topic Re: Australia Post in Selling

Australia Post

mixedupstuffonline — Mon, 06 Sep 2021 22:54:15 GMT

Has anybody else received an email from Australia Post regarding parcel size and weight?

This is a partial bit of the email received -

We are committed to providing an efficient and reliable service, which is why we're using new technology at our processing facilities to scan and sort your parcels. Our new technology also helps verify the weight and size of your items and spot any discrepancies with the information you provided.

When purchasing your MyPost Business postage online with your own packaging, you currently enter the weight and dimensions to calculate the postage price. Through this process we've noticed some discrepancies which indicate you may need help with correctly calculating the weight and dimensions of your items.

From 4 October 2021, while we will continue to deliver your item as addressed, we'll also let you know if any of your domestic parcels have been lodged with underpaid postage. You'll still be able to create and purchase your postage labels in your MyPost Business account, provided you pay for the underpaid postage within 14 days of the initial notification.

Re: Australia Post

digital*ghost — Mon, 06 Sep 2021 23:45:00 GMT

I didn't get this email, but a heap of sellers did (I'm in a few Facebook groups for online sellers, and a bunch were talking about it yesterday).

From what I can gather, it was sent out mostly to any seller that regularly sends assessed parcels, while all of mine are either under 500g or in flat rate satchels, so dimensions / weight aren't an issue.

Unless they are changing their other terms, lodging over the counter should technically avoid any extra charges being applied, because once an article is accepted by them, they are not allowed to apply additional charges - not sure if this applies to pick-ups, but it doesn't when posting in a street box.

Re: Australia Post

mixedupstuffonline — Mon, 06 Sep 2021 23:49:39 GMT

Thanks for the information, and would be interested in joining the facebook group.

Can I ask what assessed parcels are? All of my parcels are lodged and scanned at the post office.

Re: Australia Post

digital*ghost — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 00:08:58 GMT

Assessed parcels are anything that doesn't use their flat-rate packaging, so the dimensions are entered (L x W x H, plus total weight) and then they calculate the postage, either by dead weight, or volumetric weight (whichever is higher). I guess it's a little too easy to enter lower numbers for cheaper postage rates and some senders have been tempted to do so.

There's a few Aussie eBay Facebook groups - one is relatively large and fairly active, I can't say much about that one as I joined a much smaller one (around 600 members, and a little less active 🙂 ). If you search FB for eBay Australia, both should pop up in the results.

Re: Australia Post

mixedupstuffonline — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 00:35:51 GMT

Thanks so much

Re: Australia Post

sugar249 — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 04:27:34 GMT

They are going to finally catch all of those cheats who self asses their parcels at lower dimensions then they really are. It's a huge problem. It could be stopped at the PO if they weighed and checked things, but they want to just accept them and not check.

Eventually you will be pinged and have your accounts cancelled, which will be good for the rest of us honest people.

Re: Australia Post

everard6920 — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 05:19:06 GMT

Most of mine are flat rate and I check all assessed packages very carefully, but whether or not this is "good" depends upon the accuracy of the technology. I can't imagine that there will be an effective way to dispute a charge if you believe you assessed correctly but the technology says that you did not.

Re: Australia Post

sugar249 — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 06:46:53 GMT

@everard6920 wrote:
but whether or not this is "good" depends upon the accuracy of the technology.

Extremely accurate

Re: Australia Post

digital*ghost — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 12:36:07 GMT

I received an updated version of this email today, it was identical to the other email but didn't have the paragraph saying they noticed discrepancies (though a reference to it was visible in the subject line preview 🤣 ).

Some people seem to have received both versions, my guess it was a poor attempt at a warning crossed with a notification of the upcoming changes, and that a whole bunch of people were offended at both the condescending and accusatory nature of the original. (You know, the whole, "We've noticed some... discrepancies with your accounts, it looks like you need some help measuring your packages - have you heard of this thing called a ruler?" kind of approach. 😆 )

Re: Australia Post

holdencars11 — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 13:07:44 GMT

Yes I think it might be a problem for some sellers that offer free shipping and then try and game the system by under sizing items when it has to go interstate or across the country and they figure that they are losing money. My post office both weighs and then measures everything sent... some people don't understand that cubic size can bump the parcel into the next weight category.

Sometimes I get customers that demand lower shipping when the cubic weight is infact increased. They get blocked usually.

I was wondering how long AP was going to let it go for.. I guess they just upped the parcel rates too in September..

Re: Australia Post

padraicpaul91 — Wed, 08 Sep 2021 03:29:52 GMT

Australia Post attempted a similar thing about 8 or 9 years ago. When a young counter worker attempted to charge a light but bulky item by cubic weight I was stunned. It represented an additional $20. The more experienced workers told her to charge by weight only for an irregularly shaped item.

Re: Australia Post

padraicpaul91 — Wed, 08 Sep 2021 03:53:29 GMT

From Australia Post:

Using your own packaging
When using your own packaging to send parcels
weighing 5kg or under within Australia, a national flat
rate postage is calculated based on the weight tier
of your parcel and delivery speed you choose. These
parcels are charged according to their physical weight
or cubic weight equivalent, whichever is greater†

Whilst I am quietly freaking out about this, I question whether AusPost will deliver on this threat. Generally, it is not new, except for the inclusion of items under 500 grams. The question is whether they actually have and implement technologies that will find these so called underpaid items from credit account and My Business Post customers.

PO counter staff will hate this. 95% of my parcels will now need to be measured and priced according to volume. I hope that they will do as they have in the past, which was to object and ignore orders from above.

Re: Australia Post

everard6920 — Wed, 08 Sep 2021 09:00:02 GMT

@digital*ghost wrote:
I received an updated version of this email today, it was identical to the other email but didn't have the paragraph saying they noticed discrepancies (though a reference to it was visible in the subject line preview 🤣 ).

Some people seem to have received both versions, my guess it was a poor attempt at a warning crossed with a notification of the upcoming changes, and that a whole bunch of people were offended at both the condescending and accusatory nature of the original. (You know, the whole, "We've noticed some... discrepancies with your accounts, it looks like you need some help measuring your packages - have you heard of this thing called a ruler?" kind of approach. 😆 )

I'm so glad you mentioned this because this is what I received, too - and I read the email about 5 times because I thought I must've missed reading the sentence in the subject line preview!

Re: Australia Post

davewil1964 — Wed, 08 Sep 2021 09:12:18 GMT

I got the email, but I don't normally do assessed postage, so I didn't get the discrepancy bit.

Nor do I care as I normally don't do assessed postage.

Re: Australia Post

*sons_and_daughters* — Mon, 13 Sep 2021 10:03:59 GMT

The email I got, I got the impression that they thought I'd maybe listed an incorrect weight, and were giving me a warning. I went back through my sales history and it was a bit over a year since I'd posted something that was over 500g, so it shouldn't matter if I'd posted in a satchel, or own packaging. The cost would be the same regardless. 99 out of 100 parcels I send are under 500g. No, wait, probably 999 out of 1,000.

I ignored the email.

Re: Australia Post

ilce — Thu, 16 Sep 2021 00:42:41 GMT

When using your own boxes all parcels under 1Kg are not cube calculated. They only use weight to calculate cost under 1Kg. Over 1kg is cube weight.