topic Re: My Post Office is closing – advice please in Selling

My Post Office is closing – advice please

siddieswans — Wed, 03 Apr 2024 05:06:09 GMT

I realise I have been spoiled during my 20 years on eBay. A Post Office in walking distance (I am older and no longer drive); but with a parking lot for when my husband needed to drive me (wet weather, large parcels); very helpful and friendly staff.

But now we have been advised of permanent closure on 31st May. I need to change my ways. There are no other POs in walking distance and of those within reasonable driving distance, only one has reliable nearby parking in a shopping centre. The logical thing to do seems to be to cut my posting down to once a week (I have 15 day handling but have always posted twice a week); prepare parcels at home with AP labels, and take them to the PO to be scanned onto my My Post card along my pre-paid satchels and tracked letters.

The EASIEST thing to do would be to empty them every day into the red Post box conveniently located about 100 metres away. But I am concerned that without an initial scan, they may never have another one, and that I may be liable in an INR dispute. Are these fears justified? Also my manually copying those ridiculously long tracking numbers from AP tracked letters into eBay tracking without making a mistake seems doubtful to say the least.

Also when you print out an AP domestic postage label, do you include all / some the fields marked “optional” like email address, phone number, description, and that eBay “identifier” which seems to me to complicate the address.

I am an old dog who will have to learn new tricks.

PS Don’t mention having to get a new Post Office Box address. 500 previous customers scrambling to replace them locally.

Re: My Post Office is closing – advice please

sugar249 — Wed, 03 Apr 2024 05:20:03 GMT

My advice do not just dump them in the local red box, as you have suggested, there may be zero tracking for its full journey, and you definitely want that initial I have given it to Australia Post scan.

I notice on your listings you say you are in Sydney, in which case it may be possible that Australia Post have a pickup service.

PS. Hopefully your xmas break is over

Re: My Post Office is closing – advice please

twyngwyn — Wed, 03 Apr 2024 05:21:09 GMT

Oh no! I use the red boxes, no problem....if it's a large box, I worry about the 'drop'....so post heaviest first. The thing I most worry about is vandalism....but it's never happened

Re: My Post Office is closing – advice please

gutterpunkz05 — Wed, 03 Apr 2024 05:37:52 GMT

The ebay identifier does not complicate the address and ebay advise not to remove it.

Using my post business, with ebay integrated, the details are prefilled and only a couple of boxes that must be filled. When the label is generated tracking is auto uploaded to ebay. You can also elect to have your items picked up for an additional fee.

While the red letter box might be OK for the occasional item, don't make it your go to option, as missed scans will rapidly effect your sales metrics and possibly incurr ebay penalties and increased fees.

Re: My Post Office is closing – advice please

curraone — Wed, 03 Apr 2024 06:23:22 GMT

I am in the same position - it is too difficult to get to the Post Office. For years now I have just dropped my parcels in the nearest red box. I have an Australia Post account to do the labels, and I buy most of my Aust Post satchels and stamps etc online from Aust Post through an Aust Post account and they deliver them to my home. I find doing the labels on line with Aust Post very easy. And you don't have to put the tracking into ebay, the Aust Post program does it for you.

Having an Aust Post account qualifies you for Band 1, 2 or more savings, depending on how many labels you do a month.

I know it is not for everyone but it works for me. I hope I don't jinx myself but so far I have not had an item not received claim.

Re: My Post Office is closing – advice please

davewil1964 — Wed, 03 Apr 2024 06:41:19 GMT

I c&p the address from the eBay notification email, without the eBay 'identifier' which does, contrary to other advice, sometimes corrupt the address. As I am purchasing my postage directly from AP, eBay has nothing to do with that part of the transaction. I never (except parcel collect/lockers) include any of the other 3.

As far as tracking numbers go, they are displayed in my MyPost Business hub and are once again c&p'd into the sale.

No possibility of error.

I would never post in a red box, though.

If you do go with AP MyPost Business, be aware that you will need (if you use them) to purchase prepaid satchels over the counter or they will not count towards your spend for discounts.

Re: My Post Office is closing – advice please

sugar249 — Wed, 03 Apr 2024 06:49:06 GMT

@davewil1964 wrote:

I c&p the address from the eBay notification email, without the eBay 'identifier' which does, contrary to other advice, sometimes corrupt the address. As I am purchasing my postage directly from AP, eBay has nothing to do with that part of the transaction.

I do an import into MyPost straight from Ebay, so all the details are included, including that silly identifier, which I manually delete from MyPost.

Like you say it clutters up the address, and AP don't do anything with it, and the parcel person hates them as it does make it confusing at times, depending how they land on line 1.

Re: My Post Office is closing – advice please

gutterpunkz05 — Wed, 03 Apr 2024 08:54:02 GMT

From memory, isn't that ebay identifier, supposed to supply additional tracking info to ebay, Just my recollection as to why it was brought in.

As far as the red post boxes go, I rarely use them and have had items not show any tracking until delivered.

Re: My Post Office is closing – advice please

siddieswans — Wed, 03 Apr 2024 09:21:04 GMT

Thank you all so much for replying so quickly and helpfully. I'll digest and return.

Re: My Post Office is closing – advice please

davewil1964 — Wed, 03 Apr 2024 09:23:23 GMT

Why would anybody give eBay additional tracking information if the postage is not going through eBay?

If I was mug enough to use eBay labels, which I haven't since they stopped passing on their AP discounts, it might be relevant. But when I'm dealing directly with AP eBay identifiers are irrelevant and annoying.

