Short answer: If a store in the US or Turkey won't accept your card, your address or your phone number, our Personal Shopper team can buy the item for you and have it delivered to your ForwardMe warehouse. Send us the product link, and we'll place the order within 12–24 hours on business days. How a Personal Shopper order works in four steps, with the Personal Shopper fees When you need Personal Shopper You can buy from most online stores yourself and ship to your ForwardMe address. Personal Shopper helps when a store gets in the way, for example when: - your international card is declined, or the store needs the billing and shipping addresses to match - the checkout is blocked for international buyers, or the store refuses forwarding addresses - a marketplace only lets buyers in that country purchase (some US marketplaces, such as Mercari and Poshmark, work this way) - a Turkish site asks for a local phone number and a one-time code (OTP) to verify your account Personal Shopper is available for stores in the US and Turkey. We can't buy from stores in other countries. Turkish sites that need an OTP: contact our support team before you order. We'll help and can provide an alternative phone number for verification. How to place a request 1. Log in to your ForwardMe account and open the Personal Shopper section. 2. Click Create Request. 3. Paste the link to the exact product page. A store's homepage or a general social media link isn't enough for us to find the item. 4. Add the size, color, quantity and any other details the seller needs. 5. Add more items if you like. One request can include items from several stores. 6. Check the domestic shipping options (see below), then submit and pay. Tip on domestic shipping: the cost of shipping from the seller to our warehouse depends on the seller. Before you submit, add the items to the seller's own cart to see whether free or faster shipping is available, and note your choice at Personal Shopper checkout. What it costs | Fee | Amount | |---|---| | Service Fee | $8.50 per up to 10 items | | Processing Fee | 7% of the total order amount | | ForwardMe Commission | 4% of the total order amount | These fees are the same on every membership plan. International shipping from our warehouse to you is paid separately when you ship the package. You can compare plans on our membership page. What happens after you submit - We buy the item within 12–24 hours on business days. Our team doesn't work on weekends, so a request placed on Friday evening or over the weekend is handled on the next business day. - If the final amount is higher than what you paid, for example because of domestic shipping, we send you an invoice for the difference. We place the order as soon as it's paid. - If you paid more than was needed, we refund the unused amount. - The seller ships to our warehouse, and the package appears in your account after we log it. From there you ship it like any other package. What we can't buy Digital products and subscriptions can't be bought through Personal Shopper: software licences, gift cards delivered by email, streaming plans and similar. Everything we buy has to be a physical item that ships to our warehouse. Items that require bidding can't be bought either. eBay auctions and similar bidding listings are out of scope under our Terms (§10.6); we can only buy fixed-price "Buy It Now" listings. Fixed-price marketplace listings, including those on eBay, Mercari and Poshmark, are fine. Common questions Can I cancel my request? Once an order is submitted and paid, it can't simply be cancelled (Terms §10.7). Contact our support team as early as you can: cancellation isn't guaranteed, and a cancellation fee may apply. After purchase, it depends on the store's or seller's return policy. See "Cancelling a Personal Shopper order, seller cancellations and refunds". What if the seller never ships my item? Let us know. Once we confirm the issue, we issue your refund within 12–24 hours. Refunds reach your card or PayPal within 1–3 days. Why did I get an extra invoice? Usually because domestic shipping or another cost was higher than the amount paid at checkout. Your order continues once the invoice is paid. Can Personal Shopper buy from a store in Germany or the UK? No. Personal Shopper currently covers stores in the US and Turkey only. Does my membership plan lower the Personal Shopper fees? No. The fees are the same for every plan. Still need help? Our support team is available on weekdays from 09:00 to 17:00 ET at [email protected].

