Import freight company ripoff.

[chevguy]

Just had some more parts sent over from the states .The purchase price was under $AU1000 and I paid for full delivery to my door in the purchase. Db sent me through an invoice for 150 odd bucks for 'handling' etc, when I queried why am I paying this money when normally with ups/usps it arrives at my door with no further bills they said they will 'look into it', but pretty much I wasn`t getting my gear till it was paid, and if they found the discrepancy they will 'send me a cheque'. Bit of a lesson for me,be careful who your gear comes with.

[OldIndian]

.. not ripped off.. just the way it works, local handlers (agents, clearance, delivery ) need to be paid unless you specificaly specificied and had it in writing the freight is all costs delivered to you do end of story. Some people buy a US$150 oversize part, get the cheapest frieght to Australia, (not to your door) then get attached with airline handling, bond store, clearance formailities even if no take to charge. Can that can run around A$450. They they find the parts damaged. So be happy.:D

[blackoutsteve]

This is a well-worn subject.
Never use an international courier unless you have a full quote and have read the fine print.

Use USPS for totals below AU$1000. If it's over, request that your order is broken down and shipped separately

[cluxford]

This is a well-worn subject.
Never use an international courier unless you have a full quote and have read the fine print.

Use USPS for totals below AU$1000. If it's over, request that your order is broken down and shipped separately

x2 !

[67cammy]

Use USPS for totals below AU$1000. If it's over, request that your order is broken down and shipped separately

Is this including the cost of shipping. Example: The cost of my wheels come to just under AU$1000 and then another $350 for shipping. I have asked to have them broken into two lots because it is $1350. Shipping is about $200 for each lot. Did I need to do that or is the $1000 limit just on the goods :confused:

[blackoutsteve]

Yes, it's the TOTAL cost.. Parts and shipping must be below AU$1000

[67cammy]

Cool, thanks :)

[Russ]

If it's over, request that your order is broken down and shipped separately


This can be tricky. If customs are on the ball and notice the multiple parcels, they will still combine their totals and treat them as 1.

To be doubly sure ... have them sent a few days apart.

[OldIndian]

Don't forget..your paying the initial 1-say 25 kg or 54lb ..at a dearer in that lower weight and it should get cheaper as the weight increases... say 26-50 or higher.. so you send 4 parcels at 20kg each via weight at $300 each and if your lucky you don't pay GST (10%) - or you try and get around it by even two consignments and you pay higher carriage costs... or you pay say $600 (whatever) for the 4 in weight and cubics's and save on the individual singular freight bill but by the time all is set and done, you were better off getting it in one consignment and giving Mr Rudd his money so he can give it to the less fortunate then you & me, like the chinese, or aboriginals, or middle eastern new arrivals, or politians lunch expenses or money for a new blow drier for Kevin...

[EAT-30T]

All explain here --> http://www.customs.gov.au/site/page.cfm?u=5549

always use USPS on smaller orders! :)

[blackoutsteve]

If it's over, request that your order is broken down and shipped separately

This can be tricky. If customs are on the ball and notice the multiple parcels, they will still combine their totals and treat them as 1.

To be doubly sure ... have them sent a few days apart.

I should have also mentioned that I leave about 2 weeks between shipping for that very reason. ;)
Generally, the people I deal with are cool, or my mate in AZ does it for me.

[OldIndian]

Just remember it will cost you more to break up and dispatch parts nearing the 1000 parts and freight mark to get around 10% gst. Send it sea freight, just ask somebody here to put it into their sea container, got to be heaps cheaper. Maybe this group could ship its own container each month between us all.

[blackoutsteve]

You need to do the math & weigh it up.. Sometimes it's cheaper, sometimes not. Depends a lot on cubic-weight a lot more than value.

Customs clearence fees and the guaranteed tax you'll be billed sure pays for a lot of airmail. :D

[chevguy]

All good points but my gripe was the invoice clearly states a shipping component dollar figure door to door service.Agreed on the usps/ups,never had this problem with them.As per my original post,I just wanted to make people aware door to door doesn`t exactly mean that sometimes.Now I think about it some more,probably a portion of the blame may lie with the parts provider,maybe they don`t necessarily give the correct delivery requirements. It`s all a learning curve I guess.

[blackoutsteve]

Have you made a formal complaint? I'd put one in writing to the manager.
Get him to show you where and when the fee was revealed to you before purchase of their service..

[chevguy]

Have you made a formal complaint? I'd put one in writing to the manager.
Get him to show you where and when the fee was revealed to you before purchase of their service..

Have indeed,sent the emailed invoice through an all. In the grand scheme of things the money is bugger all but as we all know car people work on 'the principle' lol

[chevguy]

Update,shipping company in conjunction with supplier found these costs were`nt supposed to be paid by me so they credited me.Sometimes it`s worth asking 'why'.

[gke60]

with the sea freight idea, i had a torque converter bought in via container with a local parts guy, i purchased the converter from continental torque converters in california, they could of shipped it to me for about $20aud more, so there is not much difference in it for small items...

[blackoutsteve]

Update,shipping company in conjunction with supplier found these costs were`nt supposed to be paid by me so they credited me.Sometimes it`s worth asking 'why'.

Well done.:cool: Maybe it's something they try on every poor sap like us and generally get away with it.

[Nev68]

Update,shipping company in conjunction with supplier found these costs were`nt supposed to be paid by me so they credited me.Sometimes it`s worth asking 'why'.

It's always worth asking.
The money is better off in your pocket and going toward your car (or other vice)