topic Re: Don't use Australia Post anymore, use E-Go in Selling

Don't use Australia Post anymore, use E-Go

imf_electronics_australia — Fri, 19 Feb 2016 22:44:10 GMT

I've totally given up on Australia Post now as they are way too expensive, too slow and too time consuming, thus why they can't make any money.

I have sent a 50cm x 50cm x 30cm box that weighed 8 kg's from Adelaide to Sydney.

Via AP it cost $56 and via E-Go it was $13.20. I paid an extra $2.00 for them to phone the receiver 30 minutes prior to delivery.

and to make matters better they pick up from me and hand deliver to the receiver.

The parcel was picked up on a Monday afternoon and I received a photo of the parcel first thing Wednesday morning when it arrived. Not bad eh ?

Why would I ever waste my time with AP again.

Australia Post, you've definitely lost me as you're paying too many fat cats at the top way too much and service is no longer your priority.

Re: Don't use Australia Post anymore, use E-Go

lyndal1838 — Fri, 19 Feb 2016 23:02:31 GMT

I hope you make it very clear to your buyers that you are using a courier rather than Australia Post.

There are many buyers who will not buy from a seller who uses a courier service.

You may well get bad feedback if the buyer does not know in advance that they will be getting their items delivered by courier.

Re: Don't use Australia Post anymore, use E-Go

*tippy*toes* — Fri, 19 Feb 2016 23:09:32 GMT

I hope you charged your buyer the exact rate of shipment and not a cent more. Wouldn't want to be accused of postage gouging, would you?

Re: Don't use Australia Post anymore, use E-Go

imf_electronics_australia — Fri, 19 Feb 2016 23:31:12 GMT

I think that most buyers are taking into account the high postage charges and as such this is being taken into account when bidding, thus it's the seller that's paying the postage and not the buyer as many sellers think.

If I was going to charge $56 for an item, most buyers would deduct that from what they are prepared to pay, while if I only charged $15 then they would be prepared to bid higher, you do the maths and I'm sure most would opt for the cheaper option.

Obviously there is a huge bias towards AP here but not me. They are just greedy and unreliable. It's about time we had some serious competition against them, only maybe then they'd learn how to run a business sensibly.

But at the moment there are just too many plebs taking a cut out of the food chain.

Re: Don't use Australia Post anymore, use E-Go

bullitprooftools2016 — Fri, 19 Feb 2016 23:41:39 GMT

I don't use E-go as I foundthey are to costly on larger items so I use Couriers and Freight......but that's not a recommendation for C&F! C&F are not great in many ways. Usdually don't answer emails, their software has been buggie (down 3 times for 24 hours or more) and they really ream you if you make a mistake, or a customer cancels and you need a refund, plus if their is an issue re: weight or dimensions and TNT or the others send em a bill they just take the money out of your account without letting you know.

I checked E-go and the cost was $16.06 for what you described. Did you sign up for an account at E-go to get a better rate?

Re: Don't use Australia Post anymore, use E-Go

*tippy*toes* — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 00:00:26 GMT

I think you misunderstood my post. I hope you only charged the buyer exactly $13.20 for that delivery and not $13.25 or $14+ to cover packaging costs or fees or anything.

Re: Don't use Australia Post anymore, use E-Go

collect247 — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 00:16:40 GMT

Are you serious???

Re: Don't use Australia Post anymore, use E-Go

bettyboopsadaisy — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 00:31:11 GMT

I think that charging a small fee for packaging and handling is perfectly reasonable and certainly should not be labelled "price gouging".

As long as the buyer is made fully aware that the P & H cost includes a handling fee, there is absolutely nothing wrong with it.

They are then free to decide whether they wish to bid on the item in question, in the full knowledge of what they will be paying for.

Don't know why you take such a dim view of that and try to tell others what they should or shouldn't be doing !

Re: Don't use Australia Post anymore, use E-Go

heihachi_73 — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 00:38:37 GMT

Actually, Australia Post is making a fortune, your 8kg parcel is living proof of that, as is every item which has stung someone for $7.45 for being one millimetre over the letter gauge despite weighing 30 grams. Mail and large letters on the other hand...

"Don't use Australia Post anymore..."

If I only had the option, point me to where I can send things under 125g to the other side of Australia for $2.

