Price USA | Learn More | Ordering

Ordering Questions

How do I place an order?

First go to our online order form or click on the Quick Buy button of the item you want to order. Once you filled in the form telling us what item you want to buy and have checked your details then submit your order. You will receive an email from us letting you know that we have received your order. It is important that you use a working email address that you have access to as we send all order update 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 our Commonwealth Bank account. If your order is under A$2000 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 places your order using their credit card and delivery details. When your order arrives at my agents 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 us. 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 our order page where you only need to fill in your name and address.

What will my order cost?

Our order form provides a dynamic estimate of the total price (Price Estimator) 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 provided is only an estimate. The final quote you receive from me after I have checked your order is the price you will have to pay.

What USA shops charge state sales tax?

Any store that has a physical presence in the state of Colorado must collect state sales tax. Actually working this out can be very difficult without actual going through the checkout (purchasing) process. Please see How can I workout what the USA shipping and and sales tax will be? for more information.

How can I work out what the USA shipping and and sales tax 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 then tell you the tax and shipping by just entering your zip code (use my agent's zip of 80123). Unfortunately, many shops require that you enter all your billing and delivery details in first before providing you with the shipping and tax. If this information is required then use the following test name and address:

Jo Smith
8030 W Bowles Ave
Littleton, CO, 80123
phone. 303 123 1234
email. spam@spam.com

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 10/10, CVC 789.

What is your fee?

We charge a 5% on all orders. Our minimum service fee is A$10. For credit card and paypal payments we charge 10% with a A$15 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 we are 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 we 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 my agents address he removes the UPC from the box (nearly all mail in rebates need this UPC code) and fills in the rebate paperwork and sends it off. When the rebate payment arrives I refund you the rebate amount minus $10 to cover my USA agent's expenses. The reason we can'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 fee I charge 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 (eg the current Toshiba 5 free HD-DVD offer with any HD-DVD player) 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.
• pricewatch - one of the the best place 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.
• 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 seem to never 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 fashion wise 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 we 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 then provide you with an estimate of the shipping cost in the final quote. If I am unsure of the shipping I will send you a final bill 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 are unsure about exactly what you want I will contact you before sending you the final quote.

My USA agent is located in Colorado (CO) and their zip code is 80123. You may need this information to estimate the USA shipping and if sales tax will be applied. If you need a USA address to workout the shipping and/or sales tax 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 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 we will arrange for a replacement to be shipped to you (delivery insurance). I also offer an optional insurance (return insurance) to cover the shipping costs involved in a warranty repair or damaged caused by shipping.

How can I track my order?

We send you an email at each stage of the order process so you should always know what is happening. If you wish to see 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 your order is.

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

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. We also reserve the right to not order goods, or to not order goods from certain suppliers, if we have 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. We can ship large items that are above the USPS limits, but they will need to be sent via courier. This is very expensive (US$500 to US$2000), so unless the item is very valuable it is rarely worthwhile.

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 check always tell if an item sent to him is what you ordered correct. 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.

Why was my order opened?

My agent normally ships the items unopened from the original shop, however, in some case it is not possible for him to tell what order an item belongs to without opening the package. In these cases he needs to open the package to identify your item.

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

It depends on how many items are out of stock. If less than 25% of your items are out of stock then your order will be placed and you will receive a refund for those items not ordered plus any savings on the shipping. If more than 25% of the items are out of stock then I will get in contact to find out what you want to do.

Sometimes companies don't tell my agent that an item is out of stock so that he only finds out when the order arrives. In these cases he ships what arrived and I refund 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 agent (not me). He buy the goods so needs to keep the original tax invoice for his tax records.

Can I get a copy of the original store invoice?

Yes. If you would like a copy of the original 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$2.50 fee for this service.

iPhone Ordering Questions

Can I order a 3G iPhone from the USA?

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