FOB, CIF or Door-to-Door: Choosing Shipping Terms for Doll Orders

The three terms at a glance

Each term splits the work and the cost of the journey differently:

• FOB (Free On Board): we deliver the goods on board the vessel at the port in China named in your quotation. You arrange and pay for the main freight, insurance, import customs and onward delivery.
• CIF (Cost, Insurance and Freight): we arrange and pay for the main freight and insurance to your destination port. You handle import customs, duties and taxes, and delivery from the port.
• Door-to-door: we quote delivery to your address. The quotation states exactly what is included, including whether import duties and taxes are part of it.

Where the risk passes

FOB and CIF are Incoterms rules. Under both, the risk passes to you once the goods are on board the vessel in China, even though under CIF we pay the freight. Strictly, FOB and CIF are sea-freight terms; for air or express shipments, the quotation states the delivery point and what is included.

FOB: for buyers with their own forwarder

FOB suits you if you already work with a freight forwarder, ship regularly from China, or combine goods from several suppliers into one shipment. You control the carrier, the schedule and the freight cost, and your forwarder handles the import side.

It also means more work on your side: booking, insurance, customs clearance and the last leg to your warehouse. If you do not have a forwarder yet, FOB is usually not the easiest place to start.

CIF: we book the main leg, you clear customs

CIF suits you if you want us to arrange the sea freight but you have a customs broker at the destination. You get one price to your port and can compare it directly with other suppliers' CIF quotes.

Two points to watch. First, the insurance that CIF requires is minimum cover; if you want broader cover, ask for it in your inquiry or insure the goods yourself. Second, charges at the destination port are usually not part of a CIF price, so budget for them separately.

Door-to-door: for samples, small orders and first imports

Door-to-door suits sample orders, small orders and buyers importing for the first time. You get one price to your address and one contact for the whole shipment. Read the quotation to see whether duties and taxes are included and who acts as the importer.

For small, light shipments, air or express is common; for large orders, sea freight usually costs less per unit. We state the shipping method in your quotation.

How to choose

• First order or a sample, and no forwarder: door-to-door.
• Regular orders and your own forwarder: FOB.
• You want us to book the sea freight and you have a broker at the destination: CIF.
• Not sure: ask for two terms in the same inquiry and compare the totals.

Costs that sit outside the freight price

Whatever term you choose, check these before you compare quotes from different suppliers:

• import duties and taxes in your country;
• customs broker fees;
• destination port or terminal charges;
• delivery from the port or airport to your warehouse;
• carrier rules for goods with batteries, which apply to our heated and voice-control models.

Discreet labels and accurate declarations

We use discreet shipping labels. Discreet labelling covers how the parcel looks; the customs declaration must still describe the goods accurately. An accurate declaration avoids delays and penalties at the border, whichever term you choose.

Lead time is separate from shipping time. We state the lead time in your written quotation, together with the shipping method and cost.

Tell us your destination and your preferred term through our inquiry form, and we will put the shipping cost in your written quotation.