{C++ etc.}

Latest Posts
 
Home | C++ Posts | Linux Posts | Programming Posts | Issue Tracking Posts

Sunday, June 13, 2010

An Unbiased Review of VIAddress.com

VIAddress is a company which provides U.S. addresses to non-U.S. based individuals (like myself). They also provide package consolidation and forwarding services. What this basically means is that you could shop from sites which only ship within the U.S., and ship several items at once to your home country.


When I first visited their site, I was enticed by the good design and the stat tables which showed VIAddress's advantages over other similar services. I read several reviews and they all had high praise for the service. So I signed up for the service without hesitation (this is free) and bought several items from Amazon.com to be shipped to my new U.S. address.


It was only a few days later that I came across several reviews which listed VIAddress.com as a scam. I was a bit scared since I had already shipped two items their. Their were several complaints claiming that VIAddress employed people to write good reviews about them. It's a bit unethical but not that bad. So I waited to see what would happen to my packages.


My packages arrived at the warehouse in East Lexington Avenue, and after about 5 hours, they appeared on my VIAddress.com account page. The update process takes some time but it seems to be reducing (maybe they've hired more people??). One of the things to take note is that they take a very long time to answer e-mails. Sometimes weeks. 






The VIAddress warehouse as seen by Google maps


I've shipped two items there. Two more are on their way. I've used their concierge service. I've cancelled the concierge order and received a refund about 4 days later. The concierge order table does not get updated and their's no way to cancel the orders once they are placed (except by mailing them). Event after the orders are manually cancelled, there is no way to remove them from your personal page. So I would stay away from the concierge orders for now.


The Shipping Manager page which lists items in suite and pending items


Their shipping charges are reasonable. Only FedEx option is given when you try to ship something, although the FAQ mentions DHL and UPS. The charges are about $60 for a package which has a dimensional weight of 13 lbs. $100 for 25 lbs. (dimensional weight), which is a bit high but lower than MyUS.com.


All in all I'm pretty happy with the site's service so far. I hope they would provide more communication channels to customers (live chat is never on) to get real-time support on issues. Other than that, it's pretty good.


(I'll update this post with details about shipping procedure once my items are shipped out).

17 comments:

Aimi said...

Hi there ,
I've experienced the same thing . Without hesitation , I did registered myself and send a few orders to viadress . Then , when my orders reached them , it takes a while for them to update in the system . I've requested to combine 2 orders of mine and click ship now . Even then , it took them 2 days to ship the items . The status in the system stated as 'in process' , which I have no idea what they meant by processing for 2days . I did email them to ask , but no replies . Finally , when the status changed to 'shipped' ,they did not give me the tracking no . I had to email them to ask , but they did not reply . I only received the reply when I left a comment on their Facebook page .Once I've got the tracking no I was relieved , as Fedex provided me the details . However , when the I received my package , some of the items are damaged . I ordered a bunch of cosmetics item and they are fragile . When they repacked , they did not include any insulation inside the big Fedex box . I've sent an email to them , and yet to received any response . I did left a comment on their Facebook page too . I'm so frustrated . Their customer service sucks big time , and lack of communication . The only communication to them are via email , which we won't be getting any reply . The online chat are just for show .

Unknown said...

i registered on their service but the problem is i need to edit my account details like my phone number, THERE'S NO WAY TO EDIT YOUR ACCOUNT INFORMATION!!
i emailed them 4 days ago without any response.

Anonymous said...

hi, i´m in the same situation you have been, waiting for the goods to be shipped and no respons or tracking nr. I´m worried i will never see my package.
Did you finaly receive your package?

Anonymous said...

This is not a professional company - just a bunch of kids operating on the seat of their pants, with no business experience or ethics. Unfortunately, I am speaking from bitter experience. My advice is to try another mail forwarder.

rc3a202 said...

I have been working with VIAddress and attempting to resolve any shipping issues or problems that have been reported. If you have a VALID complaint, and are not just causing trouble, you can feel free to contact me and I will help you resolve any issues with the business.


Ray Caples, Detective
Elkhart County Sheriff Department
rcaples@elkhartcountysheriff.com

Anonymous said...

It is true that Viaddress's service leaves alot to be desired. No replies to emails, no one answering calls etc, but it is also true that their shipping rate is also the cheapest.

I recently made a few purchases which I need rather urgently and I shipped half of my orders to Viaddress and half to Borderlinx, and at almost the same dimensional shipping weight, 45kg, I paid US$202 at Viaddress and US$288 at Borderlinx.

On top of that, a few of my orders were delivered with only the packing slips and the estimated value Borderlinx gave were crazy, US$240 for a pair of ski pants and 2 pairs of tights. And for the same 1 pair ski pants and 2 tights, the dimensional weight came up to 5.16kg! I am 1.6m and weigh 45kg so the items I ordered were not super big! Isn't that a bit too rich! And when I contacted them to change the value, I had to submit my invoices or a screenshot from the website as proofs. I wonder what is this all about, are they running a warehouse or are they playing detective. Though the service they provide is prompt, I would never use them again after this shipment.

