A question to all sellers

[the_wondering_turtle]

Hi,

I was wondering if anyone can help me with this. I was just speculating if any sellers here use Australian Post satchels when you sell an item and just go to your nearest Post Box to post them instead of the Post Office? and my second question is can you take your pre-bought Australian Post satchel and had it over the counter at the Post Office or do you have to post them in the Post Box outside yourself, because I’ve heard that the staff at the Australian Post counter tell you to post them in the Post Box outside provided, only if it’s not a satchel or if it’s too big for the Post Box only then they can take it.

Any help will be gratefully appreciated, thank you.

[collect247]

I post 500g satchels in the red box unless posting registered then over the counter.

All 3kg-5kg satchels I post over the counter.

[clarry100 · Accepted solution]

My recommendation is to NEVER place any parcel into a red box.

If you do this then there is no scan event that you will get if you lodge over the counter. The only scan even is when the delivery takes place.

If the parcel is lost then there will never be any scan event and this means you have no proof of lodgement meaning you cannot prove you posted the item.

So in the event of a Item Not Received (INR) claim you would probably lose the case. Even tho you had tracking. You need that lodgement receipt as your proof of postage. And the scan event at lodgement.

We always lodge parcels over the counter and get them to print the lodgement receipt and have never been told to drop them into a red street box.

[beautbots01]

You can post your pre-bought satchels at any Post Office.  You would want to get them scanned so that the tracking shows the date of posting for the benefit of your buyer.  Staff at Post Offices should not be directing you to post your satchels in a post box, however you can make that choice yourself if you can't get to a Post Office during open hours or don't want to wait in a queue.

[chameleon54]

 I buy my satchels in bulk and record the tracking number in ebay order details at the same time as I address the satchel. This automatically marks the item as sent. I then take them to my local PO and hand them over the counter with a request for a lodgement reciept. This is MOST IMPORTANT as it means the staff HAVE TO scan the item there and then in order to print the lodgement reciept. If you mail through a street box your parcel may not get scanned for several days and you have no proof it was sent if it goes missing in that time.

[collect247]

Sorry I should have mentioned that the satchels I post in the red box are only ebay satchels which tracking gets recorded immediately but yes you need to post over the counter to have them scanned.

[imastawka]

I just received (on Friday) a 500gr satchel that the seller

just put in the red street box - did not lodge it over the counter.

At no stage was it scanned during the week it was in transit.

It was delivered unscanned.

An unscrupulous buyer could take advantage of that,

and lodge an INR, and would win, getting a refund and

item for free.

Always lodge them over the counter and make sure they scan them

edit:  I can see where your id comes from

How you are making any money with free postage is beyond me

[collect247]

I receive plenty of items sent in satchels that the sellers post in the red box and yes days do go by without any info on where the item is but it eventually does get scanned once it reaches AP depots

[chameleon54]

Touche clarry. I would have thought a nice day like today we should all be outside in the sunshine rather than sitting here on the computer. I have just got back from cleaning out and sweeping a rented storage shed. This held my surplus ebay stock, but after 5 years of paying $125 a month, I have purchased a shipping container to use instead. I,m trying to run down my stock, but it is that cheap at the moment that it just seems to keep rolling in. Anyway, off to mow the lawns now.

[lane-ends]

Over counter, as others have said, is better security,but for many the convenience of street box posting may be more effecient and get items shipped quicker..I do this all the time and the odds of it causing a problem are minimal..so its slightly less tracking vs convenience for you

BUT, the defect system is changing whereby if a buyer ticks the item did not arrive by due date box, then if you dont have a lodgement scan within your handling period it is an auto defect.