- Sign in
- Write a review
Australia Post Shopmate
Reviewer Photos & Videos
- Shopmate
- Verified customer
Expensive! and difficult interface for the non tech savvy
I had parcels from Amazon USA, to be shipped through Shopmate.
• Shopmate sent me an email with numbers that did not correspond to the amazon numbers so I had to wade through pages of emails and invoices to find the articles - well, two, one of which seemed to be from mid last year!
• Having located a couple of items that may have been the ones, I had to go to the Amazon website, find details, try (and fail) to copy and paste to the Shopmate website and finally, with one package, I at least got to the costs of shipping page.
• Here I found tha...Read more
Similar opinion? Write a review on ProductReview.com.au!
Lindi DSydney, NSW
- 7 reviews
- 2 likes
Worst of the worst and so expensive
Sending a little parcel or a kitchen pan with spatula got held up because it was Beachwood. Treated, food grade from a reputable dealer they still delayed it. Shipping cost $87
Similar opinion? Write a review on ProductReview.com.au!
BenGreater Melbourne (Outer), VIC
Exactly as described
Contrary to the negative reviews, I found armed with the packing dimensions and sell price my 2 packages came in a little under the estimated costs - tick, packages were booked in within one day of arriving in Portland - tick. I immediately declared and payed. Packages arrived in Melbourne within the 3 day arrival estimate - tick. My only complaint is the lack of info regarding receipt of my merchant invoices and that there was no scans once consignment was raised to Australia, scanning only picked up once arrived at customs. Overall excellent service.
3 comments
I hope you relay my feedback regarding acknowledging you have received the invoice and the lack of tracking. It will put your customers more at ease when they know exactly what’s happening in real time.
Cheers
Casey K.Australia Post
Definitely Ben,
I've passed this on to my colleagues in the shopmate team. It's very valuable feedback so thank you for pointing this out to us :)... Read more
-CaseySimilar opinion? Write a review on ProductReview.com.au!
Find out how Australia Post Shopmate compares to other Couriers
Know better, choose better.
Amy S.
- 2 reviews
- 5 likes
I wish I read up reviews before using their service :(
Absolute SCAMMERS. Just please use literally any other company! They sting you with so many charges and fees you end up paying a lot for a tiny little parcel. As well as being extremely deceitful and sneaky with their charges, they also waste your time. It took 4 months to get my parcel sorted and shipped to me even though I am still yet to receive it.
1 comment
Casey K.Australia Post
Hey Amy,
Sounds like you've had a really rough experience. ... Read more
We do try to be as transparent as possible with how the rates are calculated, this info is available here: https://shopmate.auspost.com.au/our-rates/shipping-rates It's very disappointing to hear you've been waiting such a long time and still haven't received your parcel. Have you been provided with a tracking number for the delivery coming to you?Similar opinion? Write a review on ProductReview.com.au!
dennisjArlparra
- 3 reviews
- Shopmate
- Verified customer
For a small item my whole experience was as smooth as clockwork.
I needed a small item (a prescription insert for sports sunglasses) from a supplier in the US who did not ship to Aust. The item took 9 calendar days to get to the Shopmate warehouse in the US. It then took a further 15 calendar days to get to me in central Australia. Based on my experience with other international orders, this was very timely. The shopmate fee was AU$40 which was also very reasonable. I'd read a lot of the negative reviews here, but still decided to give Shopmate a go, and I'm very satisfied with the result.
1 comment
Casey K.Australia Post
Hey Dennis,
Thanks for your review! Glad to hear the shopmate experience met your expectations and worked out to be a satisfactory solution for your needs with this delivery.... Read more
We really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience here, have a great rest of your week :)Similar opinion? Write a review on ProductReview.com.au!
Alex RSydney, NSW
- 18 reviews
- 15 likes
- Shopmate
- Verified customer
Shopmate lost an expensive parcel, had very poor customer service - definitely would not recommend
TL;DR: Shopmate lost my expensive parcel, had pretty rubbish customer service (apart from one fantastic team member), and I am now $900 out of pocket because they limit their insurance, despite being told that I would not be out of pocket.
