Why dont the sellers need to identify how an item will be sent, POST or COURIER

[mtas]

I have noted that there is no requirement for a seller to advise how they are going to send the item to the buyer.  The term postage is used which would infer the item will be sent via the postal service.  It isnt until you have purchased the item that you find out it is coming with a courier.  There is one Courier used a lot call Fastway/Aramex who are extremely slow and I would like to be able to know if the seller is using this service so I can buy from someone else.

[zanadoo_56]

With respect, I have mentioned my mobility issues because I've had replies on eBay and elsewhere saying, Well why don't you just go and pick  up the parcel (or whatever it is that isn't delivered).  I've been called lazy by some posters (admittedly  mostly trolls but not always) and so I decided to head off comments like those.  People shouldn't have to explain reasons for doing something to people where it is none of their business to know but I am weary of having to explain in the end WHY I am cheesed off with certain services.

I HAVE put signs up - front and back doors.  A lot of the delivery people (parcels, meals, groceries) are foreign and some of them I've had managed to talk to don't speak or comprehend English very well.  Others have told me they don't have the time to read notices.  A few parcel delivery contractors from Aust Post are regulars that I have managed to not only point out the notice, but once they have seen me with my pick up frame they will leave parcels in the right place because they remember me.  But then I get one I've never seen before and I'm back to square one!

The couriers I've managed to catch have all been Australian and if they are to be believed, apparently don't have time to read delivery instructions even when written on the packages in huge letters!  I'll also add that very few delivery people bother to knock or call out these days.  If I don't know they are there and they don't read the instructions I have no hope of getting to the door in time.  Sigh.

[*sons_and_daughters*]

I can understand that. I definitely believe it from the couriers. They aren't allowed the time to scratch themselves. My husband went for a courier job several years ago. Each person that applies at that company spends a day with a delivery person, and decide at the end of the day if they want to continue with the application. Most people don't.

They are told you must RUN to the door, whether it be a shop, or private residence. If they are caught not running, they are sacked. They are expected to answer phones immediately, including while driving. My husband got very scared when his driver answered 2 phones while driving, and was steering the van with his legs. By lunch time, he said he wasn't going to complete the day, and left. The conditions are insane, and at times dangerous. I'd believe it if they don't have time to read a sign on the door.

I hated it when parcels were left at the door, because they are in full view of the street, with easy access. I was having to hop on my walking frame, so I was slow getting to the door. Thankfully, most did read the sign, plus I'd call out when they knocked. I have had numerous parcels stolen from the door, some within minutes of them being dropped. I know it's not an option for you, but I use Parcel Collect now, which is so much better.

Hopefully you can work out an effective system!

[digital*ghost]

It would certainly be preferable for sellers to be able to make it 100% clear what service(s) will be used, and / or be flexible with customers who have specific requirements, where possible, and I understand the frustration with things like Aus Post being specified but courier services used instead (I have a PO box, so if I want something sent there I will specifically look for sellers sending via AP - it is definitely annoying if they want to send by courier instead, and they only clarify this after I buy). 

Personally, I just have one caveat (as a seller), which is that services can be upgraded to include SOD etc at my discretion and without further cost to the buyer, but for obvious reasons I can't specify all the circumstances under which upgrades will be made - this is a big part of the problem, IMHO. Behaviours that can be seen as  a disservice to buyers quite often act to protect sellers from potential problems, some of them are very much eBay-exclusive. That is, ebay's policies have cultivated an environment where it is of greater benefit and less dangerous to act out of self-interest, which in turn heightens frustrations and fuels the cynical and / or adversarial relationship between buyers and sellers.

(This is not a defense of sellers, or buyers, nor is it meant to condone specific actions taken in self-interest, or things like sellers not answering questions, but I do think the more insight one has to "the other side", the easier it gets to understand where someone else is coming from, and the easier it is to accept why someone may not cater to every preference or need).