imports to Aus. via UPS: a cautionary tale

jules · « **on:** 7 Sep 2004, 09:58 pm »

I am still recovering from the experience of importing an Elma attenuator from the US via UPS. The cost of the switch was (a very reasonable) $82US. The cost of postage was (a very unreasonable) $99. After currency conversion this transaction comes to $254AUD. There was no duty or GST payable on this transaction but $49.25 went to what is described as "Customs entry fee". This is evidently an avoidable charge paid by default because UPS choose to lodge an electronic bypass of customs inspection rather than doing a physical transfer of paperwork (a weird inversion of computerized cost savings!).

One alternative to using UPS from the US is to use Air Parcel Post. According to their website the cost for the same transction with insurance would have been $17.08US.

It may be that UPS is a more reliable carrier than Air Parcel Post (though I don't have evidence either way on this). In this case I could have imported two switches through Air Parcel Post for the price of bringing in one by UPS.

Before importing anything from the US (or anywhere) I strongly recommend insisting on inclusion of a figure for postage in the quote you receive. I also suggest you check the websites of various carriers (eg UPS; www.ups.com , Air Parcel Post; www.smokerstuff.com/Order/PPAirLong.htm) and do NOT let the companies you deal with make the choice for you.

ruefully

Jules

ampgalore · « **Reply #1 on:** 7 Sep 2004, 10:11 pm »

Shipping charge more than the item itself costs, that's outrageous!

jules · « **Reply #2 on:** 7 Sep 2004, 10:23 pm »

I totally agree ampgalore and I'm trying to spread the word on this one.

Jules

andyr · « **Reply #3 on:** 7 Sep 2004, 10:32 pm »

I have ordered many things from overseas over the last 15 years. I have never had any problem with airmail post - and it is delivered right to my door!

Unfortunately, a few times US suppliers have sent things via a carrier service - FedEx or UPS. Without exception, this has cost more and has had associated problems (like, I have had to go to their depot and pickup the parcel ... or there would be an extra charge, fer chrissake!).

You will be amused at my latest experience. A friend of my daughter's who lives in Hawaii sent me a bag of Kona coffee as a gift. Delicious! I liked it so much, I went and ordered some more from the company's web-site.

The cost of the coffee was US$14.95 ... well, not cheap but hey! this was a treat. Unfortunately, their web-site could not specify the shipping cost - so I assumed it might be US$8 or $10 for airmail postage.

When the coffee arrived, I found they had charged me US$22 for FedEx delivery! This is 150% of the price of the bloody coffee!

Furthermore, a week after it arrived, I got a letter from FedEx saying I owed them A$47 for the "Quarantine Inspection Fee". So I sent the invoice back to the Managing Director with a note saying as I hadn't authorised them to pay this fee, I wasn't going to pay it.

So I suggest you always state Airmail Parcel Post when you get stuff sent from overseas.

Regards,

Andy

bubba966 · « **Reply #4 on:** 7 Sep 2004, 10:49 pm »

UPS loves to screw people with their "customs entry fees". They do it to about every country I've heard that they send packages to.

Just use USPS Global Priority Mail. I've used it many a time in sending stuff to Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, France, Spain, United Kingdom, etc. Never once a problem. Not to mention it's the cheapest way to get things sent overseas in a quick (usually 3 or 4 days) reliable manner.

Infact, many a time it's the same price or cheaper than Airmail, and twice as fast!

And, I don't know about UPS's overseas operations. But they're by far the worst of any shipping company in the US. They're overpriced, very, very slow, damage your pakages more frequently than any one else, and lose things more often than everyone else.

joeling39 · « **Reply #5 on:** 8 Sep 2004, 12:23 am »

Hi,

My expereince on this matter is slightly different. True, the courier service is woefully expensive. However, they are reliable & I can trace the parcel if need to. There is a tax on every item except PC related stuff where I live & the courier companies are pretty good at declaring the items the right way to avoid unecessary taxes. E.g. declare as "DIY amplifier parts" will get you a 10% hit. Declare as "audio" will get you a 30 ~ 40% hit on tax. Scary stuff.

Anyway, I am waiting shipment of a fairly large pair of speakers from Canada & hope that UPS does not screw up. So far, they have done me right.

Once, I had a pair of Duntech Opal shipped from Perth to Malaysia by Danzas, a local courier company. They did a good job.

Regards,
Joe Ling
Malaysia

Agisthos · « **Reply #6 on:** 8 Sep 2004, 10:32 am »

Welcome to the world of scamming courier companies. DHL can be included in that list.

Unlike normal customs DHL will open almost any package and charge you for it.

Im not talking about tax that you would normally have to pay in customs but a...

Gateway Fee
Clearance Fee
Opening Fee

e.t.c e.t.c

I have had packages double in price because of this on 3 seperate occasions.

The reality is that they make extra money on their courier fees by charging you for these extra things

jules · « **Reply #7 on:** 8 Sep 2004, 11:09 am »

so .... the experience seems to be fairly universal.

Carriers might be ok if the item is expensive and thus the freight makes up a small proportion of the total but small and relatively cheap items can obviously finish up being a disaster.

Normal post seems to rate quite well. Can we get a range of worldwide recommendations for good options that do not throw in superfluous charges and are reliable on top of that?

jules

Agisthos · « **Reply #8 on:** 8 Sep 2004, 11:40 am »

I too am interested in which companies just funting deliver the package instead of trying to rob you a second time.

someone mentioned USPS?

its pretty clear that the big companies like UPS and DHL need to be stayed away from

ampgalore · « **Reply #9 on:** 8 Sep 2004, 12:11 pm »

For domestic services, UPS ground is usually pretty good and affordable. I have shipped a sub, a CD player, an external DAC via UPS ground, and in all instances the item arrived in their original condition.

Nowadays I am mainly using Fedex ground, but only because there is a Kinko's near where I live and it's cheaper.

PJ · « **Reply #10 on:** 8 Sep 2004, 01:36 pm »

I quite often buy cheap equipment and vinyl from overseas (US & UK). I ALWAYS request to get it sent via regular post. Cheaper, and to be honest, probably more reliable.

Of course, this is not an option for large and very expensive items.

For me, the best recent example was when I bought an M-Audio Transit. It's a small device I use to record my vinyl onto my laptop. Essentially its a soundcard that plugs into your USB port. In Australia best price was $AU230. Paid $US68 from the US and paid $US15 for standard mail shipping. The <1kg package was about 20x20x10cm. Arrived in 5 business days. Thats half the local price and took one day longer than standard delivery from the eastern states to WA.

jules · « **Reply #11 on:** 13 Sep 2004, 02:14 am »

post script to my original post : Others who might have been charged a "Customs Entry fee" of $49.25 on an import of less than $100 might be interested to know that after a series of "appropriately assertive"

faxes from me UPS has agreed to pay back this portion of their delivery charge on the grounds that it was "inadvertent".

I'm sure we all hope that they don't "inadvertently" make the same mistake again with anyone else.

Please be vigilant

Jules