Price USA | Learn More | Ordering

Ordering Questions

How do I place an order?

First go to my online order form or click on the Quick Buy button of the item you want to order. Once you filled in the form telling me what item you want to buy and have checked your details then submit your order. You will receive an email from me letting you know that I have received your order. It is important that you use a working email address that you have access to as I and my agent will send all order updates by email.

I check your order to ensure it is complete and correct. If I have any questions about your order I will email you for clarification. I then send you a final quote with instructions on how to pay by direct debit into my Commonwealth Bank account. If your order is under A$4000 you will also have the option of paying by credit card or Paypal, however, these payment methods have higher fees. Please see my fees page for more information about these payment options.

Once I have receive your payment my USA agent then places your order using their credit card and delivery details. When your order arrives at my agent's address he ships it directly to you using your selected shipping method.

How do I order multiple items at once?

This depends if you are ordering multiple items from the same shop or from different shops. If you ordering from the same shop, then copy and paste the web links for each item and put them in the "item details" text box along with the description and individual price. In the item price box put the total price. If you want to order from different stores then you will need to fill in an order form for each shop.

If you are ordering multiple item from different stores then please make sure you tick the "consolidate orders" check box. My agent will then combine your orders into one package (if possible) which should save you money on the shipping. There is no extra fee for this service.

What is Quick Buy?

This is the simple way to buy things through me. All you need to do is click on the "Quick Buy" button of the item you want to order. This takes you to a simplified version of my order page where you only need to fill in your name and address.

What will my order cost?

My order page provides a dynamic estimate of the total price (Price Estimator on th top righthand side) as you fill in your order details. This allows you to easily compare different shipping or ordering options. To use the Price Estimator you must have javascript turned on in your web browser.

Please remember that unless you are certain of the final shipping weight (this may be more than the actual weight of the item because of packing) this figure provides only an estimate. The final quote you receive from me after I have checked your order is the price you will have to pay. If the shipping or ordering costs vary from what was estimated then you will be asked to pay extra or you will be refunded any excess.

What USA shops charge state sales tax?

My new agent is based in Oregon which does not have state sales tax so all orders placed via my service are USA state sales tax free.

How can I work out what the USA shipping will be?

You will first need to add the item you want to buy to the shopping cart and then proceed to checkout. Some shops will tell you the shipping cost by just entering your zip code (use my agent's zip of 97220). Unfortunately, many shops require that you enter all your billing and delivery details in first before providing you with the shipping cost. If this information is required then use the following test name and address (this is a fake address):

Jo Smith
1850 NE 92nd Ave
Portland OR 97220
email. spam@spamme.com
ph. 541-870-1500

In addition, some stores also demand that you give them your credit card details before they will tell you how much the order will cost. In most cases you can just use the following test Visa number 4111 1111 1111 1111, Expiry 10/11, CVC 789. On some store this Visa number won't work. If you can't work out the shipping price then just submit the order and you will be charged later for the USA shipping.

What is your fee?

I charge a 5% on all orders. My minimum service fee is A$20. For credit card and paypal payments I charge 10% with a A$25 minimum.

Can I claim USA only mail-in rebates?

Yes. Mail-in rebates are very common in the USA. USA rebates are normally restricted to customers that reside in the USA. This means that you will miss out on most USA rebate if you order directly from a online USA shop. Because my USA agent places your order he is able to process these USA only rebates.

The major problem with mail-in rebates, apart from all the extra work involved in filling them in, is the payments typically take 6 to 12 weeks to be returned. For this reason I recommend not choosing items with mail-in rebates unless the rebate is substantial, especially if you can get the item for a couple of dollars more elsewhere without a rebate.

If your order does have a USA mail-in rebate the normal process is you pay us the full price (ie the price without the rebate included). When the order arrives at address you may need to remove the UPC from the box (nearly all mail in rebates need this UPC code) and send it to my agent. When the rebate payment arrives you will be refunded the rebate amount minus $10 to cover my USA agent's expenses. The reason he doesn't refund 100% of the rebate is there is typically a lot of paperwork involved in processing mail-in rebates (any minor mistakes causes the rebate to be rejected). The $10 fee charged goes to my agent to cover the extra work involved.

