Some stores won't ship to any forwarder.
Forwarding works when the US store will accept a third-party address and has online inventory. But many of the best US stores fail one of those conditions — that's where live shoppers come in.
- 1Stores with no online store
Trader Joe's has zero online ordering. The only way to buy: walk in. Our shoppers do it for you on video, aisle by aisle.
- 2Stores that block forwarders
Costco requires membership and rejects forwarder addresses. Apple won't ship cellular devices to forwarders. Live shoppers buy with US ID and credit card.
- 3Stores where you need to see it first
Color, size, fit, freshness — live shoppers show you on video. You decide on the spot, no return shipping risk.
The stores that need a human.
These are the US retailers where forwarding alone doesn't work. Our live shoppers handle them daily.
Costco
Membership-restricted shipping. No forwarder addresses accepted.
Live onlyTrader Joe's
No online store at all. In-store only, no shipping anywhere.
Live onlyApple in-store
Cellular iPhones, AT&T-locked Apple Watches need US ID at pickup.
Live preferredWhole Foods
Regional inventory varies. Amazon-locked online catalog. In-store has more.
Live preferredHermès & luxury
Boutique-only releases, waitlists, allocations require physical presence.
Live onlyKrispy Kreme + bakery
Fresh items that don't ship. Live shopper grabs them same-day.
Live onlyA live shopping session, beat by beat.
From booking to delivery, here's exactly what happens.
- 1Book a time + store
Pick a store, a shopper, an hour-block. Pay $75/hr ($191.25 for 3hr after the bundle discount). 60-second flow.
- 2Join the live call
At your scheduled time, tap to join FaceTime or WhatsApp. Your shopper is already inside the US store.
- 3We forward to your door
Shopper checks out with US payment and ID, we receive, repack, photograph, and forward to your country. Tracking lands in Orders.
Bundle hours, save more.
$75/hour flat, with 15% off bookings of 2 or more hours. Pay only for the time the shopper is on call with you. No tipping, no markup on items.
Live shopping session
Live shopping + free repack.
Your live shopper grabs items, hands them off to our hub, and we repack to true dimensions before international shipping. Free, on every parcel.
Big box, small bill. We shrink it down.
Typical save on a live-shopped Costco run: 26×20×16 bulk box repacked to 14×11×9. FedEx Intl drops from ~$155 to ~$62.
Questions, answered
How does live shopping with Selectido work?
Book a session, pick a US store, schedule a time. At the appointed time you join a live FaceTime or WhatsApp video call with your US shopper. They're already inside the store. You see what they see, point at items, ask questions, and they grab what you want. They check out with US payment, we forward it to your country, you get it 4–10 days later.
How much does live shopping cost?
$75 per hour for live shopping sessions, with 15% off bookings of 2 or more hours (3 hours = $191.25, etc). On top of that you pay the actual product cost at the store and the $14.99 outbound forwarding fee. No tipping, no markup on items.
Which stores require a live shopper (not just forwarding)?
Stores that refuse third-party forwarder addresses or don't have an online store: Costco (membership-restricted shipping), Trader Joe's (no online store at all), Apple in-store exclusives, Whole Foods (regional), Hermès, Loro Piana (boutique-only), and many luxury boutiques. Forwarding works for the rest. We'll tell you upfront which approach fits your shopping list.
Who are the live shoppers?
Vetted US-based personal shoppers — currently based in the Twin Cities (Minneapolis/St. Paul) metro and expanding. Background-checked, fluent in English plus most cover Spanish or another language, and have a track record of completed sessions reviewed by past customers. You see ratings and reviews before booking.
What if the store doesn't have what I want?
That's the live-shopping advantage — your shopper can offer alternatives in real time on video. You see options, decide on the spot. Compared to forwarding-only where you'd order online and find out later it's out of stock, live shopping lets you adapt mid-session.