topic Re: SENDLE disaster in Selling

SENDLE disaster

mark.wooba — Thu, 07 Oct 2021 23:15:37 GMT

Sent an item to a buyer in a small town in Victoria, mostly because Sendle was pushed at me by eBay itself. So took the Sendle option on the eBay "print a postage label" screen. Paid $8.83

Turns out Fastway do not service that town in VIC, or they do, but for a huge fee. So lo and behold my package arrives back at my address, 3 weeks later, marked Return to Sender and a OOA sticker (outside our area).

Buyer is upset and wants me to send it again or refund.

Called eBay. No joy, want me to contact Sendle for a shipping refund (even though eBay deducted the shipping payment and legally they are obliged to refund it if the service is not provided). Sendle website is rubbish, will allow you to send an email and they say they will respond ... sometime. No phone number to call.

What to do next....?

Re: SENDLE disaster

jellybirddesigns — Fri, 08 Oct 2021 01:11:10 GMT

Lots of issues with Sendle, but at the end of the day the choice was yours alone whether or not to use them.

I would absolutely refund or send again at your cost - the buyer is in no way responsible.

If you resend, use good old AP.

Re: SENDLE disaster

mark.wooba — Fri, 08 Oct 2021 01:25:00 GMT

Buyer not responsible, and nor am I. This is eBay's fault for forcibly promoting a broker like Sendle, who uses a third party courier (Fastway) with limited delivery areas, of which Sendle is not properly aware.

Sendle should match the delivery address against Fastway's known delivery map, and reject addresses outside of it.

Instead, it is allowing items to be sent to addresses they will never reach.

This is amateur's hour.

I have offered to send the item (a chainsaw chain), in an ordinary $2.20 Auspost letter (less than 2cm thick). No tracking.

Re: SENDLE disaster

gutterpunkz05 — Fri, 08 Oct 2021 01:43:41 GMT

While you have means of recourse with sendle, as much as you don't like it, you are responsible until the item reaches the buyer.

Offering to send the item by AP untracked and underpaid, is only going to add to your problems

Re: SENDLE disaster

padi*0409 — Fri, 08 Oct 2021 01:45:47 GMT

@mark.wooba wrote:

Buyer not responsible, and nor am I. This is eBay's fault for forcibly promoting a broker like Sendle, who uses a third party courier (Fastway) with limited delivery areas, of which Sendle is not properly aware.

The buyer is certainly not responsible but you made the choice (presumably because postage was cheaper) to use Sendle. Yes, eBay does promote Sendle, and probably gets a kickback from it, but they do not force you to use Sendle.

Edit. G'day GP.

Re: SENDLE disaster

*sons_and_daughters* — Fri, 08 Oct 2021 01:46:51 GMT

Why would you send with no tracking? That is asking for more trouble than using Sendle!

Sendle don't just use Aramex (Fastway). They use multiple different courier services. They use Aramex the most, because they are the cheapest, which means more in Sendle's pocket.

You are to blame, because you chose to try and save 50c. Ebay force ideas onto both buyers and sellers all the time. You aren't forced to accept the offers, yet you thought you could save 50c, so took the offer up. Having done that, you will probably be hounded to death now from ebay to do it again.

I just hope the chainsaw chain isn't more than 20mm thick or more than 125g, or you're going to find yourself out of pocket a lot more than $2.20. Then there's the issue with the sharp teeth penetrating the envelope and potentially falling out in the post.

I expect we'll hear back from you in the next few weeks saying you have copped a underpaid fine from Aust Post for not putting enough stamps on the envelope. I can tell you now, the last chain I bought weighed more than 125g.

Re: SENDLE disaster

jellybirddesigns — Fri, 08 Oct 2021 02:06:04 GMT

You need to make the buyer whole right away. Either refund them in full, (you can use the reason "problem with buyers address"), or send the item out today with tracking.

Every day you delay brings you closer to getting a neg on your account.

