Well, actually a 'favor', seeing this is one we are in need of specifically from one of my US blog mates, so I had better spell it the US way!!!

You might say this would also be a matter of Trust from my end!!!

You know, of course, about our passion for cycling - and tandems in particular. And that I have often commented that tandems are BIG in the US, but not so in Australia. So often when my tandem geek husband finds tandem specific bike parts (or indeed tandems!) for sale either on eBay, or in US online bike shops -stuff he can't get in Australia - he is getting increasingly frustrated and disappointed that some of them just won't ship out of the US. He has looked into US postal rates to Australia (and they aren't that bad!), but some just don't want to go to the post office and fill out a small form.

He has also successfully bought our road tandem from the US on eBay, and organised to have it freighted over here, so we know how it can be done.

So for a while now he's asked me "Do you know anyone in the States who might be prepared to occasionally take receipt of parcels, and then send them off to us - we'd send over the money of course, either via paypal, or international money order, or whatever." (This is the 21st Century after all!)

I was nearly going to send out an SOS in respect of buying a particular bike hub (or whole wheel... or was it just the cluster?) from somewhere in the US, but we solved that problem by finding another alternative (switching wheels between tandems etc etc!!!)

In the meantime we've been talking for a while about upgrading the tandem that I ride with our eldest daughter. At the moment Marc captains the mean machine - the Co-motion Triplet. Excellent quality tandem. (US made.) Whilst the one I ride is a few hundred years old (ok, exaggerating...) and generally not so beautiful. To upgrade to a real nice tandem (which is the equivalent quality of the triplet) there just isn't much available in Australia.... Yes.. sounds extremely elitist doesn't it... but this is our passion, ok!

So today he sends me a link.. he's found me a new tandem! Beautiful isn't she? (Classic name for it too!) Right size for me and daughter... *sighs*

Only problem is, it's in the States, and seller will only ship to continental US.

Here comes the favor part.

IF we decide to bid for it, and IF he wins the auction (which he is good at doing!), would any of my wonderful US blogging associates that I know I could Trust (with a capital T!!) be prepared to take receipt of payment from me..*gulp* - send on the payment to the seller in required format... *gulp*... then take delivery of two big packages ... and THEN have them collected to be sent on to us in Australia.??

We bought our road tandem from the US, so we know from that experience that all the arrangements for that can be made at our end... so all you'd have to do is take delivery of the packages, and then keep them safe till they are collected.

So the main issue I guess is losing your anonymity with me, because I would have to send you lots of money! *gulps again*... and then there's the inconvenience of converting that to a USPS money order to send to the seller. We'd cover, of course, any extra transaction fees involved (even if it meant sending more money later)... and of course we'd show our Aussie appreciation in other ways!!

I have a very obvious Canadian friend who I am pretty sure would do it in a flash, but in this particular case they don't even ship over the border!

Anyways, I guess I know who I want to ask, but I'd rather throw it open without putting anyone on the spot.

My email addy is crazytrace(at)gmail(dot)com

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