Buying stuff online

[Pelicano]

Hello - I was just wondering if anyone has has any experience buying stuff online from overseas ( specifically U.S. stores ). The reason is that I have been looking around for a Furuno fishfinder, and the price that you can get them for online from the US is a hard saving to ignore, even with the customs and GST charges, whicgh I have already looked into. Has anyone had any drama with ordering and recieving good from overseas ? The stores I am looking at are J&H products and Marine deals. Thanks for any advice.

[charleville]

I have not used those stores but all my dealings with Cabelas and other specialist small online businesses have been faultless so far.



Lots of people on this forum buy stuff online from the USA.



.

[MudRiverDan]

If the store is reputable then there shouldn't be any problems.

Email the store with question and get a repertoire going, often gives you an idea if they want your business or not.

But that's just me.

I have only really dealt with American Legacy Fishing.

[Dirtfloor]

Ive only bought stuff from the US on eBay. Never had a problem. Check the feedback for the seller. It's a good system. Anything less than 98% is dodgy. Luck!!

[MudRiverDan]

Ive only bought stuff from the US on eBay. Never had a problem. Check the feedback for the seller. It's a good system. Anything less than 98% is dodgy. Luck!!

Yes I noticed that.

I bought from a seller and the feedback was 99.9% positive, I looked it up and the guy has had about 30 issues in the last 12 months and was really very rude to the customers and ranted at them in caps.

So in future I will be checking the feedback regardless of %.

[Steeler]

I have used J and H in the past with no probs at all.They shipped USPS Int'l priority and supplied me a tracking number without asking them to.

Hope this helps.

[NAGG]

J&H are good ..... I've used them for things like transducers - but mates have bought sounders with no dramas

Chris

[Pelicano]

Thanks a lot for the advice, Youve convinced me, Ill get a sounder from J&H, saving about $500 in the prcocess.


Jason

[Muddy Toes]

I've also used J&H and had no dramas.I usually buy my chandlery off West Marine and have found them good and for my electronics i used shopepal.Maybe a good one to look at for the Furuno.

[perko]

Try Cascage Gps, Paul Cookson is great to deal with.

[Jarrah Jack]

Just a note of warning. Avoid postage by USPS atm as they are having troubles and delivery times are a mess. There are other postal services available from the US.

[tunaticer]

If you do buy from the USA do not use USPS its really uptashit with deliveries lately. Get it sent via DHS or FEDEX for a decent delivery time. I have two items now overdue via USPS by more than a fortnight and hearing others are waiting up to 5 weeks for a 7 day delivery.

Check prices against Dave's , Aussie expat in New York specializing in sounders, Gps and Shooting equipment. Does a good deal usually. Flick me a PM for address.

[tsea]

Have a look at shopepal. Great service and prices.
cheers
TC

[Carry]

Got my Furuno from ###### Imports. Very happy. Aussie guy named Dave working out of New York, very good to deal with. Google it and you will find him.

Cheers

Luke

[Steeler]

I just got a delivery using USPS, was sent our time Wed 10th and arrived the following Wed 17th.Tracking info was a little slow updating but actual parcel delivery was 5 working days.

[AnthonyL]

I also just got a usps delivery that arrived 8 days after I ordered.

[charleville]

I bought a couple of items this month from Cabelas. I paid for them to come surface mail so I was expecting them to take 8 - 9 weeks but the postman delivered them on Thursday after 15 calendar days so I was not too unhappy with that.


Normally, I would expect the USPS First Class airmail service to take a week or so but even at 15 days, that is tolerable.




.

[Greg P]

Another positive for J&H. Have also purchased from BOE and West Marine with no dramas. West Marine are expensive but their range of stuff blows me away - love the cattledog they send each year.

[flatzie]

I have bought heaps of stuff online from US and never had a problem. Customer service in US is way better thsn most countries, and follow up questions almost always get answered.
Paypal also provide good backup if there are problems, as they cover customers well. As mentioned check feedback. On feedback, dont forget that some customers are idiots as well. As an Ebay seller myself, I have discovered that some customers will leave neg unreasonably as well, so have a read of any neg if possible. Ebay has a stupid policy now of not allowing sellers to leave a customer negative feedback. Its a crazy policy, as it more or less indicates that the only possible dishonest people around are sellers!
And OH yes the savings are huge! Especially now with our high dollar. Some of our retailers need a wake up call as they are still selling at high prices even though they also are buying much cheaper due to the dollar.
The world is a global village now and online sales are increasing rapidly.
Cheers
Flatzie

[finga]

And watch the $1,000 threshold for import duties.

