Most services offer free account set-up but some charge a one-off fee. Most services offer a free membership option as well as paid membership which offers users some benefits and discounts. Some providers change a flat rate fee for every package sent. Factors which may affect shipping rates include weight, dimensions, number of packages, declared value and postal carrier. Lower rates or free services are often available for paid members.Ĭost to ship a 2kg item: from around $30 to over $100.Įach company calculates shipping costs differently. Note: These prices are based on the base/free membership level. Freight forwarder US to OZ recommends getting three weight estimates to find the average.īut shipping isn't the only cost to take into account – here's a list of some of the common costs and fees you may encounter with a freight forwarding service. You may need to contact the retailer directly to ask for the package's weight and size – can be useful for this. It's not a perfect system … you won't know exactly how much you'll pay until your package hits their warehouse And sometimes it can be more than you bargained for. They need to weigh or measure it (usually both) to determine the cost, so you won't know exactly how much you'll pay until your package hits their warehouse. Generally the freight-forwarding company can only give you a definitive quote on the freight costs for your product once they take delivery of it. The package is sent to your Australian address.įreight-forwarding was a particularly great deal for Aussies back when we could bag overseas bargains at a favourable exchange rate, and it's still useful for buying items that aren't available here at all.īut it's not a perfect system.Some services may also require you to provide an invoice as evidence of the declared value of your item. Log in to your account and pay your outstanding total.When your package is ready, the freight forwarder will notify you of the total cost.If the freight forwarding service doesn't collect GST, you must pay it to the postal carrier upon receipt of your item. Most services will require you to declare the value of your item so they can add a 10% GST charge to your order which is paid to the Australian Tax Office on your behalf.You can also have a single item repacked to reduce bulky packaging. If you're receiving multiple packages you can usually have them consolidated into a single package to reduce the cost of postage. You will be notified when the package(s) arrive at the US warehouse.If the store doesn't accept your Australian credit card, many freight forwarders also offer a shopper service which can make the payment for you, for an additional fee. You will be provided with a US address which you use as your delivery address when shopping from US retailers.Sign up for an account with your chosen freight forwarding service. The freight forwarding service charges you the postage fees along with a range of their own fees depending on the services provided. They then post your package to your Australian address using their own postal service, the US Postal Service or a courier service (DHL, UPS, FedEx etc). These services exist in a number of countries, but this article focuses on US to Australia freight forwarding services.įreight forwarding services receive your packages from US retailers, store them in their warehouse and provide other optional services like repacking and consolidating. What are freight forwarding services?įreight forwarding services let consumers shop from US stores that don't ship to Australia.Ĭonsumers order their product to be delivered to the freight forwarder's US address – often a warehouse in a state with no, or low sales tax – which receives their purchases and forwards them to Australia for a fee. We look at how it works, what the costs are and compare popular freight-forwarding companies such as Shipito, US to Oz and more. A service that repacks and removes excess packaging, or consolidates items into one package, could save you moneyĪny Aussie who regularly shops online will know the frustration of picking out purchases on an American website, only to discover at the checkout that the company doesn't ship to Australia.įreight-forwarding services look like the answer to this problem, but are they everything they're cracked up to be?.You won't know how much you'll pay in freight until your package hits their warehouse – and it may be more than you thought.Freight-forwarding services let you buy items from the US that aren't available in Australia.
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