Ordering from the US...

Tim Jones:

Quoted message said:

Annoying! All this cheap cool stuff, that you can get for nicks in the US,
and we just can't get it!

Weight is the killer, especially for international freight. You can
still score bargains for components weighing less than full toolboxes.
Nashbar and Supergo have just published their discount codes.

If you have a friend in the US, you get them sent to them and they send them
on by normal US mail.

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"Jose Rizal" <_@_._> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Tim Jones:

Quoted message said:

Annoying! All this cheap cool stuff, that you can get for nicks in the

US,

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

and we just can't get it!

Weight is the killer, especially for international freight. You can
still score bargains for components weighing less than full toolboxes.
Nashbar and Supergo have just published their discount codes.

"Hadra Mahindra" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

If you have a friend in the US, you get them sent to them and they send

them

Quoted message said:

on by normal US mail.

Unfortunately, no close friends in the US!

Tim

"Tim Jones" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Hadra Mahindra" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

If you have a friend in the US, you get them sent to them and they send

them

Quoted message said:

on by normal US mail.

Unfortunately, no close friends in the US!

Tim

Fortunately I have a brother in the US and I have got one sent to him. This
way it can be carried out on the next trip or shipped via USPS, the rates
are much cheaper than FEDEX. However, most shops don't ship with USPS.

Kevin

Cambria will ship ordinary air mail, or even surface mail, if
not in a hurry. Way cheaper, and less customs hassles this end.
I'm told they will price-match the others.

I've had email discussions with the likes of PricePoint and
Nashbar regarding their expensive "courier only" shipping
policies - just ludicrous. Presumably they've signed some
exclusive deal with the courier company. In practice it makes
them unusable.

try stipulating USPS Global Priority Mail service - significantl
cheaper, 4-7 delivery time frame. send them an email - they migh
eventually get the message that their current int'l postal rates ar
unnecessarily and prohibitively expensiv

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Glen F said:

Cambria will ship ordinary air mail, or even surface mail, if not in a
hurry. Way cheaper, and less customs hassles this end. I'm told they
will price-match the others.
I've had email discussions with the likes of PricePoint and Nashbar
regarding their expensive "courier only" shipping policies - just
ludicrous. Presumably they've signed some exclusive deal with the
courier company. In practice it makes them unusable.

I've had similar discussions with a couple of them and one told m
(jensonusa i think) that they only use couriers internationally no
because of the number of lost/damaged items through the mail... I hav
(touch wood) never had any issues with surface/air mail though - jus
lucky i guess

Although like you say Glen, it is probably a standard reply they use t
cover up their deals with the courier companies

I have mistakenly used Fedex twice now (I should have learnt the firs
time so I guess the 2nd was not a mistake, just stupidity) but thats
whole 'nother story. Lets just say... never again

Cheers, Tro

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ftf:

Quoted message said:

I've had similar discussions with a couple of them and one told me
(jensonusa i think) that they only use couriers internationally now
because of the number of lost/damaged items through the mail... I have
(touch wood) never had any issues with surface/air mail though - just
lucky i guess.

Although like you say Glen, it is probably a standard reply they use to
cover up their deals with the courier companies.

That's not an unreasonable deal though, and I don't see why mail order
shops would want to cover this up. If it's cheaper and more
cost-effective for them to use USPS, there is no reason not to do so,
but there are other factors involved. Using national mail involves your
package changing company hands once it arrives in-country; it's hard to
cover insurance on something that gets handled by another company, and
Aus Post (and other postal organisations) isn't infallible.

The other issue is tracking. USPS offers this at additional cost, is
somewhat imprecise, and tracking stops once the package leaves the US;
courier companies seem to have a very streamlined tracking system,
enabling you to track your package online as it goes through each
sorting facility. In cases of dispute, normal mail does not let the
company confirm delivery of the package, unless this is purchased at
extra cost, but again this option expires once the package leaves the
US.

On the other hand, fairly cheap couriers used by some British mail order
shops rely on deals made with the postal organisation in the destination
country.

Quoted message said:

I have mistakenly used Fedex twice now (I should have learnt the first
time so I guess the 2nd was not a mistake, just stupidity) but thats a
whole 'nother story. Lets just say... never again.

Most courier companies have horror stories; I've had a particularly
horrible episode with UPS, but Fedex seems good so far.

I have ordered a pair of Ksyriums SL's from the USA. They should b
arriving with a friend in Jan. With the $AU holding so well against th
greenback, I mamanged to get themfor around $900. A far cry from th
$1599 I have been quoted here. The shipping was $US35 from NY t
Atlanta, GA where my friend is. I have also talked to a friend who work
for customs to find out how I can minimise the duty and GST payable.
should be able to get away with paying less than $100, I may even no
have to pay anything

I had the wheels repackaged in Atlanta so as not to attract to muc
attention, all the bike shop decals were taken off and the invoice wa
emailed to me separately

BTW, it would have cost $US250 to post them via UPS because of the siz
of them (29inch x 29 inch). That the 2 wheels and packaging is onl
about 4 kilos meant nothing, it the size that matters

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