Buying online postage costs?

[Winston001]

I don't think I have ever purchased online from overseas. Often looked at stuff and thought about it but never needed anything to get around to buying. However many people do and obviously it works.

But how?

Right now I'm looking at a second-hand chainsaw handle in the USA for US$15 which is less than the cost of driving to the local dealer and rejecting the off-the-shelf replacement. New = $187.


However the postage from the USA is $47 and a NZ second-hand handle isn't going to be much more - plus that helps out a local.

So how does it work? Is there some way of getting stuff at realistic postage rates?

[oneblackflag]

I don't think I have ever purchased online from overseas. Often looked at stuff and thought about it but never needed anything to get around to buying. However many people do and obviously it works.

But how?

Right now I'm looking at a second-hand chainsaw handle in the USA for US$15 which is less than the cost of driving to the local dealer and rejecting the off-the-shelf replacement. New = $187.


However the postage from the USA is $47 and a NZ second-hand handle isn't going to be much more - plus that helps out a local.

So how does it work? Is there some way of getting stuff at realistic postage rates?

Services such as youshop (NZ Post). If you know the size and weight you can get an estimate. I've found it 50-50 unreasonable shipping costs from sellers, to ones cheeper than youshop. In this case im sure youshop would be half the price :cool:

~$30 VS $187 fuck patriotism... If the prices are close enough I'd always buy from NZ though, quite seldom with the parts I've been getting.

[MOTOXXX]

I've used comgateway before, they give you a US address in some state in the US, some how you can avoid sales tax getting it sent there.
they are pretty good and also have a re package option where they will un box multiple items and re package to make your shipment smaller.

I love how, in NZ, you can bring in stuff up to $400 without getting nailed by customs. I'm living in Canada at the moment and they nail you on any international purchases, no matter how much it cost.

[Waihou Thumper]

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php/162363-Buying-adventure-parts-clothing-helmets-and-anything-overseas?highlight=youpost


There is a load of posts on the subject. I use youpost and it has been great.
Communication is 100% throughout the shipping process and the best thing is you can find those bargains on line
from sellers that will not ship to NZ. I am happy with it:)

[MarkH]

So how does it work? Is there some way of getting stuff at realistic postage rates?

One trick is to buy several different things at once and have each sent to a service like www.shipito.com then through them you have all the packages consolidated into one package and sent to your home in NZ.
For more expensive items - use the Oregon address and pay no sales tax.
For cheaper items - use the California address and pay a lower shipping cost.
To consolidate several packages they all need to be at the same warehouse (don't send some to Oregon and some to California if you want them all consolidated together)

[HenryDorsetCase]

I don't think I have ever purchased online from overseas. Often looked at stuff and thought about it but never needed anything to get around to buying. However many people do and obviously it works.

But how?

Right now I'm looking at a second-hand chainsaw handle in the USA for US$15 which is less than the cost of driving to the local dealer and rejecting the off-the-shelf replacement. New = $187.


However the postage from the USA is $47 and a NZ second-hand handle isn't going to be much more - plus that helps out a local.

So how does it work? Is there some way of getting stuff at realistic postage rates?

I buy most of my books and CDs and DVD's online. Plus I got a couple of T shirts from Big Dave last week.

Bookdepository.co.uk has FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING. comes out of the UK and Her Majesty's mail service to Her colonies is first class.

Amazon shipping is quite expensive but amazon.co.uk shipping out of Europe is OK (no, it makes no sense).

A lot of US based online retailers dont really want to send stuff outside the US so they make it stupid expensive, or they will only use FedEx or UPS (often because those companies do their IM for them I gather). If they will post USPS then its usually not too bad.

I would buy most things (well, dry goods anyway) online: You do it when you want, in your fishnets and heels, cradling a pint glass of Chardonnay, and no one judges you. Walk into Ballantynes dressed like that and its all whispers and staring.

[HenryDorsetCase]

Just by comparison I got a little geegaw from Massdrop yesterday that was posted out of the US on 05 March.

I bought something from a retailer on tardme on 04 March who shipped it on 05 March and the fucking package still has not turned up. Poste Haste are Piss POOR couriers. fuck them. How does something get from the US to Christchurch quicker than from Auckland? Fuckers.

[oneblackflag]

....in your fishnets and heels, cradling a pint glass of Chardonnay, and no one judges you. Walk into Ballantynes dressed like that and its all whispers and staring.

We've all been there man...:shutup::sweatdrop

[MarkH]

One good thing about my shipito address in Ca or Oregon is that I can buy from Amazon and they will ship to the USA address for free, this means that I'm not paying for 2 lots of shipping. Also from shipito I get to choose the shipping method - USPS, UPS, DHL, FedEx, TNT or whatever. I can pay more for faster delivery or pay less and wait a few more days.

I can also have something sent to shipito and sit there for a few weeks, once a few more items have arrived I can choose which ones to put together into a package for sending out - they offer 90 days free storage from when a package arrives and you can have a bunch of packages sitting in their warehouse. This means that I can put packages together for the best savings - enough to bring the average shipping cost down per item but not so much as to attract GST when the consolidated package arrives in NZ.

I've been a really big fan of www.shipito.com ever since I first started using it. This sort of service is especially useful for sellers that don't ship overseas, which isn't unusual for USA companies. Even amazon.com don't ship most things overseas - except books, CDs & DVDs.

[Tazz]

Most people buy new stuff and a lot of websites offer freight free services now.

I've only bought a couple of things second hand off Ebay and only because I couldn't get them at all over here at the time. You get some real muppet package sizes/general packing which inflate the shipping costs needlessly I've found. It's getting better all the time though.

[jasonu]

http://postcalc.usps.com/

USPS price calculator above. Use it to see if you are getting ripped off or not. Most sellers will charge a handling fee on top of the actual freight
Freight out of here isn't as cheap as it was since they stopped the surface post option.

[SMOKEU]

I buy quite a lot of shit online from overseas and save heaps of money in the process, even after taking into account that NZ Customs like to steal my shit and then send me a letter in the mail about it just to troll.

[Winston001]

Thanks everyone this is very helpful - appreciated. I remember the earlier thread but thought it was about Shipto and problems with sellers not posting outside the USA. I had no idea that remailers actually reduce the shipping cost.

[Winston001]

You do it when you want, in your fishnets and heels, cradling a pint glass of Chardonnay, and no one judges you. Walk into Ballantynes dressed like that and its all whispers and staring.

Well...you must be in the wrong department love.

Do you want to come upstairs? :love:

[neels]

Really depends who you buy from. I've had stuff from the UK here in 4 days, and waited 4 weeks for stuff ordered the same day.

Bike parts and car parts from the UK seem to ship a lot cheaper than from the US, and a lot quicker as they don't bounce around several depots before they finally get exported.