Shipping to Dominican Republic
Moving overseas? You have lots of luggage? Don't wanna leave your Electronics and Appliances? Why not just ship it?
Packing suitcases for the overseas move, you can only bring so much. I myself paid the extra luggage fees, but a few suitcases can only carry so much. The plan was to bring as much as possible with us for the move to Dominican Republic.
In order to bring much more stuff, we got a couple of large size barrels. If you know of anyone from the Caribbean, packing barrels to send overseas is pretty common. Being from Dominican Republic, my lady was experienced in this whole shipping barrels process. It started with me going to pick up a couple of barrels from a wholesaler. The cost was about $50 each, and I had to buy one at a time because my SUV could only carry one. Some barrel sellers will deliver a barrel to you, prices may vary. Now it was about packing the barrel to the absolute top, using up every bit of space available in it. After filling the barrel up, write in big letters the senders name and the shipping address it's going to. Your next step is to call the shipping company and they will pick it up, give you a receiving date, which can be 4 to 6 weeks, and you're all set. I would suggest not putting your most valuables in there because it could get damaged or taken. Yes, they do open the barrels at whatever country it arrives, and there have been stories of sometimes items missing. We sent down 3 barrels and all of the electronics, makeup and nails equipment, clothes and shoes were there, but oddly a package of curry seasoning was missing when we received the barrels. For the most part there is nothing to worry about, the majority of people never experience any issues with items missing. For your own peace of mind, you should pack the most valuable things first. That way they are at the bottom of the barrel. Whoever is examining the barrel only opens the top lid, they do not take everything out to open and search. Packing a barrel is a pretty simple procedure, once you get the understanding. Depending on your location in North American, a shipped barrel to Dominican Republic should cost you around $150 - $200. I would highly recommend using this process when you're moving overseas. It works best with buying stuff on sale, bathroom accessories, kitchenware, food seasonings and anything pretty much to make yourself feel more at home in your new country.
Shipping companies are also for the bigger items that aren't fitting in a barrel, much less a suitcase. My lady has one of those electric scooters and we weren't going to bring it on the plane. For starters, all the bigger items will have to be put in a box. We had the original box, so we only had to label it with sender's name and shipping address also. The total shipping cost for the electric scooter was about $125. I left my 55-inch TV and now I’m thinking about bringing it over here to Dominican Republic. It's a fairly new TV and it beats buying a new TV out here. The cost for electronics is much more expensive in DR. Everything else is cheaper here, but when it comes to electronics, for the price, quality and brands, the good old North America can't be beat. Don’t get me wrong, top brands are also sold in Dominican Republic, but at a higher cost. In DR there are also other not so familiar names that are good quality, I guess they are Chinese and European brands. I feel if you already have a good quality TV or appliances and it's sitting around. If the price is worth it, why not save money, by shipping it out. For the price of around $120 dollars to ship it over, instead of purchasing a new one for a full higher price.
In Dominican Republic there's a good healthy selection of electronics and appliances to choose from. The need to buy back in North America and send over isn't necessary. Always keep a look out for local flyers in the area you are staying in. Sales and discounts on all electronics and appliances happen all the time in Dominican Republic. The discounts can be such a big difference in the overall price, savings often at 30% - 50% off the original price. To give you a better idea, the images above are from a local big grocery store La Sirena. The images are out of a flyer showing the discounted prices valid from November 1st until December 1st.
So, when it is mentioned about having electronics and appliances back home in North America, and if it's worth shipping over to Dominican Republic? It's all about the individual's preference.
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Please, what shipping company do you recommend? I live in Boston, moving to Santo Domingo on May 30th so need to “get it together” quickly!! Thanks, L
The barrel idea is brilliant. And this totally gives me ideas about what and how to pack and ship. I had an idea that I would take a cruise ship as far south as possible, and disembark to a bus or train or whatever is available for public transportation into the new country. Flying isn't an option unless back and forth for visiting and hauling a little at a time. Great information, thank you, as always for your work.