Re: Don't use Australia Post anymore, use E-Go

dave4110 — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 00:47:36 GMT

I think eBay should implement a system where the sellers list the item price and handling fee for postage, but not the postage cost itself.

eBay calculates and shows the postage cost for the buyer when he sees and buys the item. The buyer will pay the item price and handling fee to the seller, BUT they will pay eBay for the Aus Post label to ship the item, not the seller.

The seller gets the payment notification and a link to the PDF to print the postage label from eBay, and he packs and ships the item using the buyer's postage label.

This will get rid of "postage gouging" by sellers, and buyers will pay the true shipping cost for the item. This will also mean sellers are not considered to be responsible for shipping problems, because sellers just ship using the postage label provided by the buyer.

Re: Don't use Australia Post anymore, use E-Go

phorum_junkie* — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 00:54:07 GMT

For parcels that are over 5kg a courier may well be cheaper but of course you lose out on all the buyers who use a PO box. Those who live a long way from the nearest depot where they would have to go if they weren't in when the goods arrived would also be put off if you state courier delivery and if you didn't make it clear they would show their displeasure in feedback.

Re: Don't use Australia Post anymore, use E-Go

*tippy*toes* — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 01:35:52 GMT

@bettyboopsadaisy wrote:
I think that charging a small fee for packaging and handling is perfectly reasonable and certainly should not be labelled "price gouging".

As long as the buyer is made fully aware that the P & H cost includes a handling fee, there is absolutely nothing wrong with it.

They are then free to decide whether they wish to bid on the item in question, in the full knowledge of what they will be paying for.
Don't know why you take such a dim view of that and try to tell others what they should or shouldn't be doing !

I totally agree, but when you look at the OP's feedback, he has negged and grey dotted a number of sellers for "gouging". Hence my comment.

Re: Don't use Australia Post anymore, use E-Go

collect247 — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 01:51:44 GMT

Well well now that I have checked I am in agreement with you.

Re: Don't use Australia Post anymore, use E-Go

digital*ghost — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 05:55:52 GMT

@dave4110 wrote:
I think eBay should implement a system where the sellers list the item price and handling fee for postage, but not the postage cost itself.

eBay calculates and shows the postage cost for the buyer when he sees and buys the item. The buyer will pay the item price and handling fee to the seller, BUT they will pay eBay for the Aus Post label to ship the item, not the seller.

The seller gets the payment notification and a link to the PDF to print the postage label from eBay, and he packs and ships the item using the buyer's postage label.

This will get rid of "postage gouging" by sellers, and buyers will pay the true shipping cost for the item. This will also mean sellers are not considered to be responsible for shipping problems, because sellers just ship using the postage label provided by the buyer.

That might sound good in theory, but is a practical impossibility. (I will note that there is already a form of this available, namely eBay's calculated shipping option, where the seller enters the package dimensions and weight and the postage cost is automatically calculated according to the buyer's post code. The seller also has the option to input a handling fee, but no label is automatically generated via eBay post-sale).

The first reason being is that it's the "handling fee" that contains amounts above and beyond stamp or actual shipping cost, so it wouldn't eliminate 'gouging'.

The second being - aside from the fact that it's more up to the seller than it is the buyer which company is used to ship the packages - there are many sellers who can't use Australia Post, and still more who won't, meaning eBay would have to be integrated with every shipping company available in Australia.

The third being, in order to make any attempt at all at eliminating 'gouging', a maximum handling fee would have to be implemented. eBay is not in any kind of position to dictate what the costs, in addition to actual stamp / postage prices, a seller incurs to send their item(s).

-But- (and here's the biggest reason) even if they were and did implement a cap on handling fees, what would the end result be? Cheaper prices overall?

Not likely. (that's a personal opinion based on some observations and experience)

When most sellers sit down to price an item, the vast majority of time they are working from an amount - that amount being, when all is said and done, I want $x.

Then they work out their costs - that includes things like eBay fees, costs of packaging / postage, PayPal fees, stock costs where applicable, and so on and so forth.

Then they work out how much they need to charge in order to have that $x amount left over. Then they split that total into two columns. Column A = item price, column B = postage charge. If there was a limit on column B, the excess is simply placed into colum A.

