Shipping to Chile: A Costly Lesson for an E-Cigarette Business, and How I Helped Recove...

Shipping to Chile: A Costly Lesson for an E-Cigarette Business, and How I Helped Recover the Loss

Last weekend, my friend Mr. Zhao, who runs an e-cigarette business, came over for a chat. He shared his frustration about how complicated the logistics industry can be. Last year, he started working with a new logistics company shipping goods to Chile. Generally, there are a few common routes to Chile:

1. From China to Miami, USA, and then transferred to Chile.

2. From China to Australia or New Zealand, then forwarded to Chile.

3. From China to Europe, and then from hubs like London, Frankfurt, or Madrid to Chile.

Mr. Zhao chose to work with this logistics company because of their friendly attitude and low rates. The first few shipments went smoothly, but after the last shipment was received, the company's attitude suddenly changed. They claimed the e-cigarettes were confiscated at the Chilean port and then became unreachable. That's when Mr. Zhao realized he had been scammed.

Not only were the goods to Chile gone, but the prepaid shipping fees were also lost. I suggested he file a complaint with the e-cigarette association against this company, as they still had to do business. Mr. Zhao explained that these companies often set out to scam, dissolve their businesses after a fraud, and then re-register under new names.

This shows how high the risks are when choosing a logistics company. At first, they might seem very reliable, with a friendly attitude, promises, and low prices – but these are often just traps. So, whether shipping to Chile or anywhere else, it's crucial to choose a logistics company carefully. But how can you find a trustworthy one?

1. **Check the company's years in business**: Statistics show that most logistics companies don't last more than three years. Fraudulent companies definitely won't. Sunny Worldwide Logistics has been operating since 1998, which speaks to our reliability and dedication to business.

2. **Visit the company if possible**: Look at their offices and facilities. Sunny Worldwide Logistics has a 1,800-square-meter office in Shenzhen, ranking in the top 3% of the industry in scale, with nearly 100 employees. This can be verified in person.

3. **See what logistics associations the company is part of**: Sunny Worldwide Logistics is a member of several reputable associations:

- **WCA** (World Cargo Alliance), the world's largest network of freight forwarders. We are a senior member, No. 87909.

- **CIFA** (China International Freight Forwarders Association), with AAA certification.

- **WIFFA** (World International Freight Forwarders Alliance).

- **ISEA** (International Shipping Enterprise Alliance).

- **JCtrans** (a leading international freight forwarder in China).

- **SAFA** (Shenzhen Airfreight Forwarders Association), where Sunny Worldwide Logistics serves as a vice president.

Membership in these associations is not easy to obtain; it requires meeting strict standards and paying significant fees. This helps us screen out smaller, less qualified logistics companies and ensures we collaborate only with competent and qualified partners.

4. **Check which big companies they work with**: Sunny Worldwide Logistics has partnerships with over 20 industry giants, such as Huawei, Costco, and SF Express. These large companies are very selective about their logistics partners, evaluating their capabilities, background, and legal history. Only truly reliable logistics companies can pass these checks and establish such partnerships.

Sunny Worldwide Logistics also has an exclusive foreign trade warehouse at Yantian Port, one of only three among 60,000 logistics companies in Shenzhen. We own a 1,800-square-meter office building and operate our own fleet of trucks, which only 10% of companies in the industry can boast. Feel free to contact me if you need our services.