How your parcel leaves our warehouse, what it costs to send, and who pays what when it reaches your country.
Where we ship
We currently accept purchasing orders for the United Kingdom, Australia, the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore and Malaysia, subject to the line available for your destination and to the restrictions below. If your country is not on the list, ask — routes change, and we would rather tell you honestly than take an order we cannot move.
Choosing a line
For each quote we offer the options that actually fit your goods and destination:
- Economy air lines — the usual choice. Slower, priced by weight, and what most customers take.
- Express courier — faster and more expensive, and often the only way to send something time-critical.
- Sea freight — for heavy or bulky orders where waiting is acceptable.
Speed and price are a trade-off we let you make: we put the options in the quote rather than picking for you. Transit estimates are the carrier’s, not a promise — customs inspection, holidays and weather all move them.
Line comparison at a glance
| Line | Best for | Priced by | Speed and cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economy air | Most orders — the default choice | Greater of actual or volumetric weight | Slower, and the lowest cost of the three |
| Express courier | Time-critical or high-value goods | Greater of actual or volumetric weight | Fastest, and the most expensive |
| Sea freight | Heavy or bulky orders where waiting is fine | Usually volume rather than weight | Slowest, cheapest per kilogram |
Weight, size and why consolidation matters
International lines charge on the greater of actual weight and volumetric weight (length × width × height ÷ a divisor set by the carrier). That is why we remove the sellers’ original cartons and combine several orders into one parcel: two small orders shipped separately can cost more in freight than the goods themselves. Consolidation is included in our packing fee, not an upsell.
Storage in our warehouse
There is no charge while we are collecting the rest of your parcel — goods wait in our warehouse until everything has arrived and you tell us to send. If you want us to hold items for an extended period (for example, while you keep shopping across several weeks), ask us first and we will confirm what is possible.
Packing
- Standard repacking and consolidation — included.
- Reinforced packing for ceramics, glass, instruments or anything fragile — arranged on request, priced before we do it.
- Removing retail packaging (to reduce weight or for gifting) — on request. Tell us; we never discard original packaging without asking.
- Extra inspection photos — on request, priced before we do it.
Insurance and claims
Loss and damage compensation follows the shipping line’s own rules and limits, and we will tell you what those are for the line you choose before you approve it. If a parcel is lost or arrives damaged, we help you file the claim, supply the warehouse photos and the shipping documents, and keep pushing from our side. Compensation for indirect loss — waiting, missed occasions, difference in price — is not something we can cover.
Customs: what has changed, and who pays
Every parcel we send is declared to customs at its real value and with an accurate description. That is not negotiable, and it is the reason our parcels are not the ones being held.
As the recipient, you are the importer. Duty, VAT, sales tax and any clearance fee are assessed by your own customs authority and paid by you — they are not part of our quote and we cannot pay them on your behalf.
What has changed recently, country by country:
- United States — the $800 de minimis exemption was suspended in 2025 and the suspension was made indefinite in 2026. Low-value parcels are now entered through customs like any other shipment and duties apply; there is no longer a value threshold below which a parcel enters free. If you are in the US, expect a duty assessment on parcels from China.
- European Union — the €150 duty relief ended on 1 July 2026. During the transition period a flat per-item duty applies to low-value consignments, with the full tariff system to follow.
- United Kingdom — the £135 low-value duty relief is still in place for duty, while import VAT rules continue to apply.
- Canada — the low-value duty threshold is very low, so assume a commercial parcel will be assessed.
- Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, New Zealand — thresholds and tax collection rules differ; check your local rules for your order value.
We do not quote a duty figure, because the rate depends on your product’s classification and your country’s rules in force on the day of entry, and those rules have been changing repeatedly. Before shipping we can tell you the declared value and the description we will use, so you can estimate your own position or ask a customs broker. We do not under-declare values, split parcels to stay under a threshold, or route goods through a “duty-free” channel — all three are the practices customs authorities are actively targeting, and the parcel, not the agent, is what gets seized.
Where these rules come from (checked 26 September 2026)
- United Kingdom — GOV.UK: goods sent from abroad (import VAT and duty)
- United Kingdom — GOV.UK: import goods into the UK
- Australia — Australian Border Force: importing goods
- United States — US CBP: internet purchases and de minimis
- New Zealand — New Zealand Customs: importing
- Canada — CBSA: importing goods by post
Import rules change often and every parcel is assessed individually, so we do not quote duty rates. We state the duty position on your quote, declare every parcel at its real value and description, and leave the assessment to your customs authority.
