topic Re: International postage in Selling

International postage

philb264 — Tue, 07 Apr 2020 22:08:44 GMT

For the last two days I have been unable to post international parcels from my local country SA post office, including UK, US and other parts of Europe. I have not found any information online regarding this ban. Is anyone else experiencing this?

Re: International postage

the4masters2013 — Tue, 07 Apr 2020 22:20:52 GMT

There is a woldwide virus happening at the moment.

All planes have been grounded, here and overseas.

I can only think that this is the reason.

Maybe someone a bit wiser and more knowledgable may have a better idea than me.

Re: International postage

kaplang — Tue, 07 Apr 2020 22:28:11 GMT

The last time I tried at PO (7 April), they were accepting International Parcels Standard Service to US/UK and some of Europe. The info at AusPost website advises ECONOMY AIR Parcel Service suspended until further notice. You should still be able to send with the marginally more expensive standard service which includes tracking, using the CN23 customs form - that's the large self-carboning form in triplicate.

The Aus Post link below has individual country specific updates. Might be worth checking these first before you pack something.

https://auspost.com.au/about-us/news-media/important-updates/coronavirus/coronavirus-international-updates

From this week Australia Post expects major international delivery delays due to flight cancellations and government restrictions because of COVID-19. Australia Post is working with partner airlines and other postal operators to move items as quickly as possible.

Please note Australia Post will suspend its “Economy Air” international delivery service for parcels to all countries effective 3 April and until further notice.

Re: International postage

curraone — Tue, 07 Apr 2020 22:32:59 GMT

Aust Post have suspended international economy air parcels.

3 April 2020

There are flight disruptions and cancellations impacting all inbound and outbound items to USA.

We expect delays to USA of up to 2 -3 weeks due to flight cancellations and government restrictions because of COVID-19.

Express items will be given priority over Standard items during this time.

Please note: Australia Post will suspend Economy Services for parcels effective 3 April and until further notice. Economy Services for letters will continue.

Australia Post is working closely with partner airlines and postal operators to move items as quickly possible.

https://auspost.com.au/about-us/news-media/important-updates/coronavirus/coronavirus-international-u...

and

7 April 2020

Please note Australia Post will suspend its “Economy Air” international delivery service for parcels to all countries effective 3 April and until further notice.

Re: International postage

philb264 — Tue, 07 Apr 2020 22:49:48 GMT

Hi, thanks for that. I understood that there where delays but not a ban

Re: International postage

love_of_cars — Wed, 08 Apr 2020 00:17:45 GMT

With the air mail, it is dependent on flights coming into Australia so they can load cargo and mail to go to other countries.

A friend of mine working in exports put it into perspective when they said they have 3 pallets of goods waiting to go to the US and there are no planes at all scheduled to come from the US into Melbourne for over two weeks. Imagine all the other outgoing mail which will pile up during this waiting period.

Then yesterday a late-notice United 787 Dreamliner came into Melbourne to repatriate US citizens back to their home country. My friend had the right connections to get the pallets onto that plane, which is going back to San Francisco this afternoon. I imagine AP would be able to get some of its stuff onto it also, but it could be a long wait before the next one comes along.

Re: International postage

porcelain_dolls_by_me — Thu, 09 Apr 2020 09:00:36 GMT

All of the airfreight companies still have flights into Sydney on an almost daily basis so why not hitch a ride on their planes?

Re: International postage

lyndal1838 — Thu, 09 Apr 2020 09:52:28 GMT

It could be very expensive to get the goods to Sydney if they are interstate.

Just because you can get the goods out of Australia it does not mean the destination country will accept them.

Re: International postage

chameleon54 — Thu, 09 Apr 2020 10:18:18 GMT

My Post Office advised there are minimum four week delays to both U.K & U.S.A mail systems and some other countries including Sweden ( had a parcel for sweden today ) have completely ceased accepting international mail. I am already getting Item not recieved cases from the U.S and as of today are cancelling and refunding all international sales using " there is a problem with the buyers address ".

Re: International postage

philb264 — Thu, 09 Apr 2020 12:37:23 GMT

Hi, I have contacted each of my overseas buyers and 90% have asked that I post when restrictions have been lifted. With this in mind, I also contacted eBay regarding this delay in being able to post items and the effect that late shipment would have on DSRs etc. In our transcript of conversation I was told that I have nothing to worry about and that they would fix manually.

Re: International postage

chameleon54 — Thu, 09 Apr 2020 22:38:05 GMT

@philb264 wrote:
Hi, I have contacted each of my overseas buyers and 90% have asked that I post when restrictions have been lifted. With this in mind, I also contacted eBay regarding this delay in being able to post items and the effect that late shipment would have on DSRs etc. In our transcript of conversation I was told that I have nothing to worry about and that they would fix manually.

I would be very cautious about following that advice, even if you have a transcript of the conversation. The restrictions / delays are likely to persist for many months and some international buyers who have payed for their items are going to start to squirm in this period of time.

The CS advice is also at odds with a recent ebay message sent to sellers which advised them to respond to item not received enquiries in the usual way. ie refund the buyers for the cost item and postage costs if the item does not arrive by ebays estimated delivery dates. I am not aware that ebay have pushed out their delivery estimates by four to six weeks ( or changed them at all ) to reflect current international postage times, so every international sale is a ticking time bomb, primed ready to explode in the sellers face at the moment.

As mentioned I am already getting messages from international buyers who have waited several weeks for their item and trying to explain to them that it might be a few more weeks before they see their item is not cutting it. I have already started the refunds and are cancelling most international sales..

Re: International postage

mic-s-korea — Sat, 11 Apr 2020 11:09:08 GMT

I received an AP express item from Australia to South Korea (where I live) last week ... it took 2 weeks ... shifted to DHL mid way, went via Singapore to HK to Seoul.

Nothing is getting out from here or Japan to Australia at the moment. Even EMS is out. UK has **bleep** down most fligths and Heathrow processing centre doesn't seem to be working through packages even if they make it that far.

Re: International postage

chameleon54 — Sun, 12 Apr 2020 23:40:03 GMT

I am getting heaps of sales of cheaper items to new, low feedback international ebayers at the moment. Obviously they are sitting at home in isolation and buying stuff.

The problem is these newbies will be the first to panic when their item does not arrive by ebays estimated delivery date. I have been cancelling the sales using " problem with buyers address " reason, but it has got to be such a problem I have just bulk edited all of my listings on my largest account to remove the international postage option.

Its going to be a big job to revise each listing to re-instate it all once the crisis is over.