Click & Send Satchels - Are they worth it?

[flashback_deals]

I have been using Click & Send for months now, my only concern was ebay wriien on the side so staff at Australia Post who handle the satchel will know there is goods inside that people have paid for.

Today, I had my 8th missing satchel. I am not a big seller so this is a lot. I went into my local Post Office today was was told even though Click & Send has tracking, they cannot do anything.

So I rang Australia Post, explained to them a satchel was posted on July 26 and only had to go about 500km in the same state (country town to the city). They told me postage can take up to 15 working days within Australia even though the declaration was signed. They also told me I cannot claim a refund on lost items sent in the Click & Send satchels, yet I have had refunds before!

Makes me wonder even though Click & Send satchels are cheaper than the PrePaid Parcel Post Satchels, is it worth it logging into a site which runs very slow and takes several pages before you print the postage slip when it is much easier to get a PrePaid Parcel Post Satchel and write the address out even though it costs a bit more to post it

Is anyone else having issues with these satchels?

[thecatspjs]

TB - please note

My responsibility to my customers does not END when I hand over goods to Aust Post- for a whole range of reasons, not the least being customer service.

Further, if a parcel is missing it is THE SENDER that has to initiate a missing parcel investigation and seek compensation.

And ... re your earlier post regarding express post not being acceptable for paypal seller coverage - that is not the case if you complete an Australia Post lodgement slip (as you would for registered post) and lodge over the counter and have stamped by post office - this completed lodgement slip is suffice to demonstrate lodgement that meets Paypal requirements as it shows name and address of buyer parcel was sent to with unique tracking number.

[tall_bearded]

TB - please note

 My responsibility to my customers does not END when I hand over goods to Aust Post- for a whole range of reasons, not the least being customer service.

My comments were made in response to the quoted passage in your post 8 namely “Whilst lodgement proof may be suffice to avoid a paypal refund - what about the buyer as they are out of pocket ? it falls on the seller to refund - or I suppose some might hope that paypal may make a discretionary to the buyer ( noting that paypal do not advise the seller of this anyway !)”, which I took to mean that you are of the view that, if the buyer assert the item was not received,  and if  PayPal refuse to provide the buyer with a discretionary payment, then it falls on the seller to compensate the buyer for their loss.

Now, if this remark was made on the basis that to do so is simply good business because it  keeps the customer happy, then I accept your right to proffer that opinion, but I would request that in future you qualify you comments so to leave no doubt as to the context that they were made.

However if this comment was made on the basis that you are of the view that if  PayPal refuse to compensate, then there is a legal onus on the seller to compensate the buyer, then you are very much mistaken and you will find  I will correct your mistake, if for no other reason than, if I fail to do so, your comments could mislead both buyers and sellers as to their mutual obligations and rights when it comes to distance selling.

Bluntly put.  If you buy something on line and you fail to insure it whilst it is in transit, and should you not receive it, and if the seller has proof it was sent and sent to the correct address, you have no legal claim against the seller be it via PayPal or in a small claims court.

“ Further, if a parcel is missing it is THE SENDER that has to initiate a missing parcel investigation and seek compensation”.

The fact that, for the purposes of its “discretionary” claims process, Aust Post requires that the sender initiates the process has everything to do with administrative convenience and nothing to do with who is entitled to the compensation.  That is though the sender initiates the claim, as the lost goods were the property of the buyer, should Aust post accept the claim, there is a legal onus on the seller to pass on that compensation to the buyer.

‘And ... re your earlier post regarding express post not being acceptable for paypal seller coverage - that is not the case’

As post 19 was my only post re this thread, to what earlier post of mine you referring to.

[thecatspjs]

TB I respectfully decline your request, I do not wish to "qualify" my comments.

IMO your interpretation of "my view" just reveals a lack of experience as a seller who works with the paypal and Australia Post on a day to day basis, in the online retail world.

I stand corrected re my post and express post.

[tall_bearded]

“TB I respectfully decline your request, I do not wish to "qualify" my comments.”

As you do not which to qualify your comments then you have no right to take offence if someone corrects you because they misinterpret what you say.

“IMO your interpretation of "my view" just reveals a lack of experience as a seller who works with the paypal and Australia Post on a day to day basis, in the online retail world.”

Before I retired I was selling both on and off line for about 10 years and held power seller status at a time when it actually meant something, and though I am retired I still sell, but because it gives me something to do, and not because I have to.

This is not my main selling ID, and on my main ID I have a 100% positive feedback rating in connection with over 6000 successful sales with all stars at 4.9 or better.

As for Aust Post and PayPal I am a qualified advocate who spent 14 years in real courts arguing real cases before real judges, and though my advocacy experience was limited to the industrial arena, I have adapted those skills to provide advice to both sellers as buyers as how to dispute PayPal and Aust Post decisions, and to date I have a 100% successful outcome rating.

 So I would suggest when it comes to online sales I am more than qualified to render an informed opinion, and the fact you may not like it, makes is no less informed.

[thecatspjs]

TB Please note that I have not taken offence to your comments. They are your opinions.

I simply don't agree with them.

I stand by my comments regarding your interpretation of "my view."

[flashback_deals]

There is an update

The satchel was returned to me by AP today and marked on the RTS label as unclaimed

So, do I have to refund the buyer in full even though it was posted and they didnt collect it?

[tall_bearded]

I would check to ensure it was sent to the correct address by verifying the address on the pack against the eBay and PayPal address data.

If it was sent to the wrong address, (can happen if the eBay PayPal data don’t match) I would suggest the error is yours (you should have verified the data before sending it), in which case I recommend you email the buyer, advise them what has happened, request they update their eBay/PayPal accounts and once that has been done, you will resend it at your expense.  And yes, though technically it is the buyers error, that is they should have kept their account details up to date, as a seller I expect you would do simple gross error checks before the item is sent.

 If you have a data match, that is the address on the pack is the same as the eBay/PayPal data then I would advise the buyer though correctly addressed it has been returned and providing them with two options.

Firstly you will resend it to them if they pay the original postage cost, or in the alternative, if they are not prepared to pay the extra postage, you will provide a refund being the difference between the total amount paid less any PayPal and eBay fees incurred.

Now if the buyer agrees to the refund but disputes the deductions of fees and lodges a PayPal item not received claim , simply advise PayPal as to what has happened, and if they find for the buyer, e-mail me and I will be more than happy to assist you in formulating a complaint to the ombudsman.    

[minimikimusic]

The only bad experience I have had with the C&S satchels is my current satchels not arriving and it's been a week since purchasing them. Normally get them within 2-3 business days. Purchased 500g and 3kg - got the 500g but not the 3kg. Been told to wait until the 28/8 and they will send replacements but because I sell very regularly that isn't an option for me so I've just had to purchase another lot - fingers crossed these ones arrive. You should be able to buy them from Aust. Post stores should problems like this arise.

[noir*rose]

I have been battling with the Click and Send website for the last few hours and find it so frustrating. I last used click and send about 6 months ago and it since then there have been some changes....for the worse! It now takes even longer to process an item. After todays experience I will post the rest of my items using Parcel Post Plus satchels. No more fiddling with the annoyingly slow and frustratingly over detailed website and having to print out labels that quite often do not print.

[davewil1964]

There were a few issues a few weeks ago, but it's fixed now afaik.

Once you get used to it the new site is no worse or slower than the old one, plus you can pay with Paypal now, which is a plus.

Remember that not only are Parcel Plus satchels more expensive (so you may well be pricing yourself out of your market) but they don't provide Paypal approved tracking for seller protection.