Australia Post Local Parcel Pricing Anomaly

[dazzledayz]

Has any one else noticed this.

According to AP for local parcels from 500g to 22kg a flat rate of $8.95 within a 50km radius applies and this is irrespective of zones (same rate applies within the same zone as well).

This comes from their new "parcels-easyguide-zone-Q1-apr2013.pdf" ( I'm in Brisbane ) but I think this will apply Australia wide.

Ok ... so:

I posted a 750g parcel and was charged $9.85 even though the location was only 15km away.

Staff at the PO informed me it was because the parcel was crossing into another zone !???

Just as well it wasn't 22kg as the price would have been $28.75 instead of the indicated $8.95.

I'd already quoted the buyer postage so just had to wear it which wasn't a huge problem as only 90c.

The online calculator on AP website returns the same price as the local PO if I'd have thought to check it.

The only reason I used the pdf was that I'd been working out new pricing structures after the price rise and didn't think they'd tell me lies!

I've since had a word with the local postmaster and he agrees there's a problem.

We both have inquiries lodged with AP and I'll post any replies here.

Be careful out there guys!

[beach_and_home]

ok, see what you're talking about now. There is a whole new column and it says that it should over-ride the zones, but it isn't if you use the AP calculator online.

[dazzledayz]

That's right, both the online calculator and the Post Office POS system seem to share the same data so anyone posting a heavy parcel semi-locally will be automatically overcharged.

This would apply in any area at or near the boundaries of two zones and in the worst case scenario could amount to an overcharge of nearly $20.

Any seller in an outlying area of a zone needs to be extremely careful in quoting freight as there is no way at present that AP outlets can get the calculation right.

[dazzledayz]

Ok, I said I'd come back and put up the correspondence with AP so see below.

It looks like AP are, as usual, being just a tad at a loss to even recognise there is a problem at all.

Has anyone else been overcharged for semi-local postage?

If so, put in a complaint and get a refund.

This was offered to me via a telecon by their Customer Service rep Leon who did admit that there is indeed a problem and that they were working on it.

As you can see from the email correspondence below their idea of working on it is a little less than adequate.

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To Australia Post

12/04/2013 05.23 PM

I am writing to you in order to clarify your latest postal rates.
On Wed 10/4/13 I posted a 750g parcel at Browns Plains PO 4118 (Q1).
The destination was Camira 4300 some 15km distant.
Your online pricing document (pdf 8833713 - MS107):
http://auspost.com.au/media/documents/parcels-easyguide-zone-Q1-apr2013.pdf
indicated that the charge would be $8.95 as the radial distance was less than 50km even though Camira is in a different zone (Q2) - the explanatory notes on this document expressly state that the radial distance will be used for calculation irrespective of zones.
When the counter staff calculated postage however, the rate given by your POS system was $9.85 and it was explained to me by the staff that this was because the parcel was going from Q1 to Q2 zones.
As you can see from the above, I am somewhat bemused, though less than amused and not a little confused.
I will look forward to hearing from you shortly with a reasonable explanation and anticipated plan of action to clear this anomaly up.

Regards

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From: Australia Post

Sent: Tuesday, 23 April 2013 11:55 AM
Subject: Australia Post Customer Enquiry [Incident: ]

Thank you so much for your follow up email, I regret that this matter is still a cause of frustration.

I’m really sorry that it has taken us longer than anticipated to get back to you. We are currently experiencing higher than normal online enquiries, and are working hard to make sure that we get back to our customers as soon as possible.

A review of your previous contact with us has indicated that when you spoke with my colleague Leon, it was understood that you did not require further contact, rather that you were providing this feedback so that we could simply rectify the error that has occurred in the discrepancy between our online Postal Charges guide and the Electronic Point of Sales (EPOS) system in store. I regret the confusion and any disappointment that may have been caused as a result of you not receiving an email confirmation.

I am happy to confirm that after you spoke with my colleague, he contacted the Area Manager for Browns Plains Licensed Post Office to ensure their EPOS system is adjusted.

Once again please accept my sincere apologies for the inconvenience, and thank you for bringing this matter to our attention, to ensure that neither you, nor any other customer is put in this position in the future.

I hope that this information has helped and you enjoy the rest of your day. If there is anything else that we can do for you, please do not hesitate to contact us again.

