That pulldown menu on the listings is just an estimate/preview for domestic delivery, which is why it's inflated if you choose overseas. You don't need to use it at all. Actual domestic delivery fee is shown at checkout and overseas fee is at checkout for the forwarding order.

 

I might change my default address to an Adelaide one and see what happens. I do pick up anyway and it's easy to choose a pick up location in another state. Anything to keep the price down!

 

Add me to the list of Aussies that isn't getting pinned for GST. NSW, Sydney address here.

 

Thanks. Begs the question, is it only VIC that's getting hit for tax?

 

ok, thanks. I can't believe I did like 10 orders last year, nothing in the last 13 months, I FORGOT EVERYTHING. And is it still like $12 to ship an item under 3 lbs to the USA?

 

83 yuan for first 1 kg and 22 yuan for every 0.5 kg. So for 3 lbs= 1.36 kg, it is like 83+22 = 105 yuan which is roughly ~$15

 

Nope, no GST on any of my purchases either, I just show the "including shipping ￥ 0.00". Using multiple different sellers, consolidating in teh warehouse and shipping to my postal address via 4PX. I do wonder if it has something to do with how TB or maybe Alipay accounts are setup or how they are linked to your AliPay account? There may be a setting in your config somewhere that flags you as an International or Australian account while the rest of us have a different config?

I think my account is setup properly and I've been using it fine for several years, but there could be some setting or box ticked or something that is flagging you for GST? The only other thing that may be different is you mention you have it delivered to a 4PX pick-up location? I always have my stuff delivered to my own postal address. I doubt it's that, but that's the only other thing you're doing that's different I think? You are using the consolidation warehouse?

 

Problem solved. I changed my default address from Melbourne to a made up SA one. Made a pre order for 30 yuan and no GST! I did 7 orders with GST up until now which is annoying but now I've spoofed the system for the time being. I didn't change anything else on my profile. So it's definitely a geo thing. I still do pick up which works out cheaper than delivery so I'm happy.

Thanks fellow Aussie dwellers for your input and help!

EDIT: Pick up is only an option when you consolidate and send, something I highly recommend anyone in Australia to try. Postage is cheaper which adds to the saving.

As it's after payment for the item, choosing pick up wasn't what was triggering GST.

 

Damn.
The good news is you found the issue and found a workaround.
The bad news is they seem to have singled out Victoria.
The good news is I don't live in Victoria.
The bad news is its probably going to spread to all of Aus eventually.

...I wonder if it comes with a free frogurt?

 

I know.

Saving grace could be this is a pilot, or a permanent work around for them. They've taken this long to implement GST and if Taobao were really towing the line they would've added GST back when it was mandated. GST is in the App. So that's kinda conforming.

Given the track record it could be 2+ years before any / all states have GST applied. One can only hope

 

Ye I haven't tried that pick up option yet. I'm nervous about it. The pick up location is down the st from my house too.. I should just give it A try. But not on my next order. That will be grave stone.. can't risk that 1.

 

Totally get it, I was a bit hesitant but took the plunge. It was bots and bits that first bought it to my attention. If you order a lot, the save can really start kicking in as it's 49 and 18.5 yuan for first kg and then 0.5 kg there after. I've been doing pick up for the best part of 2 years and have had no issues whatsoever. Def try it when you're comfortable with it. I'm going to do pick up with my X-TB MM.

 

I've only used the pick-up option once because I didn't find it that convenient. The closest location I could find was in a shopping centre in a super busy suburb nearby that's packed with shops, has terrible parking and is a nightmare to get in and out of (Chatswood for any folks on Sydney's North Shore/Northern Beaches)
It was in the back of a weird Chinese store, I think it was a nail salon or something? There was just a huge pile of those 4Px hessian sacks in the back of the shop. Took the guy a few minutes to dig through and find my delivery but it was there and honestly had probably gone through much rougher handling on its way there from China! It just wasn't all that convenient compared to having them delivered to my work.

I am wondering, for those who have gone through this, is it possible to consolidate several orders and have it sent to a pick-up location, even if you choose the "send to me" option on the orders when you bought them? So at the time of consolidation, I'm changing the delivery option?
I have a bunch of stuff all sitting in my warehouse ready to ship, but I'm taking two weeks leave next week so won't be around to pick up a delivery that's sent to work. I'm probably just going to leave it in the warehouse, ad then arrange to ship it halfway through the 2nd week of leave, so it arrives at work a day or two after I get back. Otherwise, it would sit on my desk for a week and a half (it's a BIG order - three FasToys bots, a cell-shaded MP Megatron and a bunch of New Age Legends stuff) and I'd rather not do that. However, if I can have it sent to a pickup location, I can ship it today and pick it up during the first week of leave when I'm cruising around town with the kids doing stuff.
I'm just not sure if there are any issues with trying to change the delivery details at the time of consolidation. I can't for the life of me remember what the options where...