Re: My Post Office is closing – advice please

sugar249 — Wed, 03 Apr 2024 09:52:06 GMT

@gutterpunkz05 wrote:
From memory, isn't that ebay identifier, supposed to supply additional tracking info to ebay, Just my recollection as to why it was brought in.
As far as the red post boxes go, I rarely use them and have had items not show any tracking until delivered.

That may be the theory, but Australia Post are the only ones who track the parcels in their system, and they don't read or track the Ebay numbers. So not sure how Ebay can track them at their end, maybe magical invisible parcel detections on the Freeway. LOL (Laugh Out Loud)

Re: My Post Office is closing – advice please

sugar249 — Wed, 03 Apr 2024 09:53:57 GMT

@gutterpunkz05 wrote:
The ebay identifier does not complicate the address and ebay advise not to remove it.

And yes it does complicate the address, have you seen how some of the labels appear if you leave it on, sometimes it is almost joined with the house/unit numbers, thats why I delete them.

Re: My Post Office is closing – advice please

gutterpunkz05 — Wed, 03 Apr 2024 10:49:38 GMT

Likewise I only use AP for labels, with ebay integrated, all automatic so the ebay identifier does not create any issues.

Who knows what deals ebay has with AP. As stated I believe the ebay identifier was related to additional tracking, and was to be included even if the address was hand written.

Re: My Post Office is closing – advice please

padi*0409 — Wed, 03 Apr 2024 12:18:54 GMT

We have a similar problem here, I'm in a town with around 5,000 people living in it.

When I first arrived about 8 years ago we had 4 banks, we now have just one that's only open 3 days a week and closes for lunch...............

The one ATM that we have in town regularly runs out of cash as well.

We've been told that that branch is closing later in the year (along with every other branch of theirs - Bank West - and ComBank is taking over - they closed their branch here about 2 years ago - so we are likely to be without any banking facilities here in the next year or so.................

Re: My Post Office is closing – advice please

gutterpunkz05 — Wed, 03 Apr 2024 12:48:26 GMT

Like the search for the nile.....splash...found it

Do not remove or interfere with this code, to ensure the validity of tracking information associated with the delivery. If you are using an external label printing portal, be sure to add the code to address line one of the label.

Re: My Post Office is closing – advice please

siddieswans — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 01:38:24 GMT

Thanks again for your responses .

Using pre-paid tracked envelopes for letters. What I used to do was lodge them at my PO and then copy and paste from the tracking number in My Post (or from the email receipt from Australia Post.) If I don’t go to the PO but just put them in the red PO Box, I have to manually enter the tracking number for eBay????? (Same for satchels but their tracking numbers are not quite so onerous.)

I have a My Post Business account but have obviously never used it to its full potential. So I put the app on my phone, and if I buy Australia Post supplies over the counter (satchels, boxes) – they scan the My Business app, and it adds towards my post discount band. (The main exception to this seems to be Domestic Tracked Letters, which I use a lot.) But not if I buy them direct on-line from AP web site. Good to know thanks.

“Do not remove or interfere with this code, to ensure the validity of tracking information associated with the delivery. If you are using an external label printing portal, be sure to add the code to address line one of the label.” I have always printed labels independently for all my parcels, tracked envelopes, satchels, boxes – have always removed the code, and had no trouble with tracking.

I presume there is no way of customising the input from eBay to AP labels to ignore those optional fields you don’t want copied across - I certainly don’t want a label on my parcel that says “Antique gold brooch.”

And thanks Sugar for alerting me that I had forgotten to take down my Christmas store closure message – duh! Told you I was old!!!!

Re: My Post Office is closing – advice please

countessalmirena — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 03:41:15 GMT

Does it help to know that I’ve only just taken down our Christmas tree, and I’ve yet to chainsaw it into green-bin-sized bits?

That initial scan is possibly the most important one, at least in terms of proving the item was actually posted. Those red boxes are so tempting… but until a robot pops its head out of the box and automatically scans the parcel/satchel/letter, they don’t offer any sort of proof that the item went any further than the seller’s intentions.

Re: My Post Office is closing – advice please

sugar249 — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 07:13:26 GMT

@countessalmirena wrote:

That initial scan is possibly the most important one, at least in terms of proving the item was actually posted.

And within your specified handling time!!

Re: My Post Office is closing – advice please

*sons_n_daughters* — Fri, 05 Apr 2024 07:19:22 GMT

@countessalmirena wrote:
Does it help to know that I’ve only just taken down our Christmas tree, and I’ve yet to chainsaw it into green-bin-sized bits?

That initial scan is possibly the most important one, at least in terms of proving the item was actually posted. Those red boxes are so tempting… but until a robot pops its head out of the box and automatically scans the parcel/satchel/letter, they don’t offer any sort of proof that the item went any further than the seller’s intentions.

I can't believe that red boxes don't have in-built scanners yet. It wouldn't be that hard to hook it into the system. It would make life so much easier for so many people. It would also cut down the work of the staff in the PO as they aren't just scanning a parcel that's already been paid for.

Re: My Post Office is closing – advice please

siddieswans — Sat, 06 Apr 2024 00:33:09 GMT

Thanks again to all who took the time to contribute.

We have snaffled a PO Box in a nearby suburb. I will post there, at least initially, preparing as much as possible at home first. Reasonably close parking looks possible, and it is moderately accessable by public transport, should my need ever arrive. One of the counter staff is an old friend for used to work at our branch, and we have met the Manager.

I will leave the Red Box for emergencies only. Now to get started on changing XXXX mailing addresses.