Buyers Expectations.

[neuvecottage]

I recently received a request from a buyer, that they wanted their purchase to be left on the front porch of their house. The item is being sent via Australia Post Untracked as the buyer did not avail themselves of additional services at cost. I responded saying that I will note their request upon the envelope, but as I did not own Australia Post, I could not guarantee that their request would be honoured. My question is , was I too harsh in telling the truth. Perhaps I should have said, I note your request and will write that on the envelope?   I don't know. Right or wrong, your going to get screwed. Ideas Please.

[jellybirddesigns]

Never give buyers the option of choosing tracking. Either charge for it, build it into your pricing, or pay for it out of your own pocket. Or don't send with tracking, but be prepared for losses. Any buyer can open a claim which you will always lose, regardless of where the item is left.

I have had buyers ask me to tell Aus Post to leave on their porch. All I do is write "PLEASE LEAVE ON PORCH", somewhere on the package. However, the vast majority of my items are sent with tracking, so I'm not too fussed about it.

Why would they want it left on their porch? Is it too big to fit into the letterbox? Perhaps they don't want to get a card to pick up at the PO. 

[digital*ghost]

A lot of buyers will have something like this as a default "note to seller", as in it is something they just automatically include with every purchase they make, regardless of any postage services selected (most assume the default is parcel, though, no matter how much the postage cost is).

They generally just want to make sure the safe-drop location is consistent and / or to ensure it's not returned for collection at a PO (basically, it's another way of requesting no signature on delivery without being explicit, which can ring alarm bells for sellers). I don't even acknowledge it most of the time, and will not include it on anything going as a letter (no point, they will go to letterboxes only, and if too big will just be placed near it 99% of the time - the only time I include buyer's instructions that are not part of the official address is when they are there to assist in locating the premises itself, eg "corner of X and X" or "down the lane behind the X"). A couple of times they've sent me a message instead, and in those cases I just reply that delivery instructions are not applicable to letters as they will always deliver directly to a letterbox.

[paper-jack]

All deliveries that don't fit in my letter box are dumped against my wire screen door whether or not I'm home. As that door opens outwards it can be a pain to retrieve some parcels but never had any problems (apart from magpies attacking a parcel when I was out and eating some chocolate santas).

I doubt that anyone would make a specific request for items to be left if they lived in an unsafe area. Maybe your customer is super covid cautious so is avoiding any unnecessary trips to the PO etc.

[springyzone]

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@neuvecottage wrote:

I recently received a request from a buyer, that they wanted their purchase to be left on the front porch of their house. The item is being sent via Australia Post Untracked as the buyer did not avail themselves of additional services at cost. I responded saying that I will note their request upon the envelope, but as I did not own Australia Post, I could not guarantee that their request would be honoured. My question is , was I too harsh in telling the truth. Perhaps I should have said, I note your request and will write that on the envelope?   I don't know. Right or wrong, your going to get screwed. Ideas Please.

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I found this whole post perplexing till I read digital ghost's response and I think she must be right. This could be what they add as a note to all purchases, regardless.

You're talking about an envelope, right?

I personally would not have written a special note on the envelope about leaving it on the porch. On a parcel yes, I might.

Not on an envelope. That will go in the letter box.

Why should the postie have to get off his motor bike and make his way to the porch for an envelope?

You weren't too harsh in telling the truth, although in your position I may have ignored that message unless it was for a parcel sized item.

As for tracked services. No savvy buyer is going to pay extra for that, why on earth would they? If an item doesn't arrive they will just make an ebay claim for item not received. This isn't the old days where the customer loses out if an item doesn't arrive. Tracking will mainly be of benefit to you, the seller, to prove something has been delivered. Up to you whether you include it or not, guess it depends on overall price of the item as to whether it is worth the extra expense. I'd say most buyers are honest but you may find the occasional one who might take advantage of untracked.

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[zanadoo_56]

You are absolutely right that no matter what sellers write on a parcel Aust Post will go its own sweet way.  My experience lately has been anything that AP can cram into the letterbox will go in the letterbox despite what has been written on the package.  If it's letter sized the only time I've had any AP postie come to the front door is when a signature is required...and that the moment that is not guaranteed as due to Covid AP sign on delivery.

[zanadoo_56]

QUOTE: Why would they want it left on their porch? Is it too big to fit into the letterbox? Perhaps they don't want to get a card to pick up at the PO. 

Perhaps they CAN'T collect parcels from the Post Office.  This is my situation.  I am housebound, use a walker frame (and am too slow to get to the door before the parcel is left) and collecting parcels from the post office is not an option as I had to sell my car as I can no longer drive.

I get very annoyed with sellers who (after I have explained WHY I am providing details about my Safe Drop place} don't bother to put the instructions on my purchases.  It may not guarantee AP will follow those directions but at least they've been been told.

But some AP staff and contractors (especially lately) are very slack about deliveries anyway.  Tracking is all very well (and I definitely prefer tracking for my purchases) but it won't stop AP leaving parcels in unsafe places (like my front door which is only 3 metres from the footpath and is open to the elements) or a parcel has been left at the front door of someone else's house.  There's been a spate of them in my suburb with desperate buyers posting messages about lost parcels.....or someone else's parcels turning up on their doorstep.  When AP is contacted about it, well the tracking says blah blah blah.  Even when a photo had been taken and it's not the right house they don't care.