🚀 Getting Started

How ForwardMe works: from sign-up to your door

Short answer: You get your own warehouse address in the US or Turkey, shop online with it, and we receive your packages there. When you're ready, you choose a delivery address and a shipping option in your account and we send the package to you. Nothing ships until you ask us to. Five steps of how ForwardMe works, from sign-up to delivery Step by step 1. Sign up. Signing up is free. You can compare Free, Premium and VIP benefits in "Free, Premium and VIP: what each plan includes" and on our membership page. 2. Find your address in your dashboard. Your warehouse address and your personal suite number appear in your account after you log in, not on our public website. You can switch between your US address (Delaware) and your Turkey address in the dashboard. 3. Shop online with your full address. At the store's checkout, enter your ForwardMe address exactly as shown, including your suite number (it usually goes in Address Line 2). You buy from the store directly. You don't need to order through our website. 4. Tell us what's coming (recommended). Add the tracking number and contents under Expected Packages so we can match your package quickly. 5. We receive and log your package. We log packages into your account within 24 hours at the latest, usually the same day, and email you when your package is ready. 6. Add your delivery address. Save the address you want the package delivered to in your Address Book. We don't need it when you sign up, only when you ship. 7. Create your shipment. Select the package (marked Action Required), fill in the customs declaration, add any extras or a consolidation request, and mark it Ready to Ship. 8. Choose a shipping option and pay. You'll see the available couriers, prices and delivery estimates at checkout. 9. Track it. Once your package leaves our warehouse, you get a tracking number for the international shipment. Nothing ships automatically We hold your packages until you create a shipment. This lets you wait for several orders and combine them. Consolidation takes 2 business days. Keep an eye on your free storage period, though. See "Free storage periods and storage fees" for the details for your plan. Two different tracking numbers - Inbound tracking is the number the store gives you. It follows the package from the store to our warehouse. - Outbound tracking is the number we give you once we ship. It follows the package from our warehouse to your door. A store's order number is not a tracking number. Your suite number matters Your suite number is how we know a package is yours. Without it, a package may be logged to an "Unknown" account and take longer to reach you. There's no fee to match it, but you can avoid the delay by always including your suite number and adding your orders under Expected Packages. No US sales tax on your Delaware address Our US warehouse is in Delaware, which has no state sales tax, so most US stores don't charge sales tax on orders shipped to your ForwardMe address. We also offer domestic shipping within the US. If we ship to an address in another state, you're responsible for any taxes that apply there. Import duties and taxes in your own country are separate. Where we ship from We ship from our warehouses in the US and Turkey. We don't have a UK warehouse at the moment. When a store won't take your order If a US or Turkish store declines your card, blocks international buyers or needs local phone verification, our Personal Shopper team can buy the item for you. See "Personal Shopper: when you need it and how to place a request". Common questions I signed up. Where's my US address and suite number? Log in and look in your dashboard. Your US and Turkey addresses are shown there, together with your suite number. When do I give you my home delivery address? When you're ready to ship. Add it to your Address Book, then choose it while you create the shipment. Will you forward my package as soon as it arrives? No. You create the shipment yourself when you're ready, so you can wait for more packages first. Do I have to order through the ForwardMe website? No. Shop on any store's site and enter your ForwardMe address at checkout. Still need help? Our support team is available on weekdays from 09:00 to 17:00 ET at [email protected].

