What Is The OzBargain Way of Sending 500kg Package from China to Melbourne

Lsbx on 22/03/2023 - 18:47
Last edited 22/03/2023 - 20:08 by 1 other user

I have purchased a pergola from Alibaba. Box is 3660x1130x1120mm, 522kg.

The company I bought item with needs $1600 for door delivery but they need me to arrange forklift to unload it. Or they can deliver to Melbourne Port for $150. Please suggest what's the best way to go about this. I haven't done this before so no idea. Is it better to get them to send it to Port and arrange someone to pick it up? Who can I arrange to do this.

General Discussion

Comments

  • Jimothy Wongingtons on 22/03/2023 - 18:49
    +7

    But… aren’t you going to ultimately still need a forklift…

    • djones145 on 22/03/2023 - 19:03
      +5

      crossfit gym vs f45 challenge

      who can carry it the furthest

      • Jimothy Wongingtons on 22/03/2023 - 20:21
        +12

        The key is to put it all in your groin and your back, take your legs totally out of the equation. Lift with your lower back in a jerking twisting motion.

    • Nugs on 22/03/2023 - 19:48
      +1

      Unwrap and move one piece at a time
      I've got a 14x5 trailer which would swallow that load
      .

    • Malik Nasser on 23/03/2023 - 09:12
      +1

      Delivery truck to have HIAB or MOFFETT attachment.

  • AustriaBargain on 22/03/2023 - 18:53

    Or they can deliver to Melbourne Port for $150

    How they shipping it exactly? Australia must be subsidising that shipping, half a tonne and nearly 4 meters long by a meter square is nuts. Is the port just going to leave it on the dock for you or what..

  • trulymadly on 22/03/2023 - 18:58
    +1

    I must know, how many Ozbargain members do you think have done something like this before??

    Only thing I can suggest is to start calling up as many cargo delivery/freight/shipping/logistics companies in Melbourne as you can and asking for advice - maybe someone will be kind enough to help sort out everything even for a non-commercial customer.

  • spackbace on 22/03/2023 - 19:05
    +1

    $1600 for door to door, or $150 from the port? Those numbers don't seem to make sense, surely it's more than $150 to freight this thing

    • Malik Nasser on 23/03/2023 - 09:25
      +1

      They should have used Incoterms for shipping. At least you would know what they had actually allowed for in shipping.
      If your container happens to 'fall off' the back of the ship, or gets 'lost' in transit, does it have any insurance? You need to be careful with international shipping.
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incoterms

  • freefall101 on 22/03/2023 - 19:06
    +6

    If anyone knows how to bring in 500kg of stuff from China it's bikies.

    • TheRealCher on 22/03/2023 - 20:34

      That or disguise it as a shipment of noise cancelling headphones

  • omguleh on 22/03/2023 - 19:11
    +1

    Alibaba, so you bought it FOB price? CIF? ExWorks?

    You need a freight agent in Aus and organise a HIAB delivery or rent an electric forklift.

  • JohnSy on 22/03/2023 - 19:14

    From memory (experience from about 20 years ago) there are additional fees to pay if sending something to the port. Additional fees for the port, and customs broker fees etc.

    • [Deactivated] on 22/03/2023 - 20:17
      -1

      Yes, it ends up being barely worth the time and effort from my own experience. Taxes, fees for someone to just stamp the paper etc. They have themselves a nice little racket going.

  • bdl on 22/03/2023 - 19:15
    +4

    Boogie board

  • EFC94 on 22/03/2023 - 19:26
    +11

    I feel it would be easier to just buy a pergola from somewhere in Australia and get them to deliver it.

  • deme on 22/03/2023 - 19:36
    +1

    No way… no way someone did this.

  • djsweet on 22/03/2023 - 20:13
    +2

    This sounds like CIF. If they are only taking it as far as the destination port, you are going to need a Customs Broker. That is why its cheap. FYI customs brokers usually work B2B. So you may be in for a rough ride.

