Buying human hair from India online: delivery, duties and payment
Delivery times, what DAP means for import duty and tax, how payment works, and the checks worth making before you send money to any supplier.
Suvita Hair team, DelhiPublished 5 min read
India is one of the main sources of human hair in the world, and buying direct from an Indian manufacturer can mean better hair at a better price than buying through several intermediaries. It also means an international purchase, with questions about delivery, import charges and payment that a local shop never raises. This guide answers them plainly, using our own terms as a worked example, and lists the checks worth doing before you pay any supplier.
Why Indian hair
A large share of the world's human hair comes from India, much of it temple hair offered at temples in South India. Indian hair is versatile: after processing it blends with a wide range of hair types, which is why it is used in bundles, extensions and wigs worldwide.
Suvita Hair Global Pvt Ltd is a manufacturer and exporter of 100% Remy Indian human hair: temple hair from South India, processed in our own facility in Delhi. Buying from the people who process the hair removes guesswork about where it came from and how it was handled.
Remy, virgin or raw
Indian suppliers usually offer hair in three grades. Remy is cuticle-aligned hair that can be coloured into any shade; ours is collected from 3–5 donors per bundle. Virgin hair has never been chemically processed; ours comes from 2–3 donors, in #1B, #2 and #4. Raw hair is single-donor and unprocessed, sold only in its natural texture and in #1B or #2. If you want hair exactly as it grew, look at raw bundles; if you want untreated hair with a little more choice of shade, virgin bundles.
How long delivery takes
Delivery time has two parts: getting the order ready, and moving it to you.
| Stage | Typical time at Suvita |
|---|---|
| In-stock items | Dispatched in 2–3 working days after payment |
| Made-to-order items | 3–5 days of production first |
| Transit with DHL Express | 5–7 business days worldwide |
| Remote areas | 7–10 business days |
Every order travels door to door with tracking. Customs clearance in your country is part of the transit time, and it can add a day or two at busy times or if paperwork is queried. If you need hair by a particular date, order with a few days to spare.
Import duty, tax and what DAP means
This is the part that surprises people most, so it is worth understanding before you order.
International shipments are sent on agreed terms. Ours are DAP, short for Delivered At Place. It means the seller pays to get the parcel to your door, and the buyer pays any import duty and tax charged by their own country when it arrives.
- Whether you pay anything, and how much, depends on your country's rules, the value of the order and how the goods are classified. Some countries charge nothing below a certain value; others charge tax on almost every import.
- The courier usually contacts you before delivery to collect any charges, sometimes with a small handling fee of their own.
- Charges are set by your country's customs authority, not by the seller, so no honest seller can promise a parcel will arrive with nothing to pay.
Payment
Most hair manufacturers ask for payment before production or dispatch. Suvita takes 100% of payment in advance, by:
- Card or UPI through Razorpay, an Indian payment gateway; the card details are handled by the gateway, not by us.
- Bank transfer, to local accounts in several currencies or by USD SWIFT transfer.
Prices are wholesale for everyone and there is no minimum order, so you can place a small first order to judge the hair before committing to more. Delivery is free on orders over $999. Full details are on our payment page.
What to check before you pay any supplier
Most suppliers are honest, but buying online across borders deserves a few minutes of checking. These apply to any seller, including us.
1. A real, registered business
Look for a registered company name, a full street address and working phone and email contacts. An Indian exporter should have an IEC (Importer-Exporter Code), which is required to export goods from India. Suvita holds one.
2. Verifiable credentials
If a seller mentions a certification, ask which body issued it and how long it is valid. Vague claims with no issuer named are a warning sign.
3. Clear terms in writing
Before paying, you should be able to read the seller's shipping terms, who pays duty, the payment methods and what happens if something is wrong. If a seller will not put terms in writing, do not send money.
4. Payment to the business, not a person
A bank transfer should go to an account in the company's name, matching the business you are dealing with. Be wary of last-minute requests to pay a different account or an individual.
5. A realistic price
Good Remy hair costs money to collect and process. A price far below the market usually means a shortcut somewhere: non-Remy hair, a synthetic blend or underweight bundles. Our guide to telling Remy from non-Remy explains what to check when the hair arrives.
When the parcel arrives
- Check the outer packaging before signing if you can, and note any damage with the courier.
- Open the parcel and compare it with your order: product, texture, length, shade and weight.
- Check the hair before installing, cutting or colouring it.
- Photograph anything that looks wrong, in daylight, including labels.
Policies differ from seller to seller. Ours is that there are no returns, and manufacturing defects are replaced if reported within 7 days of delivery with photos. Read the full returns and replacements terms before you order, so you know exactly where you stand.
Written by the Suvita Hair team in Delhi. Suvita Hair Global Pvt Ltd makes and exports 100% Remy Indian human hair. Questions about this guide: WhatsApp or sales@suvitahair.com.