Yes, Ebay promotes Sendle, but you are in no way forced to use them.

You would be better off signing up for an Aus Post "MyPost" business account, and use either your own packaging OR the new parcel bags which are NOT prepaid (get the ones where you need a label). You'll need to lodge over the counter, but when the postal agent scans the QR code you get, you'll obtain a good discount, depending on your posting volume. I'm on Band 5, and I get approx $1.86 off the $9.30 parcel post label.

Re: SENDLE disaster

cezm — Fri, 08 Oct 2021 02:26:22 GMT

@mark.wooba wrote:

I have offered to send the item (a chainsaw chain), in an ordinary $2.20 Auspost letter (less than 2cm thick). No tracking.

I'm sure that'll travel well through the sorting machine

Re: SENDLE disaster

mark.wooba — Fri, 08 Oct 2021 03:14:23 GMT

I'm already losing on this sale, profit gone, so any extra postage paid just compounds the loss. It looks like I should simply withdraw from using eBay. I can't be bothered dealing with all the stupidity, and mailing system promoted by eBay that simply does not work. I have another item sent with Sendle that has been a month in limbo, now "handed over to third party" for delivery. Sydney buyer upset she does not have her item, dispute raised, money held.

Anyway, finally got through to a CS manager who is going to ask another department to refund me the shipping costs, allowing me to resend this with tracking, without losing money.

Interestingly, he said I am not the first such case, and agreed with me that something needs to change. This will be highlighted to Sendle. He sort of implied that eBay is in a contract with them and cannot withdraw, even though Sendle is selling services without providing them.

> You are to blame, because you chose to try and save 50c.

What an absurd comment! You really have some prize characters commenting here.

And BTW the chain weighs 155g, so would have to go for $3.30 if I sent it as a letter. But I'll send it tracked, now that I'm getting a refund.

Cezm, regarding those 'letter guidelines', note that the postal worker at the post office puts the items though the 20mm slot. Surely that's the time to flag an unsuitable item to the client?

Re: SENDLE disaster

mark.wooba — Fri, 08 Oct 2021 03:19:49 GMT

I'm on Band 5, and I get approx $1.86 off the $9.30 parcel post label.

I'm a casual user on 'Band 0', so no discount at all.

Re: SENDLE disaster

jellybirddesigns — Fri, 08 Oct 2021 03:35:42 GMT

If you sign up with a new email address - they have had a promotion that everyone goes on to Band 3 for about 3 months automatically. Just check if the promo is still valid.

Re: SENDLE disaster

*sons_and_daughters* — Fri, 08 Oct 2021 09:02:26 GMT

If you don't fall for ebay's bait, then you won't lose out. While there are plenty that complain about Australia Post, 99.9% of the time, they deliver the mail.

No one forced you to use Sendle. You made that choice yourself hoping you could save a few cents. Regardless of the spam that ebay inflicts us all with, you were not forced to do it. Yet you chose to. More than once by the sound of it.

Yes, you will probably lose out on this sale. Chalk it up to experience. In future, do what most people do with ebay spam. Delete it. No reason to leave ebay over one bad experience. We've all made mistakes. Learn from it and move on.

If you send without tracking and the buyer claims not received, even if they have got it, you're going to lose even more. The buyer will win every single time if there is no tracking. Pleased you have decided to send with tracking after all.

Re: SENDLE disaster

gutterpunkz05 — Fri, 08 Oct 2021 10:13:39 GMT

Cezm, regarding those 'letter guidelines', note that the postal worker at the post office puts the items though the 20mm slot. Surely that's the time to flag an unsuitable item to the client?

OP, you really need to keep up with Ebay and AP announcements. AP has clamped right down on people sending parcel articles as letters. New sorting and scanning devices can pull an item from further shipment at any point during delivery process. Any such items can be returned to sender, or additional charges and penalties can be applied to senders accounts. If the sender can not be ascertained then additional charges and penalties can be applied to the recipient or delivery refused.

