We ship our products via DHL Worldwide from our atelier in Vientiane. It is the fastest and most reliable way to ship internationally from Laos. And, believe it or not, it is cheaper than the local post service. Still, it is not cheap. All international shipping prices have only gone up in recent years, and courier services like DHL are no exception.
The cost of international shipping of our products varies greatly depending on the size and weight of the item. Four small items like scarves and shawls, you can expect the shipping cost to be in the range of 25-40 US$ for major destinations. For carpets, it can be 300 US$ and more, plus there is likely to be a ‘oversize item’ surcharge if the carpet width or length exceeds 100cm. Please factor these shipping costs in when making your order.
For very large carpets (300+ cm in width) we can not use DHL and have to use Air Cargo shipping. This is usually even more expensive, and requires a lot of extra paperwork to be prepared for the shipment, and thus will usually incur additional fees.
Please also note that in most cases you will likely have to pay import/customs duties and other taxes if the total cost of your shipment exceeds a certain amount. This amount varies from country to country. In some destinations goods over a certain value are considered ‘luxury goods’ and are imposed with additional taxes. Do check with your local customs office prior to ordering one of our high value products about the duties and taxes you will have to pay on import. International couriers like DHL Worldwide usually will pay these duties and taxes on your behalf upon your package’s entry into the destination country, but will also charge you a brokerage fee for this. Again, this highly varies from one country to another, so check with your local DHL office for details.
Speaking seriously here, it may be a viable option in some cases to book a holiday in Laos and come and self-collect your carpet. You can spend a few days enjoying Vientiane and surrounding areas, or even travel around the country if time permits – it is a beautiful, exotic and very friendly place. And the cost of your trip may be just marginally more expensive than shipping your carpet, especially if you travel in off-season. We will keep your order safe in our showroom until you arrive to collect it for up to 12 months from order completion date. Let us know via the support form on My Account page if you do decide to take this option.
When you place an order on our website, we will show you a shipping charge on the checkout page for in-stock items after you have entered your shipping address. For made-to-order and custom items we can only provide you a shipping cost estimate based on our previous similar orders. The final shipping cost will only be available after your custom product is finished and packaged, and we get a shipping quote from the courier service for the actual size and weight of the package.
In any case what we can promise you regarding the shipping is:
If you have any questions about shipping, please do use and of the contact forms available on our website to get in touch with us.
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