Paul Baumanis Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 With the strengthening Aussie dollar, I am consdiering making a purchase with Newegg and using one of the internet forwarding services to have the purchase sent to me in Oz. Has anyone done this? I am concerned that I might buy something and never see it because someone has set up a scam. What import taxes are there, if any? Any help and advice would be appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Routley Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 I think you'll just get hit for GST. plus the freight forwarding charge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim_A Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 While my experience applies to the UK, the principle will apply to Australia too. When importing stuff, particularly from the US, the cost of shipping is *phenomenal*. Expect to pay as much again, if not double the price of the goods just in shipping. A $100 item will easily cost you $200-$300 shipped. Depending on the value, you may also get charged duty and sales taxes (in the UK, that can be a bit of a lottery - sometimes they don't bother) The dollar needs to strengthen an awful lot to make it economical. Then, if you're buying electrical goods, you need to consider the warranty - it may not apply if the goods are exported. What will you do if it goes wrong? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tennyson Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 I partly agree with Tim. The warranty is the only obstacle I can think of that presents a problem. As for shipping costs, I think he's a bit off the mark. I quite often buy goods from America and one company in particular sends me gear within 3-4 working days at the same cost I would pay here in Oz, without any additional taxes or costs. I think you are very wise to look at the strengthening Ozzie dollar in a positive way. Flight sim gear that is being sold here at the old exchange rates has suddenly become very expensive when you consider buying direct from the States. Just remember: Caveat Emptor, or "Let the Buyer Beware" and you won't go wrong, Frank Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teecee Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 Paypal have set up some sort of deal with Newegg.. I remember reading of it a few weeks ago, and it looks like a good deal. Get in touch with Paypal and ask about it. Teecee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidP Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 I think you'll just get hit for GST My understanding is that you will only pay GST if the cost (and I think this includes shipping) exceeds AU$1000. I buy lots of stuff direct from USA and only paid GST above this amount. Rgds David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Kane Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 I've done this as well as I am a Canadian but also a New Zealand Resident. I've ordered stuff from USA to Canada and get dinged big time from duties. I've ordered stuff from Oz to New Zealand and get dinged even more. My best advice is take a trip to the USA, See some sights and do some shopping. Best destination is a few days in Los Angelas and go to Fry's Electronics. Go on a shopping frenzy and take it all back with you. Sometimes with a discount air ticket and the money you saved from the shopping spree it could cover a lot of the cost of the flight, plus you get a vacation out of it. This may not be ideal for everyone. For me I fly back and forth between Canada and New Zealand and stop over in Los Angelas. Buy stuff to take to New Zealand when there, as the prices on electronics in New Zealand are a wee bit steep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Venema Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 I've done this as well as I am a Canadian but also a New Zealand Resident. I've ordered stuff from USA to Canada and get dinged big time from duties. I've ordered stuff from Oz to New Zealand and get dinged even more. My best advice is take a trip to the USA, See some sights and do some shopping. Best destination is a few days in Los Angelas and go to Fry's Electronics. Go on a shopping frenzy and take it all back with you. Sometimes with a discount air ticket and the money you saved from the shopping spree it could cover a lot of the cost of the flight, plus you get a vacation out of it. This may not be ideal for everyone. For me I fly back and forth between Canada and New Zealand and stop over in Los Angelas. Buy stuff to take to New Zealand when there, as the prices on electronics in New Zealand are a wee bit steep. You must declare any goods over $400 in value to customs at Australian airports. If you do, they will often not charge any duties. If you don't and get caught, they will charge you the duty and penalty on top of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skypilot Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 I recently bought 2 software from US. Cost US$200 shipping to Aus, US$30 not excessive in my books and even with shipping it was still cheaper than buying and shipping local. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Baumanis Posted October 13, 2010 Author Share Posted October 13, 2010 Thankyou for your replies everyone. The difference in cost in the item I am considering is nearly $300, so it would seem that even with freight and any duty it is worthwhile. @ Teecee. I do have a Paypal acc so I will look into that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Kane Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 You must declare any goods over $400 in value to customs at Australian airports. If you do, they will often not charge any duties. If you don't and get caught, they will charge you the duty and penalty on top of it. Hey John, Don't you guys have a rule that if you were out of the country for a certain amount of time you are allowed to declare more? In Canada it is as follows: 24 hrs $50 48 hrs $400 7 days $750 I usually travel with my Girlfriend so that can double the amount for both of us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Routley Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 Hey John, Don't you guys have a rule that if you were out of the country for a certain amount of time you are allowed to declare more? In Canada it is as follows: 24 hrs $50 48 hrs $400 7 days $750 Australia is sufficiently far away from anywhere you can buy things that such a rule is not necessary. Of course you could go to NZ and buy things and bring them back .. but that isn;t going to be very lucrative. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjjallen Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 With the strengthening Aussie dollar, I am consdiering making a purchase with Newegg and using one of the internet forwarding services to have the purchase sent to me in Oz. Has anyone done this? I am concerned that I might buy something and never see it because someone has set up a scam. What import taxes are there, if any? Any help and advice would be appreciated. Wow, what an idiot I was, I just now figured out that Oz was shorthand for Australia. Duh! LOL jja Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Dow Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 Definitively: Generally, all goods imported into Australia are subject to Customs duty and GST and are assessed for community protection risks. However, all goods (except for tobacco and alcoholic beverages) may be imported duty and tax free if the value of the goods is A$1000 or less. Note that the value includes the freight, so if you buy something worth $900 and the freight is $150, you will be liable as the total is over $1000. I have found that for most items I can find a retailer who will post at a reasonable price. Not always the cheapest item price but the total is what counts. I prefer to go USPS option if available as some of the couriers charge customs duties by default even under the threshold (or used to anyway). I always suspected it was extra money for them but no way of proving it. Once you have found a retailer do a quick search on one of the sites where dodgy merchants are reported, all merchants will have some negative comments but a good one will always have many more positive than negative, that's what I rely on. Finally, for once in a blue moon purchases where I just cannot get a reasonable quote, I get a friend in Florida to receive the parcel and then post it USPS at her leisure. I used to send US dollars in an envelope now I can Paypal the postage. Warranty? In all the years of buying I've never had an item need warranty repair. Maybe I'm lucky, maybe I look after my gear well, but so far everything has worked for its lifetime. So warranty is of no concern to me at this stage when making a purchasing decision. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maurice_King Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 I have on occasion purchased things from all over the world from online shopping and ebay and never once paid any GST, Why? Probably because the dispatching company/person fills out the customs declaration (the bit of paper usually stuck on the outside of the package) as a GIFT. Purchased in US Dollars from overseas and posted to Oz isn't an issue. I have had friends in the US purchase and send stuff too. As for PC parts ie MoBo's Sound Cards etc etc I'll buy from within Oz simply because if there is a warranty issue your covered especially for PC's I build for clients. Finished a gaming PC for an online Racer chap recently and the Asus Extreme board failed inside a month , I got a replacement over night without hassles, so be aware there might be warranty issues with some stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Siggy Posted October 15, 2010 Share Posted October 15, 2010 ... However, all goods (except for tobacco and alcoholic beverages) may be imported duty and tax free if the value of the goods is A$1000 or less. Note that the value includes the freight, so if you buy something worth $900 and the freight is $150, you will be liable as the total is over $1000. ... To be exact here, in determining the import value, only the cost of goods are considered. If you bought something for AU$999 and the shipping was AU$100, you would not pay duty/GST. If you imported something for AU$1001 and the shipping was AU$100, you would then pay duty/GST for a total of AU$1101. I did ask customs recently whether this is how it works and the answer was yes. Cheers, Siggy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.