One thing to keep in mind if you are wanting to take advantage of a rebate is the conditions of the rebate. Most rebates must be submitted either by a fixed date, or within a certain number of days of purchase. Because of this it is critical that you check the rebate conditions before ordering.

If you want to take advantage of a non-cash rebate then please contact me. The cost of processing these rebates is $10 plus any shipping charges.

Can I use a coupon code with my order?

Yes. Just enter the code in the item details box and my agent will apply the code to your order. You normally can only apply only one code per order. Some good places to find online coupon codes are:

• retailmenot - lots of coupons for all products.
• reesycakes - coupons for fashion items.
• passwird - more coupons and online deals.
• spoofee - more online deals and coupons. This site also has an active user forum discussing deals.

Can you suggest where to order an item from?

This is a very common question I get asked, however, it is difficult to answer as there are so many great shops in the USA. Here are some good places to begin looking.

• google products - the price search engine from Google. A great place to start although it can sometime be a little overwhelming at times.
• amazon - you can find almost anything here, but it is often not the cheapest. Amazon does offer free USA shipping on many items over $25. It is also a great place to visit to find out what the shipping weight of an item is. Watch out for the third party sellers as some are very poor.
• pricewatch - one of the best places to find where to order electronic goods and software, especially computer parts. It is important to remember that the cheapest company may not be the best to order from so check the reviews careful before choosing a preferred supplier.
• newegg - offer great prices and generally have good stock levels on computer parts and other electronic goods like digital cameras, etc. Also a great place to read user reviews of products.
• zappos - an excellent place to buy shoes from with a large range and great prices. Find the shoes you want here in Australia then order from zappos.
• rei - sells outdoor and sporting clothing and equipment. Great range and much better prices than we get here in Australia. Free shipping can be slow.
• walmart - the online home of the US shopping behemoth. Some great deals are available. Check out the toy section if you have kids.
• apple - visit the US online store and see how much Apple is overcharging us Australians especially on the Apple TV.
• nike - a flash heavy site which favors style over function. It does have a great range of products that never seem to make it to Australia.
• ralph lauren - more than 50% saving over Australian prices. The sale items are especially well priced.
• gap - the sales items are very good value. Remember we are six months behind fashionwise with the northern hemisphere so their sale items are our new releases.

What should I do if I don't know all details of my order?

It is not critical if you don't know some of the details. The essential details that I require are marked with an asterisk (*). If you are having problems finding some information then just fill in the form to the best of your knowledge and submit it. One tip for finding the shipping weight is look on Amazon as they normally include the shipping weight on most items.

If you are still unsure of the shipping weight just select the "estimate shipping for me" option from the shipping to Australia option list. I will provide you with an estimate of the shipping cost in the final quote email. You will be send a final bill or given a refund when the item arrives at my agent's address.

The most important thing to do is tell me what you want to order in enough detail so that my agent can order the item without confusion. If I am unsure about exactly what you want to order I will contact you before sending you the final quote.

My USA agent is located in Oregan (OR) and their zip code is 97220. You may need this information to estimate the USA shipping will be applied. If you need a USA address to workout the shipping then please use the test USA address shown here.

How do I find the best place to buy my item?

This is a difficult question to answer as it depends on many factors. As a general rule of thumb is don't just order on the basis of the lowest price. Often the cheapest suppliers are very unreliable and carry little or no stock. Try to choose suppliers with good reputations - saving $5 on an order is of little consolation if your order takes two months to arrive. I strongly recommend checking out the reputation of your chosen online store at the following sites before placing your order.

• resellerratings.com
• bizrate.com

Is my order insured?

Yes. If your order doesn't arrive I will arrange for a replacement to be shipped to you (shipping insurance).

I also offer an optional insurance (return insurance) to cover the shipping costs involved in a warranty repair, damage in transit, or the wrong item being shipped by the store.

Can I order from eBay?

Yes. This is something that my agent does, but the process is a little different to ordering at a standard online store.

• He won't order from all sellers - basically the seller has to be reliable (ie above 98%). He reserves the right to not order from any eBay seller if he has any doubts about them. The basic question to ask is would you order from this seller yourself if they would ship to Australia.
• With eBay auctions you need to give at least 48 hours notice. This is so my agent has time to place a bid as well as allow you enough time to make payment. With eBay auctions you fill in my order form the same as any other order except that the value you put in the price field is the maximum that you are willing to bid to on the item. My agent will bid up to your maximum price. If he is able to buy it for less then you will be refunded any savings. My agent uses a snipping program to place the order at the last second so that you should get the item for the cheapest price possible.
• If the auction exceeds your maximum bid, or if the item sells before my agent can bid (ie a buy it now sale), then you will be refunded your payment minus a $A10 fee. This covers the cost to both me and my agent of going through the ordering process.

