Shipping overseas - alternatives to Australia Post
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on โ10-03-2016 10:26 PM
Hi folks
I am feeling discouraged by some of the postage costs.
I want to use my AP Bx4 boxes (43 x 30.5 x 14cm) to send items weighing 1-1.5kg to UK, US etc.
A quick check of the Aust Post site gave me a price of around $70 to UK (including cover up to $200)
Are there any reliable more economical alternatives (not slow boat)? I have never shipped using
a non Australia Post service. Is there any light at the end of the tunnel or should I stick to shipping
within Aust except for small packages? Thanks in advance.
Re: Shipping overseas - alternatives to Australia Post
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on โ11-03-2016 12:01 AM
Aside from (usually more expensive) courier options, the only other alternative I know of is Skippy Post, but that will have some serious drawbacks / considerations, particularly in regards to eBay's late shipment defect system.
They will generally be cheaper, especially if you can ship out more than one OS item at a time, but the drawback is that individual packages won't show any tracking results until they are lodged with Skippy Post (you have to send all of your shipments to them first at a cost of $11, which is on top of the postage charges, they then on-ship via Singapore Post).
The transit time is also quoted as 20-30 days on average, which is usually a little beyond most customer's expectations, and would definitely be beyond eBay's ETA, so even if you didn't upload the tracking, I'm guessing most customers would start enquiring (or opening requests) before then, and would also have to answer 'no' to the on-time delivery question.
Which means your handling time would at least need to account for the initial transit time etc from you to Skippy Post, if nothing else, so you have a chance of getting a lodgement scan within your handling time. If I was going to use them for eBay sales, I'd probably set handling time at a week, which would also in turn affect the ETAs for Australian buyers.
Realistically, if your items are desirable (i.e. not readily available worldwide), I'd probably pick the best postage option that would minimise potential problems, and then let buyers decide if they're prepared to pay for it. Off-eBay, I'd be prepared to offer a wider range of choices to buyers (eg cheap but slow, fast but expensive, etc), but that sort of thing can shoot you in the foot here, unfortunately.
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on โ11-03-2016 08:11 AM
Thanks digital*ghost. No matter whether I choose to use AP airmail w/ extra cover, pack and track or registered post (limited cover) they are all going to be expensive. Even if I absorbed the fee for extra cover myself it is still not looking pretty. I don't expect I would be offering overseas postage on many items but there are certainly some that could benefit from the wider audience.
Re: Shipping overseas - alternatives to Australia Post
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on โ11-03-2016 11:09 AM
Remember that the exchange rate between the Au$, the US$ and the UKยฃ have changed considerably over the last few months. I am not sure about the US buyer but a UK buyer seeing $70 will only be paying ยฃ36 now as opposed to around ยฃ47 the same time last year.
Compared with UK Royal Mail parcels overseas the buyers will not consider ยฃ36 a huge amount depending on the size and value of the item.
It says in this book I am reading that by 2065 80% of women will be overweight.
See what a trendsetter I am?
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on โ11-03-2016 11:35 AM
Thanks PJ
Yes, I need to consider the exchange rate. I know at the moment if I am buying from the UK I roughly just double things eg GBP 20 = AUD $40 (helps with budgeting anyway!). I am going to do some experimenting with packing, and bundling some items, see if I can help potential buyers get better value from their purchases. Can only try!
Re: Shipping overseas - alternatives to Australia Post
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on โ11-03-2016 12:18 PM
might be worth taking one of you packed items into an actual post office for a quote. i have found the online system can be way off.
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on โ15-01-2019 03:50 PM
Re: Shipping overseas - alternatives to Australia Post

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on โ15-01-2019 04:23 PM
This has nothing to do with a seller shipping overseas from Australia which is the subject of the thread.
It is a forwarding service for Australian buyers to buy from overseas.
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on โ15-01-2019 06:27 PM
MyPost Business with Aust. post can give up to 15% off if you post 20 parcels per week. 10% if ony 10 per week. Not much but covers the ebay fees.
Re: Shipping overseas - alternatives to Australia Post

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on โ15-01-2019 06:38 PM
chezzy has not been on the boards for over 12 months.....she must have figured it out since asking the question so long ago.

