International Shipping Charges

F

Fat Freddy

New Member
I recently explored getting some bullion shipped from Australia to me (NE USA). The shipping charges were understandably painful, since going half-way
around the world doesn't happen for free. My guess is that because of those international shipping charges, you're probably always going to be best off
buying from sources in the same continent (or country) where you are. I've done OK buying from Canadian sources but they're right next door to me,
so that doesn't really count. Whenever I've researched getting anything from a European or Australian source, it's never worked out well because the
shipping costs always make the deal prohibitive.

Has anybody ever found any way around this problem? I figure the answer has to be "no" but I thought I'd toss it out there and find out for sure.

Thanks for your help.
 
I have bought lots of things from the US and Germany, and have sent stuff to the states.
Some have cost a fortune because of the method of shipping and insurance.
The best Way to get things cheap for me, has been, trading with the same people, building up a relationship and taking some risk. Ie cheap surface mail and no insurance. Yes it's a risk but I am yet to be disappointed.
Many thanks to the guys I have traded with overseas.
Example.
I asked a member in Germany to find me some 1/10 s2 oxen, as most know these are hard to come by, he found me 5 in a roll. I sent him over $1000 via pay pal and he sent the coins. I had not traded with him before and asked other members that both of us had traded with their thoughts. All good.
It's nice to think that not everybody is out to screw you

Just noticed you have no feed back, try to get some from well known members, there are lots in the states and Canada.
 
Yeah--you're right about the feedback. I've scoped out the USA/Canada Buy/Sell/Swap periodically but it's quite small and hasn't had anything I'm after.
 
Shipping stuff from Australia to the US is generally 3-4x the cost of shipping it this way. Pretty sure the discrepancy is something like 10x to parts of Asia. Shipping from Australia is just horrendously expensive.
 
I don't have experience with shipping PM's around the world, but I've moved a lot of truck parts in a previous job.
Each country and transport companies have ways of taking you for a ride, I had one delivery for a pallet of heat exchangers. The cost of the freight ended up being 1&1/2 times the cost of goods.

If it is something you are looking to do often it pays to get a customs broker to do all the work. In the end when I ordered anything from Ireland, I'd place the order and get my broker to arrange pick up and transport. The next order we received I saved the company $3k

And if you ever want something from china, I have no advice. First order placed we got ripped, next order went through the broker and the goods went up 50%
 
Thanks Chili, GP and SF for your input. I guess it's playing out the way I figured it would -- prohibitive shipping charges mean I won't be buying anything from Australian sources because those charges take the total cost of the sweetest deal up over the top of even a pretty sour deal here in the US. Oh, well -- I tried...
 
$18 for 500g parcel or $30 for 1kg parcel is expensive but it's definitely not prohibitive, it still can be worth it if you get nice deals compared to what is sold in the US, I have an international client that paid $60 for his courrier shipment and it was still a nice deal for him.
 
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