PSA Warning - Posting to the US

[meister]

The Obama regime has posted a AUD/USD8 surcharge on all parcels entering the USA. Reason is added security surveillance. Obviously the AUS Government has agreed to this by charging Aussie posters.

If you wanted proof of how broke the USA is - there you have it. Getting the rest of the world to pay for their national security. What next?

 

[Mudhiker]

Wrong section bud. Post this over in the General section, perhaps "Current Events, Power and Money."

 

[cptjeff]

Our government needs money, and because our citizenry isn't willing to pay their share or let the rich people pay their fair share (because every midwestern plumber is going to be making over $250k in a few years, dontcha know) in taxes these days, we have to get the money somewhere.

 

[Nicola]

I thought that was to pay for all the help Obama is sending to Australia? You didn't think it was a gift?

 

[mfrege]

Originally Posted by Mudhiker

Wrong section bud. Post this over in the General section, perhaps "Current Events, Power and Money."

I love it when posters who have been here for a month are lecturing posters who have been here for 4 years. Nominations for new moderators isn't till 2012, but, hey, keep at it....

 

[Bartlebooth]

Why is the only information I can find about this from Australian newspapers, tweeters, Etsy users, and forum posters? It seems odd that either A) the US Government is unilaterally enforcing a package surcharge, but only Australians are mad about it, or B) that the US Government has decided to charge extra only for packages shipped from Australia.

Of course, it also seems pretty harebrained that the Aus Post would decide to levy a $9 charge and falsely blame it on a foreign government...

 

[meister]

Originally Posted by Bartlebooth

Why is the only information I can find about this from Australian newspapers, tweeters, Etsy users, and forum posters? It seems odd that either A) the US Government is unilaterally enforcing a package surcharge, but only Australians are mad about it, or B) that the US Government has decided to charge extra only for packages shipped from Australia.

Of course, it also seems pretty harebrained that the Aus Post would decide to levy a $9 charge and falsely blame it on a foreign government...

Just keeping everyone in the loop re eBay returns. I am now asking sellers who misdescribe items to at least contribute to my return postage. Today that went into red alert. Some agree immediately others have to have their teeth pulled with a variety of suggestions such as goodbye to their 100% ebay rating. I have just had a fight these last 2 days with some Pommy seller that has cost me GBP12. Case in point. Why the Aussies would agree to this is beyond me. The Western Alliance?

 

[teddieriley]

Originally Posted by mfrege

I love it when posters who have been here for a month are lecturing posters who have been here for 4 years. Nominations for new moderators isn't till 2012, but, hey, keep at it....
Who cares - he's right. I don't want to read this sh!t in MC.

 

[Gradstudent78]

Originally Posted by teddieriley

Who cares - he's right. I don't want to read this sh!t in MC.

+1

 

[Makoto Chan]

Originally Posted by teddieriley

Who cares - he's right. I don't want to read this sh!t in MC.

+1

 

[Makoto Chan]

Originally Posted by Bartlebooth

Why is the only information I can find about this from Australian newspapers, tweeters, Etsy users, and forum posters? It seems odd that either A) the US Government is unilaterally enforcing a package surcharge, but only Australians are mad about it, or B) that the US Government has decided to charge extra only for packages shipped from Australia.
This is the same feeling I experienced recently but no, it's not isolated to your country. For a period of a couple weeks in December, the Japanese Post Office stopped shipping all packages over one pound to the United States. It's because of the recent ink-toner mail-bomb that the US does more mail security stuff, and it's up to every country or organization to respond to the required changes. Sucks, right? Fortunately Japan is now back on track, hopefully Australia will find a way to do away with the new charges.

 

[FIHTies]

Originally Posted by mfrege

I love it when posters who have been here for a month are lecturing posters who have been here for 4 years. Nominations for new moderators isn't till 2012, but, hey, keep at it....

I love it when posters who have been here for 10 months lecture posters who are here a month...

But, whatever.

On the OP's comment for when this gets moved to the right place, exactly why should the government pay for you to ship your goods here if they have to beef up security because of it?

 

[apropos]

LOL, because they don't have to beef up security?

 

[FIHTies]

Originally Posted by apropos

LOL, because they don't have to beef up security?

I fully agree with that my point is if they are ostensibly doing it because of incoming packages then why should anyone else pay for it but the shipper?

 

[Harold falcon]

I for one am thankful the US government is finally taking action to protect me from the spree of Australian terrorist mail bombings. I honestly haven't felt safe ordering kangaroo meat precisely because of this issue.