| Cacique Caribe | 26 Jun 2011 4:24 p.m. PST |
I have 19 blister packs to send to someone in Australia: TMP link However, every time I try to calculate USPS postage for a 1 lb 6 oz box, I get the most outrageous quotes: link I've never mailed anything to Australia before. Am I doing something wrong? Or is shipping from US to Australia really that horrific? Thanks, Dan |
| Bob in Edmonton | 26 Jun 2011 4:36 p.m. PST |
I have the same issue from Canada to Australia. I guess it is on the other side of the planet… . Surface is often the cheapest but then you are looking at 6-8 weeks. |
| CPT Jake | 26 Jun 2011 4:37 p.m. PST |
Use the smallest flat rate box you can, that way you re not paying for the weight. If the receiver does not mind, see if you can take the minis out of the packaging to use a smaller box. Shipping to Australia is expensive, I recently shipped some stff there for a fellow TMPer. Jake |
| Cacique Caribe | 26 Jun 2011 4:58 p.m. PST |
Jake, You are brilliant. You are absolutely right. The small flat rate option is giving me a much smaller charge. I just sent the fella an email, to see if I can take the Xyston figures out of the blisters and into smaller bags. If so, I should be able to put them into a small flat rate box, which ships to Australia for about $14. USD That is way better than the other estimates I was getting. Thanks so much, Dan |
| Cosmic Reset | 26 Jun 2011 5:04 p.m. PST |
$14.97 USD first class or Flat rate box at $13.95. Doesn't really seem that bad considering the distance. I've had UK sellers charge me more than that for less than 2 pound packages to the US. |
| Cosmic Reset | 26 Jun 2011 5:05 p.m. PST |
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 Der Alte Fritz  | 26 Jun 2011 6:53 p.m. PST |
Use Priority Mail for international shipments. Within the US, there is no weight limit, but there is a weight limit for international shipments. 19 blister packs ought to be below the limit. |
| bobblanchett | 26 Jun 2011 8:14 p.m. PST |
Yep, breakdown and repack, the USPS international PM flat rate envelopes and small boxes are fab for sending down here. |
| Cacique Caribe | 26 Jun 2011 8:35 p.m. PST |
Irishserbe, $14.97 USD First Class? That's all? I guess I was punching the wrong info. I wish I hadn't switched the contents out of their blisters and into bags. Anyway, the box is ready to go tomorrow morning. Thanks everyone! Dan |
| Billiam | 26 Jun 2011 10:11 p.m. PST |
I find the 'newish' way USPS displays the shipping costs, by showing only the Express Mail options and requiring you to click on the Priority and 1st Class options (which aren't all that obvious), very annoying. At the very least it should default to Priority, but I miss the days it used to show a list of all the options right up front. As for price, Australia is pretty much the most expensive place in the Western World to ship stuff to from the U.S. Stupid Pacific Ocean. |
| gavandjosh02 | 27 Jun 2011 3:22 a.m. PST |
As an Australian who buys a fair bit from overseas, I'll buy from Europe over the US everytime. Postage is often more than the product is worth. |
korsun0  | 27 Jun 2011 4:56 a.m. PST |
The only winners out of wargaming sales are the darn postal/courier firms. Sent 880g pack to UK, cost 37 bucks. Anything from Australia to US that goes over 500g is automatically slugged an extra 9 dollars for "security fee" on top of 21 plus in postage. Sent 20 x 15mm figs to Russia and it cost 20 but only 10 or so to France; maybe the old dear at the post office couldn't resist my charm, < alright stop sniggering> cheers
Jon. I don't know how Caliver manage to absorb costs…. |
| Paul Hurst | 27 Jun 2011 5:02 a.m. PST |
"PLEASE Help Me Find Best Option To Ship To Australia" Have them commit a crime and get deported for free – this method seems to have worked quite well in the past.  |
| Shardik | 27 Jun 2011 5:12 a.m. PST |
As an Australian who buys a fair bit from overseas, I'll buy from Europe over the US everytime. Postage is often more than the product is worth +1. US miniature companies would get a lot more of my business if the postage costs were reasonable. I used to think 40% of the order value was steep, but as gashandjosh says, sometimes from the US it can be > 100%. Of course the answer is to buy locally (Eureka) or from the UK, to avoid postage-rape |
| Shardik | 27 Jun 2011 5:14 a.m. PST |
As for price, Australia is pretty much the most expensive place in the Western World to ship stuff to from the U.S. Stupid Pacific Ocean. And yet packages from the UK have to come further, but postage is cheaper. Distance obviously isn't the issue |
| Etranger | 29 Jun 2011 7:03 p.m. PST |
Some do seem to find cheaper ways to ship from the US to Oz than others, possibly some combination of parcel/packet weight and size is optimal. Buying in OZ from Overseas you simply have to factor it into purchase costs/ |
| Cardinal Hawkwood | 01 Jul 2011 2:52 a.m. PST |
flat rate box is the way to go.. |
builds a pond for his campaign.