Buying from OS sellers and then shipping to Australia is not a big problem.
To ship to OZ from the US, Canada, UK, Hong Kong is almost the same as
buying from within Australia. Items with a value less than Aust $300.00
will almost always arrive without any duty payable. If payment is made with
a credit card it is a simple transaction. Paypal is probably the easiest
but is the most expensive. Sending cash in a registered letter is fairly
safe to the UK, US and Canada. I have done this many times and have never
lost the money.
Agree - although in my experience, it's more like anything under
AU$1000 - as demonstrated recently by a couple of nice little
Voigtlander parcels from California. That's for USPS parcels -
anything sent by FedEx or similar is automatically routed through
customs and you are gouged for both the 10 0uty and their brokerage
fee. A cynic m8ght suggest that they do this merely to 'earn' the
brokerage fee (which is only a bloody computer entry anyway). A
friend in Baltimore once sent me a used camera as a gift (yes, I do
have some friends) with a stated insurance value on it of US$250. It
cost me almost US$50 to get it out of FedEx prison!
Shipping charges from the above countries are also not excessive, except for
the UK. Items from Germany also have high postal costs. A small book
valued at Euro 9 cost me Euro12 to post to Sydney.
There is a serious variation in shipping charges between a small
business or private seller and a store. After all, you and I don't
have to charge for packing time and wandering down to the Post Office
and queueing but a business has to cost these things or go slowly
broke. Direct mail houses are often more reasonable as they do it as
routine. I like the way that Henry's, the Canadian store, put the
shipping costs to everywhere on every listing - not cheap but a lot
less than B&H or Adorama for instance and you know what you're up for.
The most expensive postal charges I have ever seen are parcels from New
Zealand to Australia. It just across the road but do they know how to
charge. I was told that it because NZ Post has privatised their parcel
division and it now handled by UDL. All parcels are hand delivered and they
all go through customs, no exceptions. I have been stung twice now and NZ
is off my list. I don't even look.
Thanks for the warning - didn't know this. Dammit, they're only the
seventh and eighth states anyway. Perhaps Brian S can enlighten us on
the reasons. Did you just get stung for the 100r was it loaded up
with fees too?
My experiences over the last few years have only been positive. I find
99.90f people are genuine, honest and reliable. Common sense is a great
asset. If a deal seems to good to be true it probably is, so stay away.
Michael.
Agreed - I still chat regularly to a couple of people who I sold
stuff to - almost all dealings have been either businesslike or
downright friendly.
AndrewF
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