Another Australia Post and Late Arrival Defect Thread

[jfmgray]

The last week has been a disaster for me in terms of items not arriving or arriving later than eBay's estimated delivery dates.  I have had 10 messages or items not received cases from buyers in NSW and Queensland (I am in Melbourne).  And whist I continue to communicate with buyers to try and minimise the damage, I have received 3 late arrival defects this month (compared to nil for the rest of 2016) and will refund the 3 item not received cases by the due date if the item has not arrived.  My business model exists on posting at large letter rates so there is no need to recommend tracked postage for me as I can't affort it (nor can buyers for most of my low cost items).

Is anyone else noticing an increase in late arrivals?

What are seller's experiences in using the 50 cent priority stickers for letters expecially for destinations in galaxies far far away?

I have avoided increasing my handling time from 1 day basacially as I have not needed to do this.  But the increases in late delivery defects and the grief (and time) being caused by late deliveries has made me rethink.  I know most sellers who have increased handling times would say heir sales have not been affected but are there any sellers who have noticed a negative consequence?  Additionally how far can you stretch out handling time before there is an effect on things like Top Rated status or best match placements or anything else?

In saying all this, my late arrival defects are an 0.5% and I can never see them reaching 5%.  So this may all be an over reaction for one bad week!!

[pacotrading]

Yes we increased our handling time to 5 days, as we use the postal system, and couriers, naturaly the courier service mostly delivers within our handling time, but we were not top rated sellers, but since increasing the handling time, we are now rated as top sellers, and no impact on our sales, actually more sales since top rated.

[character_parties_aus]

It's not just letters that are slower though.

Parcels from Bris to Melb used to be 3 business days conssitently. It's no 4 and sometimes 5 business days. That's sending tracked with siganture.

Only difference I can see is that they now get a scan in Sydney. If they are slower due to that scan I would sooner there was no Sydney scan personally.

It seems also same applies from Vic to QLD. I recently bought two items off a seller that went eparcel and took 5 days. No fault of seller but 5 days QLD to Vic when you are paying $10-$12 for freight is really lousy service.

[pacotrading]

Hi we use DHL couriers not cheap but very fast even internationly, plus step by step tracking all the way, they make Oz post look like snails, yes agree Oz postal delivery times these days can be woefull, sent two different items to 2 different buyers in WA, one sent from VIC. standard Oz post satchel, the other from a warehouse in  SHENZHEN - CHINA, with DHL, DHL delivery had to pass through 3 different customs points enroute as well. Meanwhile the Oz post delivery did not leave VIC for 4 days stuck in Sunshine sorting centre, meanwhile DHL delivery driver delivered the item from China to the WA customer, Oz post delivery was a week later. Ironically the only time DHL deliveries slow down is when delivering to areas outside of their delivery radius and they pass them on to Oz post and things slow down dramatically. 

[saarzi]

The stickers made no difference to delivery time for me, so I stopped using them.

I pushed my handling time to 5 days, even though I post same day or the following day, and it hasnt affected my sales whatsoever. In fact, this month and last month are my best two months in 3 years, and because items almost always arrive before the estimate, buyers love it.

Just extend your handling time and it wont be a problem.

[beallieblue-oz]

I am the same as you, no priority and 5 days handling.  I live in the country and only post 3-4 days a week.

All letter rate. I write on the box the date I posted it, so the customer can see, and take a photo of finished parcel.

No defects so far.

[lane-ends]

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@jfmgray wrote:

.  If there is no penalty for sellers who stay below 5%, am I unnecessarily worried about increased items arriving late?

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Dont assume this, if there is no penalty now, they may implement an effect without warning.

Plus if you just accept a residual defect rate it cuts your margin for when something goes wrong and you suddenly get a lot of delayed mail. eg a mislaid mail bag pick up which contains your entire days postings.

[cassie135]

Posted a large letter at a Frankston PO, Melbourne around 1pm on a Friday, no priority. Was received at Highett, Geelong the following Friday. A one hour trip distance by car.

[twyngwyn]

PIAA grills Aus Post CEO

24 Oct 2016 | April Glover | Comment now

Australia Post chief executive Ahmed Fahour fronted Federal parliament in a Senate Estimates meeting, grilled with questions about business mail costs devised by the PIAA.

During the meeting Fahour told Senator David Leyonhjelm the industry should be prepared the increased business mail prices, and frankly spoke about the mail giant’s lack of responsibility for price hikes.

According to Fahour, Australia Post continues to lose money because of business mail, therefore group will persist with its pattern of letter price rises.

When asked about the accelerating prices of ordinary mail versus business mail, Fahour responded he did not have the ‘exact mathematics’.

“There is no question that we have been trying to reduce the losses, as we have been losing money on business mail every year since 2009,” says Fahour.

“At the end of the day the people who have to pay a little bit more to cover the losses are big institutions like the banks, telcos and government itself.”

[Related: Aus Post defends ageism claims]

The Association has since criticised Fahour for his responses during the meeting, describing the Aus Post boss as ‘dodging questions’ and stating the mail giant has no accountability for its price issues.

“Business mail is an easy target for Australia Post because it has to seek approval from the ACCC to increase prices for basic mail, but not for business mail,” says the PIAA.

“Australia Post intends to continue increasing prices for business mail without transparency, without accountability and without genuine consultation. Australia Post will simply say no.”

Fahour told the Senate Australia Post’s letter business makes up 28 per cent of its revenue, with only 3 per cent of that total from social mail.

[jfmgray]

I posted a large letter to Frankston on 13 October (about 20 minutes away).  On the same day I posted a large letter to the UK.  Guess which one has arrived.

I am now up to 5 "where is my item" open cases and 4 other messages about missing mail, all posted on 13-14 October, mostly to Queensland and NSW (and Frankston).  I have heeded advice and extended my handling time yesterday to 3 days and sales yesterday and today continue to be great.

[twyngwyn]

90% of my 'missing' letters are to Qld....I'm in Adelaide....considering my tracking of parcels going to Qld show that they are being processed through Chullora in NSW (and remain stranded for quite a while) I presume that letters are going through there as well....can anyone clarify?