[PinHead]

I have bought a couple of reels from the US..no problems at all.
I would not touch ebay with a barge pole..once bitten twice shy for me.

[goat boy]

USPS is fine atm? ordered stuff from the US in the last fortnight, shipped via USPS. 5 working days from the time I placed my order until the goods were at my doorstep. Nothing to be unhappy about there.

[LoungeLizard]

USPS is very hit&miss at the moment. Lots of people are waiting 4+ weeks for stuff that's supposed to be 7 days or even express. Some are getting their stuff reasonably quickly but most are not.

[Taylor2]

mate this guy (link) is great. I bought a radio and HDS7 plotter/sounder from him. It arrived quickly and he answered my questions thoroughly along the way. A mate recommended him to me and he said the same thing. The radio was half price compared to local retailers and the sounder was a few hundred bucks off. Both had 12month warranties but you gotta return them to the states...but thats the price you may pay for the savings.

For tackle...all the guys at work are going throught tackle direct...they all seem to rave about it

http://www.koalagps.com/

[MudRiverDan]

I have bought a couple of reels from the US..no problems at all.
I would not touch ebay with a barge pole..once bitten twice shy for me.
yes agree I am dealing with some guy at the moment and as polite as I can be the guy is a bit arrogant , but has my cash so I must prevail, I only ever outlay no more than $30.00 i to test sellers....

[fat-buoy]

Where is the best place to buy lures from do you think? I was at the local tackle world and while I would prefer to support aussie the Rapala X Rap 30 I was looking at was $30.. just seems so much for a production line lure! Surely they would only cost a few dollars to produce.

[Steve B]

USPS is very hit&miss at the moment. Lots of people are waiting 4+ weeks for stuff that's supposed to be 7 days or even express. Some are getting their stuff reasonably quickly but most are not.

I agree, USPS has been hit and miss. I have had some stuff turn up in 10days, and I am still waiting for stuff after 21days. I never bother ordering stuff from OS 'express' or 'prioirty air mail' etc.....It all still flys on the same plane, and takes the same time to come thru customs, regardless of its priority.

Cheers Steve

[MudRiverDan]

Where is the best place to buy lures from do you think? I was at the local tackle world and while I would prefer to support aussie the Rapala X Rap 30 I was looking at was $30.. just seems so much for a production line lure! Surely they would only cost a few dollars to produce.

I just bought 3 suspending rapala x rap for $20 off ebay.

Don't buy from this seller > tackle on the bay 777

Real drama monger if you have any small issue.

Check close with the Rapalas make sure you know what your bidding on suspending/floating/old model new model etc.

Personally I can't see the value in a $30.00 dollar Rapala that will be going for $8.00 on Ebay in 6 months.

Anyone would think the fish are trying to keep up with the latest... :P

[FISHAWN]

Dont buy from SHIMREELS on ebay.

[MudRiverDan]

Dont buy from SHIMREELS on ebay.

I once bought a spare spool for a Fireblood for $175.00 :o off that guy

But I thought I really needed it at the time and spent some tax return money.

Few months later they were being flogged off at about $70.00 a piece..

hmm lesson learnt, expensive lesson too.

[netmaker]

when i was a kid i remember my uncle telling me that lures are designed to catch fishermen not fish. after watching malcolm douglas catch fish on alfoil, cut up rubber thongs and various other odds and sods i would tend to agree with him. not that i dont believe in lures as i am an avid lure fisherman myself - just that i dont necessarily believe that to catch fish a lure has to cost big $$$. i have a big collection of plastics that i bought for $2 a pack on clearance and i reckon they work just as well as the premium ones that cost me a packet. as far as xraps are concerned i think the biggest thing in their favour is the defined swimming depth.
just my thoughts on expensive tackle.

[Deanom]

I am also having problems with USPS. Their international 3-5 days is now at least 15 days and their tracking info is very poor. Tracking info says only that they have received the parcel but thats all. Given that it is a simple part for my motor, I'm not too happy as I may now miss this weekend's fishing opportunity.

[rexgrunt]

there tracking is hopeless,youll have it before it says arrived.