Buying Coopers: US or Australian site a better deal?

[nikkuchan]

Hello all. I was interested in buying the Coopers kit since it comes with all the equipment needed, and I can reuse it all for brewing later. The carboy seems particularly convenient since it is already set up with a spigot (I'd probably screw up installing one myself).

In any case, I checked the US Coopers site and checked the products and prices, and then I checked the AU site, and found that the products are just all-around cheaper (I checked exchange rates to confirm). For example, the base kit sells for $129 (shipping included) on the US site, but sells for $95au which on the AU site. It says shipping is $15 within AU, and though it doesn't state how much international shipping is, I doubt it would a huge amount of money. The various kits and supplies are also a lot cheaper, as well. The US site has a premium kit that also comes with 3 extra refill kits for $199, but the kit with the same three kits from the AU site still comes out to less.

I know it's kind of a strange question, and I'm not sure if anyone has much experience with this subject, but I was curious: Would it be better to order from the AU site (will there be snags in shipping or other issues) or would it be better to pay more to get it from the US supplier?

 

[Teromous]

One thing to be aware of is that sometimes you will get charged an extra fee for currency conversion. If the website has it set up to convert it automatically it might show up on your online bill of sale before purchasing. If it doesn't automatically convert it, your bank or card provider will sometimes charge extra for it and you won't find out until after the card has been charged. It's best to call your bank or card provider and ask them what the rate is for currency conversion.

 

[nikkuchan]

Thanks for the info. This crossed my mind, and I believe you're probably right. I may just order from the US site to save any potential hassle.

 

[cabbie92]

Shipping to/from Australia is a lot more expensive than you might think...you may not get much savings, if any, and it will take awhile for it to get to you.


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