Pitney Bowes UK Postage Pirates

[onei0403]

I bought a jumper from the UK that cost me 5 pounds and Pitney Bowes charged me 15 pounds postage. I was a bit shocked, who are they and when did they take over from the Royal Mail? 

As an expat from the UK, I occasionally like to buy stuff  that I can't purchase easily in Aus but not anymore 😞

[character_parties_aus]

Why are you shocked at 15 pounds postage from the UK to australia?

Sounds pretty reasonable to me. Was this the price advertised on the listing if so why are shocked as it was the advertised price. If it wasnt then it would certainly be fishy.

Pitney Bowes made franking machines historically.

[lyndal1838]

Pitney Bowes are a shipping and logistics company who have been involved in the Global Shipping Program from the USA for some years now.

It has fairly recently been extended to the UK.  It has not taken over from Royal Mail.....it is the seller's choice whether to use it or not.

It is a very expensive service because basically it is a courier service....pitney Bowes prepares all the import documents and then hands the parcels to a courier company.  I know it is FedEx from the USA so presume it is the same from the UK.

If you don't want to pay the huge shipping costs, find a seller who will use Royal Mail.....that is what most of us do now.

[zanadoo_56]

---

@onei0403 wrote:

I bought a jumper from the UK that cost me 5 pounds and Pitney Bowes charged me 15 pounds postage. I was a bit shocked, who are they and when did they take over from the Royal Mail? 

As an expat from the UK, I occasionally like to buy stuff  that I can't purchase easily in Aus but not anymore 😞

---

Yep, the GSP came to the UK worse luck.

Like US eBay listings, the key to avoiding the Global Shipping Program's inflated postage costs is to watch out for any item that includes Customs services and international tracking provided...and run like hell.

[amber-eyed-girl]

Lyn, I just bought an item with U.K. GSP. The tracking was the UPA... style at first, multiple carriers. Then it changed to WNDDER (as opposed to FEDKEB for the U.S. ones) and had a new tracking number. This was trackable at http://wndirect.com/tracking.php

The courier was wnDirect, but AP delivered it without a signature.

[phorum_junkie*]

To send a small parcel with tracking and delivery confirmation using Royal Mail costs £12.90, add a packaging and handling fee and PB doesn't appear too much more IMO.

[afantiques]

To send a small parcel with tracking and delivery confirmation using Royal Mail costs £12.90, add a packaging and handling fee and PB doesn't appear too much more IMO.

Of course, Australia is a safe place to post to so that tracking, etc. is just wasted money. I'd send bascic airmail for half that cost.

[lyndal1838]

---

@afantiques wrote:

To send a small parcel with tracking and delivery confirmation using Royal Mail costs £12.90, add a packaging and handling fee and PB doesn't appear too much more IMO.

Of course, Australia is a safe place to post to so that tracking, etc. is just wasted money. I'd send bascic airmail for half that cost.

---

But you would not have Seller Protection if you don't go the whole hog and use tracking and delivery confirmation.  Unfortunately more and more sellers are believing the ebay blurb that all buyers are out to rip them off and they have to have all the protection in the world.

[afantiques]

I have always considered 'Seller Protection' a complete crock of doo-doo and a waste of money for the seller.

I also stopped looking for the bogeyman under the bed quite a few years ago.

[lyndal1838]

This one Aussie buyer who wishes more sellers were like you....both in the UK and USA.   They think were are all descended from convicts and want to pursue our ancestors line of business.