Amazon's Delivery Destinations: Does Brunei Make The Cut?

Amazon does deliver to Brunei, but only a select few products are eligible for shipping to the country. Around two-thirds of third-party sellers on Amazon do not ship internationally at all. The main reason for this is the added complexity of getting products through Brunei Customs, which can be a poor experience for customers. Some products, such as electronics, also need to comply with local regulations, and there is added complexity when it comes to international warranties, returns, and after-sale support.

Amazon delivers some items to Brunei

Even with this set up, Amazon still won't ship a lot of items to you in Brunei, because they are only available in the United States. It is notoriously difficult to buy electronics from Amazon.com in Brunei, but even harmless items like books can be hard to get, too.

Around two-thirds of third-party sellers on Amazon don't ship internationally at all. The main reason for this is the added complexity of selling internationally. Some products, such as electronics, need to comply with Brunei regulations. There's also the added complexity of offering an international warranty, dealing with returns, and localisation of marketing, packaging materials, and after-sale support.

The actual shipping process from Amazon to Brunei is also difficult. Shipping a product from Amazon to Brunei requires the seller to complete itemised customs documents, validate the Brunei address (which is different from US addresses), calculate the cost of shipping, offer detailed tracking, and support longer delivery times.

If you want to ship an item from Amazon to Brunei, you will need a United States address so someone can forward the package to you. This is where freight forwarders come in. One such forwarder is Planet Express, which offers a tax-free warehouse in Oregon, allowing you to avoid paying sales tax on your purchases.

Amazon's International Page

Once the 1-Click address is set up, users can search for products on Amazon's International Page, and the results will only show items that can be shipped to their selected country. This feature is particularly useful for those living in countries like Brunei, where Amazon does not have a dedicated website and only certain items can be shipped there.

In addition to the International Page, Amazon also offers international shopping convenience to other countries through Amazon Global. Amazon Global is a convenient way to filter the US version of Amazon to display items that are available for international shipping. However, it's important to note that Amazon Global may not be smart enough to only show items that can be shipped to your specific country.

For example, if you set your location to Germany, not all the products listed on Amazon Global will necessarily be shipped there. Therefore, it's always a good idea to check the item's page for a note indicating whether it can be shipped to your location. This note will appear next to the "In Stock" or "Out of Stock" information, but users must be signed in for Amazon to recognise their location.

Overall, Amazon's International Page and Amazon Global are useful tools for customers outside of the US to find products that can be shipped to their country. However, it's important to be aware of potential shipping costs, customs duties, taxes, and fees that may be incurred when purchasing from a foreign Amazon website.

Using a package forwarder

While Amazon does deliver to Brunei, the process is not straightforward. Many items, especially electronics, cannot be delivered to Brunei directly from Amazon. In these cases, you can use a package forwarder, a company that will accept your package in the United States and forward it to your address in Brunei.

Step 1: Choose a Package Forwarder

The package forwarder you choose will determine how quickly you receive your order and the cost of shipping. Some factors to consider when selecting a package forwarder include:

• Service fees: Charges for accepting and shipping packages, including additional services like long-term storage, re-packing, and package consolidation.
• Monthly fees: Any regular charges for using their service.
• Pricing transparency: How much information they provide about shipping costs before you send your order.
• Speed: How quickly they process and ship packages.
• Customer service: The level of satisfaction expressed by other users and the speed and thoroughness of their responses to queries.

Some popular package forwarders include Planet Express, MyUS.com, and Ubuy. Planet Express, for example, has a tax-free warehouse in Oregon, offers package consolidation, and provides free photos of your package upon arrival. Ubuy, on the other hand, partners with reliable shipping companies like DHL, FedEx, Aramex, and OrangeDS to deliver products to Brunei.

Step 2: Set Up Your Account and Shipping Address

After selecting your package forwarder, sign up for an account and obtain your unique US mailing address at their warehouse. This address will be provided by the package forwarder and will serve as your shipping address when making purchases on Amazon.

Step 3: Ship Your Order to the Package Forwarder

When purchasing from Amazon, enter your package forwarder's warehouse address as your shipping address. If you encounter any issues with your credit card billing address, you can usually use the warehouse address for this as well.

Step 4: Forward Your Package to Brunei

Once your package arrives at the package forwarder's warehouse, they will typically notify you via email and/or send photos of your package. At this point, you will be given a choice of shipping options with varying prices and speeds. Select the option that best suits your needs, and your package will be on its way to Brunei.

Shipping costs and times

Amazon delivers to Brunei, but not all items can be shipped there. The cost and time of shipping to Brunei depend on several factors, including the number of products, the type of items, the weight of the package, and the size of the product.

If you live in the US, Amazon will typically take 1 to 7 business days to ship your products. If you're using third-party sellers, it can take 1 to 21 days for your products to be delivered.

Amazon's shipping fee to Brunei depends on the items you're buying and how quickly you want to receive them. If you use Amazon's international search portal, you can place items in your cart and see how much shipping will cost before checking out.

If the item you're buying won't ship to Brunei directly, you can use a package forwarder like Planet Express or MyUS.com, which offer shipping calculators to estimate the cost. Generally, shipping costs to Brunei range from $5-$10 for smaller items (like clothing) up to $50-$100 for larger, more valuable items (like electronics).

If you use a package forwarder, you will need to sign up and get a US shipping address. Then, you can purchase your items from Amazon and have them shipped to your US address. The package forwarder will then forward them to you in Brunei.

Payment methods

Amazon.com accepts a variety of payment methods. You can pay for your Amazon order with a credit card (Mastercard, Visa, American Express, JCB, Discover, UnionPay, Diners Club), debit cards, US-based bank accounts, Amazon.com store cards, and Amazon gift cards.

If you are unable to use any of the above methods, you can use the Shop For Me service offered by Planet Express. Planet Express will buy the product using their credit card, and you will pay them directly instead of Amazon.

Ubuy, an international shopping platform, also accepts payments from a variety of valid sources. They accept payments from Paypal, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and bank transfers.

Frequently asked questions