Criteria In Finding A Good Balikbayan Box Forwarder

By Eric Patterson


Should you be reading this article right now, there is a good chance that you are probably married to a Filipina or even a Filipino, and are all too familiar with the concept of balikbayan. Balikbayan means to go back to ones country and in simpler terms means to repatriate, and usually a Filipino or Filipina will send a balikbayan box to relatives at home in the Philippines. And if you are about to send one back to the Philippines, then you want to find the best forwarder around.

In general the box can basically contain anything, It will generally contain items that will be most appreciated by the receiver, so a lot of thought is really put into what is put inside. Most people will put in canned goods and other dry goods, toiletries and even toys. Yet others may even put the occasional high ticket item like a laptop or even late model cellular phone.

In your search for the best forwarder available for your needs, you need to prepare a checklist first. This little mnemonic device used by managers the world over will assist you in keeping track of things and not commit anything to memory. It is invaluable in helping you make an informed decision in the end.

Get information first on all the possible forwarders in your area. If there are several, try to get as many varied recommendations as possible from friends and colleagues who may have used such services or are familiar with such services in the past. Nothing is better than some good old word of mouth assistance, especially if it comes from people you trust and look up to.

Once you have a list of alternate providers, compare each one by price also if possible. On average the base price per box will be around sixty dollars a piece and upwards, for a general standard sized box. Extra large boxes can be a bit more expensive starting at seventy five dollars and up depending on the location. As a rule, many providers do give box sizes of small, medium, large, and extra large.

Also look at the kind of services they may provide. Most will provide some kind of pick-up service for your shipment from your house or other such location but this is usually done for a fee. In general, a majority of all of these providers expect you to bring the parcel or box to them at specified drop off points.

It is also wise to inquire how far their services extend throughout the Philippine archipelago, and if they will have service centers in all three of the major islands of Luzon, VIsayas, and Mindanao. It is better to have a provider that has a presence on each of these islands rather than just one of them for expediency and reliability.

Thus this article has shown some points you need to consider in looking for a reliable cargo forwarder for your boxes. It is always good to get as much information as possible before making a final decision, particularly when that decision will involve the spending of money of some sort.




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