[Linux-aus] Off topic: Anyone use an America mail forwarding service?

[Dylan Lacey]

I know this is off topic, but I'm hoping that, being a worldy bunch,
the Hackers of the Linux-Aus list might be able to help me.

Owing to a massive failure to realize that there are places other the
the United States, some of the places I'd like to buy stuff from
(clothes, books, not weapons or contraband) won't ship outside of the
USA.  I'd like to use some sort of mail forwarding service to allow me
to have packages shipped to them, consolidated, then forwarded to me
in Australia... The mail version of NAT.

I found some companies on the 'net who will provide such a service,
but most of them have a flaw.  They're either subscription based (and
I'm looking for a one-off ATM, possibly followed by irregular orders)
or won't consolidate (Thereby charging a single, large shipping fee
for every item).  All of them seem to have amazingly high postal
rates.  I don't even want my packages sent express, as long as they
get here sometime in the next three months.

Has anyone on the list had any experiences with these companies, and
is there a cheaper solution to my problem?  Unless I can route my
packages like I can my packets, I'm stuck behind the magical firewall
that is "Not America".

Thanks!

--Dylan Lacey.