Shipping & delivery

The usual journey is: you submit a product request, AmeriKiwi reviews and quotes it, you accept and pay, AmeriKiwi purchases the approved product from a US retailer, the retailer ships it within the United States, AmeriKiwi receives and checks it at our US location or receiving arrangement, and we arrange international shipping, New Zealand border processing and local courier delivery.

Some orders may have more than one product, more than one US retailer, or more than one parcel. Where practical, we may consolidate items before international shipment, but consolidation is not guaranteed.

Delivery timeframes are estimates. Retailer processing time, US domestic delivery, backorders, pre-orders, customs inspection, carrier delays, weather, public holidays, biosecurity checks and other events outside AmeriKiwi’s reasonable control can all affect timing.

Customer-facing timing on the site is indicative. AmeriKiwi does not guarantee a specific delivery date unless we expressly agree that in writing for a particular request.

The US retailer controls dispatch timing, stock allocation, US domestic shipping charges, US sales tax and any retailer cancellation or return process. If the retailer changes, delays, cancels, splits or refuses an order, we will update you and work through the available options.

• When a parcel reaches us in the United States, we match it to the request where possible.
• We may record parcel measurements, weight, condition notes and photos, especially where something appears damaged or incorrect.
• Where safe and practical, we may repack items to reduce chargeable volume.
• Where several purchases are ready together, we may consolidate them into one international shipment.
• Oversized items, delayed items, special handling needs or carrier rules may mean items ship separately.

International air freight is commonly charged on chargeable weight: the greater of actual weight and volumetric weight. AmeriKiwi uses the same volumetric formula shown elsewhere on the site:

length (cm) x width (cm) x height (cm) / 5000

Because the true size and weight are known only after a parcel is received and measured, international freight shown before that point may be an estimate.

• New Zealand Customs and other border agencies decide whether goods can enter New Zealand and what duty, GST, inspection or other charges apply.
• Amounts shown for duty, GST or customs-related charges before assessment are estimates unless a quote clearly says otherwise.
• Border agencies may inspect, hold, delay, require more information, charge additional amounts, direct treatment, require disposal, or refuse entry.
• AmeriKiwi is not a customs broker and does not provide legal, tax, customs or import advice.

If a shipment requires formal entry, broker involvement, permits or information that we cannot provide for you, we will contact you about the available options.

AmeriKiwi records request and shipment status in your dashboard where the application has that information. Carrier tracking availability depends on the retailer, domestic carrier, international freight provider and local courier. Tracking scans can be delayed or missed, especially around handovers.

You are responsible for giving us a complete, accurate New Zealand delivery address and any information reasonably needed by a courier. If an address is incomplete or incorrect, or if a parcel cannot be delivered or collected, the courier or carrier may return, redirect, hold or dispose of the parcel, and extra costs may apply.

Contact us promptly at support@theamerikiwi.com if a delivery address needs to change. We may not be able to change the address after a parcel has shipped.

If an item received in the United States appears different from what was ordered, damaged or incomplete, we may photograph or record the issue and contact the retailer before international shipping where practical. Retailer remedies depend on the retailer’s policies and timeframes.

If a parcel is damaged, lost or delayed in transit, any carrier claim or compensation may be limited by the carrier’s terms, available cover and claim deadlines. If AmeriKiwi caused the problem, we will work with you to put it right. If a retailer, carrier or border agency caused it, we will help with the process but cannot promise an outcome they do not provide.

Screening before quote reduces the risk of restricted goods entering the workflow, but it is not a guarantee. If an item is later found to be prohibited, restricted, unsafe, not accepted by a carrier, or materially different from the information supplied, we may need to stop, return, dispose of, re-sell or otherwise deal with the item according to the available lawful options.

A single AmeriKiwi request can contain multiple line items and may involve multiple US purchases. Those items may arrive at our US location at different times. We may wait to consolidate them, ship available items first, or split a shipment if that is safer, faster, required by a carrier, or more practical.