🚀 Getting Started

Contacting our support team

Short answer: Email us at [email protected]. Our team works on weekdays from 09:00 to 17:00 ET and doesn't work on weekends, so messages sent on Saturday or Sunday are answered on the next business day. When we're available | | Hours | |---|---| | Monday to Friday | 09:00 to 17:00 ET | | Saturday and Sunday | Closed | You can write to us at any time, and we reply during business hours. How to reach us Send an email to [email protected]. Please write from the email address you use for your ForwardMe account. That way we can find your account straight away. Tip: send one message per issue, and reply in the same email thread if you want to add something. Starting a new thread for the same question can slow things down. What to include in your message The right details let us check your case without asking you follow-up questions. Always include your suite number or account email, then add what fits your topic: | Topic | What to include | |---|---| | A package shows as delivered but isn't in your account | The carrier's tracking number, the store name, the delivery date, and a screenshot of the delivery confirmation | | A shipment you sent from us | Your tracking number and what you're seeing on the tracking page | | A damaged or missing item | The tracking number, photos from several angles and a photo of the packaging | | A Personal Shopper order | Your order number and the product link or links | | A flagged or restricted item | The package details from your account and, if you have it, the product page or safety data sheet | | Payment or checkout problems | The payment method you used, the exact error message, and a screenshot | | Your account or membership | What you'd like to change, and what you've already tried | Screenshots help a lot, especially for website errors. Please don't send full card numbers or passwords by email. Check these articles first Many questions are answered right away in our help center: - "My package shows as delivered but isn't in my account yet" - "Tracking your shipment: statuses, carrier hubs and customs holds" - "Personal Shopper order statuses: what each one means and how long it takes" - "Why your shipping quote is higher than expected, and how to lower it" - "Restricted and prohibited items: what we can ship and what happens if a package is flagged" - "Free storage periods and storage fees" Common questions Do you work on weekends? No. Our team works on weekdays only. Messages sent over the weekend are answered from Monday. My package was delivered on Saturday. Why isn't it in my account yet? Our warehouse doesn't work on weekends either, so packages delivered then are logged on the next business day. See "What happens when your package arrives at our warehouse?" for how check-in works. I forgot to add my suite number. Should I contact you? Yes. Send us the tracking number, the store name and what's inside, and add the tracking number under Expected Packages in your account. This helps us match the package quickly. Should I email you again if I haven't heard back? Please reply in your original email thread rather than starting a new one. It keeps all the details in one place. Still need help? Our support team is available on weekdays from 09:00 to 17:00 ET at [email protected].

🛍️ Personal Shopper

Personal Shopper fees and extra invoices

Short answer: Personal Shopper costs a $8.50 Service Fee per up to 10 items, plus a 7% Processing Fee and a 4% ForwardMe Commission on the total order amount. The fees are the same on every membership plan. If the order ends up costing more than you paid, we send an extra invoice, and if it costs less, we refund the difference. The fees | Fee | Amount | |---|---| | Service Fee | $8.50 per up to 10 items | | Processing Fee | 7% of the total order amount | | ForwardMe Commission | 4% of the total order amount | Example: for one item with a total order amount of $100, the fees are $8.50 + $7.00 + $4.00 = $19.50. These fees don't depend on your membership plan. Free, Premium and VIP members pay the same. You can compare what each plan does include on our membership page. What your payment covers, and what it doesn't When you pay for a Personal Shopper request, you pay for: - the items themselves - domestic shipping, from the seller to our warehouse - the Personal Shopper fees above International shipping, from our warehouse to you, isn't part of the request. You pay it later, when you create a shipment for the package in your account. Domestic shipping depends on the seller Each store or seller sets its own shipping cost and options. Some ship for free, some charge a flat rate and some offer a faster courier for more. Tip: before you submit your request, add the items to the seller's own cart. You'll see whether free shipping or a faster courier is available. Note your choice at Personal Shopper checkout so we know which option to pick. Why you might get an extra invoice Sometimes the final cost is higher than the amount paid at checkout. For example, the seller's domestic shipping costs more than expected, or the store adds another charge when we place the order. When that happens: 1. We email you an invoice for the missing amount. 2. Your order waits until the invoice is paid. 3. We continue with the purchase as soon as it's paid. We buy on business days within 12–24 hours, so paying the invoice promptly keeps your order moving. Unused amounts are refunded If the order costs less than you paid, for example because shipping turned out to be free, we refund the unused amount. Refunds reach your card or PayPal within 1–3 days. Why the Personal Shopper fees aren't refunded later Personal Shopper and shipping are two separate services. The Personal Shopper fees pay us for buying the item on your behalf, and that job is done once the item has been purchased and logged into your account — from that point, the item is yours. Shipping it to your country is a separate service, with its own process and its own fees. Because of that, the Service Fee, Processing Fee and ForwardMe Commission are earned once the item has been purchased, and they aren't refunded afterwards — even if something later goes wrong with the shipment, including a shipment that's refused at customs, returned or abandoned. See our Terms (§10.14(a)). Common questions Does my Personal Shopper payment include shipping to my country? No. It covers domestic shipping from the seller to our warehouse. You pay for international shipping when you ship the package from your account. The marketplace subtotal already includes delivery. Why is there a separate domestic shipping line? Domestic shipping in your request is the cost of getting the item from the seller to our warehouse. If the amount you paid covers more than the actual cost, we refund the difference. Do Premium or VIP members pay lower Personal Shopper fees? No. The fees are the same on every plan. I didn't pay the extra invoice yet. Will my order still be placed? Not until it's paid. Your order continues as soon as we receive the payment. Still need help? Our support team is available on weekdays from 09:00 to 17:00 ET at [email protected].