So it really is up to you to meet the shipping requirements and relevant costs.

I noted that the item indicated it would be shipped by AP small box/satchel, which is what the buyer would have been expecting in the first place. As the item (including original packaging) would well and truly fit in a small box/satchel (max 5kg Flat Rate) it is laughable that you state the original packaging will not be included to reduce postage costs. It does however tend to offer an insight into your choice to "save" on postage.

Best of luck with your transaction

Re: SENDLE disaster

sugar249 — Fri, 08 Oct 2021 10:23:41 GMT

@mark.wooba wrote:

Cezm, regarding those 'letter guidelines', note that the postal worker at the post office puts the items though the 20mm slot. Surely that's the time to flag an unsuitable item to the client?

It is the senders responsibility to make sure their item meets the requirements, sounds like you are good at blaming everyone else for your decisions. You make it sound like Ebay made you use sendle, you click the mouse or the keyboard, not Ebay. Start taking responsibility for your own actions.

Re: SENDLE disaster

mark.wooba — Sun, 10 Oct 2021 01:32:53 GMT

I've sent and received rigid items in letter post numerous times without a problem.

My listing specified AP as default. This item is unprofitable to sell at all if using parcel mail.

Re: SENDLE disaster

mark.wooba — Sun, 10 Oct 2021 02:17:39 GMT

@sugar249 wrote:

You make it sound like Ebay made you use sendle, you click the mouse or the keyboard, not Ebay. Start taking responsibility for your own actions.

Ebay asked me to print a label. On the print a label screen, Sendle is presented as the first and second options for the seller to chose, giving the impression that this is eBay's preferred method. It has the look and feel of a partnership arrangement, with the price lower than AP as well. It is ludicrous, under these circumstances and with this presentation, to blame the consumer for chosing what looks like the best option.

Re: SENDLE disaster

sandypebbles — Sun, 10 Oct 2021 01:51:49 GMT

What a delightful little man

YOU chose the option

YOU chose to send non letter items as letters

Take responsibility for your own choices or take your own advice

You need to be over 18 to use eBay anyway

The cop out 'eBay made me' shows you are obviously not

Re: SENDLE disaster

sugar249 — Sun, 10 Oct 2021 01:58:18 GMT

@mark.wooba wrote:
E
@sugar249 wrote:
You make it sound like Ebay made you use sendle, you click the mouse or the keyboard, not Ebay. Start taking responsibility for your own actions.
Ebay asked me to print a label. On the print a label screen, Sendle is presented as the first and second options for the seller to chose, giving the impression that this is eBay's preferred method. It has the look and feel of a partnership arrangement, with the price lower than AP as well. It is ludicrous, under these circumstances and with this presentation, to blame the consumer for chosing what looks like the best option.

LOL, I'll leave the others to comment on your final 2 words

But Ebay did not ask you to print a label, You chose the print label option, You could have taken it to the post office or any other courier company.

Yes Sendle may be the number 1 and 2 option, but sensible people can make a decision and select the number 3 or number 4 option.

All your decisions,

Re: SENDLE disaster

*sons_and_daughters* — Sun, 10 Oct 2021 02:13:39 GMT

Oh great, another "it's everyone else's fault for the decision I made" person. When oh when are people going to take responsibility for their own actions? What a numpty generation we have created. YOU made the choice to try and save 50c. YOU made the decision you use that service. Not ebay and not anyone here. You could have chosen another option. Take responsibility for the choice YOU made.

Just curious, given you were trying to save 50c on postage by being "forced" by ebay to use Sendle, were you going to pocket that 50c, or refund the buyer?

Can't wait to see how your chain goes through the mail in an envelope, given it's been removed from the box "to save on postage".

Re: SENDLE disaster

seadweller007 — Sun, 10 Oct 2021 03:03:56 GMT

Another example of eBay ripping off their sellers .

They need to fix it and reimburse you.