Another method for Importaing from US - Maybe!

[netwolf]

Hi All,

I came accross this company on the whirlpool forums. priceusa.com its run out of Australia and is Austrlian owned. I know others have mentioned box voyage in the past and other forwarding services. But priceusa offer one nice little feature the offer returns shipping insurance to cover warranty returns. I have not tried to work out what i might cost to import a telescope via this method. But considering the recent response from Celestron i got about EDGE HD pricing, i think this may actually still work out cheaper.

Local retailers are still best for most imports, however some imports are over priced due to high margins added by distributors. Celestron have cleary indicated that they will not excercise any restraint over local distributor. So i feel its fair go to find alternatives.


Note I have no affiliation with PriceUSA or Box Voyage or any other Astronomy vendor.

Regards
Fahim

[renormalised]

What size of EDGE HD scope are you looking at Fahim??. Over at Bintel, they've got OTA's of the EDGE HD for sale....the 14" is $18995, or thereabouts. The 8" is $3995, I believe and the 9.25 around $5799. I think the 11" is $8995. Don't know if that helps at all, but importing them directly from the US is going to cost a bit!!!. Plus what about the warranty concerns??.

[netwolf]

Carl, not sure if you have seen this thread
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=47352
But it covers a lot of ground on the high pricing of these scopes compared to US.

Ok i did some calculations quickly. Using this calculator on PRiceusa website
http://www.priceusa.com.au/order/?mod=order

The 8" in USD is 1299 at optcorp.
putting in a weight of 24-27lbs via USPS ( i have had a 8" come via USPS) anything biggher might be a challenge via USPS.
Adding return insurance.

We get a AUD price of 1983. Add 10% gst on PRice+Shipping > 1000$ should be about a 100$ at most.
No duty on Telescope equipment.

There are some otherr hidden factors that willl reduce this like the valuation PriceUSA legaly make for the item. Which i think if i read correctly is 80% of its actual price.

From 2100AUD with insurance to ship it back for warranty repair. Thats a 2000$ saving.

Regards
Fahim

[renormalised]

Yeah...it's probably due to "Extravision" monopolising the import of the scopes into Oz that's made them so pricey.

[netwolf]

Carl yes and the response me and Kal got from Celestron was absurd. Promoting global delivery over profeterring at the same time placing no controls over there distributors. Its like closing your mouth and trying to talk to people to convince them to buy your product. Sorry Celestron but i cant hear you, what did you say... Oh ok i will import it myself.

[renormalised]

Yes, I read that response. It seems that Celestron wants to shoot itself in the foot. It would be nice to own a 14" model, but since you can get far better optics for less, why buy one when a CDK is in the offing!!!. I have a Meade 8" ACF, as you'd probably know, and I'm extremely happy with it, but I'd like to have a play around with the Hyperstar lens setup to see if it's as good as they say it is. Unfortunately they don't have one to go with the ACF optics.

I might try for a 2nd hand Celestron or compatible Meade...it'll probably be cheaper anyway!!.

Well...time to go catch some Zzzz's...see you later on:)

[Kal]

Service looks good.

Note the following which would be applicable for larger items like telescopes:

For oversized items (ie items to large to ship via USPS) my agent ships using UPS at a reasonable rate (50% off the standard UPS rate).

[gb_astro]

Just a note that "Extravision" does not distribute Celestron any more.

gb.

[Carolina]

Hi All

I have actually been a member of iceinspace for quite some time, although i don't get much of a chance to read anything here. I have actually had quite a lot of astronomy gear ordered through my service (priceusa) over the last couple of years without any problems. If any one has any questions I am more than happy to answer them.

[Carolina]

Actually my agent ships large items with FedEx these days (I need to update the FAQ) because they gave him a better discount. This works out at the moment to be around 60% off the standard rate and is similar to shipping via USPS (sometime it is a little more, sometimes a little less). It is is very popular for shipping snowboards at the moment :)

[DavidU]

What about export to the US?
I actually get orders from the US for Au made gear,can you export,just reverse the process?

[Carolina]

In theory yes, but as you know shipping overseas is not straightforward. This is probably something that you should contact me about directly.

[netwolf]

Carolina, a long overdue welcome and thank you for your valuable input to this thread. While at present personally i am on a baby focused budget i no doubt someday soon will want to make use of your great service.

[netwolf]

Now compare these

Edge HD 8" about 2100aud based on 1299USD price from OPT.
GSO 8" RC about 2210aud based on 1395usd price from Astronomics.

Local best price for GSO 8" RC 2225AUD from ATS based on a recent thread.
Local best price for EDGE HD 8" ~4000AUD.

GB has the new distributor had any impact on the price? Fas as i can see it has not changed. And the new distributor is mentioned on Celestron's website and has been there for a little while now.
http://www.sheldonandhammond.com.au/
Homewares, Sportings and Giftware. I think we fit into Sportsware based on the binoculars image. Lets hope they can correct past oversights.

