Paying for US goods with non-US credit card

[SQtraveller]

post deleted

[DinkumDave]

Hi SQtraveller,

I guess you've already exhausted the obvious options - alternative supplier? paypal? friend in the US?

You can always use the services of a mail forwarding agent. I use "Shipito", but there are lots of similar outfits to choose from.

They give you a US postal address, which is usually all that is required to get a merchant to play ball. The merchant ships to shipping agent's US warehouse. You then instruct the shipping agent to forward the items to any address of your choosing. You pay the shipping agent a small fee for their service, but often you save this again because the agent offers cheaper onward shipping costs (because they get bulk discounts). It also gives you greater flexibility - you can choose different shipping methods, and you can also consolidate multiple purchases for greater savings.

If the merchant still doesn't accept your credit card, then the shipping agent can offer an assisted purchase service. Basically the agent buys the goods in the US, with US funds, on your behalf, then ships them on for you. Unfortunatley this service is not cheap. The agent charges you a % commission on the cost of goods purchased (in addition to their normal handling charge + shipping costs + credit card/paypal surcharges). But it is an option if the item is a "must have" and you can't find a better alternative.