topic Re: Australia Post... - What is correct? in Selling

Australia Post... - What is correct?

valdoe — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 02:43:18 GMT

I am confused.. reading the notice from the PO as from 8 April.. unless I missed the very fine print.. it states that the new postal charges will now be one price, you then have to look at their chart and see what zone you sending it to eg n1, s2 etc. and you will see a new charge of what it cost per KG extra you have to add.

using http://auspost.com.au/media/documents/april-8th-2013-parcel-post.pdf

eg sending a parcel to Vic zone 2 that weights 3 kg will now cost

Standard charge will be = $11.45

Zone v2 = $2.55/kg x 3 = $7.65

Total cost = $19.10

No where do I see that they will still cubing parcels

By reading their chart .. there is no mentioning of cubing a parcel any more..

yet if you use their postage calculator

if you select Satchel the cost correct if you do not cubic it.

if you select Parcel and add the size if the item the cost jumps to $28.80 and increase of nearly $10.

It gets worse if you were to send the item to WA,SA or TAS.

How are we suppose to work out our shipping costs to charge the buyers?

Re: Australia Post... - What is correct?

davewil1964 — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 04:27:11 GMT

They have always cubed parcels. So the CORRECT calculation is the weight or the cubed weight, whichever is the higher.

How are we suppose to work out our shipping costs to charge the buyers?

Use the eBay postage calculator and buyers will see the correct postage to their postcode.

Re: Australia Post... - What is correct?

model.trains — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 05:04:49 GMT

Dear Davewill,

Unluckily, if past experience is anything to go by, Ebay's postage calculator will take a few weeks (if we are lucky) to implement Australia Posts new pricing. So it is not recomended to rely on it at all, or a seller might turn up at an Aust post Office and find that they have to pay lots more than the Ebay calculator has stated. All you can guarantee is that the post Office staff won't give a toss what the Ebay postage calculator says and the Buyer won't give a toss what Australia Post says, so us sellers will be stuck in the middle as usual.

So there will be a lot more agro and teeth nashing from everyone, sellers, buyers and even Aust Post staff who will have to spend so much time cubing every parcel.

Considering the massive price hike some large but light weight items will incur, once cubing & the new prices are enforced, many of us seller will have to get in and adjust every listing to cover ourselves.

There could be a big market for vacum packaging equipment & materials so everyone can shrink their parcels down to a minimum before posting.!!!!

I post via a small country town Post office, most of my items are under 500gms, so I use Stamps for most items and pre paid trackable satchels for the rest. I have tried Aust post contracts before but I can buy stamps cheaper than any discount Aust Post contract offers and I don't have to fill out any complicated paperwork. I just drop my Aust Post box off and pick up an empty one. It will be interesting to see if he will have to start cubing each box, by hand as he isn't going to buy some expensive mass scanning machine, I would think he would get a bit annoyed with all the extra work.

Any other helpful suggestions out there???

Re: Australia Post... - What is correct?

davewil1964 — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 05:13:56 GMT

if past experience is anything to go by, Ebay's postage calculator will take a few weeks (if we are lucky) to implement Australia Posts new pricing.

I realise that, but from the OP valdoe doesn't appear to ever have used it, so I don't understand how they are showing their postage. Unless it's freight, it has to be shown on a listing and that can't happen unless you're using flat pricing or the calculator.

Re: Australia Post... - What is correct?

suitcase_of_memories — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 05:21:48 GMT

The HONEYMOON with Ecommerce is coming crashing down.........everyone in the MIDDLE has gotten too greedy !

We will all be back to markets & B&M next year if they all keep 'grabbing with their grubby hands' !!!

Re: Australia Post... - What is correct?

go-tazz — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 09:20:04 GMT

It could be a government incentive to slow down online buying so that people go back to shopping at their local stores,?:|

Or for AP to try and stop/slow down the posting of larger items as they take up the most room.

This could be a boon for couriers as the larger light weight parcels still need to be posted at a more reasonable price then the cubed rate AP will be charging.

So either scenario could create more jobs but will/might increase the cost for buyers,?:|

Re: Australia Post... - What is correct?

valdoe — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 10:02:04 GMT

The more I look at it.. the more it looks worse...

For me to send a parcel from Qld to SA WA or TAS.. that weight 1.5 kg 47x32x7 looks like it going to cost me just a little over $21 compared to now which was only $16.35..

Well it looks like they are restricting me to only sell to Qld, NSW and or maybe Vic as long they live close to the capital cities..