We have generally had good experiences with Australia Post, and know our local delivery guy by name, so we went with Shopmate when we wanted to buy something that was only available in the US. It was a very bad decision - the service has been terrible, they lost the item, they took a very long time to bothe...Read more
r to start looking for it, they gave me incorrect information a number of times, I had to chase them repeatedly to get them to do anything, they limited the amount they would cover despite telling me that I would not be out of pocket, and I am now $900 out of pocket. It was my first experience with Shopmate, and will obviously be my last. For those who don't know, Shopmate is a service where they have a warehouse in the US. If you need to buy something that is only available in the US and will only ship to US addresses, then you can give them a US postal address, which is the Shopmate warehouse. Shopmate then arranges clearance through US customs, ships it to Australia, and then helps arrange clearance through Australian customs, before delivering the parcel via the usual Australian domestic Australia Post network. My wife wanted to buy me something special for my birthday, so we used Shopmate. The US seller sent it to the warehouse, all good so far. Once at the US warehouse, I was sent paperwork to fill in, which was a bit confusing. Here was my first mistake. Because I'd bought the item via PayPal, the Shopmate site indicated that you should only include certain things in the cost of the item. You have to enter the amount that the parcel is worth into the Shopmate website for things like customs, valuing insurance, etc. You only get one go at this - they don't let you edit it if you make a mistake. So I asked about the PayPal fees, and was told not to include them, but I would argue that it's a bit deceptive, because clearly the PayPal fees are part of what you paid for the item. This is important because if the item is lost, they won't compensate for anything that's not included in the item amount.Similar opinion? Write a review on ProductReview.com.au!
kizz j.
- 3 reviews
- 2 likes
Great service for small/medium parcels
I've done 3 orders in the past year and every time the shipping has been faster than estimated and never had any issues. Follow the instructions, pay the fee, send the invoice and follow australia post guidelines to what can and can't be shipped as well as package sizes and you won't have any issues. I haven't used any other service as I send to a parcel locker, but in my experience, good as gold!
1 comment
Priscila L.Australia Post
Thanks so much for your review Kizz :) I'm glad your experiences with us have been all good and hope your future parcels arrive well too! Have a good one!!
Similar opinion? Write a review on ProductReview.com.au!
Use literally any other service. Appalling customer service, terrible interface, very slow
When my parcel arrived at their warehouse they updated my account to say it was "prohibited" and I should email for more information. I emailed repeatedly for weeks and received no response. At one point I even received notification that they had closed my case and to give them feedback even though they never responded. Finally I called and was on hold for half an hour before I could speak to someone. I was told I had to agree to risk customs charges due to parcel containing wood components.
The same parcel was then updated to the status of "o...Read more
versized" and that again I had to email them! Multiple emails were ignored before finally someone responded with a copy-paste of my options, which were to pay them to discard the parcel, return it, or send it to another US address. It exceeded their 105cm limit by 12cm. Unbelievable that their process for dealing with these problems is to request you to email. Especially when they simply ignore emails. They could so easily email your options to you automatically or build this into their interface under your account. Also ridiculous that they have no ability to process oversized parcels (which other parcel forwarding services do) and this is not clear prior to using the service. They market themselves as being so simple and easy. I ended up getting them to send my parcel to a competing service (planet express - seems to be the best alternative that I can find). This cost me $30. They then said I had to email a merchant invoice within 48 hours or risk an additional charge of $55. I provided the invoice immediately and a week later have not heard back. They have still not sent my parcel. To date this entire process has taken 41 days and still no resolution. Do not waste your time with these people. The customer service is virtually non-existent. The process is clunky. Many alternatives are superior in every respect. I will be using planet express from now on. When I emailed planet express to confirm they could process my parcel I received a response within minutes (versus weeks of ignored emails from australia post). When you log in to planet express they have a very detailed interface, easy to do everything you need to, and very affordable.3 comments
Casey K.Australia Post
Hey Joel,
What a messy and frustrating experience! I'm so sorry that it was so difficult to communicate with the Shopmate team in order to get this sorted out. This feedback is really valuable to us ... Read more
though so I'm really glad you've posted this review.My review literally said "still no resolution"; in what sense could you possibly interpret this as "all sorted out"?
What I need from you, shockingly enough, is to send my parcel. It remains in the w... Read more
arehouse despite me sending all required information and paying for it. You continue to ignore every follow up email I send about it. Is this even legal?Priscila L.Australia Post
Hi Joel,
If you would like me to get this followed up for you please send me a private message with the following details ... Read more
Your full name Email Phone Case number I'll get someone from the Shopmate team to reach out to you.Similar opinion? Write a review on ProductReview.com.au!
Ben S.Sydney, NSW
Shopmate is not a Good Friend
Deceptive advertising.-No consolidation.
Dishonest -Shopmate charged multiples of actual weight.
Uninterested Service delivery-Not our problem was my reply.
What a dispiriting experience.
Why should Aus post care ? They are a monopoly
...Read more
Similar opinion? Write a review on ProductReview.com.au!
The reviewer stated that an incentive was offered for this review
Find out how Australia Post Shopmate compares to other Couriers
Know better, choose better.
