What not to buy from abroad

We make our money bringing things into Egypt. So take this in the spirit it is meant: there are several categories where the answer is *don't*, and you are better served hearing it from us before you order than working it out afterwards.

1. Anything bulky and cheap

This is the big one. The cost of bringing something in is driven by the room it takes up, not just what it weighs — a large light box is charged as though it were heavy. So a cheap item in a big box is the worst possible combination.

A $50 tub of protein powder lands at about 4.7× its dollar price. A $40 box of chocolates, about 4.1×. You are paying far more to bring the thing than the thing cost. If it exists in Egypt at anything like a sane price, buy it here.

The exception is when it genuinely does not exist here — a specific supplement, a particular brand — and then the multiple is simply what the thing costs. That is a decision worth making with open eyes, which is the point of this page.

2. Anything that needs a warranty you will actually use

A phone, a laptop or a large appliance bought abroad usually carries a warranty that is worth very little in Egypt. If it fails, you own the problem. For something you expect to use hard for years, an Egyptian purchase with an Egyptian warranty is often worth its premium — and sometimes it is not, but you should make that trade knowingly rather than discover it at the repair shop.

Small electronics with no realistic service story either way — headphones, accessories — do not have this problem.

3. Clothes you have not tried on

Sizing is not consistent between brands, and it is especially not consistent between American and European sizing. A shirt that is wrong is not worth what it cost to bring in, and sending something back across the world costs more than the shirt.

If you know the brand and you know your size in it, fine. If you are guessing, you are gambling with the whole landed cost, not just the dollar price.

4. Anything you need this week

Two to three weeks from purchase is the honest expectation. Anything that has to be somewhere on a date — a gift for next Thursday, something for a trip — should be bought locally. We would rather say no than have you counting days.

5. Small cheap things on their own

A single $18 book lands at about 3.7× its dollar price, because the fixed costs of an order barely change with its size. The same book alongside three other items is far better value.

If you want one small thing, wait until you want three. Order value works strongly in your favour and it is the easiest saving there is.

6. Anything restricted, or anything you are unsure about

Some categories are difficult or impossible to bring into Egypt, and the rules are not always intuitive. If you are not sure, ask before you decide you want it. A person here will tell you plainly, including when the answer is that we will not do it.

7. Something you could buy in Egypt for close to the same money

Obvious, and yet. Before ordering, check the Egyptian price. For a good many mainstream products the local market has closed the gap, and the sensible answer is to buy it down the road today rather than pay a multiple and wait three weeks.

So what *is* worth it?

The pattern is the mirror image of the above: things that are expensive for their size, and things you cannot get here at all.

Watches

Headphones, cameras, small high-value electronics

Perfume and cosmetics from brands with no Egyptian presence

Specific shoes, in a size and colourway nobody here stocks

Anything genuinely unavailable in Egypt, where the alternative is not having it

Those are the orders where the arithmetic works and people are glad afterwards. Everything else deserves the question in the heading.

If you want to test a specific idea, the calculator will give you an estimate in about a minute, and sending us the link gets you a real fixed price from a person, usually within hours — including, sometimes, the answer that you should not bother.