topic Re: Sending items as a large letter. in Selling

Sending items as a large letter.

licoricebabyandfabmama — Sat, 25 Aug 2012 08:43:13 GMT

Ok so Ive started selling small light items, Ive done my research and seen that everyone else is selling the same thing as a large letter or stamp mail in a padded envelope. Go into the post office today to post an item and see how many "stamps" ill need. Guy tells me oh no thats a parcel rate. Argue it with him, he pulls out the slot measure and makes a feable and failing attempt to push my parcel through. Show him another item which would clearly fit, oh no thats a parcel too. What gives? I know Auspost is privatised, are they making more money making sure small items do not go through as large letters. I know my first mistake was taking it to a teller in the first place, but I dont really want to be sneaking my items through the mail as letters either.

However, I cant sell this item with 7 dollars extra postage tacked onto it, I just wouldnt be able to compete. So the only other thing I can think is to get some stamps and just put it myself in the red box, and squeeze it through right and proper, but now do I run the risk of having it returned or my customer having to pick up the cost on the other end.

Any advice, comments?

Re: Sending items as a large letter.

putney32 — Sat, 25 Aug 2012 08:49:34 GMT

most of the items I see you've sold, you charged $7+ postage anyways

for an item to go letter rate, it must be flat,.. letters go thru the sorting machines at over 50km p hour, a dress, or baby rug, not properly packed, in an envelope, will catch and be torn, and worst yet, stop the sorting machine and in rare cases even damage the machine.

letter rate really is for paper items, flat and flexible. If you are sending small items such as a bead or badge, you can, sometimes get them in the 000 or 00 padded bags, well packed and they go at ''letters''but the must be FLAT.

you can always up yr item price by a dollar or 2, and charge a little less for postage.

Re: Sending items as a large letter.

kopenhagen5 — Sat, 25 Aug 2012 08:54:19 GMT

I don't know the rates, but have a look at click and send.

Nearly everyone says it's terrific and sometimes cheaper than regular AP items. 😉

Re: Sending items as a large letter.

thesoulyearns — Sat, 25 Aug 2012 08:57:22 GMT

Copied directly from the official Aus Post website:

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http://auspost.com.au/personal/standard-delivery.html

A large letter is an article which exceeds at least one of the small letter dimensions and has the following characteristics:

rectangular in shape no larger than 260mm x 360mm no thicker than 20mm does not weigh more than 500g.

Re: Sending items as a large letter.

foxette-in-sox — Sat, 25 Aug 2012 09:03:02 GMT

Ask a FRIENDLY AP shop for a letter gauge-I did & it sure made life a lot easier.

Re: Sending items as a large letter.

rumplebear1951 — Sat, 25 Aug 2012 09:04:03 GMT

If I was to receive one of your items that I had paid $7 postage for I would be less than impressed to receive it in an envelope.

For $7 I would expect it to be wrapped and in a satchel at the very least.

Re: Sending items as a large letter.

curraone — Sat, 25 Aug 2012 09:05:05 GMT

Ask for a letter gauge from a post office - this is a large cardboard thingy which has slots cut into it - for 2 cm. My PO was glad to hand it out and it is free.

Then you will be in no doubt whether your item complies, if it fits through the slot, it can be sent as a letter.

Buy lots of stamps and yes, post them in the red box. Follow the Aust Post guidelines on their site and on the letter gauge for number of stamps, you will not go wrong.

Of course it depends on what you sell - obviously some breakable items should never be sent as a letter.

PS: if possible, change your post office, there is nothing worse than a post office with a bad attitude.

Re: Sending items as a large letter.

curraone — Sat, 25 Aug 2012 09:07:40 GMT

Oh and I agree, don't charge $7 when your buyer can see you only paid $3.00 postage - a tiny amount for buying the envelope say, but don't over do it.

Just my opinion:-)

Re: Sending items as a large letter.

b3llag1na — Sat, 25 Aug 2012 09:11:20 GMT

You can get away with posting small clothing items as letters as long as you pack them FLAT.

When I do it, I use an old cereal box cut down to fit the envelope, use the white non-marking tape to tape the clothing down onto one piece of card, cover it with another and tape the edges of the card down, then slide it into a large envelope... this way the clothing item won't bunch up inside and the postage will be under $3.

It's alot of effort though, and if you sell alot of things it would be very time consuming.

Re: Sending items as a large letter.

licoricebabyandfabmama — Sat, 25 Aug 2012 10:52:29 GMT

Just to clarify folks, I would never charge extra postage and not ship an item accordingly. The postage charges you saw were for clothing items and were sent in prepaid sachels. I wasnt even looking to make a profit off the clothing just to get my sales up and practise listing. In hind site I should have stuck them between carboard and sent them in an envelope since people were paying more in postage then what they paid second hand for the item. I am also selling new items such as pacifiers and they arent worth an extra 7 bux postage to buyer, therefore I need to find ways to get postage down. I can clearly see other sellers are charging letter rates for postage. Obvioulsy I want to do the same so that I can make some profit.

Re: Sending items as a large letter.

lane-ends — Sat, 25 Aug 2012 11:13:19 GMT

This what I do.

Flatten clothing item and place in A4 size zip lock bag. Flatten air out and seal. Tape over tightly with packing tape. If zip lock opens bags can inflate in transit. I then use a normal manila folder. Fold over extended edge and tape edge. tape across bottom. A4 zip locked package then slides perfectly inside. Tape end shut. test it goes through card slot. Weigh, put appropriate stamps on. Post in street box. Not trackable so over counter is no advantage.

