topic Re: Another Australia Post and Late Arrival Defect Thread in Selling

Another Australia Post and Late Arrival Defect Thread

jfmgray — Sat, 22 Oct 2016 01:11:03 GMT

The last week has been a disaster for me in terms of items not arriving or arriving later than eBay's estimated delivery dates. I have had 10 messages or items not received cases from buyers in NSW and Queensland (I am in Melbourne). And whist I continue to communicate with buyers to try and minimise the damage, I have received 3 late arrival defects this month (compared to nil for the rest of 2016) and will refund the 3 item not received cases by the due date if the item has not arrived. My business model exists on posting at large letter rates so there is no need to recommend tracked postage for me as I can't affort it (nor can buyers for most of my low cost items).

Is anyone else noticing an increase in late arrivals?

What are seller's experiences in using the 50 cent priority stickers for letters expecially for destinations in galaxies far far away?

I have avoided increasing my handling time from 1 day basacially as I have not needed to do this. But the increases in late delivery defects and the grief (and time) being caused by late deliveries has made me rethink. I know most sellers who have increased handling times would say heir sales have not been affected but are there any sellers who have noticed a negative consequence? Additionally how far can you stretch out handling time before there is an effect on things like Top Rated status or best match placements or anything else?

In saying all this, my late arrival defects are an 0.5% and I can never see them reaching 5%. So this may all be an over reaction for one bad week!!

Re: Another Australia Post and Late Arrival Defect Thread

*tippy*toes* — Sat, 22 Oct 2016 01:20:41 GMT

One can never pick it with AP. Some have said the 50c sticker makes a difference, others haven't. Registered post is supposed to be one of the slowest methods, according to the peoples at my local PO, but I got a registered large letter from rural NSW to rural WA in 3 days 2 weeks ago. I normally allow 2 weeks to WA. By the same token, it can take me 2 weeks to get something to Vic.

I few weeks back I bought something from a seller in Brisbane. They'd sent the wrong item so I returned for exchange. They sent the correct item the same day I sent the return. The one I sent arrived in 2 days, the one they sent me took a week. Go figure!

My only suggestion is to blow your handling time out to fatten out the estimate, but still post same or next day as you're already doing. I post both parcels and large letters and have had no problems with delivery defects for either. My handling time is 5 days, but others are having equal success with 3. It won't affect your top rated seller and I cant comment on best match search as I run auctions so BM for me doesn't really apply as most auction buyers search by ending soonest.

I haven't had any reduction in sales since I increased my handling. Only noticable difference is buyers commenting that they got their item before the first estimate date.

Re: Another Australia Post and Late Arrival Defect Thread

typhoon4u — Sat, 22 Oct 2016 01:24:04 GMT

Yes, I now use priority stickers on all out of state items.

It definately solved late delivery problems.

I'm now getting 3-6 days from WA to eastern states.

Auspost basically hold and delay your item as a way of extorting the priority sticker.

In real price/delivery times, auspost more than doubled the cost in Feburary.

From 70 cents/3-6 day delivery to $1.50 (stamp+priority) for the same 3-6 day delivery.

Please do use the priority sticker and I think many of your problems will disappear.

I also have a 4 day "handling" time but items generally sent next day.

Re: Another Australia Post and Late Arrival Defect Thread

padi*0409 — Sat, 22 Oct 2016 01:25:39 GMT

@jfmgray wrote:

What are seller's experiences in using the 50 cent priority stickers for letters expecially for destinations in galaxies far far away?

I'm not a seller jf, but I had to use the priority stickers on 2 letters sent by registered mail to try and get speedy delivery of the letters.

One was sent on the monday the other on the tuesday, they still took until the following tuesday to arrive in Perth only 350 Klms from where they were sent from.

I could have walked to Perth and hand-delivered in less time than that..................grrrrrr.

Re: Another Australia Post and Late Arrival Defect Thread

jellybirddesigns — Sat, 22 Oct 2016 01:34:46 GMT

I don't use the priority stickers as I have pushed out my handling time to 5 days, even though I post the next business day.

My items are also sent as a large letter, and to date I have had no late defects in the last 12 months.

I still have a top-rated status, even with the extended handling time.

Re: Another Australia Post and Late Arrival Defect Thread

rocket2retro — Sat, 22 Oct 2016 02:07:36 GMT

I increased my handling time from 1-4 days & have not had a defect since. I can't know how, or if, it has affected sales. It won't affect your top rated status (but late delivery defects will) & frankly I don't give a hoot about best match placements (you'd need to give your item away for free with free express postage and offer lifetime money back guarantees to qualify anyway).