If you don't believe me, just listen to some sellers who use the "free" postage business model, or sell on that rather large site that rhymes with Blamazon, where there are some fixed postage charges in certain categories. The solution is never (and I do mean never) 'oh well, guess I won't get as much for this item", it is always "oh well, I'll just increase the item price by Y amount to ensure I get $X.

Postage 'gouging' is usually (not always) all about impressions rather than reality.

Re: Don't use Australia Post anymore, use E-Go

247newdeals — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 07:54:22 GMT

@dave4110 wrote:
I think eBay should implement a system where the sellers list the item price and handling fee for postage, but not the postage cost itself.

eBay calculates and shows the postage cost for the buyer when he sees and buys the item. The buyer will pay the item price and handling fee to the seller, BUT they will pay eBay for the Aus Post label to ship the item, not the seller.

The seller gets the payment notification and a link to the PDF to print the postage label from eBay, and he packs and ships the item using the buyer's postage label.

This will get rid of "postage gouging" by sellers, and buyers will pay the true shipping cost for the item. This will also mean sellers are not considered to be responsible for shipping problems, because sellers just ship using the postage label provided by the buyer.

That would force people to use AusPost and some sellers can not use them and others want to give buyers a better service than AusPost offers. There is not point in increasing postage Ebay charge us on the postage costs anyweay now. All having a high postage rate will do is increase the changes of getting bad feedback.

Re: Don't use Australia Post anymore, use E-Go

dave4110 — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 09:18:39 GMT

Hmmm I guess the idea is that the buyer can provide the postage label to the seller, the money just goes directly from buyer to shipping company (Aus post or courier), rather through the seller where the "fat" is added. The seller just print out the shipping label and ships the item.

it won't necessarily lock the buyers to Aus post, though yes it will be tricky for eBay to be able to calculate shipping for a whole range of shipping companies out there, not just Aus post.

Re: Don't use Australia Post anymore, use E-Go

digital*ghost — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 09:30:46 GMT

@dave4110 wrote:
Hmmm I guess the idea is that the buyer can provide the postage label to the seller, the money just goes directly from buyer to shipping company (Aus post or courier), rather through the seller where the "fat" is added. The seller just print out the shipping label and ships the item.

I understand where you're coming from, but unfortunately that would open up a whole different can of worms (the buyer paying the shipping company directly, I mean).

That would effectively mean the buyer arranges shipment of the item (that is, the purchase of postage and therefore the contract with the shipping service is between the buyer and said shipping service), which would also immediately mean that the buyer has no eBay or PayPal buyer protection, same as when buyers arrange pick-up of items - it's all about who has responsibility for what, if the buyer (technically / legally etc) takes on that responsibility of the sale contract, they can not try to hold the seller responsible for any failures of the shipping company).

Re: Don't use Australia Post anymore, use E-Go

dave4110 — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 09:40:45 GMT

Yes so it's similar to Freight-On-Board, where buyer organises shipping from an agreed location, and seller responsibility ends when the freight is on board with the shipping company. Currently we see a lot of comments in this forum where seller takes on the responsibility (and incurs losses) due to Aus post or shipping company losing consignments, or even just for slow shipment. I've been here myself copping the flack and loss for slow Aus post express delivery, even though the buyer isn't in the express network. The eBay seller is like the kicking bag for the buyer for Aus post's incompetence. I know FOB is never going to happen with eBay but at the moment a lot of grief is vented in this forum with sellers being held responsible by the buyer, eBay and PayPal for shipping stuffups. And buyers wonder why sellers need to inflate prices to compensate.

Re: Don't use Australia Post anymore, use E-Go

transport-posters — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 12:22:28 GMT

Thanks for letting us know. I got so excited and got a quote but it ended up about $4 more than what AP charge me to send a poster tube to anywhere in Australia, so I'll be staying with AP for now. Still the cheapest for this kind of thing.

Good to see someone keeping such a vigil on the price of postage charged by sellers (thanks, Sexy Socks!). Never seen someone so passionate about it before.

Re: Don't use Australia Post anymore, use E-Go

davewil1964 — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 13:21:13 GMT

At least Lyndal uses a real ID...

And doesn't bag members out because they have nothing PRODUCTIVE to add to the discussion.