Frequently Asked Questions

1. Origin of stock and product queries

For pre- or post-sales technical advice and product queries, it is always best to contact the manufacturer directly. Nobody knows products better than the manufacturer, and with tens of millions of products listed on our website it is no surprise they can usually answer queries much more quickly than us.

Please note that stock is imported from the USA specifically for you. The item may be intended for use in the country of origin. We clearly mark the country of origin for our products. The following information is important for use of these items in New Zealand.

Electricity supply: New Zealand uses 230V at 50Hz. Please ensure any electrical item you purchase is compatible, or that you use an appropriate adapter or transformer. More information can be found here.

Watches and clocks from the USA and Canada with bundled power supplies may not work correctly in New Zealand without a suitable adapter.

TV, DVD, Blu-ray and console games sourced from the USA are often NTSC, DVD Region 1 or Blu-ray Region A. Please confirm your device supports these formats. Many European-sourced media are more likely to work with New Zealand equipment.

Analogue TV tuners designed for the USA will not work in New Zealand.

Digital TV tuners: New Zealand uses terrestrial digital TV (Freeview). USA-designed tuners are unlikely to be compatible.

Radios: Frequency bands can differ by region. Please confirm supported frequencies with the manufacturer before ordering.

GPS and location devices may not include New Zealand maps or may lack the software or hardware needed to work correctly here.

2. Delivery times

Delivery times and costs are stated on the relevant product pages. For security reasons, we do not offer collection — all orders are shipped.

All orders are delivered subject to availability, and we do not keep stock on our premises. Once your order is confirmed and paid for, we source the item for you. As most goods come from the USA, delivery is typically approximately 10–20 working days within New Zealand. Estimates on product pages are indicative only and based on our previous experience.

We work to avoid unnecessary delays and will keep you updated on your order status. Customs clearance is often the main cause of delay. Some shipments clear before goods arrive in New Zealand; most clear within a few business days. A small number may be held for inspection for up to 15 working days. We will do our best to progress these consignments and keep you informed by email.

3. Payment options

We accept credit and debit cards (Visa and Mastercard) and other payment methods shown at checkout. Prices are in New Zealand dollars (NZD). We do not accept cash on delivery — all orders must be paid in full before we import the item for you.

Once payment has been made, the price includes the quoted import, shipping and customs-related costs shown at checkout. We will not email you asking for additional customs or courier fees before your parcel is released.

4. Returns

We only order and ship brand new items. We cannot take goods back into stock from customers, which helps keep costs down and ensures future customers receive sealed, new products. USA-origin goods may be returned to the USA within 30 days of your original order date, but only the item value is refundable — shipping, GST, duties and our service fees are not refundable. You must also pay to send goods back to the USA. Returns are often costly and may result in a small refund; for this reason they are discouraged.

Import items returned because they are no longer wanted incur a mandatory 35% handling fee in addition to return costs. Only unopened items in original packaging may be returned.

Opened, used or damaged goods, and goods of a personal nature (for example jewellery or underwear), cannot be returned.

5. Warranties

Our import items are purchased abroad for you at your request and delivered to your door on a parallel import basis. The authorised New Zealand distributor of these products is under no obligation to honour the manufacturer's warranty or provide after-sales service.

When your order is delivered, check that you have received the correct items, that everything is included, and that nothing is damaged. If items are damaged or missing, note this on the courier paperwork, keep your copy, and notify us within 24 hours so we can lodge a claim with the courier.

We do everything practical to ensure items arrive in good condition, including buying from reputable suppliers and using appropriate packaging. We do not take returns back into stock, so goods sent to you are new items.

In rare cases, a factory fault may occur. If this happens, we ask that you allow the manufacturer to rectify the issue, often by replacement. Many items must be returned to the country of origin. You may need to pay return freight to origin; to keep things fair, ThriftyFox will typically share costs of return to New Zealand, re-import and delivery, including applicable customs duty and GST on the replacement — effectively a 50/50 arrangement on replacement costs.

If an item develops a fault during the warranty period, you may need to cover return freight to the USA. ThriftyFox will cover re-import and delivery of the replacement where applicable, and will provide the USA return address. We can assist with return shipping if you are unsure how to proceed; charges will apply at cost.

6. Cancellations

When an order is cancelled or returned for credit, only the value of the item can be credited. As part of our no hidden costs policy, pricing on site includes the item, freight, taxes, shipping insurance, customs-related fees and our service fees. Credits are applied as follows:

— Before the order is placed with the supplier: full refund, as no import service has yet been incurred.

— Once the item has been ordered from the supplier: only the item cost is refunded. The following built-in costs are not credited:

Shipping to our regional office (typically USD $5–$20, weight dependent)
Shipping to our New Zealand office
Import duties and GST (rate depends on product)
Customs processing fees
Shipping insurance (typically 2% of value)
All costs to return the item to the overseas store if applicable.

7. Restricted imports

Certain items cannot be imported into New Zealand. These include (but are not limited to) alcohol, agricultural remedies, animals, batteries (all types), flammable materials, farm feeds, currency, many food products, furs, chemicals, explosives, medications, plants, poisons, seeds, supplements, nutrients, pressurised cans, tactical equipment, vitamins, and weaponry or weapon accessories. Product listings may be shown for reference only and will not be imported where prohibited.

Content is generated from an automated USA product feed. If an item cannot be imported for any reason, including carrier restrictions or New Zealand or US law (including MPI biosecurity rules), we reserve the right to cancel and refund the order in full. If you are unsure whether an item can be imported, email us with a link to the product and we will confirm.

8. Why are some items so cheap?

We source competitive pricing from the USA and display products through our sorting systems. Website pricing is the final price, including GST, duties and applicable fees for importing into New Zealand — the price you see is the price you pay at checkout (subject to the terms on each product page).

9. Why are some items so expensive?

Pricing comes from a direct feed from USA sellers. Our prices include GST, duties, customs clearance and shipping from the USA, and can change day to day. Insurance and other import costs are factored in. Sometimes items are cheaper to buy locally in New Zealand; our focus is hard-to-find or unavailable local items, which often work out better value through us.

10. I need my item quicker than your quoted delivery time

Our motto is to under-promise and over-deliver. Quoted delivery for ThriftyFox is roughly 10–20 working days within New Zealand. Many orders arrive sooner (often around 7 working days), but we do not guarantee faster times because of factors outside our control: USA supplier dispatch, USA domestic couriers, international transit, and New Zealand Customs. Some consignments clear before arrival; others may be held for inspection for up to 15 days. We work with customs processes and quote 10–20 working days to set realistic expectations.

11. I need something not listed on your site

That is what we are here for. We charge a 10% handling fee for special import requests. Send us a link to the item and we will calculate shipping, import and duty costs and quote you accordingly.

12. Contact details

Contact us via email

We use a single enquiries address for all queries:

Email: [email protected]

If your query relates to a product, please include a link or product code so we can identify the correct item.

Business hours: 8:30am to 5:00pm, Monday to Friday (New Zealand time)
We aim to respond within one hour during business hours.

Contact us by phone

Because we handle imports, we receive many unsolicited sales calls. Email is the fastest way to reach us with accurate answers. If you need our phone number, email us and we will reply with our details.

Physical address

(For returns only — stock is not held at this address)

153 West Tamaki Road
Glen Innes
Auckland 1072
New Zealand

Phone: 022 642 9654