Overseas Buying Experience

[particularbrick]

Thought I'll start a new thread to discuss buying from overseas. As I get most of my stock, sets locally, the only experience I have buying overseas are for polybags from brick link and they have been all good so far. I know some of the more senior Aussie brickpicker have experience buying overseas. Care to share? Thanks.

[ausleigh]

I've bought from Toys R Us (US) previously and had no issue with damaged boxes; more issues with the package bought via Myer locally, to be honest.

 

One Toys R Us package did get lost, but the money was refunded no issues.

[particularbrick]

I've bought from Toys R Us (US) previously and had no issue with damaged boxes; more issues with the package bought via Myer locally, to be honest.

 

One Toys R Us package did get lost, but the money was refunded no issues.

Did you find the shipping to be reasonable? The thing I see with toys r us US is that we can't use any of the sales codes.

[BrickPick3r]

I just placed 2 orders recently, TRU US and bricklink, but haven't arrived yet. These two are my first orders out of ebay. 

[particularbrick]

I just placed 2 orders recently, TRU US and bricklink, but haven't arrived yet. These two are my first orders out of ebay. 

With brick link, the longest I had to wait was about 4 weeks and it still got here. I wasn't worry, in the end I still got my stuff. But generally pretty good

[BrickPick3r]

Did you find the shipping to be reasonable? The thing I see with toys r us US is that we can't use any of the sales codes.

Recently they have buy 1 and 50% off for the second (excluding the hard-to-find and expensive one).

 

 

I order the hulk and get 50% off for DeLorean Time Machine.

- LEGO Back to the Future DeLorean Time Machine (21103) :    24.6061

- LEGO Marvel Super Heroes The Avengers Hulk's Helicarrier Breakout (6868):    71.1050

 

The shipping was 32. The total was about $127 US. I really want to have the HULK set and the local price is $99 and yet hard to find one. The DeLorean machine is selling in AU for around 70-100. So i think it's pretty good.

[BrickPick3r]

I've bought from Toys R Us (US) previously and had no issue with damaged boxes; more issues with the package bought via Myer locally, to be honest.

 

One Toys R Us package did get lost, but the money was refunded no issues.

 

Do they have any confirmation of the shipping? The email that i got after placing an order told me that i'll be informed again for the order. But they recently deducted money from my account and still no email. Is this normal? 

[stinger-311]

Hey guys

 

I have ordered from most parts of the world, have family scattered all over as well.

 

TRU can have some good prices, compared to us here, but compared to somewhere like Walmart, Kmart etc they suck *****. 

If you order from them they ship through iparcel and any issues you have, have to be taken up with them as TRU will disavow any knowledge of your order. 

You are looking at on average 6 weeks from time you place to order to when they arrive. Allow 4 weeks to get to iparcel warehouse and 2 weeks to ship. The debit your CC on shipment. 

I would look at when BOGO 50%, but sometimes they jack up their prices so much, when they dont have that sale on the prices can be cheaper. Obviously the larger the set the more to ship.

 

BN.com are good but take on average 6 weeks. SHipping rates are great, but harder to find decent deals. 

 

Amazon.com will only ship certain sets internationally, shipping prices are average, and around 4 weeks.

 

Thats my 5 cents for american shops that ship here, worth a mention

[BrickPick3r]

Hey guys

 

I have ordered from most parts of the world, have family scattered all over as well.

 

TRU can have some good prices, compared to us here, but compared to somewhere like Walmart, Kmart etc they suck *****. 

If you order from them they ship through iparcel and any issues you have, have to be taken up with them as TRU will disavow any knowledge of your order. 

You are looking at on average 6 weeks from time you place to order to when they arrive. Allow 4 weeks to get to iparcel warehouse and 2 weeks to ship. The debit your CC on shipment. 

I would look at when BOGO 50%, but sometimes they jack up their prices so much, when they dont have that sale on the prices can be cheaper. Obviously the larger the set the more to ship.

 

BN.com are good but take on average 6 weeks. SHipping rates are great, but harder to find decent deals. 

 

Amazon.com will only ship certain sets internationally, shipping prices are average, and around 4 weeks.

 

Thats my 5 cents for american shops that ship here, worth a mention

Amazon won't ship the set like modular (or the one that I really want LOL). For the set that they ship, I think the total cost is similar to here having the discount or clearance. Barnes and noble will give you the US retail price plus their shipping.    

[particularbrick]

Hey guys

 

I have ordered from most parts of the world, have family scattered all over as well.

 

TRU can have some good prices, compared to us here, but compared to somewhere like Walmart, Kmart etc they suck *****. 

If you order from them they ship through iparcel and any issues you have, have to be taken up with them as TRU will disavow any knowledge of your order. 

You are looking at on average 6 weeks from time you place to order to when they arrive. Allow 4 weeks to get to iparcel warehouse and 2 weeks to ship. The debit your CC on shipment. 

I would look at when BOGO 50%, but sometimes they jack up their prices so much, when they dont have that sale on the prices can be cheaper. Obviously the larger the set the more to ship.

 

BN.com are good but take on average 6 weeks. SHipping rates are great, but harder to find decent deals. 