[GrampianStars]

Gday Fahim
best bang for gear is from USA
the current Au $ 1.00 exchange rate to the Us $ 0.82
pretty good in this climate :thumbsup:

[amoeba]

I have used these guys http://www.shipito.com to order items from the states which would normally be unavaialble due to distribution policy.

Their website looks a little unprofessional, so I tested them with a small parcel first which came through without any problems. The heaviest I have had shipped was only 10 pounds though, but they will provide quotes from multiple shipping options and you can suggest alternatives too.

Might be of help :shrug:

[renormalised]

Let's hope it stays that way!!!!.

[Carolina]

Hi ameoba

Shipto is a mail forwarding service, what I offer is a purchasing service where my agent purchase the goods and ships them to you. There are heaps of mail forwarding services out there, there are two major problem with them:

1. They pop up and go out of business all the time. I have watched quite a few and they follow a very typical life-cycle. The start out small with low fees, build up by word of mouth, grow too big for the person how is running it (these are nearly all hobby businesses), and finally collapse in huge mess. From an outside perspective it is quite interesting to watch, but if you happen to have your goods in transit when things start to go wrong then you are in for a heap of problems.

2. All the services are OS. This means that if anything goes wrong there is very little you can do. I am based in Australia and I guarantee your items will be delivered.

Having said this these service can be OK, just a little more risky :)

[netwolf]

Another option that i have been advised of is being offered by Southern Galactic Telescope Services. They bring in this kind of gear a for there hosted clients and so they can offer the same service to other amature Astronomers in Australia. You can send your enquires to Bert at admin@southerngalactic.com

Guys if you have used any of these services it would be great to hear some feedback on how it all went for you.

Sor far I have only had some small items come direct to me from previous owners via USPS. The only scope was a C8 and it came through ok. But i think the C8 is perhaps the largest you could do via USPS. One thing to note is that the previous owner marked on the box this way up, such that the mirror was facing downwards. This way the Secondary does not fall on the mirror if it comes loose.

Regards
Fahim

[wavelandscott]

What services have people successfully used to accomplish this?

[wasyoungonce]

Hi Carolina.

I saw the to do over at whirlpool forum a few weeks back. It appears that person in question did not take out return insurance and was trying to eek damage to your business name by using the Web....In short you handled the situation well.

It appears you will be getting some business from these Astro guys. The Aust Dollar is at 88.5c per USD yet Australian suppliers are still selling at grossly inflated prices.

I saw one scope from Optcorp (USA), 14 inch Celestron edge on a CGEPRO mountr for $8999 USD ($10,166 Aust) yet the only price I can find in Aust is suggesting around $34,999 Aust.

So I hope you can pick up some business as the locals have their snouts in the trough!

[troypiggo]

I just placed my first order with these guys. I'll be interested to see how it goes. Best price direct from Adobe Australia for Lightroom 2 (non-student version) is AU$609. Adobe US has it for US$299, but you need a US address even for the download version. Followed some links from PriceUSA website and it appears delivered cost to here will be about AU$270!

[snowyskiesau]

FWIW I have a contact in the US who handles reshipping at a reasonable rate.
I order the items and get them shipped to him, he repackages if required and then forwards on using either USPS or DHL/FEDEX/UPS or the courier of your choice.

It's handy when dealing with sites that insist on a US delivery address. He will even purchase on your behalf if the site involved used the credit card AVS that requires a US address on the credit card.

His name is Elwood Beauchamp (elwooddbeauchamp@gmail.com). (Woody)

[wasyoungonce]

I am now seriously thinking of purchasing a new mount while the dollar is high.

Weighing up between the older CGE run out models or maybe a Losmandy G11 non Gemini (to cut costs..sigh).

Anyone have thoughts on this? The CGE certainly has the goods and is at a very attractive price! Or should I go the G11?

Anyone...any input appreciated.

Any ideas on shipping costs!

[wasyoungonce]

Anyone have experiences with either of these mounts?

I have the financial minister in the right frame of mind and don't want to miss the boat...it's about now or never. I'm leaning to the G11 but not Gemini due to costs. Is this wise?

The older CGE has all the bells & whistles and is selling cheap as a run out! I need to make a decision rather soon.

Anyone?

[gregbradley]

Hey whats all the complication about?

You simply buy from OPT or whomever and it gets shipped and it arrives
a week later, you pay GST if it is over $1000 and it gets dropped off at your door.

I've done many times. Easy as.

No need for middleman or anything.

Ship using UPS, Fedex or DHL. You can use US Postal Service Express mail for smaller items.

Simple and reliable.

You want a Celestron HD?order one through OPT and it arrives a week later once they get it in stock. Forget the local distributor is he is uncompetitive.

Some US suppliers won't ship to Aussie as it violates the agency agreement so check them out first.