Regards

Nicolette D | Digital Sales and Service | Australia Post
Online Services Consultant

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Reply To Australia Post

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 at 13:45 1:45 PM

Thank you for your reply and I do appreciate your efforts.
However, your online postage calculator still delivers the wrong result.
This is not a matter of a simple local adjustment to EPOS at Browns Plains as you indicated.
This would appear to be a widespread systemic failure of the EPOS system which, I would suspect, is Australia wide.
As I pointed out to your colleague Leon, the EPOS system is in fact just one front end of a database (Db).
This Db was originally programmed to look up a table as all Db's do.
The reference table in question, I strongly suspect, is a list of postcodes sorted by zone.
Your new paradigm for local(ish) postage however, ignores zone boundaries up to 50km.
This would contraindicate the use of any previously existing reference table.
If this problem has not already been referred to your IT department then a serious oversight has occurred.
Only users close to zone edges (within 50km) will be affected by this but you do have many zones and many customers.
In particular, businesses and individuals close to cities but in different zones are severely affected.
In my case we could think Brisbane/Ipswich for example which are both centres containing large populations.
Based on your documented pricing advice, this problem could result in an overcharge of between 90c and $19.80 per parcel to anyone using the parcel service under the circumstances previously described.
The new pricing arrangement has been in place for 2 weeks now and, as far as I can tell, this problem with EPOS has not been adequately addressed.
This problem is the subject of discussion on several online retailing forums at present and AP's response to the issue is being very closely observed.
If I have not received an adequate response as to how AP intends to correct this anomaly within 7 days I will have no alternative than to escalate the matter to a formal complaint with both the ACCC and Qld Fairtrading.
I sincerely hope it will not come to that.

Kind regards

[dazzledayz]

Here's the last bit again (hopefully without the unfortunate formatting):

Hello Nicolette,

Thank you for your reply and I do appreciate your efforts.
However, your online postage calculator still delivers the wrong result.
This is not a matter of a simple local adjustment to EPOS at Browns Plains as you indicated.
This would appear to be a widespread systemic failure of the EPOS system which, I would suspect, is Australia wide.
As I pointed out to your colleague Leon, the EPOS system is in fact just one front end of a database (Db).
This Db was originally programmed to look up a table as all Db's do.
The reference table in question, I strongly suspect, is a list of postcodes sorted by zone.
Your new paradigm for local(ish) postage however, ignores zone boundaries up to 50km.
This would contraindicate the use of any previously existing reference table.
If this problem has not already been referred to your IT department then a serious oversight has occurred.
Only users close to zone edges (within 50km) will be affected by this but you do have many zones and many customers.
In particular, businesses and individuals close to cities but in different zones are severely affected.
In my case we could think Brisbane/Ipswich for example which are both centres containing large populations.
Based on your documented pricing advice, this problem could result in an overcharge of between 90c and $19.80 per parcel to anyone using the parcel service under the circumstances previously described.
The new pricing arrangement has been in place for 2 weeks now and, as far as I can tell, this problem with EPOS has not been adequately addressed.
This problem is the subject of discussion on several online retailing forums at present and AP's response to the issue is being very closely observed.
If I have not received an adequate response as to how AP intends to correct this anomaly within 7 days I will have no alternative than to escalate the matter to a formal complaint with both the ACCC and Qld Fairtrading.
I sincerely hope it will not come to that.

Kind regards

[dazzledayz]

And here's the latest reply.

Maybe we'll see some improvement soon.

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 Discussion Thread Response Via Email (Angela D)

23/04/2013 05.23 PM

Thank you for your email and for all the feedback you have provided. I appreciate that you have taken the time to let us know of an issue that will affect many customers.

I can confirm that this matter has been referred to out IT department who will identify the adjustments that need to be made.These adjustments will be made internally and I am sorry but you will not receive any correspondence in regards to what adjustments are made.

Thanks again for your email and making us aware of an issue that required attention.

Yours sincerely

Angela D | Digital Sales and Service | Australia Post
Online Services Consultant

GPO Box 9911 In Your Capital City
www.auspost.com.au

[thecatspjs]

Fair trading in your state might eventually do something - don't hold your breathe with the ACCC - but I reckon reporting it to the PIO (ombudsman) will get a change much much quicker.

[dazzledayz]

Thanks so much for that advice.

I hadn't even thought about the PIO.

If AP haven't sorted it by next week I'll give all 3 a go.

I just wonder how many people have been ripped off by this without knowing?

When it happened to me the counter staff just explained it as the usual zone pricing.

If I'd used AP's online calculator to work out postage I wouldn't have even noticed.

It was just that I had a printout of their postage guide at hand so did the calc from that.

Who'd have thought that you couldn't trust a govt sponsored monopoly lol !!