⚠️ Restricted & Prohibited Items

Restricted and prohibited items: what we can ship and what happens if a package is flagged

Short answer: Some items can never leave our warehouse, including perfume, other flammable products, and loose batteries or power banks. If a package is flagged, our operations team reviews it within 1–2 days, and you can then remove the item, have it disposed of for free, or send it to another address in the US. Chart showing which items we can and can't ship internationally, and the options and costs if a package is flagged Prohibited vs restricted - Prohibited items can't be shipped internationally through ForwardMe under any circumstances. - Restricted items can only ship if they meet specific packing and paperwork rules. Our team may ask for extra information, such as a safety data sheet, before we can approve them. Carriers, airlines and destination countries all set their own rules. An item can be accepted on one route and refused on another, and a country can ban products that are fine elsewhere. Items we can't ship Many common products count as dangerous goods for air transport, and others are prohibited outright: | Item | Can we ship it internationally? | |---|---| | Perfume, cologne and liquid fragrances | No | | Other flammable items (for example nail polish, aerosols and lighters) | No | | Lithium-ion batteries packed with or installed in equipment (UN3481) | Yes, when properly packed | | Loose or standalone batteries | No | | Power banks | No | | Alcohol | No | | Tobacco, e-cigarettes and vapes | No | | Cash and currency, and credit, debit or prepaid cards | No | | Crypto hardware wallets holding funds | No | | Passports and government-issued IDs | No | | Knives, weapons, and firearm parts or accessories | No | | Counterfeit and replica goods | No | | Lottery tickets and gambling devices | No | | Food that needs refrigeration, and other perishables | No | Our Terms (§5.1) carry the full list of prohibited items, so check there as well if your item isn't in the table. About batteries: we only ship lithium-ion batteries under UN3481, which means the battery is installed in a device (such as a laptop, phone or camera) or packed in the same box as the device it powers. Spare batteries on their own and power banks can't be accepted. A single package can contain up to 2 products with a built-in battery. If yours has more, we split it into separate shipments. You can check what can be exported to your country with our import and export trade restrictions lookup tool. If you're still not sure about an item, check with our support team before you buy it. It's much easier than dealing with a flagged package later. "It shipped fine last time" We understand how frustrating this is. Rules change, and a previous shipment going through doesn't guarantee the same item will be accepted again. Every package is checked against the current rules for its carrier and destination. What happens if your package is flagged 1. We mark the package as Forbidden in your account. You'll see a warning message on the package and get an email. While it's marked, a shipment can't be created by mistake. 2. Our operations team reviews it within 1–2 days. We may contact you for details or documents. 3. You choose what happens next. | Option | What it means | Cost | |---|---|---| | Remove the item | We take the restricted item out, so the rest of the package can ship | Free | | Dispose of the item | We safely dispose of it for you | Free | | Send it to another US address (including back to the seller) | You provide a return label | $10 handling fee | | Send it to another US address (including back to the seller) | We provide the label | Courier cost + $10 service fee | Safety data sheets (MSDS/SDS) For some products, such as chemicals, cosmetics or electronics with batteries, we may ask for a safety data sheet. This is a document from the manufacturer that describes the product's contents and hazards. You can usually get it from the seller or the manufacturer's website, or by asking their customer service team. Common questions Is my flagged package stuck at your warehouse forever? No. Once the review is done, you can have the item removed, disposed of for free, or sent to an address in the US. Can I ship perfume if it's not in an aerosol can? No. Perfume and other flammable liquids can't be shipped, whatever the container. My laptop has a built-in battery. Can I ship it? Yes. Batteries installed in a device, or packed with the device they power, ship under UN3481. Loose spare batteries and power banks can't. Will choosing a different courier let me ship perfume or a power bank? No. Flammable items, loose batteries and power banks can't be shipped with any of our shipping options. For other restricted items, contact our support team before you buy. Is disposal free? Yes. We don't charge to dispose of an item. Still need help? Our support team is available on weekdays from 09:00 to 17:00 ET at [email protected].

