Postage Costs

[Shaun2]

I live in Sydney, and now very rarely buy items from overseas due to the exorbitant postage costs (especially from the US) plus import taxes. It is such a pity, really. You have so much more choice than we do here in Australia.

Frequently I see members selling items which I'd love to buy, but very often the same costs apply (not the seller's fault!). Sometimes the postal costs are greater than the cost of the item!!

While I am ranting, what IS it with Poland Post? Does it ALWAYS take forever? Tracking drops dead once the scan says (claims) the item has been sent off, too. I have received items from Nepal which get here in about a third of the time!

 

[R181]

I gave up sending anything to OZ years ago because of the expense and it took literally months to get there.

Bob

 

[Shaun2]

I gave up sending anything to OZ years ago because of the expense and it took literally months to get there.

Bob

Flea bay is the worst. Sometimes people find cheaper US/Canadian couriers and items can get here in two weeks. I bought a razor from the US on 10 December and it arrived at my door 21 December. I have never found it has taken more than 4 weeks to get from the US/Canada to Australia, even during the holiday season. The UK is marginally faster, and not as expensive.

Poland, though, whoa.

 

[slapo]

I haven't had issues having stuff shipped from Poland to the UK, so it might just be the route down under that's problematic.

 

[gile]

It depends on routes the package is taking. I've sent packages to South Korea which were delivered in about 10 days and yet packages to Spain took minimum 15 days. Additional factor is holiday season when there are more connection flights mail moves faster.

 

[Northam Saint]

I don’t order from overseas Much, postage and import costs are too high for my liking. We use to send a Christmas parcel to our American friends but the postage went sky high for both sides. What I have done though is order for them on the American sites and had things delivered. Works well if you have Amazon Prime as it, last time I used it, allowed you to log on to the .com site and order for delivery over there.

 

[Rufusdog]

I’m in Canada. We use Amazon Prime UK to send gifts to our family and friends in the UK. Works like a charm. Interestingly, it takes +2 weeks for a small package to get to me from the USA, whereas, I can expect to get a similar package from the UK in a week. I haven’t sent to or received anything from Oz or NZ in several years, so I can’t comment. Overall, however, postal rates, for packages or letters/cards, in Canada, both domestic and international are sky high, yet our postal service can’t even tread water financially.

 

[Vacumatic]

I get cheesed off at postage costs, we should be proud of Royal Mail and affordable mailing charges, proud of the first pre paid mail in 1840.

The whole buying from abroad business has changed so much over the past few years, I regularly bought and sold pens from the Americas but no more.

On an unrelated subject, coins, I had a dozen people round for mince pies, sherry, port and stilton yesterday. No one including me had seen the new King coins and not a single person had any change in their pocket (this was before I asked them to pay, J/K)

 

[UKRob]

I’ve just checked small parcel prices from the UK to Australia - a 2 kilo parcel untracked and non-urgent is just over £14. However if you want a quicker service it doubles in price. If the weight is within 250gm the prices are around £7 and £11 respectively seems pretty reasonable to me.

 

[R181]

On an unrelated subject, coins, I had a dozen people round for mince pies, sherry, port and stilton yesterday. No one including me had seen the new King coins and not a single person had any change in their pocket (this was before I asked them to pay, J/K)

Now that is another interesting subject and deserving of a whole new thread.

Bob

 

[Shaun2]

I haven't had issues having stuff shipped from Poland to the UK, so it might just be the route down under that's problematic.

Quite possibly. Tracking notifications are misleading, too. I bought an item from Poland 30 Nov, and it was posted 5 December. Tracking says "Departed Country of Origin" on that date. Now it is 28 December and tracking hasn't changed. I spoke with Australia Post who informed me they handle items from Poland Post when they arrive in the country, but there was no information indicating it had even landed in the country. In other words, it is probably just sitting there in a warehouse in Warsaw. I wrote to Poland Post (very politely) and no, they didn't reply. When the item arrives, I'll post here about it. This was not cheap postage and tracking was paid for too, for what it's worth. If the route is the problem, all I can say is that the French handle post well, as do the Germans. Poland? Not good at all.

 

[Shaun2]

Now that is another interesting subject and deserving of a whole new thread.

Bob

In Australia, we call him "King Prince Charles"

 

[R181]

In Australia, we call him "King Prince Charles"

I would not expect any less.

Bob

 

[SeanC]

I get cheesed off at postage costs, we should be proud of Royal Mail and affordable mailing charges, proud of the first pre paid mail in 1840.

The whole buying from abroad business has changed so much over the past few years, I regularly bought and sold pens from the Americas but no more.

On an unrelated subject, coins, I had a dozen people round for mince pies, sherry, port and stilton yesterday. No one including me had seen the new King coins and not a single person had any change in their pocket (this was before I asked them to pay, J/K)

I got a couple of the limited-run commemorative 50 pence coins in my change earlier this year (and kept them), but have seen nothing since. AFAIK coins are only minted when estimated circulation dictates more are needed, so it could be a while before all denominations emerge

 

[SeanC]

Quite possibly. Tracking notifications are misleading, too. I bought an item from Poland 30 Nov, and it was posted 5 December. Tracking says "Departed Country of Origin" on that date. Now it is 28 December and tracking hasn't changed. I spoke with Australia Post who informed me they handle items from Poland Post when they arrive in the country, but there was no information indicating it had even landed in the country. In other words, it is probably just sitting there in a warehouse in Warsaw. I wrote to Poland Post (very politely) and no, they didn't reply. When the item arrives, I'll post here about it. This was not cheap postage and tracking was paid for too, for what it's worth. If the route is the problem, all I can say is that the French handle post well, as do the Germans. Poland? Not good at all.

I was advised by a very helpful gentlemen working for Royal Mail, that filing an insurance claim usually focusses minds. I did this for a parcel that had sat in the main Brazilian import facility for weeks on end and sure enough it started moving again within 48 hours.