What the Japs failed to do at Coral Sea

[Tiger650]

The US Postal Service has achieved, that being severance of freight to Australia.
Had a friend in Nashville attempt to send me a body die, he received it back by post 9 days later with a note saying "service to this area suspended".
He visited a PO and this was confirmed.
Bloody UPS want $US125.00 for a padded bag.
Looks like I wait.

[Don_Stevenson]

Yep, I ordered some very simple, light items from a guy in the US and after a week of back and forth the answer was $120usd via UPS for something that cost maybe $30 and could easily have fit in an envelope and been sent for a few bucks by post normally.

Mind you logistics inside Australia seems to be almost as bad. I ordered a rifle and was told it would take a week for the shop to get it in, it's a Lithgow rifle and I live in Sydney so I'd assume the distributor is in NSW but 3 weeks later and I am still rifleless.

[on_one_wheel]

Postage between AU and USA has definitely gone mad, it's never been cheap but it's now out of control to the point where shipping has become cost prohibitive.

I remember buying a chainsaw from America, even after postage the Husky Rancher was almost $200 cheaper than buying one from my local mower joint.
Forget about it now.
I looked at having a single coin posted from the US in a thin cardboard envelope but it's now costing around $35.
Postage from most of Europe is pretty much the same now.

[Communism_Is_Cancer]

The supply chain is breaking down.

[wanneroo]

I had a successful ebay business for years full time and then part time. Shipped stuff to Australia all the time and elsewhere too. Probably couldn't do it now.

In fact just went in to the USPS postage calculator, put in the weight and dimensions for a type of package I used to mail to Australia. Back in the day it was $12 airmail. Looked it up now and said a few cuss words, $74.50!!! What the blankety blank blank is going on? Insane!

[No1Mk3]

I had a successful ebay business for years full time and then part time. Shipped stuff to Australia all the time and elsewhere too. Probably couldn't do it now.

In fact just went in to the USPS postage calculator, put in the weight and dimensions for a type of package I used to mail to Australia. Back in the day it was $12 airmail. Looked it up now and said a few cuss words, $74.50!!! What the blankety blank blank is going on? Insane!

Due to Covid induced staff shortages freight operations around the world have been severly impacted both local and international. A few months back now USPS restricted all but urgent freight to many countries due to a shortage of air freight space, and only allowed Priority (ie: expensive) mail. You can still ship anything you like at a very cheap price if you consign it surface mail, be aware conyainer freight is also slow due to shipping lines having reduced sailings and road transport and wharf operations also slow. Normal service will resume ???????, Cheers.

[animalpest]

I recently had an aluminium car radiator sent from the US. Freight for the item was $450 which only weighed about 5kg or so.

[geoff]

The supply chain is breaking down.

I love how people phrase this as a present tense thing that is still underway

It's not breaking, it's already proper broken. The horse has bolted.

[No1Mk3]

The supply chain is breaking down.

I love how people phrase this as a present tense thing that is still underway

It's not breaking, it's already proper broken. The horse has bolted.

Oh no, freight is still being moved around, it's just that the "supply chain" is now more like a "supply string", one with lots of knots in it, and most of those are granny knots.

[Oldbloke]

Bir off topic.

Small pulley on eBay $9 each. About the same at Alliexpress.

Just bought 3 in bunnings. $4.45 each.

You really do need to shop around these days.

[bladeracer]

Bir off topic.

Small pulley on eBay $9 each. About the same at Alliexpress.

Just bought 3 in bunnings. $4.45 each.

You really do need to shop around these days.

Does that price include delivery perhaps?
You do need to check, but often I'm happy to pay more rather than have to drive to town and wander around looking for what I want. I do order online with lots of places, including Bunnings, Mitre10, Repco, Supercheap and such, then just go in and collect it. During lockdown they even brought it out and loaded it for me, I just sat in the car

[Oldbloke]

Sheesh, all is equal.
Prices included delivery.

I was driving past bunnings today. So, no cost.

$27 compared with $13.40

On line isn't always cheap.

[disco stu]

I got a package from rock auto in the states a few days ago. Sent via FedEx, postage was $22us. Had 2 ball joints and a rear crank seal, so wasn't a tiny package. Total weight probably about 3-4kg. Took about 2 weeks, maybe less

[on_one_wheel]

Sheesh, all is equal.
Prices included delivery.

I was driving past bunnings today. So, no cost.

$27 compared with $13.40

On line isn't always cheap.

Spot on, it seems online shopping is attracting a "convenience tax" of sorts.

Iv even thought of going through the supermarket, taking photos of stuff and banging it on ebay at +50% of store price, if someone wants to pay for it I'm happy to add it to my shopping list and post it... heck, I might just do it at every shop I visit

[NTSOG]

G'day,

It's not just overseas parcel delivery being mucked up. I saw in today's news that a Melbourne couple have been awarded $3000 damages against Australia Post for slack and/or no delivery of parcels by delivery drivers who either left a card and did not knock/ring or simply chucked parcels onto the ground or into a stairwell. This meant that the recipients had to waste their time going to pick up their parcels at the PO.

Jim

[Oldbloke]

All started after that woman got the sack over the flash watches.