Shame shame shame Australia Post!!

[extremeshoppingonline]

Hi everyone

Not sure if you are aware or not, but Australia Post has just increased their postage charges by 30% and this will flow on to buyers & sellers alike. Whether you buy with ‘free postage’ or buy with postage as an additional expense, we can all expect to pay more.

What has really got up my nose is how Aust Post can justify the previous charge of $1 for ‘signature on delivery’ with an increase today of $2.95 for the same service! This charge is now being applied to the ClickandSend ebay/austpost satchels that many ebay sellers in Australia use.

We are already fighting a losing battle to remain competitive in the global market because of our extortionate postage costs within Australia and to post internationally.

Sadly to say, I feel we are going to see ‘free postage’ go by the wayside now. Because 90% of buyers are using Paypal, sellers need to show ‘proof of delivery’ in the event of a buyer opening a dispute in Paypal, claiming an item has not been received. So many parcels go missing, whether through theft, damage, fraud or abandonment and if the extra $2.95 for a signature on delivery is not taken up, then the seller will automatically have the case closed in the buyer’s favour. It is that simple. Registered Post is no longer. If you want Registered Post, it will cost $2.95 for the signature on Delivery plus $1.50 to cover than article up to the value of $100!

Anyway, if you want to read more, here are a couple of links. There is an online petition which has over 1000 signatures that you may like to add your name to. This petition now has media interest with a phone interview from Karen with ABC Radio the Sydney Morning Herald’s article and callers ringing into 2GB Radio in Sydney.

In closing, if I can say one thing… there is nothing that riles an aussie more than seeing fellow aussies kicked when they are already down 😞

Cheers

Evil Elle aka Ellen

https://www.change.org/petitions/australia-post-reconsider-the-parcel-price-increases

http://www.smh.com.au/business/postage-costs-soar-by-30-as-online-retail-booms-20130407-2hewv.html

[joz*garage]

& wot i figure - most of lifting of heavy parcels is done by the delivery guy

The staff member still has to lift it off the scales and take it out the back

yea.. like i said; most of the lifting would be done by the delivery guys

..heaviest would be up to 20kg? big deal

anyway,

what would most sensible owners of a good and services company do with a huge increase in demand?

i'd expand by buisness

a price increase aint gonna relieve the work load stress for workers

i havent seen any new post offices shoot up in my area

[donnashuggy]

Postage is free on eBay, didn't everyone know?

[id_pending]

I think its sadly just going to force more buyers to look at purchasing from overseas....an unfortunate side effect.

[cherry*135]

Agreeswith id pending. I paid about $5.30 postage for an ebay purchase (small parcel) from the UK. Could buy the same stuff here, but would have to pay $8-$10 post domestic.

NZ also has postage around $5.50 to Aust. Why buy the same things here with high postage costs when you can get same stuff from oseas? 

Australia Post should not have removed the under 250gm category for parcels either (domestic and international). Up to 500gms is the first category now.

Minimum charge for Intl Air parcels in NZ is 200gm and charged in 10gm intervals after that. Australia Post intl parcels up to 500gm, up to 1kg etc - with 500gm increments after that.

[cherry*135]

$4.50 to send a letter over 50g (up to 250gm) to NZ. That is the cheapest zone too.

[donnashuggy]

What you are charged and what it costs the seller is not really known by the buyer in most cases.

[cherry*135]

What you are charged and what it costs the seller is not really known by the buyer in most cases.

Why is that?

I have click n send satchel's. I know how much they cost the seller.

What other at cost postage expenses for sellers are there buyers wouldn't be aware of.. discount for bulk purchases off padded bags etc.. that is only about 5% ?

Besides it doesn't really matter what the sellers at costs charges are for post, to the buyer what matters is how much the seller is charging  them for post. If you can get it oseas for less then why would you buy it in Aust?

[donnashuggy]

My point is that free postage on ebay is prevalent, whether you purchase locally or internationally.

I'm on a contract and my post is free apparently lol

[cherry*135]

No such thing as free postage.

[donnashuggy]

lol