Postage of (very) small items

[s_catanchin]

Hi! Looking for some assistance / knowledge... I'm regularly posting small items and it seems the cheapest postage option with Australia Post is the standard parcel under 500g for $7.45 (or the recent eBay parcels for $7.15).

Is there really no other alternative for posting small parcels?

I'm confused as some parcels coming internationally, say from South East Asia - I pay a couple of dollars for these items, how are they affording postage? I have a bunch of items that are worth about $15.00 and want to list them for that much and free postage, but it does not seem worth it after the postage costs are taken out!

Am I missing anything here... it seems some sellers are making a loss on items once the postage is taken out?

Thanks

[phorum_junkie*]

If your packaged item can pass through the 2cm slot on a PO guage then you can post it as a large letter which will be much cheaper depending on the weight.  Of course unless you pay for registered mail you will have no trscking and no seller rotection but for low value items it is worth the risk IMO.

Mail from China is incredibly cheap as the Chinese government have an untracked postage cost of zer to encourage exports, their other postage options are also heavily subsidised.

[clarry100]

Most of our items go by untracked large letter as theywill fit thru the 2cm thickness gauge. We have no seller protection, therefore if a buyer says they did not receive their item we just send out a replacement item after asking them to check a couple of things.
We resend about one in 1000 items so for us it's worth the risk.
Other than this you are up for the 500 gram parcel rate you already know about unfortunately.

[clarry100]

Oh.... and agree with PJ. You can't compete with the Chinese on postage cost so we don't even think about that.
Where you can beat them tho is on delivery time, product quality and fantastic customer relations.

[jessicadazzler97]

If they're flat items, post them in an envelope - don't bother with the whole satchel business! If they're small but bulky, then try small mailing boxes.

[aussie.grazing.boards]

RE Chinese cheap postage. You can thank Tony Abbots "Free trade agreement". As soon as their (Chinese), postal items hit our shore, they are exempt from the Auspost 20mm gauge. Totally unfair.

[imastawka]

I hope you're not sending those dominoes in a 500g satchel

[aussie.grazing.boards]

Here are Australia Posts large letter rates (padded envelopes which pass through the 20mm letter gauge).

Up to 125 grams $1.40
125 grams to 250 grams $2.10
250 grams up to 500 grams $3.50

Then you enter into satchels and parcel rates.

I hope this helps

David

[dylan11235813]

I could pull a pillow through one of those gauges.

[lizzyamelia]

You may well be able to "PULL" a pillow thru the gauge BUT the item must fall through without assistance to be considered under 2cm.