I need the items rather urgently and it was frustrating trying to contact Viaddress regarding my orders but despite this frustration, I would use them anytime over someone like Borderlinx.

I had received shipments from VIaddress before, service is not prompt but they are far from being crooks.

Tedy said...

Please note the following unbiased report on VIAddress from the Better Business Bureau (a USA government organization):

VIAddress is rated F (lowest possible grade on the scale of A+ to F) by the BBB (find it on the website at: bbb.org)
click here for the BBB rating of VIAddress

It would be good if everyone of us who have been scammed by VIAddress would write a complaint to the BBB.
It is very easy to do so, from all over the world. You can do it online in a few minutes! They are very good with their complaints. They act on them and keep stats on each and every business in the USA.

VIAddress have scammed me too! They have never answered my emails, their numbers phone go to an answering service which is absolutely useless and their HelpDesk website is but a complete farce. When you see a status of "processing" be sure that they do nothing at all!

PLEASE, for your sake, keep your money away from VIAddress. STAY WELL AWAY FROM VIADDRESS and DO WARN ALL YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS TOO!

nicklbum99 said...

Here's a summary of my experience with Viaddress.
I did receive a package successfully from them (August 2011)

1. The turnaround time in their warehouse was 1.5 weeks, not 2-3 days as advertised
2. Their shipping calculator estimated my 7 pound (3~ kg) package would cost about $65,
3. The actual amount charged was about $165 and this was a surprise
4. Once i paid, the package was registered with fedex within the day, and on it's way a day later (arriving in Oz within 4 working days!)
5. They did respond to my enquiries during the 1.5 week period with mostly general pro-forma responses, but with some original content as well. These did not seem trustworthy, but at least i got a response.

I just now got a rough quote from fedex and this indicated about $160 for my package.

So, no they are not a scam - just a bit slow. I think their website is a bit buggy, and their shipping estimator is way off.

Would I use them again? Perhaps, but will try other providers first.

Hope this helps

yote said...

It is true that viaddress.com is an existing online company. After extensive research, the company has serious problems with providing what they advertise and their customer support is one of the worst in the world. From delays in delivery to avoiding customer queries. This post appears to give tips on how to avoid similar problems before you begin dealing with companies like viaddress.com : http://www.computing-tips.net/misleading_information_scam

dvdvuy said...

Hi ! You may wanna try www.piggybee.com (free collaborative shipping network)

KingJM said...

I had already signed up with viaddress when I saw a bunch of negative reviews saying they are a scam and to stay away. But I thought to myself, most comments are years old, if they are a scam, why haven't they been shut down? I decided to close my eyes and click the ship now button, as it turned out, my item was packed and shipped within 24hrs. the items arrived at my door within 3 business days. They responded to all my emails. the only concern I had was that I got charged an extra $26 by fedex because they said I live in a remote area (this is not a fault of viaddress who offered to send it by ups at no additional cost) I decided to just pay the $26 because they said fedex offers great tracking and faster service--which turned out to be an understatement. The fedex location here in Jamaica, called me when they got the package and asked me to tell them exactly where I wanted it delivered. I checked out other sites and none compares to viaddress. It would have cost me atleast $121 to ship with any one else, even though the package was just 3 pounds. It will look like you are being overcharged on the weight but that is because they weigh by dimension and not the actual weight, a lot of company go by dimension these days...even fedex. I would and will use them again. Don't be put off by these bad comments. I am glad I didn't listen to years old reviews.

Anonymous said...

Viaddress.com is a scam. my order was delivered to them they did not added to my account that was a cell phone HTC one X and the address they have given me to place order is a fake address i have seen that on google maps that is an empty plot. BEWARE VIADDRESS.COM is SCAM if you don't trust me contant me moneymonetizer@yahoo.com i will show u emails and delivery proof.

Anonymous said...

I had an unfortunate experience with viaddress 4 years ago, and did my best to denigrate them online, I posted my experience to forums, and then complained to the local police station in their town. Eventually the police resolved the issue and I cancelled my account, moving across to shipito. I stayed with shipito for about 6 transactions, when they too ripped me off. Since then I've never used a us shipping company. Too much stress involved, especially with large and expensive orders. However, definitely don't use viaddress... You'll have a few good transactions at first and then all of a sudden a major crisis and they will loose your goods, and charge you for the shipping and ignore your correspondence with them. Definitely avoid them at all costs.

hzrhkamal said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
bluesky said...

the post is creative and nice stuff sharing this blog though.
https://www.shipexusa.com
amazon shipping
amazon shiping to pakistan
amazon shipping to india


erectile dysfunction said...

Wonderful web site. Plenty of helpful information here. I'm sending it to a few pals ans additionally sharing in delicious. And naturally, thanks in your sweat!

Unknown said...


I recently found many useful information in your website especially this blog page. Among the lots of comments on your articles. Thanks for sharing. Buy Facebook Reviews Recommends