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Ahh Mail Forwarding. The saviour for Australian shoppers.
So what is mail forwarding?
Basically, Mail Forwarding companies will give you an address; say in America, which you can use. When shopping online, you get your parcels sent to this address and therefore circumvent
a) shops that only ship within US/UK etc and
b) insane international shopping charges that most online stores charge
Once your item is received at your US address, you'll generally receive an email from your mail forwarding company telling you your package has arrived. You then decide how you would like it shipped to you; they provide a quote, which you accept before your brand spanking new item is shipped to you in Australia.
Most mail houses will also consolidate, which means if you have multiple packages they will pack them together into one package and remove excess packaging to keep the cost down. Some will also lower the declared value for customs to ensure you don't get hit with a nasty surprise when it reaches Australia (i.e. Customs holding you parcel at their mercy. Basically you can import anything under $1000AUD but check here for current details), but remember on the flipside if it goes missing its the nominated value that will be refunded on insurance.
Since the demise of the infamous and beloved Shop the States, the main problem with Mail Forwarding has been the high costs for the casual user. Most Mail Forwarding places will charge you a subscription fee which, if you are not getting regular packages, could become quite pricey. Another frustrating thing is all the mail forwarding companies want the postage paid via credit card (shop the states used to let you pay via paypal also) which can be frustrating if you are trying to keep your credit card down.
What should you look for in a mail forwarding company?
- A Street Address is a must, NOT a PO Box. Many online retailers will not ship to PO Boxes
- Check that couriered and registered items (ie. Any item that needs to be signed for) are accepted
- Ensure all costs are made clear
- How heavy are the items being sent? It sounds good getting a PS3 sent over if the shipping eats up all the savings. When in doubt, email the store and ask what the shipping weight of the item is.
-Also be aware that paypal will not let you add your US address to your Australian Paypal account. This is damn annoying because a lot of sellers won't send to an unverified Paypal address. One thought I had was to sign up for another paypal account with your US address, but I've been too lazy to test this theory yet.
So which Mail Forwarding company should you choose?
At the end of the day, this is like buying shoes. Don't rush the purchase, take your time and do some research. You need to weigh up your needs:
· How often do you shop at online stores that don't ship internationally?
· Of the stores you frequent how many of them really charge a lot more to ship to Australia? There is no point bulking at a $30 international charge when most mail forwarders start at around the same price.
· How many parcels would you be receiving on a monthly basis? This is important to work out how much consolidation you would need. (eg. more than 2, you may have to pay per box to get it packed down)
· How long can it be stored for free (for example, I want to ship item A & B together but item B wont arrive for another week)
Basically what I did was I looked back over the last three months, worked out how much postage I had paid getting stuff sent internationally (a special Hi to the eBay seller who charged me $15US to send an item which cost her $2.40US to send), then calculated how much that would have cost to get sent to the US address and then used a weight calculator to figure out how much roughly it would have cost from US - Australia. Unsurprisingly, mail forwarding was still a very attractive option.
During my research of Mail Forwarding, I honestly started to believe I must be really dumb since every website confused me. Each one operates a different way and has different inclusions/exclusions. I also found that googling the name of each company did bring up some...shall we say, interesting...comments. I originally was going to put together a nifty little table comparing the different companies, however the number of factors needing to be accounted for made that impossible, so instead I've put the main pro's & cons below.
Previously I was an Access USA customer, however recently I have switched to Bongo US. The main attractions for me at Bongo were that they do not charge to consolidate your parcels (Access USA was charging me $3 per parcel) and I tend to buy things in 'groups' and get them all shipped at once. Also, Bongo actually lists what items they have received, not just the sender name, which means I can instantly tell if anything is missing or incorrect in my parcels. Finally, Bongo is actually cheaper when you get heavier items shipped - for example my last parcel was $100USD with Bongo and would have been $150 with Access USA.
But I'm only a casual user!!!
I hear ya!! Recently there has been a surge in services to meet the casual user, we suggest you check out the following:
International checkout is a service that will let you shop with certain US stores, place the order on your behalf and then forward it to you. Their sister site Shop Any American Store works the same but you can shop at any american store
Pros: no membership fees, accepts Paypal payments
Cons: With International Checkout, handling fees are not shown on the site, however it does state you are provided with the total cost before confirming your order. Shop Any American Store will give you a quote online but it I found the quote for shipping and handling to be too high (for a $US16.95 purchase from Amazon.com, shipping and handling was $80US)
Bongo International Pay Per Use Service
Pros: One of charge of $5US to sign up (cheapest by FAR), no ongoing membership fees. Rates are clearly listed on website here
Cons: Pay per use customers cannot get their parcels consolidated, and the rates are 25% more expensive than subscription customers. You also do not get access to the Personal Shopping Services.
Read our Interview with Bongo US
Vpost Asia
Pros: No sign up fees whatsover, can pay via Paypal (Vpost is owned by Paypal).
Cons: You have to send them the invoice every single time you receive a parcel (there is no web interface to log into) and my experience with the customer service was not very good, and a google search shows I'm not the only one to find this.
Price USA
Pros: Australian based, so you are not dealing with an international company, a flat 5% fee per order with no membership fees
Read our Interview with Price USA
Shopaholiques
A service which specialises in Mail Forwarding, Personal Shopping and Parcel Consolidation between the United States and Australia
My final suggestion is to split the membership fees with your sister/brother/best friend or fellow shopaholic. Sign up with the one address and both get your parcels sent to that address. Additional names on the address usually cost extra, and I dont think its worth it, so make sure its someone you know will pay you back for the shipping fees!
