Parcel firm launches 'US address rental service'

Consumers with an eye for American goods can 'rent' a delivery address in the US and have the items forwarded to the UK

Shoppers who want to buy goods only available in the US can now 'rent' an American address which enables them to ship products to the UK.

Many US online retail companies only offer limited delivery services to the UK, with items such as iPods and other electrical goods not being shipped outside of the US. But the UK shipping company Parcel2go has launched a service giving customers a US mailing address to accept delivery of goods only available to US consumers.

It then forwards the goods to the UK using companies such as Federal Express, UPS or City Link.

Parcel2go founder, Fil Adams-Mercer, said: "Around 95% of US websites will not ship outside the US because of customs bureaucracy. With America being as big as it is, it doesn't need the rest of the world. Now UK customers will be able to use us as their 'address' in the US when buying from these sites. Parcel2Go will then arrange delivery on from there."

Purchasing products on the dollar rate means some items may be cheaper, for example a fourth generation 8GB iPod Touch on the US Amazon site works out at an estimated £47 less than if you ordered it on Amazon UK ; however subsequent delivery and shipping fees bulk up the overall cost, meaning the service is only likely to prove cost-effective if the customer uses it several times a year.

''There is a demand for a service like this because when the pound was two to the dollar, people were ordering deliveries in their thousands because it was much cheaper than buying things here,'' Adams-Mercer said. ''Also, some products like the iPad were only available in America first – and there is a niche market of people that want to get products when they are first released.''

Parcel2go customers are charged £19.99 a year (plus VAT) to rent an address, as well as paying shipping fees that vary according to the item– an iPod Touch costs £31 to deliver. Similar rates can be found on rival web sites such as myus.com and myusabox.com , which also offer a US mailing address service, with iPod Touch delivery ranging from £22-£31.

The latter two also allow users to set up single purchase deliveries without the additional cost of monthly or annual "address rental" fees.

In addition to the above costs, HM Revenue and Customs might levy customs duty and import VAT (unless you pay VAT directly to the company) on goods bought from outside the EU for delivery to the UK. Customs duty may be levied if the value of the goods exceeds £135, although there is nothing to pay if the amount of duty calculated is £9 or under. Import VAT will be charged on goods above £18 in value.

To find out more visit http://www.parcel2go.com/