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In the previous article, we explained some key knowledge that you need to understand before purchasing a Nintendo Switch. If you don’t want to read the full article, here is a summary diagram again:
Purchase channel summary
In this article, I will walk you through my entire experience of buying the "Mario Odyssey Limited Edition" Switch from Meiya, using Friends of the Home for delivery.
Article structure:
- Switch Version and Transshipment Company Selection
- U.S. and Asia
- Deduction, account thawing
- Transport process
- Arrival and use experience
Select Version and Transfer Company
After learning about the basics of purchasing, I finally decided to go with the U.S. and Asia option. At first, I just wanted to buy a red and blue version of the Switch, but then I found out that the "Mario Odyssey" was coming out soon. So I went for the limited edition, which includes a red handle and a special storage case — it looked really cool!
Once I had chosen the model, the next step was picking a transshipment company. I did some research on the most popular ones and came across an article by Aunt Zhang. She mentioned that Friends of the Home had a promotion before November 11th, including tax-free delivery for items under 3,000 yuan. I decided to go with them.
Later, I was reminded that the promotion was extended to November 30th. If you're planning to shop online, now is a great time to take advantage of it!
I entered the Friends of the Home promotional page and started the process.
U.S. and Asia
Setting up an account with the transshipment company wasn’t detailed here, as most have clear guides or Google can help. The main thing is to get the address provided by the transshipment company, which in this case was a U.S. address.
U.S. home delivery address
It's best to choose a tax-free address. Once you have that, fill it in when checking out on Amazon. Here’s how I did it:
Meiya Home - Click on the username to enter the personal center
Select the address and click Add +
Fill in the shipping address given by the transshipment company
After entering the address, I filled in my credit card details. No fees were charged at checkout; the charges would come later when the order was shipped.
U.S. and Asia (continued)
I searched for the Switch directly on Meiya and found the "Mario Odyssey Limited Edition" in the list:
Search directly on Switch
On the product page, I made sure to select Meiya itself, not third-party sellers. Many people have bought from third-party sellers in the past, only to find out they were fake or not what they expected. That’s why it’s important to double-check the seller.
Here we must choose Meiya self-employed
The price I saw was higher than expected, so I checked the seller. It turned out to be a third-party one. I clicked on the “Select Other Sellers†option and filtered for Meiya’s own inventory. After filtering, Meiya’s products usually appeared at the top of the list.
Select Meiya's self-selection through screening
Once confirmed, I placed the order. When paying, I made sure to choose USD instead of RMB, as Meiya’s exchange rate could cost more in fees. My UnionPay card defaulted to RMB, so I had to change it manually.
Must choose USD to pay
Deduction, Account Thawing
Meiya and Yahoo only deduct money when the goods are shipped. If you don’t see any deductions right away, don’t worry. Sometimes, especially if you’re spending a large amount, your account might be frozen for security reasons.
There are two ways to unfreeze your account: either place a small purchase first, or send an email/fax to Meiya to request unblocking. I had to do this when I bought a 3DS before, and it worked smoothly.
When the account was frozen, I received an email from Meiya saying the payment failed and the account was locked. Don’t panic! Follow the instructions in the email to respond with proof of identity and billing information. You’ll need to send a copy of your credit card, along with a screenshot of the bill and your name, phone number, and registered email address.
U.S. frozen email account
You can use free fax services like https://faxzero.com/ to send the documents. After 48 hours, the account should be unlocked, and you'll receive a confirmation email.
If there are issues during the process, you can contact Amazon customer service via live chat. They are very helpful, even if you need to use translation tools. Alternatively, you can reach out to Amazon China’s customer service, who can also assist with international orders.
Transit Process
Once the package arrived at Friends of the Home, they took photos and weighed it. Their service is great because they allow you to store packages without advance notice, and they even offer free photo-taking. The weight of my Mario Odyssey was 2.12kg, and the transfer fee was 161 yuan.
Friends' home shooting photos
One of the biggest advantages of Friends of the Home is their flexibility. Unlike other companies, they don’t require you to fill in tracking numbers in advance. If you want a photo, it costs 5 yuan per card.
Transportation Time
Before I bought the Mario Odyssey, my friend purchased a red and blue Switch. He used a four-way transfer. Here are our actual experiences:
Friends’ home tax package
My friend’s package was sent from the U.S. to Hong Kong, then to China via EMS. Since he was in Beijing, it was delivered directly there. The whole journey took 18 days, and we didn’t get taxed. If we had, it would have been around $150.
For the four-way transfer, the package went from the U.S. to Singapore, then to various customs ports in China. My friend got his in 12 days and avoided the Double 11 rush.
A tip: When the package arrives in China, check the "mail courier will pass the public" to track the logistics. This method is faster and gives real-time updates. You can also find news about customs clearance in some areas through this site.
Postal Express Express
Arrival and Use Experience
Here’s what I got:
Limited Edition is good-looking
Saohong's handle
Limited Edition Storage Package
There are plenty of reviews online about the Switch, so no worries about the box-out experience. As for the games I bought, the "Mario Odyssey" is a limited edition, and I also got:
- "Mario Mad Rabbit" – a fun RPG from Ubisoft and Nintendo
- Mario Kart 8 will be updated with Chinese support on December 1st
- "12Switch" – 20+ mini-games for parties
- "With a paper cut it" – a fun game for 2 or more players, only 180 yuan
I plan to buy more games in the future, such as "Exotic Excalibur 2", "The Elder Scrolls 5", "Lego’s Marvel Heroes 2", and "The Star of Kaby". The 2017 "Time" magazine listed the Switch as one of the best inventions of the year, and with so many official Chinese versions available, it's definitely a big hit right now!
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