Bianca88South East Queensland, QLD
- 3 reviews
- 4 likes
AVOID THIS SERVICE!!!
Don't tell you that if you pay your shipping fee and the package is split they cannot consolidate your package - absolutely lazy service, just because it's in another area, apparently they can't go and get your package and put it in one. Also charge through the roof!!!! Then there are fees for everything fee for disposing fee for forwarding fee for package inspection FEE FEE FEE! They offer no alternatives for items they deem dangerous but apparently if you have a special permit this is suddenly not an issue and goods can be sent. Will never recommend or use this service again. MyUS will now get my service and I will make sure to always recommend MyUS!
Similar opinion? Write a review on ProductReview.com.au!
Jot
- 2 reviews
Poor expensive service. Does not bundle Items
Recently made five purchases in the USA which were sent to Shop Mate to be sent as one parcel.
Charged the exorbitant rate of $488 to ship the items which were sent as six different parcels and arrived via four different delivery drivers. They did not bundle the items as requested. Avoid at all cost and I will will use My US in the future who charge less than half that for a superior service.
Similar opinion? Write a review on ProductReview.com.au!
IanCentral West, NSW
- 24 reviews
- 22 likes
- Shopmate
- Verified customer
Total nightmare. Do not trust this 3rd party company of Australia Post
So made an order and trusted Australia Post would be able to handle it. Check the terms and conditions and read them and there was no issue with my product, which is shipped regularly via DHL and is legal in Australia. Long story short, they refused to ship it, claiming it is restricted, but not listed in T&Cs. They showed me the link, which was hidden on the site and not in their T&Cs. Decided to get it sent to another provider, less than 1km and they want $35 to release it. Scammers
Edit: They now have put the costs up to $48 for postage and refuse to release the order and will not allow me to pay. Now with Postal Ombudsmans.
Similar opinion? Write a review on ProductReview.com.au!
ViktorSouth East Queensland, QLD
- 2 reviews
- 1 like
- Shopmate
- Verified customer
Good service at acceptable price
I ordered a powered car subwoofer from the US on 25/11/2020. It arrived at Shopmate's facility in the US on 9/12. I immediately paid the fee and sent them the invoice. Next day they sent me a confirmation that my parcel has been shipped. The estimated delivery date was 17/12-21/12. Australia Post's tracking number wasn't working until 20/12. I received the parcel on 22/12. It was a minimal delay of just one day. I can only recommend this service!
1 comment
Casey K.Australia Post
Hey Viktor,
Really glad to hear you had a great experience!... Read more
Hope you had a very Merry Christmas, thanks for sharing your review :) -CaseySimilar opinion? Write a review on ProductReview.com.au!
EllyPerth, WA
- 4 reviews
- 10 likes
Total rip off . (update, eventually admitted to overcharging after i sent photos and was refunded, not easy to get)
For some reason it said my package weight was 5kg but i was being charged 12kg. As is a Christmas gift i agreed rather than send back and miss Christmas.
Package is late and wont be here for Christmas even though it said it would be.
Package is some clothing and back pack.
I used planet express before to ship a triple pram ( 2 large boxes) and was only slightly more than this.
I thought i would do the right thing and support an Australia company and it has cost me hundreds.
Also no tracking just says sent. I could watch the American service moving across the country.
Will never use again.
Very disappointing
2 comments
Casey K.Australia Post
Hi Elly,
Sorry to hear your package didn't arrive in time for Christmas. ... Read more
We did post an announcement regarding major rail issues affecting Christmas mail heading to WA on our website here: https://auspost.com.au/service-updates/domestic-delivery-updates (scroll down to latest updates) It's sounds like your parcel may have been caught up in the delays caused by these derailments which is extremely disappointing. I'm really sorry we weren't able to get it to you in time. A quick note on the postage cost and tracking. Postage is calculated by either the actual weight of a parcel or it's cubic weight, whichever is greater. This is to reflect the transport cost of sending larger parcels which can sometimes not be covered if calculating by actual weight alone. With regards to the tracking, you won't see any updates while the parcel is in transit across the country as during that time it's inside a mail container on a truck or train heading across. Parcels can only receive tracking updates when the actual barcode on the parcel is scanned which means we're unlike to see an update until that cross country mail has been unloaded in Perth and sorted to the local delivery location. Hopefully you'll see that very soon now but feel free to private message me with your tracking number and delivery details if you'd like me to take a closer look for you. -CaseyI put a complaint forward saying delivery was 22-25th and was told they didn't know where i got them dates from.
I sent a screan shot and was told to disregard that information (that i received befor... Read more
Similar opinion? Write a review on ProductReview.com.au!
