemjay]

If you are like me you have actually been prescribed certain supplements by doctors and if you don't take them your medical conditions worsen, you will realise the extent of stupidity in their generalisations.

I haven't been formally prescribed by a medical professional but I do a lot of reading about health and I do have some conditions that I've read that can be treated by particular supplements. I also like to use vitamins to cover for any shortfall that may occur from the food that I eat.

the $50 limit is one that I should adhere to. Earlier I ordered a $US90 shipment and when it arrived with invoice attached, it was deemed as having a value of 6000B for the purposes of import duty. I of course objected at the Post Office.

Thank you for sharing those experiences. It's exactly the kind of thing that I want to avoid. But I wonder if the amount was limited to under 80 USD, as iherb enforces, would it have come through. It's too late for you to try in this case, but at least we now know that a 90 USD value can be problematic, and a 35 USD value may not be.

What delivery company was used? From what I've read in other threads, a courier company (e.g. DHL, FedEx) should definitely not be used for deliveries of packages.

Some people recommend using a Thai name, maybe even in Thai script. It would be interesting to know whether these help.

Yes, in my experience using a courier company is almost always problematic. The above deliveries were by normal US Post Airmail.

[kicking]

I order from iHerb, never once a problem with the under 80 USD threshold.

[hyperdimension]

I received my own first ever delivery from iherb today. The declared value on the sticker on the box was 76 USD.

The sticker was marked by a rubber stamp that said "SMALL PACKET". The box size was 13.5cm * 19.5cm * 16.5cm. I don't think it was opened by customs.

The top-right corner has some tiny barely-legible text that has an "if undeliverable" Swedish P.O. box address and a square (which I assume is in place of an old-fashioned stamp) containing text that says "PP Sweden". I wonder what the Sweden connection is about. The "From" address is "IHERB INC." in California.

So I've confirmed that an order from iherb with a 76 USD value works fine.

It would be interesting to hear experiences of ordering from other sources.

[GARYZX6R]

Recieved my order from a company on Ali express for some milk thistle tablets which took about 14 days and free postage. This item was a stronger version than i got from iherb ,Jarrow which were 150mg compared to the ali express item which was also an american brand which was 500mg and the same price.. Have to check prices as same item with another company was 3 times as much.

[hyperdimension]

Recieved my order from a company on Ali express for some milk thistle tablets which took about 14 days and free postage. This item was a stronger version than i got from iherb ,Jarrow which were 150mg compared to the ali express item which was also an american brand which was 500mg and the same price.. Have to check prices as same item with another company was 3 times as much.

Which Ali Express merchant was it? I had bought now brand double strength Silymarin (extracted from Milk Thistle) in my latest order from iherb, so I'd like to compare.