Thread: A$, buying from US and frieght

DHL are good, but very expensive. You will have a courier come to the address you specify and s/he will require a signature, you can track the package online to help ensure someone will be at the designated address. If I recall DHL will call to arrange an alternative if there happened to be noone there, but it's been a while since I have used them.

I remember buying a 48 Mb flash memory card from the in 1999? and it was shipped via DHL. freight cost twice the price of the card making it the same price as buying here in Oz. We use DHL at work because they quick and reliable but personally I have always got reliable lowest cost service from USPS.

DHL are less expensive than UPS or FedEx but unless you're buying more than 30kg og Incra products or the box is over 1m long use the post. I just measured the box my 3000se came in and it's only 30" long. Mind you the shipping box LV sent it to me in from Ottawa is a darn sight bigger but ask the company you're buying from if they will ship in the product box to save a little.

Umm, correct me if i'm wrong but if your buying that much in USD, won't you have to fill out lots of annoying forms declaring import tax as its over $1000 AUS?

Originally Posted by Bismar

Umm, correct me if i'm wrong but if your buying that much in USD, won't you have to fill out lots of annoying forms declaring import tax as its over $1000 AUS?

$AUD792.68 at close on Friday to be exact. By post they wouldn't care but the parcel companies......... different story there.

Hmm, i was always under the assumptions that postage was counted, guess not then.

The couriers will generally charge you various customs clearance fees that jack up the price. For postal items, you don;t pay this.
For details of USPS pricing and policy, have a look here.

I've bought a fair few tools from the US and as long as the package weighs under 20lbs and will fit in a standard USPS shipping carton. the cost of postage is $US42.
You can get details on the standard USPS package sizes from here.
As previously pointed out, be prepared to add in GST if your combined total (goods and freight) are over $A1000

Originally Posted by Bismar

Hmm, i was always under the assumptions that postage was counted, guess not then.

According to Oz custom it is, look here;
When buying over the internet



Even when it is below the limit, when it does not come through the post some shipping companies can also slug you with a customs clearance charges.

Imported goods arriving otherwise than by post will require the completion of a Self Assessed Clearance (SAC) declaration before clearance from Customs control
SAC declarations can only be lodged electronically.
no cost recovery charges are imposed by Customs on SAC declarations but administrative/processing charges may be imposed by carriers acting on your behalf.

I bought a few hundred bucks of bits and pieces from the US and the seller thought he was doing me a favour sending it Fedex at no extra charge to me over USPS, but it got tangled up in customs and Fedex charged me $80 to clear customs.

Postag3e from the US is too expensive for my liking

AAA

does the Incra stuff include sawtable posts wich are 72 or 92 inches long?

cheers

The difference between overseas and Australian prices can tempt you to buy overseas. There are any number of factors that cause this, and it is simplistic to accuse them of gouging, but I have found it worthwhile to go back to the Aussie distributor and give them a chance to meet the pricing you have found.

Thankyou to all so far.
SpritLevel, the biggest piece would belong to the LS 32 TSLS which is the table saw fence, don't know how long it is though!

Groggy, thought about it. But even with freight, price difference huge. Might be worthwhile doing as you say, will give it a go!

The LS32 has 72" long rails so you're over the 1m maximum length Aussie Post instituted for normal air parcels. Using either Canada Post or USPS it would have to go Priority Post by air and that's about 60%-90% more than X-Press Post from either country depending on the dimensions of the parcel(s).