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Australian Post Office Opens Mail Forwarding Warehouse In the USA

Posted by timothy on from the up-over-vs-down-under dept.

Zanadou writes Australians are well used to paying what's called an "Australian Tax": high(er) prices for international products and services simply because they are are being accessed from an Australian IP address and/or being delivered to an Australian mail address. But Australia Post, Australia's national mail service, might have a solution: last week they opened a new warehouse/delivery depot in Oregon, U.S., allowing Australians to use a U.S.-based delivery address for mail items, which can then forwarded onwards to Australia.

However, this service, called "Shopmate", comes at a cost.

4 of 142 comments (clear)

  1. And to allow the NSA/Austrailian gov access to it? by SirGeek · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Does ANYONE think that this would be happening if the gov agencies didn't think they could get something from it ?

    It would allow the Australian NSA access without violating those pesky laws they're supposed to follow...

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    UPS Sucks
  2. Re:Good by LWATCDR · · Score: 4, Interesting

    At the company I used to work for we ran into this but in reverse.
    A company in South Africa wanted to buy our software but they didn't want to pay the same as in the US they said it was too expensive for the market.
    The issue was that it was a lot more expensive for us to support customers outside the US and Canada than in the US and Canada. In the end they paid the same as everyone else.
    And yes we charged everyone he same rate but some nations really wanted us to take a lot less.

    --
    See my blog http://ilovecookes.blogspot.com/ for light hearted technical information.
  3. Re:Other prisons are the same by OzPeter · · Score: 5, Interesting

    You have to deliver the package to the prison office for inspection before prisoners can receive the delivery.

    I'll have you know that in Oz, having criminals in your family history who were deported to Australia is actually a bit of a status symbol. Especially if you can trace them back to the First Fleet. I'm a bit pissed, as I can't do that as all my ancestors were free settlers.

    And the reason that the Brits started dumping convicts in Australia was partly because of some war or something that they had with a former colony that stopped them from sending the prisoners there.

    And in the words of some comic (who I can't remember)

    I'd rather live in a country founded by convicts, than one founded by Puritans

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  4. Re:One has to expect this will be caught up with.. by Guspaz · · Score: 4, Interesting

    It's not US retailers, generally, who are overcharging Australians. If the retailers also do business in Australia, they might care. But if you buy something from a company with no presence in Australia who previously wouldn't ship there themselves, then it'll be fine.