Question about international shipping

[Mobius]

Hail chums. I'm just wondering whether anyone knows what is the quickest way to send stuff internationally. Basically I want to send my computer, my books, my dvds, etc from Australia to England. I used a freight company to bring them here but it took 10 weeks (with sofas/beds etc) and theres no way I'm waiting that long again! When you order stuff from America, etc it only takes a week or so, so what company/method do I use so that I don't have to wait forever? Thanking you.

 

[djpringle]

Well, the quickest way would be air freight via one of the major couriers (Fed Ex, DHL etc) they do have package size and weight restrictions though. By the sounds of it you aren't sending a lightweight package back to the UK so I think you are going to be stuck with surface freight and that won't be the quickest. It will however be significantly cheaper!

 

[Ch3tan]

Giving up on Oz already?

 

[Mobius]

Giving up on Oz already?

I've fucked my course up, and the VISA states that I need to complete a 2 year course and work 1000 hours in order to stay. Its fairly impossible now, so I'm going to go and live with my nan for a bit, get a job and that then stay with a family friend whos got a room to rent. I don't really mind though, as I don't like it here that much. Its been 12 weeks! Thats quite enough time to make judgement.

djpringle, what if I sent it in lots of light boxes, instead of lumping it all together? Its not that heavy really. DVD's are light, and I don't have that many books. The main issue is the computer. When I received it here, the heatsink had snapped off and I had to order a part and repair it. They must not have taken great care.

 

[djpringle]

Well, I'm not too sure about the weight limits with the couriers but a colleague was trying to get a Dyson washing machine drum sent from the UK to Perth and due to the size of the package he was knocked back. So lots of small packages would probably get through ok.

Another option would be to take it as baggage when you fly, you'll obviously have to pay excess baggage but it could well be cheaper than a courier. Last time I had to pay long haul excess baggage costs I was 25kg over the limit (damn Angkor Wat stone head ) and it came to around 200GBP. Bear in mind that cost was from Vietnam to Heathrow so from Oz it will be more since you've got a helluva longer way to fly...

 

[Damini]

I've fucked my course up

How can you have done this already? Surely any mistakes you make (at most) 12 weeks in to a two year course are redeemable, unless you literally took off and nuked the course from orbit? I'm just getting flashbacks to when you were doing your other exams Is the course just way too hard? Did you sabotage it because you wanted to go home? Are you giving up because it's just a little over whelming? Or mystery other?

(As the baby of the forums, since we murdered Krypt, and banned Najwa, you must be braced for the parental responses. Now I hope you don't think you're going out dressed like that, no you can't get a tattoo, and women like that give you diseases.)

 

[Louster]

Like Damini, I am also curious as to the whys and wherefores.
Really, though, you've talked about disliking it from the moment you got there. It kind of sounds like you made a knee-jerk or gut reaction to an unusual place/situation and haven't tried to change that view since. Twelve weeks isn't really that long.

 

[Milkshake]

Yeah, and jeez, we need a place to stay when we all come over for Freddy's OzBeer '07!

 

[Cdr]

When we moved we had stuff shipped via air freight and by sea (the stuff that we desperately needed came via air freight - which did include 2 PCs). It was very expensive compared to what we paid for sending stuff in a container on a ship, and due to Customs in NZ being an ass we finally got it roughly the same time the sea stuff arrived.

But it is highly possible to send PCs on a plane, you'll have to do a bit of research and find out the best local shipping company.

Oh, and 12 weeks isn't enough by any stretch of the imagination. We said we'd give it at least 2 years in NZ before we even decided whether we were going to stay or not. But I guess if yours is VISA dependent, there's not a lot you can do I can only suggest give it at least a year - see if you can change the student visa to a work one.

I know exactly what you're going thru, we've been here for just over a year and I've already personally decided that I don't want to ever go back to live in the UK. You've got an opportunity others would kill for, not to give it a fair chance would be silly, and 10 years down the road you might be kicking yourself at 'what could have been'.

Just remember......British winters *brrrrrrrrrrrr*

 

[Mobius]

Well to be fair, its not the place that I dislike. I've grown to get used to the weather, and everyones friendly. (Complete strangers say hello to you! At first I thought they were mental, but its the norm' here)
The thing is, the immigration policy is so strict, and I'm only allowed to stay if I complete a 2 year diploma, and work 1000 hours. Due to my age/circumstances, there are only 2 courses available to me, and I originally chose Accounting. I got 12/100 in my first exam, despite revising more than I've ever done before and turning up to every lesson. I got a fail in my presentation as well. I'd have to get 100% in every test for the next 20 months or so (and there are loads) just to get a basic grade, and pass. I can't stand the course, and its a struggle enough without having to worry about finding a job and fitting in the hours needed to add to my VISA. I tried to get into another course but its full, and I'd have been 8 weeks behind already.

