Surface mail delivery times (from USA to Oz)

[derekcohen]

How long does it take for magazines to be delivered by surface mail from the USA to Australia?

I am interested in a subscription to Popular Woodworking. This is about $40 USD/1 year for surface mail and $100 USD for airmail. Quite a difference.

Your experience?

Regards from Perth

Derek

[PAH1]

Surface mail to europe takes 3months. It may not take that long from the US, but I was not a great fan of USpost while I was there.

[Iain]

I have found surface mail takes 6 to 10 weeks, Christmas can take a bit longer.
When we were importing I used to allow 8 weeks as an average for heavy goods and found it was pretty much spot on.
US$60.00 sounds excessive for the 'extra' for airmail, but you are in their hands.
I've had trade mags arrive that are only franked at US$4.00 and they are fairly big (thick, heavy).

[HiString]

I doubt there would be much difference between the US and Canada, but I just received two cartons from Ontario the other day and they took exactly 8 weeks by surface mail.

I have imported a fair number of smallish items from the US and always stipulate that they be sent USPS Global Express Mail service, delivery is usually 5-10 days and costs for example are usually around $35 -45 for a 3 kg parcel. I think standard air mail takes a bit longer and is somewhat cheaper.

[seriph1]

8-12 weeks is my experience the difference i have found between USA and Canada is cost - takes about the same time.

USPS.COM

has all you need to calculate general shipping costs - of course, if youre buying magazines like me, then the publisher/distributor has their own charges.

BTW I have bought arounf 500 magazines from the USA via eBay. All used and all cheapo cheapo!

have fun

[ian]

Have you talked to Chris Swartz of Popular Woodworking about their shipping options?

I subscribe to a number of US magazines and from the delivery time and mailing labels most are delivered as air cargo to Oz were they become mail processed by Aust Post.

I've found that the longest shipping times usually correspond with the mag being sent to Europe (Australia is an alternate way of spelling Austria ?) before entering the posal system.

Ian

[bsrlee]

6 to 8 weeks surface, if it ever gets here :mad: ! The only stuff I have had go missing was sent surface mail , because the shipper refused to send it air mail, only USPS surface with no insurance, or UPS scum. USPS Express Air -includes- insurance cover automatically.

Contact the magazine company & tell them their airmail rates suck, take a look at Taunton, August Home etc. Strangely, a lot of companies will suddenly discover a better rate when you complain.

[seriph1]

just in contrast - and I know people lose stuff in the mail - I have had 319 items delivered via surface maik this year and only one "went missing" - and I doubt she sent it in the first place....

[mat]

Interestingly I have found that smaller, lighter items arrive more quickly. One item arrived in just 1 week. In contrast larger or heavier items do take 8-10 weeks.

[lesmeyer]

Derek,

I subscribe to Fine Woodworking magazine and use their standard (cheapest shipping) option and I receive the magazine 1 week after it is sent. It is alway intact. Just as an example, the mag cost $15.40 AUD on the shelves here and you can get 1 year (6 issues + 1 special tools/workshop issue) for $42 USD = $56 AUD and that works out at $8 AUD per mag. Yhis is my experience with this particluar publication. I do however think that magazines are shipped surface mail using air cargo from US to OZ then surface within OZ.
Regards
Les

[kiwigeo]

I have imported a fair number of smallish items from the US and always stipulate that they be sent USPS Global Express Mail service, delivery is usually 5-10 days and costs for example are usually around $35 -45 for a 3 kg parcel. I think standard air mail takes a bit longer and is somewhat cheaper.

USPS Global Express is good. I get in alot of guitar building supplies from California via USPS and parcels are usually here within a week.