 

So basically place your order for in-stock items by the 1/16/2019 cutoff date. 10 days to go before the Taobao cutoff date.

So your consolidated, tax free shipment will be shipped to a drop off point in South Australia where you will pick it up? Nice. Hopefully it isn't too far away from you.

 

As I read it, he changed his default mailing address only.
When you choose a drop off point, you can just select any one from the available list I think. So he tells TaoBao he lives in South Australia, but then has 4PX deliver his toys to the same pickup location he always uses. Pick up location is totally independent of default/billing address. Genius!!

 

It would be nice if a pickup service like that was available in the USA so customers there could have a workaround by using a non-taxable state as the address and avoid taxes.

@solskjaer, @hoptimusprime would it be possible to try using the nearest, non-tax USA state for your address like a friend/family member's address or even an out-of-state UPS/FedEx store (if they can hold it for free)? Then once the shipment leaves China could you have FedEx/USPS reroute the shipment to your actual address??
If this works, maybe you can apply the same strategy to Ebay orders. Just a thought.

 

Yeah it comes from TaoBao using a "non-standard" delivery service like 4PX. I don't know a lot about them but I think they are a china based logistics company that specialises in delivery around the Asia-Pacific region. They've tapped into a strong Chinese community in Australia and are leveraging their access to local storefronts and businesses to allow more distributed pick-up locations. I imagine it also saves them a bit on the "last mile" delivery cost's by consolidating a bunch of packages into one single delivery instead of having to go to multiple individual residential addresses. It's a really clever idea. Australia Post has a similar idea by allowing people to use free Parcel Collection lockers at post offices but 4PX and TaoBao have taken it a step further by offering a discount on shipping for using the option. Australia Post just pockets the savings from their method.
Ironically, if 4PX were able to use Australia Post facilities and Parcel Lockers as a consolidated delivery point I'd be far more likely to use that service instead of sending to my work, it's just the locations that are available aren't very convenient to me. I should look again though, and see if they've added any new pickup locations.

For the USPS/FedEx solution you propose, you'd want to be pretty confident about the redirect/reroute service offered by the local carrier? I know I wouldn't trust Australia POst or even most local courier companies to handle that kind of mid-delivery changes, especially not given how random the addressing and labelling is on products from TaoBao!! And if it goes wrong, it'd be a hell of a time trying to track down the parcel or get it refunded.

 

It's exactly that. You choose pick up after you've chosen which parcels to consolidate.

Caveat though is the standard message says collect in 7 days before it's returned. I asked what that meant and it means return to their central warehouse. For me, that's only 3 suburbs or so over so either way it's not too bad. For small orders, I take a 5 min stroll into Chinatown to pick up. I work in the city. The central warehouse is also a pick up option, you'd get your item sooner too as it won't spend time getting to the pick up point but it's negligible if you don't go there straight away anyway.

 

Small world after all... For some reason (odd reason now that I actually think about it haha) I assumed you were either VIC or rural NSW. I'm going to doxx myself a little bit here   but I'm in Lane Cove so assuming Chatswood would be my closest pick up point aswell. Without looking I doubt they'd have something closer than that to me. And similarly to you, unless the savings are astronomical I think I'd much rather pay extra to have it delivered to me than bother with Chatswood, let alone a weird nail salon! I dread going into Chatswood to visit the barber for my regular haircut because as you say, it's chaos and parking is a legit nightmare and it's always so damn busy. It's kind of a like a mini Sydney CBD with so many shopping centres crammed into the area.

@minstral do you have any rough ideas how much you're saving per delivery and how many figures, I'd guess 4 or 5 per delivery? Thing is my collecting has slowed down now a bit that I am no longer playing catch up as I have majority of the character representations (IDW Chug and G1 MP -- managed to resist the Legends scale temptation thus far..) I want so I tend to only be fulfilling preorders these days which equates to shipping 1 figure at a time. I figure it's safer than sitting on it as I can't guarantee within the 20 day warehouse holding period I'll be able to complete another order to combine the shipping.

 

It all boils down to weight as the cost is lower for pick up. Roughly, to send 1kg it's $12.80 vs $9.60 for pick up. $21 vs $17 for 2kg, $30 vs $25 for 3kg and so on. It may not be a lot but over a number of orders and the 2 or so years I've been doing it there's a save there. Plus, delivery requires someone to be at home and rescheduling, I think, and that's a hassle for me.

Hope that helps.