My FIL has a package of electronic gadgets for a ham radio buddy of his in Australia. This is stuff his friend cannot find in Australia, but is easy to come by here (don’t bother asking; I don’t know more than that about the contents). So my FIL says “Don’t worry; I’ll make you up a care package, and ship it for you”. When he said this, he never imagined that UPS and FedEx would want upwards of $500.00 to ship a 60 lb. package to Australia!
So, my fellow Dopers, is there a cheaper way to get it there? It only has to get to Melbourne, and the guy can pick it up there. Anywhere in Melbourne, even right to the port will do. Any suggestions?
Sea mail (Economy Mail Parcel Post) is your cheapest method if you don’t mind a long wait for delivery. Shipping to/from Australia is expensive, no matter how you send it.
I agree, the post office would be the first place to ask.
You can also try freight companies like BAX Global. I once had a bicycle shipped form US to Japan via BAX Global, and it was cheaper tha parcel post. However there are more restrictions in where they can pick up and deliver, and customs took longer too.
I don’t know anything about tariffs, but the USPS Software is telling me that your best bet is to ship it in two separate packages, via Economy (surface) parcel post. Its showing me a max weight of 44lbs, hence the two packages - $57 each split into two 30lb boxes, with an arrival time of 4-6 weeks.
As a side note, I’ve virtually never found UPS or FedEx to be cheaper than the USPS internationally - faster, sometimes, yes but never cheaper.
Reading the thread title, it conjured up an image of Dorothy’s Oz, and I thought: you have one hell of a mission on your hands my friend. Good luck.
If you manage to get it there, could you send me along too? I need a heart, a brain, and to be more well-endowed by 40-60% (according to what my e-mails tell me).
Well, I was worried about “Getting a large package from America to Australia” fitting in the title field, so I decided here’s a rare chance to act hip (I really should know by know that when people in their 40’s try to be ‘hip’ it almost always equals ‘ridiculous’).
As for the endowment, I’ll forward all of my informational emails to you, m’kay?
[Stupid Question Time]
FIL and friend both realise that Australia runs 240v power, not 110v like the US, and so the equipment will probably require a transformer to run here, right?
[/sqt]
(I know they probably already realise that, but I’d hate to see them spend all that money on shipping it only to get a nasty surprise when it arrives here).
We commonly refer to our country as Oz. I’m surprised you haven’t heard it before, I assumed it was fairly widespread.
FIL worked as an electrical engineer for Westinghouse for many, many years, so I’m pretty sure he’s aware of this stuff. But thanks for pointing it out, cuz you never know.
This is a bizarre series of events, but just today as I was sitting in a coffeeshop I overheard the girl next to me talking on a cellphone in an Australian accent.
She had to tell the person on the other end her e-mail address, and it included the word “Aussie” which she spelled out for them. Except she pronounced it like “OZZ-ee”, whereas I have always thought that word was pronounced more like “AW-see”, and it is how I’ve referred to Australians.
Go figure. So would Ozzy Osbourne be the same as saying Aussie Oz-born? He must be like, a god to y’all then.