Carrie My Shopping
A mail forwarding service run by an aussie living in the US
Forward It
No ongoing fees, just a handling fee for each package. They also offer personal shopping services
iShop America
No ongoing fees and you can pay for your shipping & handling fees via Paypal
Your Online Genie
Fees are based on your order cost, and its run by two Australian Cousins
Nah I'm an online shopping addict
Yeah me too :) I like the freedom of knowing I can impulse buy. Below are listed the websites I found and the pros and cons that I came up with United States Mail Forwarding Services
Bongo International (My Recommendation)
Sign Up Fee: $0US or $5 for a pay as you go plan
Membership Fees: $15 per month ($180US per year) with a 3 month minimum commitment, or $0 for pay as you go
Address Location: Connecticut
Minimum weight charge per parcel: 0.5 pounds
Consolidation: Totally Free!
Storage: 45 days, then $5 per week per item.
Pros: Free consolidation is a huge plus if you are getting a lot of parcels sent together. You can also get your parcels sent to up to 5 locations, which would be great if you were sharing your membership with someone. Most parcels arrive in Australia within 3 days of being sent. This is who I use, and I have been very happy with their service. Great customer service also, very quick to respond with clear and in-depth answers to questions asked.
Read our Interview with Bongo US
Access USA (Merchandise Only Plan)
Sign Up Fee: $20US
Membership Fees: $60 per year
Address Location: Florida
Minimum weight charge per parcel: 600g
Consolidation: 2 boxes per month free, $3 each after that
Storage: 45 days
Pros: If you are a vogue forum member, you save $50 off the annual membership fee by putting in vogue forum in how did you hear about us. Also has the lowest minimum weight per parcel. Plus, have a friend who has had no problems in the last year.
Cons: a few dodgy reviews - here and here, however credibility of the second one especially is questionable in my view. Pricey to sign up, need to use fairly regularly to get maximum value, you are also hit with an $8 surcharge on every merchandise shipment for a commercial invoice (a rort in my book since customs requires it)
USA2ME (Bronze Plan)
Sign Up Fee: $23US
Membership Fees: None
Address Location: Texas
Minimum weight charge per parcel: 1 pound (charged at US$29.95 for first pound and $5.95 per pound after)
Consolidation: free, they say the charge you 50% of the difference between your original package size and the size of the repacked parcel (????)
Storage: 45 days
Pros: No monthly membership fee
Cons: The first pound is very expensive, and I totally do not understand the consolidation charges or how they are calculated. Also 'Fuel surcharges (determined by international standards) will apply' - not sure what this means or what the international surcharges would be. Would recommend getting clarification. A dodgy review - here but google also pulled up this Better Business Bureau Report which gives them a satisfactory rating
USA Box (Basic Plan)
Sign Up Fee: $35US
Membership Fees: None
Address Location: Florida Minimum weight charge per parcel: 1 pound (charged at US$35.95 for first pound and $5.95 per pound after)
Consolidation: $5 per box or 50% of the savings in postage size (similar to USA2ME)
Storage: 60 days
Pros: No monthly membership fee in basic plan, and seems to be very flexible - there are quite a few plans to choose from and with the consolidation you have the option of whether you would prefer the savings on postage or just paying upfront. Also has a longer storage period that other providers. Also no dodgy feedback when I googled them.
Cons: The first pound is very expensive - the most expensive, and shipping is calculated per pound
Mailforwarding Biz
Sign Up Fee: $25US
Membership Fees: $100 per year or $42 for 3 months (min membership period)
Address Location: California
Minimum weight charge per parcel: not stated, just states rates are 35% cheaper than listed DHL and FedEx
Consolidation: Free for first 3 boxes, then $2 per box Storage: 45 days
Pros: $30 discount on sign up for ex-STS users, consolidation costs are cheaper, no charge for commercial invoice
Cons: There is no shipping calculator, so it's difficult to tell if they rates really are cheaper and/or comparable to other providers. I would email for a quote before signing up.
USA Global Mail (Premium Plan)
Sign Up Fee: $0
Membership Fees: $150US per year or $15 monthly (3 month minimum membership)
Address Location: Texas
Minimum weight charge per parcel: not stated
Consolidation: $3, $1.50 for letter/magazine (total cost, not per box)
Storage: 30 days
Pros: has an online calculator for shipping costs, additional names on mailbox are free, consolidation costs are capped rather than per item
Cons: I didnt understand how to use the calculator :(
vPost Asia
Sign Up Fee: $0
Membership Fees: $0
Address Location: Portland
Minimum weight charge per parcel: There is a base charge, depending on the type of item plus a shipping charge.
Consolidation: not available
Storage: 14 days
Pros: Can pay your fees via Paypal, no sign up fee or membership fees make this a choice for the casual user
Cons: Customer Service has been appalling from what I've experienced, they can't accept magazine subscriptions, each time you get a parcel sent you have to email or fax them the invoice which would just annoy me, insurance information is very unclear (and not provided even when you specifically ask).
MailNetwork.com
Sign Up Fee: $US35
Membership Fees: depends where your address is (they have a variety of locations) but starts at $US175 for 6 months
Address Location: There are a heap of different options, and where your address is affects the cost of the service
Minimum weight charge per parcel: Not Stated, but there is an $8 fee per mail forwarding service (basically parcel sent)Consolidation: not stated
Storage: not stated
Pros: You can choose if you want your items to arrive via airmail or fedex.
Cons: They ask for a minimum deposit when you sign up, from which they debit your fees, so your start up fees are pretty high
What about other countries??
For the UK the only one I've been able to find is My UK Mail
Buy USA is a service specifically for New Zealanders
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Mail Forwarding 
