The playbook
How package forwarding works
Package forwarding gives you a shopping address in France. You buy like a local; we handle the ocean. Five steps, one honest price, and the first four cost nothing.
01
Get your free French address
Sign up (free, no subscription) and you instantly get a real street address at our warehouse in Commercy, France, plus a personal suite number — e.g. STE-10234 — that routes every incoming package to your account. To any French store, it's just a normal domestic delivery address.
02
Shop any French store, ship to it
Check out at Sézane, City Pharma, Vinted, a Paris pharmacy — anywhere that delivers within France — using your French address with your suite number. The store ships domestically: fast, cheap, and with no international restrictions. Browse our merchant directory for store-specific guides.
03
We receive, photograph and store
The day a package arrives, we log it to your suite, weigh it, measure it and photograph it. You see everything in your dashboard. Storage is free for 15 days (then €0.50/package/day) — enough time to collect several orders and combine them.
04
Consolidate and ship with FedEx
When you're ready, request shipping. We consolidate your packages into one box, generate the customs paperwork automatically, and hand it to FedEx: Express (1–3 business days) or Economy (2–5). One transport fee for the whole box.
05
Pay one all-in price — duties included
Your quote is DDP (Delivered Duty Paid): FedEx transport plus estimated US duties and taxes, in one number, before you commit. Nothing is owed to the courier at your door. Track the whole flight on the public tracking page.
Forwarding FAQ
How does package forwarding work exactly?
Package forwarding gives you a mailing address in another country. You shop local stores as if you lived there, your orders arrive at the forwarder's warehouse, and the forwarder re-ships them to your real address internationally. With VoilaShip, that means a free French address, photos of every arrival, consolidation, and FedEx express delivery to the USA with US duties included in the price.
How much does it cost?
Nothing until you ship. There's no subscription, no signup fee and no receiving fee. Shipping starts at $14 all-in for a small package (up to 0.5 kg, Economy) — the public calculator on the home page shows your exact price, duties included, without an account.
How long does delivery take?
The French store's domestic delivery to our warehouse typically takes 2–4 days. Once you request shipping, FedEx Express reaches the USA in 1–3 business days, Economy in 2–5. A typical order-to-door timeline is about a week to ten days.
What is consolidation and how much does it save?
Consolidation means combining several packages into one box with one transport fee. Five separate international shipments could cost €150+; consolidated into a single 3 kg box, they ship for around $36 all-in. It's the single biggest lever for saving money.
What can't be forwarded?
Alcohol, tobacco, aerosols and other pressurized cans, loose lithium batteries, weapons, counterfeits, perishable food, and medication. Perfume ships under compliant limited-quantity air rules. The full list is on the prohibited items page.
Do I have to deal with US customs?
No. We generate the commercial invoice from your declarations, and every quote is DDP — estimated duties are calculated and included before you pay. Your box clears customs without any action or extra payment from you.