Tiana
- 3 reviews
- 1 like
Pleasantly Surprised
Reading these reviews I thought "oh no i'll never get my parcel", however my experience with Shopmate has been great!
10th December - Item Arrives in Shopmate warehouse, I receive an email and pay the invoice
12th December - Item ships from USA warehouse
18th December - Item arrives in Sydney and clears customs
21st December - Item delivered
I'm still amazed at how quickly my parcel arrived, especially given this is peak Christmas time but it happened. Amazing service!
The only annoying thing is that you are charged shipping by cubic weight rather than actual weight BUT that is clearly stated on the Shopmate website so it's no surprise.
If you need an item from the USA that you can't get in Australia, Shopmate is a great service.
1 comment
Casey K.Australia Post
Hey Tiana,
Glad to hear you had a great experience with Shopmate! ... Read more
Thanks for your review, wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas!Similar opinion? Write a review on ProductReview.com.au!
Find out how Australia Post Shopmate compares to other Couriers
Know better, choose better.
DaskarzineMetropolitan Adelaide, SA
- 3 reviews
- 3 likes
- Shopmate
- Verified customer
I should have checked the reviews first - DON'T USE!!!
Horrible communication. Pricing is way too high. They have no idea where the package is, that THEY sent. Australia Post...... Impossible to deal with and they have absolutely no idea!!!
1 comment
Casey K.Australia Post
Hi Daskarzine,
I'm sorry to hear you've had such a bad experience using Shopmate. Thank you for leaving your honest review.... Read more
If you're still waiting for your delivery, please let me know your tracking number so that I can see if I have some more information for you.Similar opinion? Write a review on ProductReview.com.au!
Very ordinary service
Like a previous reviewer posted my product was deemed dangerous (water based paint) so lost my money on the purchase.
Would certainly not recommend this service at all and can understand it's lowly rating.
3 comments
Casey K.Australia Post
Hi rodeocowboy,
That sounds very disappointing. I wouldn't have thought water based paint would be dangerous but I guess it could depend on it's makeup and if there is a flammability flashpoint below the required threshold.... Read more
Did Shopmate advise what happened to the package? Would it not have been returned to sender?I wouldn't of thought so either. However from what I am told shopmate uses regular passenger jets to fly out goods. Not loaded on to cargo planes, so if would seem to me what you can fly out is much m... Read more
ore heavily limited. I noticed other reviews recently on here with items such as wax candles being deemed dangerous so I would suggest use a service that can get out these everyday retail products to Australia (like most other carriers) or wind it up. No the cost to request a return label from the company in the states was going to recoup very little, plus the time I have wasted lesson learnt and never again.Casey K.Australia Post
Thanks for the reply rodeocowboy,
It's definitely a very unsatisfactory experience you've had, would you mind sending me a private message with your details and any relevant case numbers?... Read more
It seems really unfair that you've been left out of pocket through no fault of your own so I'd like to follow up and see if there is anything further we can do to assist in this situation.Similar opinion? Write a review on ProductReview.com.au!
Ellen
- 2 reviews
- 1 like
Cumbersome process and useless package consolidation
I was excited for this service but regretted using it. The process is very cumbersome and manual. It’s inexcusable after 2-3 years of running.
1. They don’t consolidate packages unless it’s from the same merchant.
This is really useless because 90% of the time nobody would split order from the same merchant knowing full well they are going to pay per package.
This also means I ended up paying more than other package forwarder.
2. Custom declaration is very manual and cumbersome.
Here’s the process:
- you’re asked to manually enter the price paid per parcel in their website.
- once you entered the value, you can’t edit it...Read more
1 comment
Casey K.Australia Post
Hi Ellen,
I'm sorry to hear you had such a disappointing experience using the Shopmate service.... Read more
Thank you so much for your honest feedback and review though as this type of information is really valuable to us in order to identify how to improve the service in future.Similar opinion? Write a review on ProductReview.com.au!
Kayla H.South East Queensland, QLD
- Shopmate
- Verified customer
Expensive, don't care about customers.
Refused to send my Amazon order because it was a charging pack and labeled "Dangerous".
We had to pay to ship it to a friend in the US. Was charge $40AU just to mail it back within the US. Then had to pay for our friend to send it to us. Ended up paying more in shipping than the product is worth.
This was supposed to be my Christmas present for my husband. It won't arrive on time and will end up costing twice as much as what I paid for the product.
Customer service don't care.
