How I Saved by Buying a Kindle Directly on Amazon from the Philippines
I’ve been a Kindle user since 2015 and I haven’t looked back since. As a huge reader, I believe it’s a great investment but that’s a discussion for another day.
Living in the Philippines, I understand the struggle of finding a Kindle from a legit seller. However, seeing some negative reviews just made me anxious so I didn’t risk it.
Amazon does ship directly to the Philippines but it’s only the international versions of the Kindle which are way pricier than the US version. Shipping also takes two to three months and I was definitely not willing to wait that long.
Fortunately, there’s a way to buy directly from Amazon and it’s even cheaper than the prices of local sellers.
Note: Exchange rate used for the PHP to USD conversion is the rate during the time of purchase (PHP 55.75498).
Wait for a big sale on Amazon.
I bought my Kindle during the Prime Big Deal Days last October 10–11, 2023. I only paid $99.99 for the Kindle Paperwhite 16GB 11th Generation which is normally priced at around $149.99. The next sale will be Black Friday on November 24–23, 2023.
Use a freight forwarder.
A freight forwarder is a company or individual that helps facilitate the shipment of goods from one place to another. I used Buyandship. They ship from US, UK, Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, Australia, Italy, Thailand and Canada to the Philippines. They are cheaper than other companies since they charge per weight (PHP 620/lb).
Choose a Kindle that suits your needs.
Ultimately, it’s your choice but here are some tips based on my experience:
- The difference between the 8GB and 16GB version of the Kindle Paperwhite is $10 (around PHP 500). If it isn’t too much for you, just choose the 16GB version.
- Choose the With 3 Months Free Kindle Unlimited option since there’s no price difference. There are tons of great books in Kindle Unlimited. Just make sure to choose United States as the Country/Region in your account for access to more books.
- Choose the Lockscreen Ad-Supported option and try to ask Amazon’s chat support to remove it for you. They normally charge $20 but if you ask nicely, they might remove it for free. ;)
How to Buy a Kindle from Amazon and Ship to the Philippines
- Create an account on Buyandship. (Note: By clicking on the referral link, we both get 200 credits after your first order, which can then be used on the next purchase.)
- Go to My Account > My Address and input your full address. You have two pricing options: (a) Delivery Duty Unpaid (DDU) and (b) Delivery Duty Paid (DDP). For this case, I suggest you choose DDP since the Kindle weighs less than a pound. The difference in pricing for the additional pound won’t matter and there will be no additional charges since everything is already paid in DDP.
- Click Warehouses and select the warehouse where you want your order delivered to. Copy the Amazon/eBay address indicated. I used the Portland warehouse since it’s tax-free.
- Order your selected Kindle from Amazon. During checkout, input the address you copied in Step #3. Click Add delivery instructions and select the options below. This is optional but it helps since the warehouse has set operating hours and is closed on weekends and holidays.
5. Complete your checkout. Amazon accepts Philippine-issued credit cards so you don’t have to worry.
6. Once Amazon ships your item and gives you the tracking number, go to Buyandship website to declare your shipment. Go to My Shipment > Add a shipment and input the required details. Failure to declare would result in delivery delay or affect the right of parcels originally reserved in the protection plans.
7. When your package arrives at the Hongkong warehouse, you will get an email that your shipment is ready for consolidation. If you ordered multiple items, you can consolidate it for one-time shipping. I only bought the Kindle so I consolidated and paid on the same day. As a new user, you also get 310 credits which you can deduct from your shipping fee. Insurance Fee (Buyandship plus) is optional but I added it to be safe.
8. Wait for your order to arrive and enjoy your new Kindle!
Worth the Wait
Buyandship will regularly send you updates on your shipment. For your reference, here’s the timeline of my order:
Ordered on Amazon: October 10
Arrived at Portland warehouse: October 14
Arrived at Hongkong warehouse: October 25 (consolidated and paid shipping fee on the same day)
Order ready for delivery: October 28
Received order: October 30
Waiting for almost three weeks is not bad, especially since I can be sure that I got a legit item. Overall, my experience was smooth and hassle-free. I think I’ll be buying my Kindle this way from now on. Hopefully, not for another five years though.
“Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.”
― Joseph Addison
