Thought this might be useful for anyone wanting to ship from US to OZ. Join the service through amex connect and they will cover first USD$30 of the shipping cost. It appears they give you a US address so applies to any site that doesn't ship to OZ. Also, they will store your purchases for 30days if you want to consolidate items for delivery.
I haven't used any forwarding service before so can't comment on how good or bad this offer is. Enjoy.
Valid for first 1000 shipments.
Here are the T&C:
When you register with globalehop, we'll give you your very own US address - at no extra charge. With a US globaleshop address as your delivery address, you can now enjoy access to your favorite US online stores.
From now until the end of December 2012, we’ll pick up the first US$30 of your shipping charges from the US to Australia.
Smarter Shipping.
Shop online at any US store, including those that don’t ship to Australia.
Store purchases free of charge for up to 30 days whilst you continue shopping.
Consolidate all purchases into one convenient package and save more on shipping costs.
Enjoy an additional US$30 discount on shipping to Australia.
Offer valid for the first 1,000 shipments made through globaleshop for shipment from the US to Australia.
Now there’s nothing stopping you shopping online and shipping to your doorstep.
This offer is brought to you by American Express.
This offer is only valid for international shipping costs incurred on globaleshop (for shipping from US to Australia). The customer has to bear all duties, import taxes, etc.
This offer is only valid for total shipping cost of up to US$30. Any shipping costs over and above US$30 will have to be borne by the customer.
The discount shipping rate is applicable only when final payment is made via a valid bank issued American Express® Card.
The discount shipping rate is applicable only to the first 1,000 (one thousand) shipping transactions completed between 19th November 2012 and 31st December 2012 (both days inclusive).
American Express will not be liable for any loss or damage howsoever arising suffered by any user from shipping transactions.
American Express reserves the right to change the Terms and Conditions at any time without any prior notice.
EDIT: I tried to join on the link attached but it doesn't seem to go anywhere.
So I managed to track down the registration page for anyone interested:
Go to Australia and then select the bank that issued the amex card.
Only problem is, there's no counter telling you how many have been claimed, and if it turns out all 1000 are used up (it started Nov 19), you're stuck with an item at Borderlinx that you can't get a return or refund for. Their shipping is expensive without the coupon.
I had a graphics card sent to me last time (standard shipping) which ended up costing $56 to ship because the deal either didn't work or all 1000 were claimed.
The discount doesn't include the fuel surcharge btw, so you still have to pay around $7, even if the rest of the shipping cost is below $30.
Also, it's impossible to estimate shipping cost before buying the item. It's measured in volumetric weight, and you have no way of knowing how big a box the seller will put it in. A stuffed teddy for instance would be very expensive to send. If it ends up costing too much, you're out of luck.