topic Re: Sent OS orders today.....not impressed at all....AP achieving all new lows... in Selling

Sent OS orders today.....not impressed at all....AP achieving all new lows...

typhoon4u — Mon, 18 Apr 2016 10:40:49 GMT

OK, Two parcel orders. One to UK. One to USA.

3 options for airmail: 1. Nothing, 2. Tracking, 3.Tracking and Signature.

The difference in "tracking" to "tracking & sig" was about double the price.

$23 to $46 for my 250 something gram UK order.

Decided on tracking only. The number is supplied on your cash register receipt.

No ID required.

On ebay, the USA tracking # takes me to USPS which shows no record of number.

Manually putting it in AP tracking shows lodged.

The UK # takes me to AP tracking and shows lodgement.

Now, I filled out the new form which is very similar to the old "Registered International" form. (see below)

To my horror, there is now NO CUSTOMER COPY.

All you have is your payment receipt naming country and tracking #.

Holding that stamped "customers copy" from the old "Registered International" form made me feel all warm an fuzzy.

Having the buyers address and all....

Now I have nothing.....

How hard would it have been for another carbon copy customers slip in the paper work?

Not impressed!

This new form also has REALLY small space height for writing in.

Re: Sent OS orders today.....not impressed at all....AP achieving all new lows...

lyndal1838 — Mon, 18 Apr 2016 16:53:45 GMT

@typhoon4u wrote:

On ebay, the USA tracking # takes me to USPS which shows no record of number.
Manually putting it in AP tracking shows lodged.
The UK # takes me to AP tracking and shows lodgement.

Surely you don't expect a tracking number to show on an overseas site when you have just posted it in Australia?

What would you expect to be visible in tracking except the fact that it has been lodged when it was only done that day?

Re: Sent OS orders today.....not impressed at all....AP achieving all new lows...

designers*n*more — Mon, 18 Apr 2016 19:05:41 GMT

If you have a smart phone I would suggest taking a photo of the post office copy when you lodge the article. At least that way you have a copy. (Just a thought!)

Re: Sent OS orders today.....not impressed at all....AP achieving all new lows...

typhoon4u — Mon, 18 Apr 2016 23:29:35 GMT

Just telling it like it is.

When ebay send their "posted" email with tracking number, buyers may click on it to confirm that it is true and works.

With AP tracking (on AP website) it is fairly instant, however ebay sending you to USPS website it is not instantly updated.

I can now confirm the USPS tracking shows up.

I'm probably just being too pedantic....

Re: Sent OS orders today.....not impressed at all....AP achieving all new lows...

chezzy — Tue, 19 Apr 2016 00:22:09 GMT

I can tell these new customs forms are not going to thrill me so am wondering if it is worth considering click and send to lessen the amount of hand writing one has to do? Is anyone able to post an example of what the click and send label/custom form looks like?

Someone mentioned taking a photo. I quite often do this anyway: take a picture of the label or whole front of package so I have a record regardless of what type of receipt I am given.

Re: Sent OS orders today.....not impressed at all....AP achieving all new lows...

ozmagz — Tue, 19 Apr 2016 00:35:32 GMT

The difference between Tracking & Tracking with Signature is $4.99 (across the board), not $23.

Re: Sent OS orders today.....not impressed at all....AP achieving all new lows...

esayaf — Tue, 19 Apr 2016 01:41:15 GMT

Was asked on the weekend for shipping cost to Argentina and either tracking option isn't available.

Re: Sent OS orders today.....not impressed at all....AP achieving all new lows...

digital*ghost — Tue, 19 Apr 2016 01:54:29 GMT

@chezzy wrote:
Is anyone able to post an example of what the click and send label/custom form looks like?

This is from an economy label I processed this morning, I guess that's why it says "letter class" 😕 (personal details and barcode omitted, also enlarged so you can see the fields correctly, as it prints 4 of these - 1 to affix to the parcel, 1 for the PO, a customs copy, and one to keep for yourself - it prints 2 labels to an A4 page, so it's smaller than this when printed).

I haven't done a standard one yet, might do one later today though so if no one else posts before then, I'll be able to see if they still only print out 2 labels (P&T would only print 2 labels, 1 for the parcel and 1 for the post office, but I always saved a copy of the PDF anyway, so I could easily access it if I needed proof of post, with the lodgement receipt / tracking as well).

Re: Sent OS orders today.....not impressed at all....AP achieving all new lows...

typhoon4u — Tue, 19 Apr 2016 02:14:13 GMT

What I was told is $23 for tracking # and $46 for track and sig.

From the mouth of the lady in the PO.

I said " Geez, there's a bit of a mark up there" and she just stared at me and nodded.

Perhaps the screen is new and she mistook express for track and sig. (It was the first day of this new system after all)

$4.99 sounds more reasonable and I would have taken it at that price.......

Re: Sent OS orders today.....not impressed at all....AP achieving all new lows...

chezzy — Tue, 19 Apr 2016 02:23:38 GMT

Thanks dg! I don't suppose the customs copy and PO copy get printed on the same page do they? (I take it you hand those

2 to the PO?). Shame they can't all go on one page but I guess they would be a touch small then.

Still not sure if I will ship overseas yet but interested in anything that can save time/resources. Lets know how it goes with the standard? (have they said if the label system will change for click and send?)

Re: Sent OS orders today.....not impressed at all....AP achieving all new lows...

ozmagz — Tue, 19 Apr 2016 02:49:08 GMT

Ok, she screwed up, and maybe quoted you Express or something.

Re: Sent OS orders today.....not impressed at all....AP achieving all new lows...

digital*ghost — Tue, 19 Apr 2016 04:54:13 GMT

@chezzy wrote:
Thanks dg! I don't suppose the customs copy and PO copy get printed on the same page do they? (I take it you hand those
2 to the PO?). Shame they can't all go on one page but I guess they would be a touch small then.

Still not sure if I will ship overseas yet but interested in anything that can save time/resources. Lets know how it goes with the standard? (have they said if the label system will change for click and send?)

Sorry it took me a little while to come back - the first page prints the package and post office copy, while the second page prints the customs and customer (your) copy, but they are all identical. It's a bit of a drain on ink really - registered international always used to print 4 labels the same as this, while Pack & Track only ever printed the two, and I never really understood why customs needed a copy for one service and not the other (the staff at the PO didn't know, either).

I mainly used the economy service (would have gone as a letter beforehand) so I can keep an eye on the barcode number for this one, (it's going to the US), just in case I get any tracking results on the USPS site.

If I can't send my items as letters anymore, I'll probably switch to Skippy Post, most of their prices are cheaper than AP's economy, and they include tracking, as long as a 30-day transit / delivery time won't tick off my customers, anyway.