item advertised on US ebay but no postage offered to Australia?

[sparch4]

There is an item advertised on US ebay I would like to buy but no postage is offered to Australia?  I am unable to contact the seller through the usual method because of this.  I would like to contact the seller to attempt to pursuade them to offer the item internationally.  Is there any way of contacting the seller through eBay?

[davewil1964]

Short answer 'no'.

If they don't want to post to Australia, there is really nothing you can do except look for a seller willing to post to Australia.

I certainly wouldn't want to be approached by buyers wanting me to send something to the other side of the world. The way eBay is set up, the chances of doing my dough would be too high.

[padraicpaul91]

If you are also registered on ebay.com, I would think you would be able to msg the seller.

I would not hold my breath however. From past experience a US seller that doesn't sell internationally, will not sell internationally. Those that I have tried see it as too much bother.

[davewil1964]

There is one member who doesn't believe this would even happen.

[porcelain_dolls_by_me · Accepted solution]

Open an account with a USA forwarding facility, such as myUS.  That way you will have a USA address to received the goods

[sparch4]

Now there's an idea.  Thanks!

[*tippy*toes*]

Be prepared to pay a high cost for those types of services. It would be way cheaper to tell the seller to opt in for the GSP.

[porcelain_dolls_by_me]

"Be prepared to pay a high cost for those types of services. It would be way cheaper to tell the seller to opt in for the GSP."

Not so.

Join myUS with a Visa card and get a 25% discount on shipping charges.

Pay the shipping from the seller to Florida and then the shipping plus 10% GST charges based on price of goods and shipping..  A 1kg package would cost about AUD35 in myUS shipping and the transit time is a couple of days.

Beats the expensive and slow GSP service hands down every time

[davewil1964]

Have you checked the prices recently?

I know FedEx has upped their US to Australia prices 300% recently.

2 pounds used to be about $US40, now $US150+.

[porcelain_dolls_by_me]

Yep, I checked just before typing my message.

Go to myus.com and you can use their online freight cost calculator.

Bear in mind that if you join using your Visa card then they reduce the freight cost by 25%.  For Mastercard it is a discount of 20%