LBC Shipping Cart Review - Buying Gear from the US

First off

Let me just clarify that this is just a post about my experience and opinions about the Shipping Cart service. This is the first time I used it and I'd like to share my experience to those who are looking to try it themselves. I am NOT affiliated with LBC in any way. :)

What is Shipping Cart?

LBC Shipping Cart is a forwarding service you can use to send stuff you bought from US stores to the Philippines. Once you sign up on their website, they provide you with a US address which you will use when purchasing items from US based stores such as Amazon. The items will be delivered to their warehouse and after you pay the calculated shipping cost, your package will be sent directly to your PH address.

In the dashboard you'll find your US address, Items in your cart, incoming shipments, and account information.

Why LBC?

Good question, why LBC? They're notorious for delivery errors WITHIN the Philippines (I live here btw), so why would I trust them with an international transaction? Well... While some people would recommend a different forwarding service like Johnny Air, I finally decided to take my chances with LBC for one major reason..

The Price

Yes, I'm a cheapskate. I admit it. That's why I read home recording blogs and forums that encourage music production on a budget. When I shop for gear, I always look for the ones that are affordable but still of good quality. I also chose to order online from US stores like Amazon and Musicians Friend because I found much better prices there. With that in mind, I needed to minimize the shipping cost because spending too much for that would defeat the purpose of shopping in US prices.

LBC Shipping Cart charges $2.99/pound for sea cargo and $6.99/pound for air cargo. If you don't live in/near Manila you will also be charged around $10 for the delivery fee. Now you might think that's not so cheap, but the real value here lies in the option for you to consolidate your items into a single box. This means you can purchase multiple items and only pay for only one shipping box. You'll save a lot more money this way, compared to shipping each item separately.

Buying and Shipping the Gear

I live in Cebu and I find it hard to look for affordable gear here. Most of the recording equipment sold here are the ones intended for "big budget" studios. I guess it's because audio recording isn't a very common hobby here.

ART Tube MP - Microphone Preamplifier

Anyways, the first thing I bought was an ART Tube MP. A budget microphone preamp usually priced at around $40 (~₱2,000). I wanted to get something really cheap as a "test purchase" just to see if it arrives in the Shipping Cart warehouse which is apparently located in Hayward, California.

And it did! A few days after I placed my order in Amazon, I got an email from Shipping Cart confirming the arrival of my package. Two days after that, I got another email saying that I can now view my item in my "cart". Of course, I didn't ship it yet. I wanted to make the most out of the shipping fee, so I waited for a good deal another piece of gear.

You can keep items in your "cart" for free up to 30 days. Succeeding days will be charged based on the item's weight in pounds. Items left in storage for more than 90 days will be disposed of, so don't forget to ship your items!

Lucky for me, the MXL 990 was on sale for around $60 (~₱3,000) on Musicians Friend. Perfect. I made my purchase and it arrived in my Shipping Cart address right on time. Now I was ready to ship my items.

I selected both of my items from my cart and chose "Air Cargo" because I needed these for a project soon. I was charged around ₱2,200 for shipping (approx. 5 lbs total) to Cebu City and I paid using Paypal. (You can use Master Card, Visa, Paypal, or Cash Payment to any LBC Branch). 

Once payment was confirmed, I received an email that my package was on its way. Yaay! :D

I also got a tracking number so I could check the status of the shipment. Air Cargo takes 2 weeks to ship, while Sea Cargo takes around 2 months. For this shipment, my package was shipped on February 28 and I received it by March 6, four days ahead of schedule. Not bad!

My items were placed in a standard LBC box protected by several air cushions. There was only minimal damage on the ART Tube MP's box and some scratches on the MXL 990's box.
Felt just like Christmas again haha!

It's heeeere!

Well protected by air cushions. Nice.

Hurray!

Total Cost

Here's a breakdown of my expenses. (Approximate values)

ART Tube MP - ₱ 2,000
MXL 990 - ₱ 3,000
Shipping Fee (Air) - ₱ 2,200

Total - ₱ 7,200

Conclusion

₱ 7,200: That's about the price of a single Shure SM58/57 in the local shops. And if I wasn't in a hurry and chose "Sea Cargo" instead, I could've spent only about ₱650 for shipping, bringing the total cost down to ₱5,650. In my book, that's a steal for two pieces of good gear.

Now, it's important to note that even though I had a positive experience with LBC Shipping Cart, I can't guarantee you'll have the same results. Some people have complained about delayed shipments, mixed up packages and difficulty using the "Cash" payment method. So still, try it at your own risk. Also, it's not peak season this time of year, so there's that to consider as well. I do advise AGAINST ordering during peak season (like Christmas) because that's when these issues usually turn up.

So to wrap up, the PROS and CONS of using Shipping cart listed below are based on THIS TRANSACTION ONLY. 

PROS

• More choices and better prices for audio gear (US Stores)
• Affordable Shipping Rates.
• Able to consolidate multiple items into one shipment.
• NO extra/hidden fees, customs duties already included in shipping fee
• Easy Payment (using Paypal)
• Smooth transaction and fast shipping (off peak season)
• FREE shipping insurance up to $500 worth

CONS

• Higher Risk in Shipping. (Kinda scary knowing the distance your package travels)
• It will be hard to return a defective product.
• Heavier items will cost more in shipping. Especially Air Cargo.
• Not a very good deal if you're only buying one item. Especially if it's heavy!

I'll also be writing about these two products soon. So look out for that ;)

So..have you ever tried using Shipping Cart? Share your experience in the comments below.

- Peter Clark