Review of the Boxtal service: Shipping worldwide at a reduced price

While passing through Montenegro : we discover that you can ski there!

We’re a bit hesitant because it’s not really our thing: Anh has skied for (half?) a day in her life. As for me, I went on 3 ski trips during my childhood. The last one about fifteen years ago ended on the first day with an injury ^^.

So we have a first scouting weekend without skiing to get a feel for it. And of course… it makes us want to go!

It’s decided, we’ll spend a week skiing, and maybe even longer if we like it.

Of course, we don’t have the necessary gear at all. For Anh, we’ll need to buy or rent everything. As for me, I have a box at my mom’s with my mountain gear that served me in my mountaineering adventures. Why not have it shipped to me?

I look into the different options. Since time is tight, I rule out the International Colissimo option.

Among carriers, DHL seems the most interesting, but we’re still talking about €110…

I remember hearing about the Boxtal service a few months ago.

This post is not sponsored

Boxtal: what is it?

Boxtal is a parcel shipping service that primarily presents itself as a B2B service and counts e-commerce websites as its clients. But Boxtal also offers its services to individuals.

Boxtal acts as a sort of wholesaler: they work with all the major carriers: UPS, Mondial Relay, FedEx, DHL, Chronopost, … With such volumes, they benefit from discounts that allow them to offer better rates to their customers.

Boxtal: how does it work?

The principle is very simple: after creating an account, you enter the information regarding the departure and arrival locations, the desired date, and the weight and dimensions of the package.

Once that’s done, Boxtal acts as a price comparator and presents you with the different options.

In my case, DHL is again the cheapest. €62 for the shipment. It’s still expensive, but much less than the €110 if I went directly with DHL.

Once decided: you have to finalize your order. In the case of a delivery outside the European Union (as is my case for Montenegro), you’ll need to provide some customs information: the details and value of what you’re sending.

You can decide to take out insurance. I took it, because it only cost €2 and I thought it was quite possible that the package would get lost ^^.

All that’s left is to pay and let’s go!

Preparing the package

As soon as you’ve paid, Boxtal sends you the shipping label to stick on the package, the proforma invoices (in the case of a delivery outside the EU), as well as a delivery window (half-day) time slot for the delivery driver.

This probably isn’t the case for all options, but in DHL’s case, the package is indeed picked up directly from home. Very convenient!

The delivery driver did come during the scheduled time slot, and I was able to track my package thanks to the DHL tracking number. On DHL tracking, you can request to receive an email or SMS at each step of your package’s journey, so you can follow it in real time.

Tours –> Paris –> Leipzig –> Budapest –> Belgrade –> Podgorica –> Budva. It’s safe to say my package traveled more than I did this year!

Package arrived safe and sound, but there was an unpleasant surprise with customs

What follows is not Boxtal’s fault.

My package only took 4 days to arrive in Montenegro, but it got stuck in customs.

I managed to get in touch with DHL in Montenegro, who asked for a copy of my passport and to specify whether the items in the package were new or used (they were used).

I received the package two days later, but I had to pay €62 in taxes and customs fees!

I knew I’d have to pay something, but that was a bit of a shock!

I asked the delivery driver for an explanation. He told me that:

• For a package worth less than €75, there’s nothing to pay.
• From €75 to €150, you have to pay taxes.
• From €150 upwards, you have to pay taxes and customs fees.

Since insurance reimburses based on the declared value in case of loss, I had estimated… €150 exactly!

I don’t know if these rules are specific to Montenegro or not, or all non-EU countries, but next time, I won’t make the same mistake!

My take on Boxtal

I hesitated a bit before using Boxtal’s services because the reviews I found online were a bit scary.

You have to realize that Boxtal is ultimately “just” an interface to get access to DHL, FedEx, UPS, … at a lower price than booking directly.

Any potential issues with delays or delivery mistakes are not their fault.

On my end, the experience with Boxtal was smooth and would have been perfect with DHL without that customs hassle…

So, I won’t hesitate to use Boxtal again in the future.