1 comment
Casey K.Australia Post
Hi Kayla,
Sounds like a very frustrating experience and especially disappointing if the end result is that it arrives too late for Christmas.... Read more
It's actually aviation authorities that determine what is classified as dangerous goods and what we are allowed to post with them. While these items may still be able to be shipped internationally, there may be specific packaging, labelling or documentation requirements in order for them to be accepted or may only be able to be sent using a specific service. How did your friend end up shipping it from the States? Were they able to send it through the post or did they use a different carrier? If it was posted, do you know which service was used to send it? If you're able to share the tracking number, I'd be interested to see what service was used and to see if we can find out why this wasn't able to be shipped through Shopmate.Similar opinion? Write a review on ProductReview.com.au!
nikSouthwest, VIC
Disgusting service
Do not use this service, you will not receive your items, Auspost continue to deny that my parcel was delivered even though there is proof of delivery from the USPS, I wish I had read the great number of bad reviews this service gets, I though Auspost, mah, should be ok, and that is very far from the truth.
I am now trying to get $150 AUD returned to me due to Auspost losing my parcel.
The customer service just keeps fobbing you off, they are unwilling to help and make false claims.
I never received my goods and am out of pocket due to this shockingly poor service.
1 comment
Casey K.Australia Post
Hi Nik,
That sounds like an extremely frustrating and disappointing experience.... Read more
I'd hope that the Shopmate team are looking into this for you, have they given you a case number at all?Similar opinion? Write a review on ProductReview.com.au!
Questions & Answers
Evelyn R.asked
My package from my forwarding address in the US has said “it’s being prepared” since Dec 7, it is now Dec 11! This is a Christmas present and the tracking says est. arrival Dec 15!! That’s not going to happy if it hasn’t even left the US yet! Can you please tell me if it has in fact left the US yet? (It says packages will be shipped within 3 business days!)
My tracking is: 00093493040003950054
1 answer
Casey K.Australia Post
Hey Evelyn,
Being prepared means we haven't got the parcel yet so if that's the case, best to always follow up with your sender directly, especially if they are shipping it to Australia using some other forwarding or logistics company.
Looks like 00093493040003950054 has now actually been posted with us on Saturday though so will now be in transit to you though the post. The tracking indicates it was posted with us up in Sydney and it looks like you're in Victoria. Parcels travelling that distance are currently estimated to take up to around a week so I'd expect this to reach you by early next week if not earlier.
Makasked
Hi Shopmate,
I intend to buy an iPhone 12 Pro directly from the US Apple Store. The cost is USD$1,299.
May I know if I will have to pay any import duty and inspection fees (in addition to insurance, freight and GST)?
If so, how much will each the duty and inspection fees be? Please let me know. Thanks!
Regards-
Mak
3 answers
Priscila L.Australia Post
Hi Mak,
I recommend looking on the Australia Border Force website for more info on this here is the link - https://www.abf.gov.au/buying-online/buying-online
Hope this helps!
This page is monitored Monday - Friday and if you require an update sooner we recommend speaking to our Social Media Team on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/australiapost/ & Twitter https://twitter.com/auspost that are available 24/7. Alternatively you can call us on 13 7678 (Mon - Fri) or live chat with someone - https://auspost.com.au/help-and-support
Hi Priscilla, why can’t you just give a straight answer instead of referring me to Australia Border Force (since you are the expert in this field)?
When I buy from Amazon in the past, they handled every on customers’ behalf, we don’t have to deal with the Australia Border Force.
Casey K.Australia Post
Hi Mak,
I see you were addressing your post to the Shopmate team, they do not monitor the Product Review website however you can reach them on 1300 624 475 between 8am-6pm (AEST) Monday – Friday or email at shopmate@auspost.com.au
The shipping rates through Shopmate are available here: https://shopmate.auspost.com.au/our-rates/shipping-rates
The Shopmate team may be able to provide you with some further general advice but ABF will be the best point of contact for any information regarding import duties or taxes charged on goods imported into Australia.
Yvetteasked
Hello, I am being told that my item is “pending assessment from us” so I cannot pay. At the same time, I have been sent an email from ShopMate saying I have 7d left to pay. Can you please help? The tracking number is 1ZW5W0991356396988
1 answer
Priscila L.Australia Post
Hi Yvette,
Please speak to our Shopmate so they can assist you further with this.
Here are their contact details - https://shopmate.auspost.com.au/help-and-support/get-in-touch
Thanks!
Details
ProductReview.com.au has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence our content moderation policies in any way, though ProductReview.com.au may earn commissions for products/services purchased via affiliate links.
Casey K.Australia Post
Hey Ben,
Thanks for sharing this review! Glad to hear your item arrived as expected and the service ran smoothly for you.... Read more
Have a great end to the week and a fantastic upcoming weekend!