Re: Another Australia Post and Late Arrival Defect Thread

digital*ghost — Sat, 22 Oct 2016 03:00:41 GMT

@jfmgray wrote:

What are seller's experiences in using the 50 cent priority stickers for letters expecially for destinations in galaxies far far away?

Additionally how far can you stretch out handling time before there is an effect on things like Top Rated status or best match placements or anything else?

I use priority on every large letter and find that in some cases, delivery is faster than it used to be (before the two-speed service was introcuced), eg 2 days to TAS and WA (post on Mon, arrive Wed) when before it was often 4-6 days, or it's at least on par with how it used to be for the rest.

It's important to note that not everyone experiences the same, though - some sellers have tried priority and found their packages either aren't any quicker, or they're even slower than the non-priority ones. I attribute my 'success' (for lack of a better word) with it at least partially to my location, which is metro-SA - being in the middle of the country means my packages ~~never~~ hardly ever travel from one side of Oz to the other (AP errors notwithstanding ).

eBay will give you a 'warning' about non-standard handling times if you select anything over 3 days, so 3 or under shouldn't see much (if any) consequence in terms of rankings.

I have mine set at 2, though everything is posted same or next business day (I often post on Sundays, as well). I like 2, because it gives me an extra day or so grace with eBay's ETA, but doesn't make buyers think they'll be in for a long wait if they buy from me. I have 0 late shipments (never had one at all, as far as I know).

Re: Another Australia Post and Late Arrival Defect Thread

jfmgray — Sat, 22 Oct 2016 04:54:17 GMT

Thanks all for your input. I will look at extending handling times to 3 days and using priority labels to WA and other locations far far away.

Apart from hopefully reducing the grief and workload that goes with late arrivals if I extend handling time and use priority mail, I would still appreciate views on the impact if I did nothing and my late arrivals stayed below 5% (which will be the case). If there is no penalty for sellers who stay below 5%, am I unnecessarily worried about increased items arriving late?

Re: Another Australia Post and Late Arrival Defect Thread

chameleon54 — Sat, 22 Oct 2016 05:44:16 GMT

I have pushed handling time out to 5 days for all new listings, but existing listings still have 3 day handling time. I recieved a couple of defects for slow postage a few months ago, but nothing since. The extra handling time has made no difference at all to my monthly sales.

Re: Another Australia Post and Late Arrival Defect Thread

typhoon4u — Sat, 22 Oct 2016 06:05:34 GMT

I was more concerned with customer dissatisfaction than ebay issues.

Trying to keep customers happy and avoid neutral/red dots is my priority.

I have several postage defects of which 90% are false positives. Meaning tracking proves they were posted within the time frame and ebay got it wrong.

Re: Another Australia Post and Late Arrival Defect Thread

pacotrading — Sat, 22 Oct 2016 06:59:39 GMT

Yes we increased our handling time to 5 days, as we use the postal system, and couriers, naturaly the courier service mostly delivers within our handling time, but we were not top rated sellers, but since increasing the handling time, we are now rated as top sellers, and no impact on our sales, actually more sales since top rated.

Re: Another Australia Post and Late Arrival Defect Thread

character_parties_aus — Sat, 22 Oct 2016 07:43:39 GMT

It's not just letters that are slower though.

Parcels from Bris to Melb used to be 3 business days conssitently. It's no 4 and sometimes 5 business days. That's sending tracked with siganture.

Only difference I can see is that they now get a scan in Sydney. If they are slower due to that scan I would sooner there was no Sydney scan personally.

It seems also same applies from Vic to QLD. I recently bought two items off a seller that went eparcel and took 5 days. No fault of seller but 5 days QLD to Vic when you are paying $10-$12 for freight is really lousy service.

Re: Another Australia Post and Late Arrival Defect Thread

pacotrading — Sat, 22 Oct 2016 08:34:11 GMT

Hi we use DHL couriers not cheap but very fast even internationly, plus step by step tracking all the way, they make Oz post look like snails, yes agree Oz postal delivery times these days can be woefull, sent two different items to 2 different buyers in WA, one sent from VIC. standard Oz post satchel, the other from a warehouse in SHENZHEN - CHINA, with DHL, DHL delivery had to pass through 3 different customs points enroute as well. Meanwhile the Oz post delivery did not leave VIC for 4 days stuck in Sunshine sorting centre, meanwhile DHL delivery driver delivered the item from China to the WA customer, Oz post delivery was a week later. Ironically the only time DHL deliveries slow down is when delivering to areas outside of their delivery radius and they pass them on to Oz post and things slow down dramatically.