Folder is stronger than a normal envelope, and clothing dont need padding, in any case padding takes up valuable letter depth. Zip lock bag protects item in case package gets wet.. "vacuum" sealing in zip lock bag prevents item bulking up in post, and getting caught in sorting machines.

Re: Sending items as a large letter.

wickedfezplayer — Sat, 25 Aug 2012 11:21:49 GMT

Hi I would do as others have suggested and get the guage. In my opinion the pacifers that you are selling I don't think will lbe able to be sent as a large letter. You have to be careful as Australia post will charge you the extra post plus a fee and it might be nearly the cost of what you are selling. Plus sending them with no protection, I would be worried about them getting damaged by the machine and/or other mail on them.

This is just my opinion and I wish you all the best and good luck with your future sales

Re: Sending items as a large letter.

dylan11235813 — Sat, 25 Aug 2012 11:23:31 GMT

As an alternative to bubble mailers there are cardboard boxes available that are just under the 20mm limit, up to A4 size, and they seem to be able to fit slighlty thicker items than a bubble mailer. Also there are the card mailers but I have never used them.

Re: Sending items as a large letter.

phorum_junkie* — Sat, 25 Aug 2012 11:32:11 GMT

I don't use cardboard either, I put things in ziplock bags and squish all the air out then seal it. If you are sending clothing in an envelope you need to make sure it is waterproof too.

You don't have to use padded envelopes either, I have a stock of ordinary envelopes and shurtuff mailers, as long as they drop easily through the slot they can go as a large letter.

If you have to help them through then they are a parcel.

For things that will not go as letters your most economic way of posting is click & send with the ebay branded satchels, for anything worth up to $50 ($100 with signature required) they are cheaper than regular small parcel or the red satchels and have Paypal seller protection.

Re: Sending items as a large letter.

licoricebabyandfabmama — Sat, 25 Aug 2012 13:45:26 GMT

Thanx for the suggestions. I dont think I would feel good about sending items out in ziplock bags, although if it were a personal mail out, its a great suggestion. I dont have a problem sending clothing out and tacking on the 7 dollar postage fee as I feel people expect clothing to be sent in larger packaging and expect the postage rate. But for a pacifier they dont expect to be paying 7 dollars in postage, in fact if I tacked that rate on to the item I would be priced far above everyone selling the same item and noone would buy from me, The pacifiers are all silicone no hard pieces so they would bend in the mail, I just dont want them to get stuck in the sorter, although the other sellers dont seem to have a problem with damaged goods as all their feedback is quite good. Oh and I should add I know the other sellers are sending them stamp mail because i bought from them to see. IMO the postal worker at the desk was being an *** I wouldnt be surprised if he was owner of the shop or if they are just briefed on getting more money from us.

Re: Sending items as a large letter.

phorum_junkie* — Sat, 25 Aug 2012 15:56:35 GMT

Not sure what you have against ziplock bags, I would say that a good 70% of all clothing items that I consider adequately packaged are in them. the rest have some sort of waterproof layer between the outer packaging and the garment. Even if you use satchels you really need an inner, waterproof layer as theyb often arrive with a tear or hole in them. I will mark any seller down who does not send with inner protection.

100% of clothing items I sell are sent in ziplock bags (or another, well sealed with sellotape bag if I don't have a ziplock big enough), in all the many years I have been selling I have never had a single complaint about how my clothing is packaged.

Re: Sending items as a large letter.

flashback_deals — Sat, 25 Aug 2012 16:07:45 GMT

I sometimes use the dark yellow A4 envelopes. Books that size can go as letter rate for up to $3.

The white ones are see through so I dont use them. This is makes the postage cheaper than buying a tough envelope, but I only do it for cheap books as well.

Sometimes cardboard can put it above the 2cm. I get books of Fishpond, but find if I reuse them, they are only good for books that would go as a $6.60 parcel rate

Re: Sending items as a large letter.

lyndal1838 — Sat, 25 Aug 2012 16:14:53 GMT

If you don't use ziplock bags, what do you use for inner packaging for clothing?

I buy from several good clothing sellers on ebay....some of them use tissue or other wrapping paper first but all of them use some sort of waterproof bag before placing the clothing in an outer mailer...either satchels or tuff bags.

I have had clothing just in plastic satchels which have been damaged and the clothing has been wet or damaged in some way. I have learned not to buy from small sellers who are just clearing out their wardrobes...I stick with the larger sellers who know how to pack for safe mailing.

And return year after year.:-D

Re: Sending items as a large letter.

flashback_deals — Sat, 25 Aug 2012 16:31:46 GMT

Yes lyndal, sometimes the satchels can arrive with holes in them.

When I send things in satchels, I always use bubblewrap, at least it protects the item as well

I did have 5 PC Games arrive once in a expandable tough envelope - all loose and they got damaged and never bought from them again! If someone packages the item well, it gets a tick from me.

When my other half has bought clothes, most arrive in a zip lock bag in a satchel.

I usually ask myself if someone charged me this much for postage, would I be happy if I received it like that

A happy customer is a returning customer!

Re: Sending items as a large letter.

*new2vintage — Sat, 25 Aug 2012 18:11:47 GMT

" IMO the postal worker at the desk was being an *** I wouldnt be surprised if he was owner of the shop or if they are just briefed on getting more money from us. "

Don't blame a postal worker for doing his job. If a package doesn't fit through the 2 cm slot it can't be sent as a large letter. If you obtain a cardboard guage you will be given the chance to repack an item at home if you need to.