What's the main issue with ordering on ebay in Melbourne? Delivery of ebay items to your door!

[hpc6656a]

Hi,

I live in Melbourne and I am a frequent ebayer - and my main problem is getting things delivered to my door. How annoying is it when you get home from work and you find a slip in your mailbox saying "pickup from local post office" or "pickup from local collection centre". Those places are usually only open from 9-5 Mon-Fri - the exact times I work! I end up having to take time off work just to collect my item from the post office or collection centre.

There must be an easier way? Any ideas out there? I once heard of local ebay pick-up centres, which charge 1 receive and store your goods and who are open till late most nights of the week - anyone heard of this?

Thanks

Dave.

[annies_fancy_dress]

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@2106greencat wrote:

All due respect - if you buy on line, and know AP (or courier) is going to deliver, why are you so 'amazed' that an oversized or (sig req'd item) that  is undeliverable because you are not home and has to be collected.

What do you want to happen ?

Leave it on the front door step (which you are free to request BTW, it is called 'safe dropped') and then get the snits when it is stolen.

Seriously, how can a seller be blamed for any of this ?

If you can't be home to take delivery, or you can't be bothered (or unable) to collect from a safe point, my advice is purchase form BM - on line is not for you.

edited to say Not aimed at you zanadoo, just a genralisation.

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Garbage, I was home one morning to answer the door to the letter postie with a tiny, but not a letter, parcel, which signed for.

When I answered the said door to the letter postie, a card was on the doormat from the parcel postie saying a parcel had been carded back to the PO.   Grrrrrrr!

My PO is not easy to get to, but luckily I have full mobility so no issues like that.

When I post something I go to one of three Post Offices that are nearer and more convenient than "MY" PO.

[zanadoo_56]

One reason that they used signed for is that they have been burned by buyers claiming INR, when proof of delivery is not used.

Fair enough...but I ask again, why don't they specify they will only post signed for?

[zanadoo_56]

Garbage, I was home one morning to answer the door to the letter postie with a tiny, but not a letter, parcel, which signed for.

When I answered the said door to the letter postie, a card was on the doormat from the parcel postie saying a parcel had been carded back to the PO.   Grrrrrrr!

My PO is not easy to get to, but luckily I have full mobility so no issues like that.

When I post something I go to one of three Post Offices that are nearer and more convenient than "MY" PO.

I had a run of cards left either to blow away from the front step or wedged in the middle of the security door where I couldn't reach them.  It makes me wonder what AP thinks a letter box is for.  At the moment, until I get a ramp built I rarely open the front door as the outside steps are a problem (nowhere to put a handrail). Cards can sit there for days for all I know.  I also have a sign asking that parcels, brochures etc are not left at the front door as they may not be collected.

Just in case AP a reading these posts....  Wouldn't it make more sense that if the card is left scrunched up in a security screen door (and frankly I wish AP didn't) it could be closer to the door handle so the homeowner has a better than outside chance of actually retrieving it?  It's not rocket science!

[2106greencat]

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@annies_fancy_dress wrote:

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@2106greencat wrote:

All due respect - if you buy on line, and know AP (or courier) is going to deliver, why are you so 'amazed' that an oversized or (sig req'd item) that  is undeliverable because you are not home and has to be collected.

What do you want to happen ?

Leave it on the front door step (which you are free to request BTW, it is called 'safe dropped') and then get the snits when it is stolen.

Seriously, how can a seller be blamed for any of this ?

If you can't be home to take delivery, or you can't be bothered (or unable) to collect from a safe point, my advice is purchase form BM - on line is not for you.

edited to say Not aimed at you zanadoo, just a genralisation.

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Garbage, I was home one morning to answer the door to the letter postie with a tiny, but not a letter, parcel, which signed for.

When I answered the said door to the letter postie, a card was on the doormat from the parcel postie saying a parcel had been carded back to the PO.   Grrrrrrr!

My PO is not easy to get to, but luckily I have full mobility so no issues like that.

When I post something I go to one of three Post Offices that are nearer and more convenient than "MY" PO.

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and this is the sellers fault ..... how ?

[zanadoo_56]

I'ts not the seller's fault re how AP delivers their parcels, but perhaps sellers are not aware that by insisting on using signed for they are throwing good money after bad, and that because of some of AP's practicies the delivery of their parcels can be even less secure that if they had used ordinary mail.  Customers would certainly get their purchases faster, for starters.

[2106greencat]

I understand, I just took exception to my reply being considered GARBAGE, it wasn't and didn't deserve to be referred to as such.

Many sellers use couriers for reasons the seller chooses, they do not deliver to PO's and will have to card if you are not home, and IMHO it is simply a matter of a buyer needing to research a sellers delivery method and to decide whether they want the item enough to be available for deliveries.

If not, as I say, on line shopping may not be suited to them, it is afterall a sellers choice how they send an item, especially if they are trying to protect themselves.

[zanadoo_56]

....and IMHO it is simply a matter of a buyer needing to research a sellers delivery method and to decide whether they want the item enough to be available for deliveries.

But that's the problem.  NONE of the sellers I'm talking about that I won/bought items from specified Signed for in their listings.  'Research' is going to require a crystal ball, methinks.

I have started emailing some sellers first to find out whether 'standard delivery' actually is, especially if I have chosen an Oz seller because I'd like the item quickly, but sometimes you don't get a reply in time...or at all.

[pricelessbooksandrecords]

The solution to your problem hpc6656a seems to be that one: ask your seller to use www.fastwaycourier.com.au  , it will save them (hence, you) a lot of dough and you will be able to sign for an item (or many) delivered in a flash to your door (there would be some exceptions to that rule, as always, if the item is worth a lot more than $1500, then other couriers or AP is better, but dearer, also, if you purchase stuff which fits in an A4 enveloppe or smaller and is quite light, etc...).

[2106greencat]

I give up - I said I was not replying to any one in particular - my reply was a generalisation.

Fact is, you are NOT the lone ranger, most of us work full time but we make arrangements if necessary - banks, post offices, most of these places are shut when I finish work, so I have to be flexable, it's not rocket science FGS.

And (at the risk of being boring) don't buy on line if you can't deal with on line procedures.

[jensmanchester-australia]

zanadoo - have you thought about adding a message to the seller when you make payment asking for the parcel to be left (nominate where it is safe) if no one is home and maybe following up with a message through the ebay message system.

I get quite a few requests from buyers like this so I just add a note on the label for the postie. It does mean that it is more of a risk for the buyer as if by chance the parcel gets stolen then the buyer will not be covered by Paypal as the seller will be able to prove delivery if they are using a postage method which is accepted by Paypal for Seller Protection.