📦 Storage, Consolidation & Packing

Consolidating packages: how to request it, how long it takes and what it costs

Short answer: Consolidation means we combine several of your packages into one box so you ship them together. It takes 2 business days, and it's charged per package: $3.25 on Free, $2.00 on Premium and free on VIP. Combine several packages into one shipment What consolidation is (and isn't) When you consolidate, our team opens your packages, puts the items into one box and gives you one new package to ship. Couriers charge by weight and size, so one box usually costs less than several separate shipments. Paying for several packages at the same time is not consolidation. If you select several packages at checkout without requesting consolidation, each one ships as its own package with its own shipping cost. To combine them, you have to ask for consolidation when you create the request. Keeping the original box. To combine packages into one, our team opens the originals and repacks the contents, which can mark up the original packaging and remove inserts or warranty cards. That's fine for most items, but if you collect sneakers or other boxed collectibles and the original packaging matters to you, tell support before you ship. We handle it as a special request, since it needs extra care and processing time, and any related fee depends on that handling time. How to request consolidation 1. Wait until all the packages have arrived. Each package appears in your account once we've logged it. Tip: add the tracking numbers of upcoming orders under Expected Packages so we can match them quickly. 2. Go to Create Request in your dashboard. 3. Select the packages you want to combine and ask for consolidation. 4. Confirm the request. Our team combines your packages within 2 business days. 5. Check your new consolidated package. Review its customs declaration, then choose your shipping option and pay. What it costs Consolidation is charged for each package you combine: | Plan | Fee per package | Example: 4 packages | |---|---|---| | Free | $3.25 | $13.00 | | Premium | $2.00 | $8.00 | | VIP | Free | $0 | You can compare plans on our membership page. Plan around your free storage Each package keeps its own storage clock while you wait for the others to arrive, and consolidation adds 2 business days. If one of your packages is close to the end of its free storage period, request consolidation early or ship that package on its own. See "Free storage periods and storage fees" for the days on your plan. When consolidating doesn't save money Combining usually lowers the cost, but not always. Couriers bill the higher of a package's actual weight and its dimensional (size-based) weight. If one item is very bulky, putting everything into a larger box can raise the billable weight. In that case our team may recommend shipping some packages separately. See "Why your shipping quote is higher than expected, and how to lower it". Common questions How long does consolidation take? 2 business days from your request. Our team doesn't work on weekends. Can I add another package to a consolidation request that's already in progress? Contact our support team as soon as possible with the details, and we'll check whether it can still be added. If I check out two packages together, are they combined into one? No. Only packages you request consolidation for are combined. Otherwise each package ships separately. A store split my order into several shipments. Do I pay the fee for each one? Yes. The fee is charged for each package we receive and combine, even if they came from the same order. On VIP, consolidation is free. Still need help? Our support team is available on weekdays from 09:00 to 17:00 ET at [email protected].