topic Re: Help with Domestic postage in Selling

Help with Domestic postage

sagalaenterprises — Mon, 19 Jan 2015 13:40:43 GMT

I run a small business started 5 months ago. Selling hairdresing scissors and some surgical instruments. On average I post 2 parcels a day. How can I reduce my postage cost as currently, I am paying $7.20 per parcel. Can expereinced sellers help me with that pelase.

Re: Help with Domestic postage

cq_tech — Mon, 19 Jan 2015 14:08:11 GMT

Scissors and many other smaller instruments should fit quite comfortably into either a #1 Padded Bag or similar and as long as their overall thickness doesn't exceed 20mm and their maximum weight is less than 500g, you can send those as large letters.

Under 125g costs $1.40, between 126g and 250g will cost $2.10, while 251g up to 500g will cost $3.50. The only disadvantage with this method of postage is the fact that they carry no tracking, but the addition of SOD or registered at approximate costs of $3.10 & $3.50 respectively will solve that issue.

If you don't wish to pay for Registered or SOD, you can also photograph the letter at the PO once the stamp has been cancelled, as the photo will serve as proof of postage to use as a defence against INR claims (this has been verified by Paypal) and is what I do with all of my items which are sent by large letter.

Re: Help with Domestic postage

sueken4812 — Mon, 19 Jan 2015 14:11:29 GMT

If you can get them into something 2cms thick, they will go as a large letter $1.40 up to 125g. $2.10 up to 250g.

Check out this listing .....

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/20-04-SuperFlat-310x220x16mm-Large-Letter-Size-A4-size-Rigid-Envelope-Mailer-/330927413034

Superflat cardboard boxes which would be safer for these items than just in an envelope. If you wrapped in bubble wrap first, then into the flat carton, it should work for you.

Re: Help with Domestic postage

sueken4812 — Mon, 19 Jan 2015 14:13:18 GMT

Try again

http://stores.ebay.com.au/EBPACK/SuperFlat-Letter-Size-Boxes-/_i.html?_fsub=2741288016

Re: Help with Domestic postage

sueken4812 — Mon, 19 Jan 2015 14:14:29 GMT

Not having much luck here

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/20-04-SuperFlat-310x220x16mm-Large-Letter-Size-A4-size-Rigid-Envelope-Mailer-/330927413034

Re: Help with Domestic postage

dylan11235813 — Mon, 19 Jan 2015 14:33:25 GMT

you can also buy stamps on the secondary market cheaper as well (unused stamps that is). If you put say $7 worth of stamps on a parcel and walk into the post office you should be able to just pay the extra 0.20 and get a tracking number. They usually sell for about 75%.

Re: Help with Domestic postage

sagalaenterprises — Mon, 19 Jan 2015 14:38:08 GMT

Thanks for your suggestion, will try that tomorrow if it works.

Re: Help with Domestic postage

cq_tech — Mon, 19 Jan 2015 14:49:26 GMT

While I think of it, in addition to my previous post, you can save even more money on postage by using prepaid C5 envelopes which cost around $17 in packs of 10 from you local PO, and are valid for items up to to 20mm thick and 500g in weight. These are a much better proposition for items which weigh between 125g and 500g as you're only spending $1.70 for postage instead of $2.10 or $3.50.

Re: Help with Domestic postage

phantomchris1984 — Mon, 19 Jan 2015 14:46:43 GMT

yes send smaller items as letters, saves me a ton on money.

aus post really overcharges on the 500g satchel, it should really only be about $4 and they need a 1kg bag for the price that the 500g bag now sells for, big rip off.

i send dvds, cds, games as letters, wrap in bubble wrap in c5 envelope, normally 3x70c stamps depending on weight. just gotta be no thicker than 2cm.

those letter boxes look great for sending those sort of small items, cheers.

Re: Help with Domestic postage

dylan11235813 — Mon, 19 Jan 2015 14:53:15 GMT

To cQ.

