Australia Post goes a little bit grey with parcel forwarding service One of the least-favourite activities of Australian online shoppers, working out who offers a safe and reliable international drop service, has become a bit easier after the national postal service Australia Post entered the market. The deliverators have decided to set up in competition with existing forwarders, at the same …
When Vulture South was established, its alleged purpose was to cover relevant news from Aus and NZ, but I don't remember any coverage when NZ Post started doing this a couple of years ago. Being left off infographics has become routine, now even El Reg has forgotten we exist? I would shuffle right off this mortal coil, except apparently we're not actually ON it to begin with.
.....a service like price usa based in Australia. Their agents in USA purchase and then re-ship to Oz at the cheapest rate they can find. Yes of course you pay a fee but I like the personal contact with the company and their agents. (I suspect that AustPost will not be quite so personal). No, I don't work for them - I'm a very happy customer who lives in the Sunshine State.
Let me put it this way
Land Rover headlight guards - 28 pounds to buy plus 15 pounds to ship versus AU$268 plus AU$30 to sip to Qld fi bought in Melbourne. Worse still these are made in Aus.
OR
LR Hand brake drum UK 17 pounds plus 25 pounds freight versus AU$155 plus $AU$35 to ship 300km.
OR
Polishing kit from China US$6.50 including postage or AUD29 plus $AU9.00 freight from Melbourne
How about
"Australia Post's ShopMate: cheaper than eBay's Global Shiping Program.
Just..."
@P. Lee: a lot of places ship UK->Eire->Aus; for some things at least it's cheaper than Royal Mail.
(Cut-price logistics is a dark and mysterious art - I've had stuff that's been shipped from Shenzen to Sweden then posted from Malmö to Brisbane, because apparently sometimes the cheapest way from A to B is via Q...)
The small print states that:
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All ShopMate orders require a signature on delivery from the buyer. This offers greater protection in the event that an unauthorised person attempts to accept your parcel. For this reason, ShopMate will not deliver to PO Box.
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My local Post Office regularly (often weekly) card things in my PO box which means I have to go to the counter to sign for the parcels before handing them over. Does Australia Post not trust Australia Post Outlets to do the right thing?
I never use Aus Post or Fedex if I can help it because they are incompetant and/or charge fees or claim delivery under false pretences
I had five Royal Mail track and trace packages earlier this year
In EVERY case the tracking stopped the moment the packages were accepted by Aus Post in the UK
The Aus Post web site claims they track all track and trace al T&T packages but this is bulldust.
Of the five packages
No 1 has never been found - when I complained Aus post wrote that I must contact the sender and they must ask Royal mail to advise them (and me) the waybill number of the bag containing the missing mail. Aus Post accept the money but will not provide the service
No 2 - when the shipper above read my e-mail they decided it was easier just to replace the missing shipment. Next day I passed the tracking number to Aus Post who told me three weeks later there was no trace of any such package in their system. They delivered it next day.
No 3 - same as number 1 - different shipper - again sent replacement rather than do the research that AusPost could do with their computer links to the Royal Mail system
No 4 - never showed up on system after left RM hands - arrived after only a week
No 5 - I paid extra for track and trace and for signature on receipt. After package left Royal Mail and dissappeared I logged a complaint on the Aus Post web site. Got a reply saying mail from UK can be "track and trace" OR "signature on delivery" but not both. Package eventually arrived after two weeks - not tracked and no signature required on delivery.
A check of the Royal mail site confirmed that Track and Sign was available to over 100 countries but NOT Australia.
A Priority Paid package I sent from rural Victoria to PNG spent 18 days in Melbourne. As a result of my complaint I got an giving the eventual delivery date and that they were pleased I was happy with their service. @#$%^ lying illegitimates.
It costs a little more for UPS or DHL but they always deliver.
If you live more than spitting distance from a major city Fedex pass the package to Aus Post and then claim the package is delivered. You have to create a massive sh*t fight to get them to provide the Aus Post tracking number.
@Mi Tasol
Has hit the nail on the head here. Australian shoppers are being taxed with some crazy local prices. The Auspost parcel forwarding service is good but there are cheaper options on the market. Finding the right parcel forwarding service is a bit of a minefield.
I've created a comparison to break down the cost of each parcel forwarding service and ranked them. http://usaparcel-forwarding.com/index.php/parcel-forwarding-services-comparison/
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