I as a buyer would not like to by an item selling for $45 and having to pay another $21 in postage.

Looks like my range will have to be reduced to about 50% so will be able to send through pre-paid C/S..

ALL my other items that have to go into my own satchels will have to drop out of range.

Yes I know some couriers maybe cheaper but have found.. 1 must buy a $100 or more of coupons.. and not all couriers service in most areas of Australia. So you must buy more coupons from other carriers to get coverage. I just dont have the money just tied up i coupons.

Re: Australia Post... - What is correct?

davewil1964 — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 10:08:53 GMT

Try Temando. They give deals for eBay and QS members and I don't believe you have to pay anything upfront.

Re: Australia Post... - What is correct?

donnashuggy — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 10:24:25 GMT

The more I look at it.. the more it looks worse...

For me to send a parcel from Qld to SA WA or TAS.. that weight 1.5 kg 47x32x7 looks like it going to cost me just a little over $21 compared to now which was only $16.35..

Well it looks like they are restricting me to only sell to Qld, NSW and or maybe Vic as long they live close to the capital cities..

I as a buyer would not like to by an item selling for $45 and having to pay another $21 in postage.

Looks like my range will have to be reduced to about 50% so will be able to send through pre-paid C/S..

ALL my other items that have to go into my own satchels will have to drop out of range.

Yes I know some couriers maybe cheaper but have found.. 1 must buy a $100 or more of coupons.. and not all couriers service in most areas of Australia. So you must buy more coupons from other carriers to get coverage. I just dont have the money just tied up i coupons.

I used to use the extra large 3 kilo express satchels, not sure if they still have them but they were around $14 and about an A2 size, would that work?

Re: Australia Post... - What is correct?

thesoulyearns — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 12:22:38 GMT

They have always cubed parcels. So the CORRECT calculation is the weight or the cubed weight, whichever is the higher.

How are we suppose to work out our shipping costs to charge the buyers?

Use the eBay postage calculator and buyers will see the correct postage to their postcode.

I'm a bit of a dummy when it comes to the Postage Calculator in listings, for most things anyway. I have no idea what to categorise things as, or their dimensions or things like that... I wish they'd make it a bit more dummy friendly. For things over 500g, sometimes I go by what others are selling as their postage price because I can't work out the calculator.

Re: Australia Post... - What is correct?

davewil1964 — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 12:25:48 GMT

You put the packed weight and dimensions in the boxes provided for that information. Can't get much simpler than that.

Re: Australia Post... - What is correct?

thesoulyearns — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 12:44:10 GMT

You put the packed weight and dimensions in the boxes provided for that information. Can't get much simpler than that.

Yeah, I guess. It looked a bit tougher before actually looking at it again just now. Aslong as you know the dimensions of the packaging used, it should be alright.

Re: Australia Post... - What is correct?

curraone — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 19:52:02 GMT

I used to use the extra large 3 kilo express satchels, not sure if they still have them but they were around $14 and about an A2 size, would that work?

the extra large 3kg satchels (not the 3 kg satchells) will no longer be available according to the press release.

Re: Australia Post... - What is correct?

suitcase_of_memories — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 23:47:42 GMT

thesoulyearns,

re using ebays Calculated Post tool

IF it is going as a SOFT PARCEL all you need [until these new changes come in re cubing EVERyTHING] to enter is any number ... I put 5 x 5 x 5 at the moment.

What you do have to remember with a soft parcel [that is NOT BOXED] is how much protection weight is going to be added to the actual item.. e.g. item weighs 220 grams + packaging 150 grams = 410 grams .. you simply put 500 grams - nearest package for AP weight [or 410 grams] in the weight box.

If it is going to be BOXED that is different.

Find the correct box you will be packing item in.

Add protection & item to box

Weigh the lot

Measure the box

Add those exact measurements e.g 24 x 23 x 22 ... to measurements boxes.

Then add exact weight as the calculator will round it to nearest match

Also consider [if it will fit] adding either the 3kg or 5kg satchel if you can safely package the item boxed into the satchel....this way you DON'T get charged for BOX postage.

Hope this helps

Re: Australia Post... - What is correct?

beach_and_home — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 01:09:54 GMT

Is there any sensible way to use calculated postage and combine postage? I find at least 50% of my buyers buy more than one item. So until now I have used a flat rate plus automatic combining at $1.50 for each extra item. I would love to use calculated postage so that everyone gets charged exactly what they should get charged for postage, but as far as I can see it won't work automatically for multiple purchases. Any ideas anyone?