In general, buying from eBay is only worthwhile if the item is very expensive or unique. For most other items you can purchase the same item from a normal online store for less.

How can I track my order?

My agent and I send you an email at each stage of the order process so you should always know what is happening. If you wish to check where your order is at you can also enter your order number in the "Track Order" box at the top right hand side of this page. This will send you an email letting you know at where stage your order is at.

Once your item is shipped by my USA agent you will receive an email with the UPSP or FedEx tracking number if it is available. Tracking numbers are only provided by USPS with express and priority mail. All Fedex packages have tracking numbers.

Can you combine my orders so that I pay only one shipping fee?

Yes. Just select the "consolidate orders" option on the order form. My agent will then repack your goods and ship them as a single package. Please keep in mind that this option may cause your shipment to take longer because my agent has to wait for all the items to arrive before shipping. If one item is delayed by more than 14 days I will contact you to find out if you want us to ship the goods that have arrived or wait until all your ordered goods have arrived.

What can't I order?

Basically anything illegal or dangerous. My agent also reserves the right to not order goods, or to not order goods from certain suppliers, if he has concerns as to their legality or reliability. If you have any questions about ordering an item, or using certain suppliers, then please .

One thing to keep in mind are the USPS size limits. My agent can ship large items that are above the USPS limits, but they will need to be sent via FedEx. This is more expensive than USPS, but is the only alternative for items like skis and snowboards (these cost around US$80 to ship via FedEx).

My order arrived, but it is not what I ordered?

My agent ships to you what is shipped to him. Because of the huge range of items ordered he can't always tell if an item sent to him is what you ordered. If the wrong item arrives please contact me to arrange for the item to be sent back to the original store to be replaced or swapped.

The original invoice will be checked and if my agent or I made the mistake then we will pay for the return shipping or provide compensation. If the correct item was ordered, but the store shipped the wrong item you will need to pay for the return shipping. If you have purchased return insurance then I will cover the return shipping cost.

Why was my order opened?

My agent needs to check your order to make sure it is what you ordered. To do this he needs to open your package. My agent will normally check all your items, but because of the huge range of items ordered it can not always tell when a store has shipped the wrong item.

Some of my items have gone out of stock since I placed my order. What happens now?

I will contact you to find out what you want to do. You have the choice of changing your order to something else from the same store, putting a new order for an item from another store (this will require a new order), or cancel the order and get a refund. If you choose to take a refund you will be charged a $5 fee to cover the costs involved with your order to date. This fee is waved if you use your credit to place a new order.

Sometimes companies don't tell my agent that an item is out of stock and he only finds out when the order arrives. In these cases he ships what arrived and you will be refunded you for what was missing.

Why am I not given the original invoice from the store?

You are not buying the item from the original store, but from my USA agent (not me). He buys the goods from the store in his name so needs to keep the original tax invoice for his tax records. This is exactly the same as if you bought an item from store here in Australia - they will provide you with an invoice, but they are very unlikely to provide you with a copy of their invoice from their wholesaler (ie who they bought the item from).

Normally a copy of the store invoice will be of no use to you since it is both from the USA and not in your name. It will almost certainly not allow you to make a warranty claim here in Australia. Your invoice is the invoice my agent supplies you when your items are shipped sicne that is who you have bought the item from.

Can I get a copy of the store invoice?

Yes. If you would like a copy of the my agent invoice, just include "please send me copy of order invoice" in the extra details box. Because of the extra work involved for my agent there is a US$5.00 fee for this service.

The fee for store invoice requests made after the order is paid are US$15 unless you need it to make a warranty claim here in Australia. If using it to make a local warranty claim here then this fee will be waved, but you must determine first that an USA invoice in another persons name will allow you to have a item repaired here.

iPhone Ordering Questions

Can I order a 3G iPhone from the USA?

No. My agent can no longer acquire iPhones because Apple USA now only sells them activated (ie with a 2 years contract to AT&T).