Rescu

By Melina Byrne, (who has evolved from a Recessionista into) the Money Maven

You’ve probably discovered the hard way that the Aussie dollar - let alone Australian shipping addresses - is not accepted in 65 percent of American online stores. However, bargain hunter Melina Byrne has a wonderful way to get around this: ComGateway. It’s cheap, secure, and quite simply a dream come true.

Tell me more, you say. Well, ComGateway (www.comgateway.com) can help you in several ways. One, it gives an American shipping address. Two, it can purchase products for you, if Australian currency isn’t accepted. Three, it saves you money on shipping.

How I wish I’d known about ComGateway when I was planning my wedding a few years ago. I was barred from buying many things, including a vintage Collette Dinnigan wedding dress on eBay.com – which is quite ironic considering Dinnigan is an Australian talent…

Anyway, back to the present and the website that could deliver my latest American lust-have (not Jimmy Choo’s UGG boots) straight to my door.

How it works
• You simply sign up (for free) and receive an American shipping address.
• You then either enter the web address of the online store you want to shop at, or select from comGateway’s shopping directory.
• When purchasing, you can choose one of two options, Buy For Me or Do It Yourself.
Buy For Me: You select this option if the online store won’t accept Australian currency. You then enter the product information – size, colour, product code etc, and comGateway will purchase it for you.
You should use the Do it Yourself function if the online store will accept your credit card, but requires a US address. You simply enter your own card details, but use the US address provided by comGateway.
• Once purchased, products are shipped to comGateway in Oregon and then sent to you in Australia.

Added bonus: If you purchase from more than one store, you can combine your shipping. ComGateway will hold items at their Oregon office for 15 days for free, allowing other items to arrive and be sent in one shipment. (I’m lost for words on how great this is!)

Receive discounted shipping:
Not only can you buy from any American online store, but due to comGateway’s business relationship with DHL, you’ll receive discounted international shipping rates.
For instance:
• If you were to independently send something from the US to Australia using DHL, it would cost $69.55 US (approx. $79.13 AU) for the first 454gms and increase in roughly $10 US (around $11 AU) increments per pound (approx. 453.5gms).
• Using comGateway, it costs $30.50 US (approx $34.50 AU) for the first 500gms, and then increases by $4.10 US (around $4.63 AU) for every following 500gms. A massive saving!

Another added bonus: comGateway also offer a repacking service to lighten the weight (and therefore cost) of your shipment.

Extra services/benefits:
• ComGateway’s Promotions page lists current sales and promotions. They also keep tabs on the top 10 shopping sites.
• They also provide shopping and shipping discounts and coupons. (This service keeps getting better and better!)
• Need inspiration? Check out the As Seen In page for purchase suggestions.

To find out more, visit www.comgateway.com

And don’t forget the Recessionista has evolved into the Money Maven with a NEW weekly home: www.rescu.com.au/_blog/Money

She’ll be back next Tuesday with more money-saving tips.