I have never used these but when doing some research (a few months ago) I found that it specifically stated that the items needed to be flexible in those prepaid C5 envelopes, in contrast to a normal large letter which there is no conditions stated.

Re: Help with Domestic postage

cq_tech — Mon, 19 Jan 2015 15:28:11 GMT

Dylan, the back of the C5 envelope I have sitting in front of me specifically states...

This envelope is prepaid for one posting to any destination within Australia. The posted envelope is not to exceed 500 grams in weight or 20 millimetres in thickness. For full terms and conditions refer to the Australia Post Terms and Conditions at auspost.com.au

This is what the Terms and Conditions state regarding ALL large letters (not just C5)...

=================================================

Letter size and weight guidelines Click to expand

To be considered a letter, your item must:

weigh less than 500g
contain flexible items**
have a rectangular shape
be no larger than a B4 envelope (260mm x 360mm x 20mm)
be no thicker than 20mm

** Letters should not contain stiff objects such as bottle tops, pens, items enclosed in a hard case, and so on. High-speed letter sorting equipment could damage such objects, or the objects could damage other articles.

=================================================

Let's face it, if AP ever decided to enforce those rules, 99% of items currently being sent as large letter by eBay sellers would be rejected at the point of posting so it's pretty clear that while the regulation exists, it is certainly not being enforced. In any case, if there's any doubt, it's a simple matter to wrap the offending item in a small sheet of bubble-wrap which should prevent any of the hard edges that they appear to be worried about.

In addition, my large letters are specifically cancelled at the time of lodgement so I can photograph them for proof of posting, so they'll never see the inside of a letter sorting machine anyway.

Re: Help with Domestic postage

dylan11235813 — Mon, 19 Jan 2015 16:06:34 GMT

What I mean is they have seperate conditions for those prepaid envelopes in the postage guide.They are a large letter but they have extra conditions.

Usually it is only the small letter that needs to be flexible (they give examples) , but the C5 needs to be as well. For all other large letters there is a convenient absence of information.

I believe that once the post office excepts a parcel/letter and franks it, that is an exceptance of the rate to be paid.

Re: Help with Domestic postage

dylan11235813 — Mon, 19 Jan 2015 16:12:00 GMT

I meant the C5 *prepaid* envelope in the last post. There is a seperate section for the prepaid stuff.

Re: Help with Domestic postage

cq_tech — Mon, 19 Jan 2015 16:21:29 GMT

Yes, it seems to apply only to standard weight envelopes as opposed to padded types, although having said that I've still never seen those regulations enforced, and I've used literally scores of the prepaid C5s here.

Re: Help with Domestic postage

dylan11235813 — Mon, 19 Jan 2015 16:33:36 GMT

I could only find a reference to it on the website and nothing in the actual postage guide pdf's. This is supposedly for all letters, yet it is not in the official guide.

Letter size and weight guidelines Click to expand

To be considered a letter, your item must:

weigh less than 500g
contain flexible items**
have a rectangular shape
be no larger than a B4 envelope (260mm x 360mm x 20mm)
be no thicker than 20mm

Is your item bigger than this? We would classify this as a 'parcel'. View domestic parcel services.

I though it was specifically for those prepaid envelopes but I guess I was wrong. I think they have conflicting information on the website and in the postage guides.

Re: Help with Domestic postage

dylan11235813 — Mon, 19 Jan 2015 16:42:13 GMT

Sorry I didn;t read your whole post before. What they say there is off the website, why do they not mention the part about a large letter being flexible in the postage guide. They only say it for a small letter in the guide. Yet on the website it is for all letters.

Re: Help with Domestic postage

cq_tech — Mon, 19 Jan 2015 22:31:51 GMT

Do you honestly expect AP to get it right? After the postie left an expensive item from OS sitting on top of my letterbox yesterday for all and sundry to see (and steal if they wanted to), I wouldn't trust them to run a bloody chook raffle in a pub. 😞

And yes, I'll definitely be complaining about what happened yesterday.