Postage from USA - why so expensive?

[terroxyboy]

I have pretty much given up buying avything from the USA. Are their overseas postage fees really that exhorbitant at the other end? We are talking $25 - $30 for very small packages, compared to around $10 - $15 equivalent delivery method from the UK.

[damn!_buster]

It's just crazy. I collect beer mats and American beer mats are some of the best in the world but when the beer mat costs around £1.00 and the postage to the UK costs around £11.00, it makes it stupid to buy them on eBay. Even if I bought five beer mats (for example) from the same seller and he combined the postage by putting them all in the same package, that's still £11.00 for five very light items. Something wrong somewhere. 

[k1ooo-slr-sales]

oi!

Welcome to the staylian boards me old mate.

We generally 'ate the GSP more than the UK 'ated the EU when they voted in favour of Brexit.  We av tried to get GSPexit goin but aven't had much luck wif that one, if ya ask me I think it's coz GSPexit sounds stewpid.

Politics 'as gone mad if ya ask me.  Did ya know that Trump was goin to visit us ere in Staylya during the US election? Said he wanted to address the Republican supporters group, go figure.  Eddie got so excited he done gone an wet himself.

If you don't know our pres elect Eddie Mc then that jus reinforces the whole point of me post ere . . . . ya pobably should should av pist on the UK boards.

God save the queen . . . Good old Collingwood forever . . . . . . Oi! Oi! Oi!

[mic-s-korea]

I used to buy from USA and UK. because of GSP I rarely ever buy from there anymore. mainly Japan and Europe.

GSP is a blatent rip-off.

[stormness_1]

I now only buy in bulk from the US, small packages don't seem to be a viable option anymore, either through seller ignorance in filling out the calculator, or Pitney Bowes greed. I've seen $50+AUD for an A5 sheet of stickers. STICKERS!!

And so everyone knows, if you're going to accept the GSP price, ensure your seller knows to pack things tightly, and take photos. Not only do good old pitney bowes rip us off, they often open and re-pack parcels in lighter, often flimsier packaging to save weight and space, and many packages arrive damaged, or with pieces missing, despite the seller doing everything in their power to avoid such a thing happening.

[jopa.07]

i dont buy from states anymore, china is best cheaper , most times free post,a lot of items from states made in china any model ing gear i need from china on ebay aust easier to buy also more selectionjoe

[davewil1964]

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@jopa.07 wrote:

i dont buy from states anymore, china is best cheaper , most times free post,a lot of items from states made in china any model ing gear i need from china on ebay aust easier to buy also more selectionjoe

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That's great, and I'm sure the Chinese government appreciates your contribution to their trade surplus.

However, what is the quality of Chinese items vis a vis those from the US? Or, shock, horror, AUSTRALIAN sellers?

Have you considered your determination to save a buck costs Australian jobs, and thus the entire country's standard of living?

No? Funny about that.

[porcelain_dolls_by_me]

You forget to also point out that Australia Post, i.e. us mug Aussie's, also subsidise the inward postage costs from China

[imastawka]

Mug Aussies....for cryin' out loud.

It's a world participation thing.    Every country has to cover our postal costs too

[porcelain_dolls_by_me]

Do you understand how the postage costing is allocated between countries in terms of the Universal Postage Union agreements?

[imastawka]

Does it matter?

All  know is there's an agreement whereby we don't get charged extra postage once the mail hits an overseas country.

Wiki is informative

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Postal_Union