Costs for Australian Orders
The basic cost of an order is calculated by adding the Item Cost + USA shipping + Shipping & Handling to Australia + Delivery Insurance + Return Insurance (optional) + Detailed Inspection (optional) + Breakable Repacking (optional) + Damage Insurance (optional). The USA dollar total of these items is then converted to Australian dollar at the exchange rate listed in your quote (i.e. the spot exchange rate at the time of the quote minus 3 cents).
Most customer pay by bank electronic transfer or cash deposit using the details provided in the quote. You may also pay for your order via paypal or credit card (Visa, MasterCard & Amex). There an additional handling fee of 5% of the order total when paying by non-direct deposit methods.
Fixed price quotes have a fixed shipping and handling cost. If the item price changes before your order can be placed you will be contacted by my US partner to gain your approval to order at the higher price. If you still wish to order then you will be asked to pay the difference.
Use of the simple order form is an additional US$5 which covers the additional work involved in providing a quote.
Non-standard orders (such as in-store purchases) can be performed by my US partners on a case-by-case basis for an extra handling fee starting at US$15.
Costs for Other Countries
The standard cost of non-Australian orders is the Item Cost + Delivery Insurance + USA shipping + Shipping & Handling to your country + Return Insurance (optional) + Detailed Inspection (optional) + Breakable Repacking (optional) + Damage Insurance (optional).
All non-Australian order must be paid in US$ via paypal or credit card. If you have an Australian bank account and wish to pay in Australian dollars then choose an Australian billing address and provide the non-Australian delivery address.
Shipping & Handling
My USA partner ships via the United States Postal Service (USPS) and UPS (courier). My USA partner has a high volume account with UPS (courier) such that for most items over 2 kg it is cheaper to ship via UPS than USPS. The minimum shipping and handling cost is US$10 for every order including orders that are consolidated.
Late consolidations (i.e. adding a new order to previous orders that have already been placed but not yet arrived at my US partners address) have an additional handling cost of US$5.
To estimate the shipping cost use the button below.
Delivery Insurance (non-optional)
2.5% of the item price including the within the USA shipping cost. The delivery insurance covers replacement of an order if it is lost during shipping to Australia (or your country). This insurance does not provide coverage for damage that may occur during shipping or for the shipping costs involved in returning an item to the USA to make a warranty claim.
Detailed Inspection (optional)
My US partners can inspect your items for defects and damage for US$10. They will open your items and check them carefully for visible defects and damage. They will send you photos of any potential issues before shipping and seek your advice on what you want to do such as returning or obtaining a replacement. To request this extra service please check the appropriate check box on the order form, or email me before your item arrives at my US partners address. Since many people do not know about this service we will add it to any order that we think needs to be inspected in detail. If the detailed inspection service has been added and you do not wish to pay for the inspection service then you can request it is removed by emailing me at any stage before your order arrives at my US partner’s address.
Return Insurance (optional)
20% of the total shipping costs. This is an optional insurance that covers the shipping costs involved in returning an item for warranty replacement or repair. It covers the shipping charges from Australia (or your country) to the USA via an equivalent method to that used in your original order, any shipping charge within the USA, and return shipping to Australia (or your country). Return insurance is not available for all items as not all items can be returned to the USA. Please see the insurance FAQ page for the details on exclusion and limitations. Return insurance must be purchased before shipment to your country.
Breakable Repacking (optional)
Many breakable items are shipping within the USA with relatively poor packaging. It is quite common for items to arrive at my US partners address with minimal or totally inadequate protection against damage in transit. While my US partners normally repacks items to avoid damage in transit, for highly brittle items like glass, crockery, artwork, etc, this is not simple or quick.
My US partners can repack breakable items for an additional fee of US$5. This repacking service will minimize the risk of damage in transit, but unfortunately it can not guarantee that UPS or USPS won’t damage your item. Because damage to your items in transit is not covered unless you have purchased the optional damage insurance you may wish to also purchase this insurance.
To request breakable repacking add this to the extra details box on the Price USA order form.
Damage Insurance (optional)
2% of the total order cost. Unfortunately USPS and AusPost do not provide any guarantee that your items will arrive undamaged. While orders shipped via UPS are insured for damage in transit, UPS’s insurance policy specifically excludes highly breakable items like glass. To overcome this limitation my US partners have decided to offer their own optional insurance to cover damage in transit. For easily breakable items the breakable repacking service must also be requested to obtain this insurance coverage.
My US partners may refuse to provide damage insurance on some items, but if they do we will let you know in the quote. If you do not purchase damage insurance then your items are not insured for any damage that may occur during shipping.
To request damage insurance add this to the extra details box on the Price USA order form. Damage insurance must be purchased before shipment to your country.
Australian Exchange Rate
Three cents less than the current US$ spot rate at the time of your quote. This is similar to what your bank or Paypal will charge you on foreign credit card purchases. The reason the rate is not the same as the spot rate is the Price USA Trust does not receive the spot rate when forwarding your payment to the USA and must pay wire transfer fees. Since it can take your payment up to 3 to 4 days to clear, as well as the time between ordering and shipping, a fixed exchange rate exposes my US partners to the very volatile Australian dollar. The exchange rate is updated every four hours and is shown in the Price Estimator on the ordering page. Most importantly the exchange rate in your quote is fixed.
Cancellations and Refunds
You may cancel your order at any stage, but you be charged any expenses my USA partners have incurred processing your order (a minimum of US$5). The cancellation fee also applies to orders that are cancelled because one or more items are out of stock or for orders that are cancelled before ordering. The fee for cancelled orders due to out of stock items is waived if you apply the credit to a new order.
Mail-in Rebates
You are refunded the full the rebate amount after it has been sent to my US partner minus US$10 for processing. Rebate payments typically take 8 to 16 weeks to process, although they can take longer. My US partners will make every effort to obtain any mail-in rebate, but they can not guarantee that they will be issued by the processing company.
Special Services
My US partners can order from physical stores, place phones orders, and handle other special ordering requests. They bill on an hourly basis for their time. If you have a special requirement include the details in your order and I will indicate the cost in the quote on a case by case basis. This service starts at US$15.
Large and/or Highly Complex Orders
Orders with a very large number of items (typically more than 20), or which have a very complex ordering process, may attract an order surcharge. Any surcharges or extra fees will be shown in your quote.