QC checklist
Static checklists tell you what to look at. This one tells you what the answers add up to: ship, query the seller, or return to the warehouse.
Buy spreadsheet finds without overpaying on shipping
In this guide, a spreadsheet means an agent’s product list — not a file format. A spreadsheet order total cost estimate, term by term.
We link to kabosheet.com, where the product list lives. Our numbers are independent of that link.
| Lane | Freight at 1.5 kg | Median days | Slowest 10% | Duty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spreadsheet shipping to the USA: cost and time | $5.90–$9.40 | 20 | 40 | The US publishes a de minimis threshold below which no duty is collected on most consumer goods; entries under roughly $200 in our sample showed no charge. |
| US — Express | $11.40–$17.20 | 10 | 21 | Same threshold behaviour as the economy lane; the express premium does not change duty treatment. |
| UK — Standard | $6.40–$10.80 | 19 | 40 | The UK collects VAT on most imports above a low consignment threshold, and duty above a higher one. |
| EU — Standard | $7.10–$11.90 | 23 | 47 | Import VAT applies across the EU above a common low threshold, and duty rates vary by destination country and product type. |
Which shipping line should I choose for a spreadsheet order? Compare all four.
The delivery time comparison for spreadsheet orders, stage by stage, is in the chart further down this page; the lane totals are in the table above.
Return shipping cost for spreadsheet orders is quoted separately and rarely covered by the original freight.
Is a spreadsheet order cheaper than buying direct?
Usually — but only after shipping and fees. The comparison flips when a single item carries most of the freight. The full comparison.
Customs charges when buying from a spreadsheet
Customs charges when buying from a spreadsheet depend on declared value and destination, not on the item count. Destination notes.
Delivery time comparison for spreadsheet orders
Six stages, each with the p10 to p90 span from 96 sampled orders. The bands show where the time is predictable and where it depends on something you can still change.
Bands show the p10 to p90 span for each stage; the solid tick is the median and the open circle marks where the slowest tenth begins. Sample size is printed per stage.
- Reading the band
- A narrow band means the stage is predictable; a wide one means the outcome depends on something you may control.
- Tail triggers
- A seller who does not confirm the order within 24 hours is the single largest cause of a slow start. Warehouse queues around a public holiday push this stage past four days. Consolidation requests submitted after the parcel is already packed restart the clock.
The cheapest way to buy from a spreadsheet is usually fewer, heavier parcels
Four tools carry the estimate: cost, freight, the shipping window and the pre-shipment check. They pass their inputs to each other, so a number calculated once does not need retyping.
Shipping window
Peak surcharges are announced months ahead and then forgotten. This grid keeps all forty-eight cells in one place and tells you how far to move a shipment.
Total cost
Every other calculator gives a single total. This one shows which of the six segments produced it, and how wide the range around it is.
Freight
Most estimates fail because the parcel bills on volume, not mass. This tool shows the gap before you pay for it.
Eight categories, and what each one does to a bill
| Category | Entries held | Catalogue total | Billing driver |
|---|---|---|---|
| T-Shirts | 19 | 2,135 | actual |
| Hoodies/Sweaters | 19 | 2,013 | mixed |
| Shoes | 19 | 1,776 | actual |
| Pants/Shorts | 13 | 1,152 | mixed |
| Jackets | 10 | 880 | volumetric |
| Accessories | 8 | 863 | actual |
| Headwear | 4 | 268 | actual |
| Other-stuff | 4 | 118 | mixed |
Counts are what this site holds, read from each category page on the collection date. The catalogue totals are larger. 96 entries in all.
Four destinations, four different bills
US — cost and time
Thresholds, transit and the months that add a surcharge.
UK — cost and time
Thresholds, transit and the months that add a surcharge.
EU — cost and time
Thresholds, transit and the months that add a surcharge.
CA — cost and time
Thresholds, transit and the months that add a surcharge.
| Region | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US Jan: open window. No published surcharge. | US Feb: tight window, ship 3 days earlier. Spring Festival in the origin city slows the warehouse; ship three days earlier. | US Mar: open window. No published surcharge. | US Apr: open window. No published surcharge. | US May: open window. No published surcharge. | US Jun: open window. No published surcharge. | US Jul: open window. No published surcharge. | US Aug: peak surcharge. Carrier peak surcharge applies from mid-August on express services. | US Sep: peak surcharge. Peak surcharge continues; economy lane still open. | US Oct: peak surcharge, ship 5 days earlier. Peak surcharge plus five extra days typical; the busiest month in our sample. | US Nov: peak surcharge, ship 4 days earlier. Peak surcharge continues through the Thanksgiving window. | US Dec: tight window, ship 6 days earlier. Pre-holiday cut-off; parcels shipped after the first week risk January delivery. |
| UK | UK Jan: open window. No published surcharge. | UK Feb: tight window, ship 3 days earlier. Spring Festival effect on warehouse throughput. | UK Mar: open window. No published surcharge. | UK Apr: open window. No published surcharge. | UK May: open window. No published surcharge. | UK Jun: open window. No published surcharge. | UK Jul: open window. No published surcharge. | UK Aug: tight window, ship 2 days earlier. Summer holiday staffing reduces clearance desk capacity. | UK Sep: peak surcharge. Peak surcharge begins on express services. | UK Oct: peak surcharge, ship 4 days earlier. Peak surcharge plus four extra days typical. | UK Nov: peak surcharge, ship 5 days earlier. Peak surcharge; the pre-Christmas cut-off falls in this month. | UK Dec: tight window, ship 7 days earlier. Customs backlog after the holiday period; ship before mid-month. |
| EU | EU Jan: open window. No published surcharge. | EU Feb: tight window, ship 4 days earlier. Spring Festival plus reduced European network capacity. | EU Mar: open window. No published surcharge. | EU Apr: open window. No published surcharge. | EU May: open window. No published surcharge. | EU Jun: open window. No published surcharge. | EU Jul: tight window, ship 3 days earlier. Pre-August rush; book consolidation slots earlier than usual. | EU Aug: tight window, ship 5 days earlier. Reduced schedules across parts of the European network. | EU Sep: peak surcharge. Peak surcharge starts on express services. | EU Oct: peak surcharge, ship 5 days earlier. Peak surcharge plus five extra days typical. | EU Nov: peak surcharge, ship 6 days earlier. Peak surcharge; clearance queues lengthen noticeably. | EU Dec: tight window, ship 8 days earlier. Year-end backlog; the longest tail of any month for this region. |
| CA | CA Jan: open window. No published surcharge. Shares the US economy lane. | CA Feb: tight window, ship 3 days earlier. Spring Festival effect, as on the US lane. | CA Mar: open window. No published surcharge. | CA Apr: open window. No published surcharge. | CA May: open window. No published surcharge. | CA Jun: open window. No published surcharge. | CA Jul: open window. No published surcharge. | CA Aug: peak surcharge. Peak surcharge applies from mid-August on express services. | CA Sep: peak surcharge. Peak surcharge continues. | CA Oct: peak surcharge, ship 5 days earlier. Peak surcharge plus five extra days typical. | CA Nov: peak surcharge, ship 4 days earlier. Peak surcharge continues. | CA Dec: tight window, ship 6 days earlier. Pre-holiday cut-off, as on the US lane. |
How these numbers were collected · Open the full window tool
US row shown; all four regions are in the tool. States come from published carrier announcements.