Online shopping in Dominican Republic

Shopping on line is easy.  The hard part is getting your purchases here.  That can be very expensive and time consuming.
Bob K

I just was on Pricesmart's website which was at least a clue to what might be available there (never had a complete list of what was in store at any given time...but, neither does Costco) And there's a message that they have taken down their online shopping page.  Big step backwards as far as I can tell...

What was the message.

Bob K

OMG 7,000 posts... I need to get a life

Bob K

Hahahahahahah Bob, that was funny!

I find Fed Ex and UPS almost worthless. DHL gets things done and utilizes Local Bus services like Caribe Tours to get the packages to my local bus stations. I have had excellent service with Companies that utilize DHL. Perhaps if I lived in a bigger hub, like Santo Domingo or Santiago the service might improve. The Postal System, horrific as it is, seems to do much better with USPS small packages now. You no longer have to go to the Aduana to pick them up.

Hola. I am addicted to Amazon. Depending on where you live, shopping online and shipping is easy. I am here in Cabarete, so in this area you can use: http://www.cpssosuacabarete.com/ to get a free forwarding account in Miami (just email them a copy of your passport). Then you pay about 200rd per pound to get it here to DR. They deliver right to your door. It takes two more days to get here from Miami, so most items are here within 5-7 business days. The only catch is you cannot buy anything above $200 USD without a 30% import tax. If you are going to send anything over $200 USD, just communicate with them in advance and they will help you get it here as cheap as possible. I've been using the service for several years now and it is very easy, reliable, and inexpensive.

Okay so lets get some details:

Online shopping is easy!  I do it all the time.  I  use the big sites,  Ebay, Amazon etc etc. 

Getting deliver is another game!

1. Do NOT use the Dominican Mail -  it won't arrive

2. Don't use  Fedex or any of the big guys - WAYYYYY too expensive unless it is something of real value. Then be prepared to pay tax and duty.

3.  USE a mail forwarder.  No arguing about which is better - they all have pros and cons. There are many.  CPS,  BM Cargo, Business Mail etc etc.  Search the forums, we have discussed this.

4. Current rule - it must be under US 200 including shipping to the Mail Forwarder OR be prepared to pay tax and duty.  AND most of these companies charge by the pound so be aware.

LOCAL online shopping:

Its hit and miss.  You can do it with Ikea but you pay for delivery and you wait.  Some companies will send out by local messenger, mostly in big cities.

Online stores that are local are not that available here.  Some grocery stores do it!  Nacional,  has an online site but its under construction.

The thread is pretty specific.please feel free to get a classified ad.

I second the vote for CPS we have been using them for years (a couple of times  a month) with no problems and have shipped everything from a dog collar to  a Patio Furniture.

Bob K

I agree with most of everyone above. Shopping online can be great if you use Amazon or a company from the states. In Santo Domingo, we use a courier like Aeropak, create an account, then get our items shipped to Miami. From their, the courier sends it to the location of our choice in the city. It usually costs about 295 pesos per pound for us for 2 day shipping. Like it was mentioned earlier the only catch is if the item being shipped is over $200, you end up having to pay taxes on it.  I know this may not be available all over the Dominican Republic but in Santo Domingo, its quite convenient. Ive realized that most stores and companies in DR do not have online shopping on their websites such as the stores back in the states.

It is available in most of the DR.  What is not available is home deliver everywhere!  In many locations you have to go to their office to pick up your packages!