 

Amazon.com will only ship certain sets internationally, shipping prices are average, and around 4 weeks.

 

Thats my 5 cents for american shops that ship here, worth a mention

Do Amazon take care with their packaging?  Have you had experienced with Damaged Boxes?

[stinger-311]

Generally Amazon are good for shipping, but anything coming from US has higher chance of being damanged. If you have ever been to US and watched the bahage handlers handle luggage they throw them around like footballs. Once watched my own suitcase get thrown and watched it break from where I was sitting in plane waiting to disembark. 

When I picked it up they had covered it in packing tape to hold together. So made huge complaint got $50 and a voucher to get a new suitcase up to $120 in value. Was not impressed.

 

Transit time from US is generally longer as well, so more people or companies that handle an item the worse condition it will be in. Only ever had slightly damaged boxes, but if you complain to many times to them you will get a mark against your name and they can decide not to ship to you in future. 

[particularbrick]

Generally Amazon are good for shipping, but anything coming from US has higher chance of being damanged. If you have ever been to US and watched the bahage handlers handle luggage they throw them around like footballs. Once watched my own suitcase get thrown and watched it break from where I was sitting in plane waiting to disembark. 

When I picked it up they had covered it in packing tape to hold together. So made huge complaint got $50 and a voucher to get a new suitcase up to $120 in value. Was not impressed.

 

Transit time from US is generally longer as well, so more people or companies that handle an item the worse condition it will be in. Only ever had slightly damaged boxes, but if you complain to many times to them you will get a mark against your name and they can decide not to ship to you in future. 

Geez, kinda scares you to buy stuff especially for resell if you dont get them in one piece. 

[stinger-311]

Risk you take, only way to ensure you get pristine boxes is to buy within AUS or from shops, but then you have to wait for sales or risk paying our retail.

 

Most people dont care if the box has a little damage as kids build the sets and box never gets kept, I throw mine away with the sets I build. 

 

Worst case scenario is you part out a set. 

[particularbrick]

Yeah i know what you mean, depending on which sets though.  i was thinking of getting some batcave sets.  Whats the worst damage you ever got from US?

[stinger-311]

Just some squashed boxes, i find the less you order ie smaller the delivery box the less damage. Though the more you order cheaper shipping gets per item. 

 

Worst was from Europe got 3 x SW sets and the whole cardboard box was wet as were the sets inside 2 outa 3 were useless, instructions wet, 3rd was ok, but still damaged.  It was held together with sticky tape that australia post put on the box. 

 

Looked like it had had a bottle of spirits broken on it and then washed or dunked in water. 

[particularbrick]

Probably worth it getting a freight forwarder then?

[TheDarkness]

Yeah i know what you mean, depending on which sets though.  i was thinking of getting some batcave sets.  Whats the worst damage you ever got from US?

 

Is there any place that actually has the Batcave plus shippng reasonably priced? Doesn't seem to be that great a saving when I have looked into it

[stinger-311]

Have looked at freight forwarding but they are very expensive. If you have any luck let me know. 

 

Works if parting out and not keeping original boxes

[particularbrick]

They are selling for $69 on Amazon, hard to find some good priced batcave in Aus

[TheDarkness]

I didn't realise it would ship here. It dropped $20 two weeks ago

[particularbrick]

I didn't realise it would ship here. It dropped $20 two weeks ago

 

I filtered it to global shipping, not much stuff, but 30-40 bucks for shipping 2 sets plus the price, i thought was pretty good.  i see people selling it here for at least $120

[brickingbad]

Just wondering if any of you have purchased from U.S. eBay sellers before? What was that experience like? Was it cheaper even with the shipping cost? 

 

I recently sold a LEGO set to a buyer in Austrlia and I was surprised how much the combined shipping cost was. The transit time was a total of 10 days from when I shipped it to delivery. 

[TheDarkness]

I filtered it to global shipping, not much stuff, but 30-40 bucks for shipping 2 sets plus the price, i thought was pretty good.  i see people selling it here for at least $120

 

Yeah keeping an eye on it. If it drops in price I will grab some. $96 apiece still is a bit rough

 

 

Just wondering if any of you have purchased from U.S. eBay sellers before? What was that experience like? Was it cheaper even with the shipping cost? 

 

I recently sold a LEGO set to a buyer in Austrlia and I was surprised how much the combined shipping cost was. The transit time was a total of 10 days from when I shipped it to delivery. 

 

I have and haven't had a problem. Shipping costs always are a serious pain when posting here

[particularbrick]

Yeah keeping an eye on it. If it drops in price I will grab some. $96 apiece still is a bit rough

 

 

 

I have and haven't had a problem. Shipping costs always are a serious pain when posting here

Nah its $69 and shipping is about 30-40 for both units.  is that rough?

[TheDarkness]

When I put 2 of them through Amazon and it did their currency conversion at $188.16 so $94.08 each.
That is paying full US retail though, yet it is still $35 than what we get here. That being said, any dip in the US price is a bonus and missing out on the $49.60 US price a couple of weeks ago hurts.

 

The set has been under $60 often. All depends what you are prepared to pay for it!