So my 2 options were 1) Stay here and study and work, despite knowing I'd fail...then be forced out after 2 years (or sooner, if immigration check up on me with the college) or 2) go home, live with my nan for a bit and get a job, then rent a place. I can move back out and try again next year if England doesn't work out and it turns out I miss Aussieland.
Sooo, I'm in a spot of bother But I don't mind. I'm quite looking forward to the new experience of being a grown up! (sort of) plus I'm just quite sick of education now.

Is it possible to take a computer on a plane? Its not that heavy really. I don't have many clothes, and I can live without my DVD's and that, for a while.

 

[djpringle]

Having seen the sorts of things people take on planes, you can certainly take a pc. Take out the hard drives and hand carry them and pack it well...a crt monitor might be a nightmare though.

 

[JBP|]

You seem to have completley missed out option 3.


Marry someone

 

[Mobius]

You seem to have completley missed out option 3.


Marry someone

Hah, my international student helper lady recommended that to me. I don't like wearing suits though :<

 

[~Yuckfou~]

McDonalds are hiring.

 

[cHodAX]

Hah, my international student helper lady recommended that to me. I don't like wearing suits though :<

Pretend you are a chav and turn up in a shellsuit

Chavs, another reason to never come back to this rathole

 

[ECA]

They have the australian equivalent though :/

 

[Tilda]

I don't like wearing suits though :<

This is a pathetic excuse

imo grow up and realise that you cant go through life without wearing a suit.

 

[Dommers]

I think he was joking

 

[Mobius]

Christ, I was only half serious. I don't like wearing suits but I realize I'm going to have to wear one eventually! Its just not that easy to find a wife to marry you for visa reasons.

There are chavs here, trust me. They just wear shorts and a vest instead.

 

[Tilda]

Christ, I was only half serious. I don't like wearing suits but I realize I'm going to have to wear one eventually! Its just not that easy to find a wife to marry you for visa reasons.

good man

 

[Cavex ElSaviour]

Hail chums. I'm just wondering whether anyone knows what is the quickest way to send stuff internationally. Basically I want to send my computer, my books, my dvds, etc from Australia to England. I used a freight company to bring them here but it took 10 weeks (with sofas/beds etc) and theres no way I'm waiting that long again! When you order stuff from America, etc it only takes a week or so, so what company/method do I use so that I don't have to wait forever? Thanking you.

airfreight is the best way money/time wise. usually takes up to a week. ifyou want it faster but still cheaper then a courier service go directly to an airline and send it as freight, advantage: 2 days top, disadvantage: you woll have to bring it to the airport yourself and you will have to pick it up at the airport.

one big tip to avoid paying too much vat and custom duties, include copies of offcial documents declaring that you are moving and that ir are your own (old) stuff. in holland you won't have to pay duties then only the vat, not sure about england, but my guess is that it will the same. and since you are shipping your computer please take an insurnce, most shipping agencies offer those, otherwise you'll only get 20 us doller / kg if something goes wrong.

if you are lazy and have enough cash, send it via a courier service like dhl, or fedex.


and ooh, if something goes wrong, please don't yell at the customer service people, were only doing our jobs

 

[Mobius]

and ooh, if something goes wrong, please don't yell at the customer service people, were only doing our jobs

I'm to cowardly anyway. I just accept bad service like a bitch.

With companies like DHL, do they come and pick stuff up or is there a place/depot type thing that I bring it to? Also what is my requirements with regards to packaging and bubblewrap, do they take care of all of that?

 

[Cavex ElSaviour]

DHL is a door2door service like most courier services, but you are responsible for the packing, officially it needs to be packed in such a way it can survive a fall from 1 meter, thats the height of the band (the thing thats moving the packages through the warehouse). But if its ensured and properly packed you'll get a refund anyway. safest way to pack it is with the original computer box.

safest and easiest way to ship your pc is via a courier service but its pretty expensive

 

[JBP|]

.

safest and easiest way to ship your pc is via a courier service but its pretty expensive

And there is no guarantee the package handlers wont have a quick game of footy in the back of a trailer it with either.

 

[rynnor]

Well to be fair, its not the place that I dislike. I've grown to get used to the weather, and everyones friendly. (Complete strangers say hello to you! At first I thought they were mental, but its the norm' here)
The thing is, the immigration policy is so strict, and I'm only allowed to stay if I complete a 2 year diploma, and work 1000 hours.

If you like the place then theres an alternative that you might prefer - come back to the UK and work in a career thats in demand out there (a mate of mine got out there as a chef recently).

Theres loads of different categories and that way you can take some money with you and no study requirement...

Ever fancied a career as a midwife?

 

[DaGaffer]

This is a pathetic excuse

imo grow up and realise that you cant go through life without wearing a suit.

Ooh I don't know; TedTheDog has made not wearing a suit a basic tenet, and I do mean not wearing a suit ever.