Amazon’s flagship store in the United States is a popular choice for online shoppers in Nigeria.
The behemoth American company boasts the world’s best product selection, selling and stocking almost every imaginable brand and product.
Shopping on Amazon.com from Nigeria
From notorious companies to small start-ups, you can expect to find it on Amazon. However, getting a product shipped from Amazon USA to Nigeria can be a complicated matter.
Can you buy from Amazon in Nigeria? Does Amazon ship to Nigeria?
The short answer? No. A select few products on Amazon can be shipped to Nigeria. Around two-thirds of third-party sellers do not ship internationally at all.
Why Doesn’t Amazon Ship To Nigeria?
The main reason? Nigeria Customs. Getting products through Nigeria Customs requires time and money. Products from Amazon — or elsewhere — will likely be held up by Nigeria Customs, inspected, and subject to import duty before they can be released to you. It can be such a poor customer experience that many stores, including Amazon, choose to avoid it entirely.
The second reason is added the complexity added from selling internationally. Some Amazon products such as electronics need to comply with Nigeria regulations. Also, areas such as international warranties, returns, packaging materials, and after-sale support become complicated in international shipments.
The actual shipping process from Amazon to Nigeria is also difficult. Shipping a product from Amazon to Nigeria, requires the seller (the one responsible for the shipment process) to:
- Complete itemized customs documents along with filling out correct duty customisations
- Validate the Nigeria address (which are different than United States addresses)
- Calculate the cost to ship from Amazon US to Nigeria (which will be much higher)
- Offer detailed tracking from Amazon US to Nigeria
- Support longer delivery times
Note: Amazon has a page that addresses shipping restrictions, but it isn’t exactly helpful.
What Do I Do If Amazon Won’t Ship to Nigeria?
If you want to ship an item from Amazon to Nigeria, you will need a United States address so someone can forward the package to you.
But how do you do this?
That is where freight forwarders come in.
While a variety of freight forwarders who offer this solution, the one I use consistently and highly recommend is MyUS.com.
How Does MyUS Ship from Amazon to Nigeria?
It is a simple 3 step process to ship internationally from Amazon.
You begin by signing up with MyUS (they offer a free 30-day trial) and getting a US shipping address.
Second, add your “MyUS US address” to your Amazon shipping addresses.
Third, purchase your items from Amazon and have them shipped to your US address. MyUS will receive the packages (based on your instructions) and forward them to you.
They even offer a free estimate on the cost to ship to you before purchasing items from Amazon.
All you need to know if the item’s weight and dimensions, your preferred shipping courier (such as Airmail, USPS, FedEx, etc.) and use the MyUS calculator to estimate the cost of shipping.
How Do You Pay on Amazon.com from Nigeria?
Amazon.com accepts a variety of payment methods.
What Are the Amazon Shipping Times to Nigeria?
Using MyUS.com allow you to expedite the handling of your package. This gets your packages to you even more quickly.
You do this by selecting the “Urgent” option when using MyUS.com to create your ship request.
MyUS processes almost all shipping requests in just 2 or 3 business days. If a package is particularly urgent and must be shipped the same day, it is possible to expedite the shipping request in just a few simple steps and for an extra charge.
Cheap and Discounted Amazon Shipping Rates to Nigeria
MyUS even offers VIP membership that includes significantly discounted shipping rates. In order to qualify, you must meet one of the requirements below:
- Be an international shipper who spends $500 or more a month on shipping from the United States
- Be a business owner who resells United States products and rely on their products getting delivered in pristine condition
- Be an individual who ships US products in volume for friends and family