Partzilla has anyone bought from them?

I recently placed a order with this company called Partzilla and they want to charge what seems to me to be a very large amount of $ for freight from US to Aus has anyone used this company and what experience did you have ?

Although I've not used Parzilla if you look on ebay most US sellers are charging ridiculously high freight fees.

Ive not bought from them but often check the site. Shipping for small items is a rippoff but bulk up the order and its not too bad.
My partner used to work for Service Honda (until I convinced her Aust was a better place to live) You know, the mob who still build the CR500 and the KX500  She used to do the world wide shipping of the bikes and parts and their freight costs were always a limiting factor.
We're lucky here we can lick a 70c stamp and send it off shore to Norfolk Island or a 3kg bag from one side of the country to the other for $15 with 3 day delivery. But not for much longer if Aust Post has their way. Bastards.

I've not purchased from then but recently bought a service manual for my new bike from a US seller.

The book price was US $35 and the USPS postage was US $32. This is not the seller changing this high postage but USPS.
Furthermore (ooh that's a big word ) the tracking info stops at US that is no tracking data once it left New York.
The package took 3 weeks to get here
If I can find a better way to get things from the US I will be doing so.

I recall my last Jake Wilson order which included two tyres for the Bandit only cost US $60 for FedEx freight and was here in 6 days.

I have been buying a bit of stuff from China and it arrives in 3 weeks with free shipping.
If you are interested www.banggood.com

The thing with US shipping is they like to use the tracking/insurance and on small items this can be very expensive, especially things that could fit in an envelope or very small padded bag.  Better still if you can setup some sort of middle man, friend etc.  I think there are some forwarding companies that do this, not sure of the cost though.

UK shipping is strange, very expensive sometimes but I can get free shipping on (some) books and DVDs, go figure ??

I did find the UK to be the best place for the Haynes Bandit manual, AU$29.70 plus shipping at $7.25.

A few weeks ago I was looking to buy something from the states, the seller quoted Fed-Ex and USPS, there wasn't much between them. Both prices made it not worth it.
Strange that the Poms can send something here at a reasonable price

Thanks for the input Guys !!! I have in the past bought parts out of the USA to Australia and even for heavy items like S/H rear bevel drive for a VX 800 shipping was about $ 25 US not bad for a heavy item - the parts I have ordered from Partzilla would fit into 2 x matchboxes and weigh less - and they want $ 89.99 for FedEx or $43.99 for USpostal service I have recently bought parts out of Canada which would have been heaver than the bits from Partzilla for $ 11.00 freight Canada to Australia so go Figure that out ?

Looks like partzilla is in the postal/shipping business to make money and not the bike parts business to me

And to make it worse, they will usually provide free shipping if the order is over a certain amount ($80 or $100) within the US, using the same shipping companies.

Free shipping in the USA !!! O I long to hear that ''Goose Coilspring" song - Born in the USA

I'm totally mystified by the postage/shipping from the US.

My recent purchase a 1.2Kg service manual sent in a USPS flat rate envelope cost $32 postage, tracking stopped when it left US and it took 3 weeks to get here finally delivered by the local postie.

My last Jake Wilson purchase of the Michelin tyres plus a few other bits was fully trackable and arrived in 6 days. I just checked with Jake Wilson website and freight for the same two tyres is $65.

The only explanation I have is that Jake Wilson is in Salt Lake City so maybe the Mormons have some involvement

Thanks Bandit Dave and to all the others that made a comment on this topic I guess the lesson here is get a post quote before you place a order I just didn't think it could cost $ 89 for something that would fit into 2 x matchboxes and weight less out of the US to Aus.

I think it's a good thing if we all talk about our experiences good and bad to make us all the wiser in this world I have since been issued a refund by Partszilla and will shop for someone else for Suzuki bits .

PS Bandit Dave always a coffee and a chat if your ever passing through Gympie ?

cheers all Kev

Last time I rode through Gympie I could hear banjos playing. It reminded me of the Deliverance movie so I opened the throttle and took off.

Sorry BikeMad, that was not at all true.

Thanks for the invite and likewise.

BTW, if you are ever inclined to travel a little north us Hervey Bay/Maryborough lot get together every Monday and Friday, Friday typically 20-40 bikes.

On Mondays we get a little more adventurous and in the last three months have been to Paradise Dam, Mt Perry, Biggenden, Tin Can Bay and Rainbow Beach.

The Bandit get together at Drake earlier this year was a good weekend. I'm looking forward to Parkes next year. Why not come along?

I will PM you my contact details


BanditDave
Hervey Bay (God's Waiting Room)

bikemad wrote:I have since been issued a refund by Partszilla and will shop for someone else for Suzuki bits .

Like I said in my reply above this mob are ok if you can bulk up the order.
Knowing what I know about US shipping I'd be certain they're not making anything off the postage/freight.
Suppliers hate charging those prices and often eat into their own margins but thats the deregulated and disjointed system the US uses and its one I hope we never see here.

2wheelsagain wrote:

bikemad wrote:I have since been issued a refund by Partszilla and will shop for someone else for Suzuki bits .

Like I said in my reply above this mob are ok if you can bulk up the order.
Knowing what I know about US shipping I'd be certain they're not making anything off the postage/freight.
Suppliers hate charging those prices and often eat into their own margins but thats the deregulated and disjointed system the US uses and its one I hope we never see here.

Now come on, you know we follow the US in every way, shape and form.

Just checked up on one of those frieght forwarding companies, I think you'd have to be ordering fairly constantly to make it worthwhile.  They still use US Postal Services (USPS) so those fee's still apply with their minimum $45-odd charge no matter how small the item.  

Where the value add is that this $45 is up to a certain weight (2 or 3 kgs I think).  So what this company does is setup an address for you at their California warehouse.  You order parts and they are sent to the warehouse and placed in a box, once the box reaches a certain weight, number of items, or you instruct them to send it on, everything is sent to you as one parcel.

The catch(es) are there is a surcharge fee for each item if you have under 5 (I think between 5 and 15 there is no surcharge), there is a $7 fee for handling, and a yearly membership fee of $299 .  They also charge extra if it is an oversized item.  They don't allow multiple people to use the same membership, each has to have their own.  As a welcome to their company, the first 6 parcels are sent with no handling fee (the $7).  And remember the USPS postal costs are on top of all their fee's as well.

So if you were ordering heaps of low weight items I suppose it might work out, but I can't see myself becoming a member in the near future.  BTW they advertise they are one of the cheapest freight forwarders

I find the whole US situation rather inconsistent.

As I said in a previous post, Jake Wilson will ship two tyres for $65.

This does not fit in with other experiences I have had when purchasing from the US.