Soon the Aussie dollar is likely to be worth more than the US Dollar as the US is probably facing a fairly long recovery from its experiment in greed so it could be an even cheaper place to buy from soon as it still is the largest market so prices tend to be lower because of that.

Greg.

[troypiggo]

That's the scenario that PriceUSA works for. They buy it from a US address that these places will ship to, then transfer it to Aus.

[gregbradley]

Yes that is handy but there always seems to be that there is someone willing to sell to you.

Greg.

[HarryD]

Just to add some more fuel to the fire. Celestron Edge HD 11 inch OTA, just a bit over $A3000 from OPT at the moment. It seems selling Celestron telescopes is a profitable endeavour in Australia.

[mickqueensland]

Hey all,

wish this thread had been around about 2 months ago. True, I didnt research the possibility of having a service purchase and ship to me, it never occurred to me. Anyway, too late as I have ordered my scope from a local dealer. I think the price is ok, :rolleyes:, its still higher than OPT but it was very much reduced from what it was 3-4 months ago. :( Well, I can only hope that my dealer continues his good and friendly service and that he continues to offer discounted prices (in light of the little ozzie battler's current value of 91c)

Still, I may find a use for Carolina's services in the future, as I am sure there are more goodies I will "need"

cheers
Mick

[netwolf]

Heads up everyone.

just got an email last night from southerngalactic that OPT are offering SG and NG members a further discount for buying from them. As well SG/NG offer a freight forwarding service. You can join the forum there and send a private message to to the OPT director who is a forum member there Craig
Weatherwax.

Freight forwarding service details are here
http://www.southerngalactic.com/ecf.html

wasyoungonce,
I mention this becasuse OPT currently have a opned box G-11 for sale in there used section. Might be worth while for you to check this out and get the afore mentioned discount as well.
Also note OPT will sell to overseas buyers used/opned box return/demo Celestron/Meade gear.

[FredSnerd]

Hey Fahim

Your doing some great work here. More power to ya. How does one become a member of SG/NG. Unfortunatly the link does not say.

[wasyoungonce]

Thanks for that.:thumbsup:


I must have missed it. I have been trolling OPT site lately and know the approximate shipping costs. I think we can get a 2% discount from OPT is you are a member of an Astronomy forum.

I'm off to see the OPT site right now.

edit:
I meant to say ..It's a toss up between the run out CGEs & probably a non goto G11. The Gemini goto extra costs are probably straining my budget a little too much.

That said If I get a G11 non goto I suspect I'd really miss goto functions. I was trying to image the Helix nebula the other day and couldn't even see it in my finderscope. Luckily my GTS system is qute accurate and so I took one pic to see if I was on target...yep spot on.

I think I really need the goto function!

[gbeal]

WasYoung,
I have a CGE (it was/is in the for sales recently), and if you are tossing between it and the G11 I feel the CGE is slightly better. I can assure you the goto's are spot on, best I have ever had. The tripod is an absolute beast, big as.
Gary

[wasyoungonce]

Thanks Garry. That's the way I am tempted to go, the CGE.

The only down side I can see is that there are lots of Losmandy parts (accessories) available in Australia...not so much for the CGE.

The filp side is a run out CGE compared to a G11 with Gemini prices are around $400 Aust difference between each with the G11 being the more expensive..but not by much!

Isn't it good to have choices available with the Aust $ so strong....I feel like a kid in a candy shop!

[gbeal]

Yep, spoilt for choice, and it is good.
The Losmandy parts all seem to interface with the CGE, at least saddles, rails etc do. What others do you think you will need?
Gary

[wasyoungonce]

Good point PM sent!

[netwolf]

Fred,

The register link is at top of this page.
http://www.southerngalactic.com/

[FredSnerd]

Thanks Fahim

[el_draco]

I've recently picked up a G11 with Gemini after an EQ6. The difference in quality is huge. Polar alignment used to be a pain in the proverbial but I can set up my G11 from scratch in 20 minutes, aligned 5 mins later.

Build is strong and all machined.... very slick. You can add Gemini down the track with minimal fuss...

If $ allow, get the folding tripod. I was a bit dubious when I first saw it, but its as solid as rock....

Bottom line, buy quality if you can afford it, add quality to it. Good price here: http://www.telescopes-astronomy.com.au/telescopes062.htm 3 month wait from order and they lay-by with 10% down. Good service.

[wasyoungonce]

Prices falling at Bintel..at last.

G11 now down to $3299 (no-Gemini). A good price.
G11 now down to $4799 (Gemini). Still a bit much but better!

Looks as if older stock is still expensive...aka the price of a NEQ6 has not dropped.

[spearo]

Hi
Thought i'd post a quick note:
since reading about Priceusa here i contacted Carolina to organise a purchase of some small items not available here.
coulnt order them straight from the company o/s either.

Priceusa did the job fine.
parcel arrived yesterday all good.
the parcel was trackable throughout the entire journey.
Ill use them again if need be in the future
(and, no i have no affiliations etc etc etc)
cheers
frank