Re: Another Australia Post and Late Arrival Defect Thread

saarzi — Sat, 22 Oct 2016 09:13:07 GMT

The stickers made no difference to delivery time for me, so I stopped using them.

I pushed my handling time to 5 days, even though I post same day or the following day, and it hasnt affected my sales whatsoever. In fact, this month and last month are my best two months in 3 years, and because items almost always arrive before the estimate, buyers love it.

Just extend your handling time and it wont be a problem.

Re: Another Australia Post and Late Arrival Defect Thread

beallieblue-oz — Sun, 23 Oct 2016 06:31:52 GMT

I am the same as you, no priority and 5 days handling. I live in the country and only post 3-4 days a week.

All letter rate. I write on the box the date I posted it, so the customer can see, and take a photo of finished parcel.

No defects so far.

Re: Another Australia Post and Late Arrival Defect Thread

lane-ends — Sun, 23 Oct 2016 11:17:25 GMT

@jfmgray wrote:
. If there is no penalty for sellers who stay below 5%, am I unnecessarily worried about increased items arriving late?

Dont assume this, if there is no penalty now, they may implement an effect without warning.

Plus if you just accept a residual defect rate it cuts your margin for when something goes wrong and you suddenly get a lot of delayed mail. eg a mislaid mail bag pick up which contains your entire days postings.

Re: Another Australia Post and Late Arrival Defect Thread

cassie135 — Sun, 23 Oct 2016 13:34:02 GMT

Posted a large letter at a Frankston PO, Melbourne around 1pm on a Friday, no priority. Was received at Highett, Geelong the following Friday. A one hour trip distance by car.

Re: Another Australia Post and Late Arrival Defect Thread

twyngwyn — Mon, 24 Oct 2016 04:28:30 GMT

PIAA grills Aus Post CEO

24 Oct 2016 | April Glover | Comment now

Australia Post chief executive Ahmed Fahour fronted Federal parliament in a Senate Estimates meeting, grilled with questions about business mail costs devised by the PIAA.

During the meeting Fahour told Senator David Leyonhjelm the industry should be prepared the increased business mail prices, and frankly spoke about the mail giant’s lack of responsibility for price hikes.

According to Fahour, Australia Post continues to lose money because of business mail, therefore group will persist with its pattern of letter price rises.

When asked about the accelerating prices of ordinary mail versus business mail, Fahour responded he did not have the ‘exact mathematics’.

“There is no question that we have been trying to reduce the losses, as we have been losing money on business mail every year since 2009,” says Fahour.

“At the end of the day the people who have to pay a little bit more to cover the losses are big institutions like the banks, telcos and government itself.”

[Related: Aus Post defends ageism claims]

The Association has since criticised Fahour for his responses during the meeting, describing the Aus Post boss as ‘dodging questions’ and stating the mail giant has no accountability for its price issues.

“Business mail is an easy target for Australia Post because it has to seek approval from the ACCC to increase prices for basic mail, but not for business mail,” says the PIAA.

“Australia Post intends to continue increasing prices for business mail without transparency, without accountability and without genuine consultation. Australia Post will simply say no.”

Fahour told the Senate Australia Post’s letter business makes up 28 per cent of its revenue, with only 3 per cent of that total from social mail.

Re: Another Australia Post and Late Arrival Defect Thread

jfmgray — Mon, 24 Oct 2016 04:52:51 GMT

I posted a large letter to Frankston on 13 October (about 20 minutes away). On the same day I posted a large letter to the UK. Guess which one has arrived.

I am now up to 5 "where is my item" open cases and 4 other messages about missing mail, all posted on 13-14 October, mostly to Queensland and NSW (and Frankston). I have heeded advice and extended my handling time yesterday to 3 days and sales yesterday and today continue to be great.

Re: Another Australia Post and Late Arrival Defect Thread

twyngwyn — Mon, 24 Oct 2016 05:13:25 GMT

90% of my 'missing' letters are to Qld....I'm in Adelaide....considering my tracking of parcels going to Qld show that they are being processed through Chullora in NSW (and remain stranded for quite a while) I presume that letters are going through there as well....can anyone clarify?