    Probably worth reconsidering if this is going to be worth it.

  • 87percent on 22/03/2023 - 20:19
    +1

    Ops next post “My pergola fell down, can I claim on home insurance?”

    • Jimothy Wongingtons on 22/03/2023 - 20:22
      +1

      Ali seller Chinesium pergola crumpled on first storm, and half the pieces were missing. Can I claim ?

  • endotherm on 22/03/2023 - 20:20
    +2

    BALLOON !

  • Transient on 22/03/2023 - 21:01

    I think the typical OzBargainer would buy on AliExpress where shipping options are provided. A friend bought a picket fence on Alibaba. He thought it was a bargain until he had to arrange shipping, Customs clearance etc.

    Maybe contact the seller and see if they recommend any freight forwarders.

  • Gunnar on 22/03/2023 - 21:10

    So not only did you do something stupid by buying this without looking at your shipping options first, but you’re now sharing your stupidity with randoms on the internet?

  • Hardlyworkin on 22/03/2023 - 22:52

    It might be easier to find a block of land in China for your new pergola.

    • Pelicannn on 23/03/2023 - 09:22
      +1

      Dreaming if you think an aussie can buy land in China… only we are that stupid.

  • 7ekn00 on 22/03/2023 - 23:21

    Always better to ask advice before purchase, rather than after :/

    Fees, Taxes, Clearance, etc going to be $2000+, which I doubt make the original price a "bargain" …

  • jizmo on 22/03/2023 - 23:28

    Ring the port up and get numbers from there. You'll soon work it out

  • elgrande on 23/03/2023 - 06:56

    I just use pandabuy for all my pergola purchases.

  • FocusRider on 23/03/2023 - 06:58
    +1

    When being cheap doesn’t pay off

  • Clear on 23/03/2023 - 08:53
    +1

    I personally use boogie board bags to haul shipments. 20kg though, not 500kg.

  • lostgoat on 23/03/2023 - 08:57
    +2

    I'm going to import a container of straws.

  • ozbargainsam on 23/03/2023 - 17:02

    We had a container and a half shipped from China before the pandemic. As a one off exercise, it was a lot of admin, and looking for all the right people to get the containers to us. All up it was $13k with customs (on $65k of items, ex. GST, was worth it) but that was with drop off to a non-port city. We got the GST back too so that helps.

    You only have to deal with the port-to-door part, too. Call around, it probably isn't gonna be much cheaper than $1450.

  • Webber000 on 23/03/2023 - 18:05
    1. You know someone who works for a business that can lend you a truck/flatbed that can take a 4m long load, and you want to go down to the port with someone and unpack it and load it by hand in pieces then you are just going to have to pay it. Its quite a hassle picking up from a port and you are going to have to dispose of the pallet/crate yourself but this saves you the forklift issue.
    2. You live near a business that has a forklift they will lend you when the delivery arrives, or you know someone who works somewhere with a forklift and you can get it delivered to the business (and then you borrow/hire a truck and pick it up from them and unload it by hand in pieces).
    3. You find out what company will be doing the delivery and you speak to them and arrange for it to be in an accessible place on the flatbed that delivers it to you and you arrange to have several people at home when it arrives with crow bars and drills/drivers etc and you all unload it by hand really quickly when it arrives if you live on a quiet street and give the driver some cash. Literally start throwing it off the side of his flatbed. Some of the trucks are double decker / have mezzanine levels, and of course there can't be anything on top of yours, but they may be able to arrange it as where I work we regularly get drivers asking us to fork stuff to the other side as their next drop is on the other side of the road or the driver knows the next drop doesn't have a fork so their stuff needs to be in a certain place so they can hand unload.
      Unfortunately I'm Sydney so can't help.
  • OfficerBarbrady on 23/03/2023 - 20:03

    Just get a few dudes to drag it off the truck and onto the ground. It shouldn't break anything. Or just have it shipped to the port and a freight agent will contact you eventually

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