Low-value thresholds by destination
| Destination | Low-value duty relief | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| United States | None — the $800 de minimis exemption was suspended in 2025 and made indefinite in 2026 | Duty is assessed on parcels from China; there is no longer a value floor below which a parcel enters free |
| European Union | €150 duty relief ended on 1 July 2026 | A flat per-item duty applies during the transition period, with the full tariff system to follow |
| United Kingdom | £135 relief still applies for duty | Import VAT rules continue to apply on top |
| Canada | Threshold is very low | Assume a commercial parcel will be assessed |
| Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia | Thresholds and collection rules differ | Check your local rules against your order value before you approve shipping |
Figures checked 26 September 2026 and are shown for orientation only — the assessment is always made by your own customs authority on the day of entry. We do not quote duty rates.
What cannot be sent
We remove prohibited items from a parcel and decline orders we cannot legally move. The list is on Prohibited Items. Restricted categories — liquids, cosmetics, food, lithium batteries, anything needing certification — are reviewed case by case before we buy, not after.
Returns for the purchasing service
- Before we buy from the Chinese seller — cancel or change anything; a small handling charge may apply if work has already been done.
- After we have bought — the order cannot be cancelled, because the goods are already ours to hold. If the item is defective or wrong, we pursue the seller for a return or exchange on your behalf.
- If the seller cannot supply — out of stock, refuses to ship, or delays indefinitely — we refund the item cost. Our purchasing fee may still apply for the work done.
- If a parcel is lost or damaged in transit — the carrier’s compensation rules apply, and we help you claim.
Shop items bought from our own stock are governed by the shop’s Shipping & Returns policy, not by this page — the two are deliberately separate.
Common questions about shipping and duty
Who pays import duty on my parcel?
You do, as the recipient and the importer of record. Duty, VAT, sales tax and any clearance fee are assessed by your own customs authority and billed to you — they are not included in our quote and we cannot pay them on your behalf.
Do you under-declare the value to reduce duty?
No. Every parcel is declared at its real value and with an accurate description. Under-declaring, splitting parcels to stay under a threshold and routing goods through a “duty-free” channel are the three practices customs authorities actively target — and it is the parcel, not the agent, that gets seized.
How long does shipping take from China?
Transit depends on the line you pick and on your destination. The estimates in your quote are the carrier’s own, not a promise — customs inspection, public holidays and weather all move them. For a typical consolidated order, allow a few days in our warehouse, then the transit time for the line you chose.
Can you split my order into several parcels so it clears customs more easily?
We consolidate rather than split. Splitting purely to avoid a threshold is exactly what customs scrutiny looks for, and it usually raises total freight as well. If a genuine reason exists to send in more than one parcel, tell us and we will say whether it is possible.
Is consolidation actually worth it?
Usually, yes. International lines charge on the greater of actual weight and volumetric weight, and sellers’ cartons are mostly empty space. Removing them and combining several orders into one parcel frequently cuts freight by more than the packing fee costs — and consolidation is included in that fee rather than being an upsell.
What happens if my parcel is lost or damaged?
Compensation follows the shipping line’s own rules and limits, and we tell you what those are for the line you choose before you approve it. If something goes wrong we help you file the claim and supply the warehouse photos and shipping documents. Indirect loss — waiting, a missed occasion, a price difference — is not something we can cover.
Can you hold my goods while I keep shopping?
Yes. There is no charge while we are collecting the rest of your parcel: goods wait in our warehouse until everything has arrived and you tell us to send. If you want a longer hold across several weeks, ask us first and we will confirm what is possible.
Do you ship to my country?
We currently accept purchasing orders for the United Kingdom, Australia, the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore and Malaysia, subject to the line available and to the restriction list. If your country is not named, ask anyway — routes change, and we would rather tell you honestly than take an order we cannot move.
Questions about your destination? Tell us the country and roughly what you are buying and we’ll tell you which lines and rules apply. Send your photos · Service terms
Written and maintained by the ElovyrHaven team — we run this service ourselves from China and answer every message personally. Last updated: . Questions? Email info@elovyrhaven.com or use the photo upload box on our home page.
