AP Express Post failing to deliver next day.

[rosiegrinsel]

WARNING to all sellers: Australia Post's guaranteed next day delivery service is failing miserably !

In the past four weeks I have sent seven Express Post large envelopes containg my product. 

On each occasion they were posted at my metropolitan Melbourne Post Office to GUARANTEED NEXT DAY DELIVERY postcodes ( six to metro Sydney and Brisbane and one to a large county Vic town) 

On EVERY occasion they took TWO days to be delivered.

I made complaints on every occasion and so far have received six replacement Express Post envelopes back as compensation, with Australia Post's apologies. 

There has been NO EXPLANATION from Australia Post as to the delay and no promise that there would be any investigation.

I realise it is a busy time for Australia Post.... BUT REALLY !.... The way it is going, instead of next day delivery guaranteed, it will be TWO day delivery guaranteed !

[davewil1964]

Thanks for the warning.

As you were compensated and, presumably, your customers didn't complain about the 'excessive' delivery time, I'm unsure of why you are so irate. You got the postage for free, unless you compensated your customers.

Did you post early enough to qualify for next-day delivery?

I don't use express unless specifically requested, so that little earner isn't available to me.

[rosiegrinsel]

Now I remember why I shouldn't go on these posts !!

It was my intention in posting this information to WARN other sellers not to rely on Express Post next day guaranteed delivery at this time.....not to be crticized, judged, or asked why I am so 'irate'.

I post all of my items free ( with a priority stamp) for speedy delivery.  I also offer a discounted Express Post option.

In these particular cases, most were good customers, or buyers of multiple items and I just decided to use the Express Post option and provided it to them free.

In reference to your question "Did you post early enough to qualify for next-day delivery?"

I have been using Express Post for as long as it has been around, and know, as YOU should, that if posted at a regular Post Office, as long as it is before the post office closes, it will qualify for next day delivery to specific destinations.

Also....In reference to your last sentence

I take umbrance that you somehow seem to think that Express Post is a little 'earner' for me.

[lyndal1838]

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@rosiegrinsel wrote:

Now I remember why I shouldn't go on these posts !!

It was my intention in posting this information to WARN other sellers not to rely on Express Post next day guaranteed delivery at this time.....not to be crticized, judged, or asked why I am so 'irate'.

I post all of my items free ( with a priority stamp) for speedy delivery.  I also offer a discounted Express Post option.

In these particular cases, most were good customers, or buyers of multiple items and I just decided to use the Express Post option and provided it to them free.

In reference to your question "Did you post early enough to qualify for next-day delivery?"

I have been using Express Post for as long as it has been around, and know, as YOU should, that if posted at a regular Post Office, as long as it is before the post office closes, it will qualify for next day delivery to specific destinations.

Not strictly true.  If the items are lodged with a regular PO just before closing time they may not go out that night.  If the pickup driver cannot get into the PO he cannot get the express mail.

Have you checked that your PO has not changed it's Express Post lodgement time recently?

Also, if you post in a Yellow Express Post street box their usual cutoff time is 6pm but SOME boxes have an earlier cutoff....you should check the time on the box.

Also....In reference to your last sentence

I take umbrance that you somehow seem to think that Express Post is a little 'earner' for me.

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[beerandpizzaplz]

If all had been lodged at the same PO the issue is there. Auspost isn't that consistently that bad for express post - try lodging your stuffs at a different location if thats not too inconvenient. Complain to someone higher up - it cant just be your parcels from that post office that are being affected.

[springyzone]

It sounds as if you were doing everything right-posting at a time when it should reasonably have been able to be delivered within 24 hours and to postcodes that were included in the delivery area covered by that. otherwise Aust Post probably would not compensate you.

The good news is, I suppose, that you included this as an extra so the buyers will be happy-probably very happy-with 2 day delivery.

But if you did happen to have a buyer hanging out for next day delivery, they would be let down. But at least they would see the fault was not at your end.

It does sound as if the problem might be that particular post office so as someone else said, if possible, try another one if you need to use these satchels again, see if it makes a difference. My sister & i found from experience, when we were selling, that not every PO was identical, although they are supposed to be.

Other than that, maybe cover yourself in your ads (I haven't looked at them so you may already have, I don't know). But if you offer express postage, don't mention anything about it being guaranteed 24 hour delivery. If someone asks, just tell them that you can send express but in your experience it can take a day or two.

[davewil1964]

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@rosiegrinsel wrote:

Now I remember why I shouldn't go on these posts !!

It was my intention in posting this information to WARN other sellers not to rely on Express Post next day guaranteed delivery at this time.....not to be crticized, judged, or asked why I am so 'irate'.

I post all of my items free ( with a priority stamp) for speedy delivery.  I also offer a discounted Express Post option.

In these particular cases, most were good customers, or buyers of multiple items and I just decided to use the Express Post option and provided it to them free.

In reference to your question "Did you post early enough to qualify for next-day delivery?"

I have been using Express Post for as long as it has been around, and know, as YOU should, that if posted at a regular Post Office, as long as it is before the post office closes, it will qualify for next day delivery to specific destinations.

Also....In reference to your last sentence

I take umbrance that you somehow seem to think that Express Post is a little 'earner' for me.

---

MY post office has the last parcel collection at 4pm (or earlier). As such, anything lodged between that time and closing (5.30pm) will not be processed until the next day. That is what I know. And is why I asked the question.

[rosiegrinsel]

Thank you so much for your courteous reply 'lyndal 1838'.

I have discussed this problem at length with the Post Office manager.

I live practically next door to the PO. and have witnessed the clearance van coming and the driver going into the locked side door of the PO and clearing out the mail just after 5 p.m.closing time.

I also had a word with the driver who assured me all items are taken every evening.

The Express Mail clearance time has not changed at all at this PO.

I do not post in Express Mail boxes ( seeing as I live so close to the PO).

I have a suspicion the problem is at the Melbourne 'gateway' clearance centre where I have been told that my item in one case was scanned  FOUR times and several of the others scanned twice. 

The 131318  AP operator thought this was unusual.

The articles, in all cases going to interstate city destinations, did not seem to arrive there until the second day.

Once again, I am only posting this as a warning to all the hard working eBay sellers, who are thinking of using the Express Post service, to add an extra day on their postage estimations when notifying their buyers.

Thank you very much Lyndal for your interest.

[*tippy*toes*]

My local PO closes at 5.55pm. Despite having a pick up at 6.05pm, their cut off time for express is 4pm, when they have their first pick up. That said, I'm not in the express network so it takes 2-3 days to go interstate anyway. Not all PO's have a second pick up after closing, so if yours is one of them, if you post after the cut off time, it's going to sit there until the next day before going out.

[rosiegrinsel]

Yes I am well aware of the fact that some post offices, usually smaller agencies, that have a cut off time of 4 p.m. and anything posted there after that time does not go until the next day.

However, in this case that does not apply, as it is a fully fledged post office.

In ALL seven occasions in a row, all posting guidelines were adhered to and tracking shows when my items were posted (some in the morning and some afternoon)

Australia Post has already admitted that they are in error.

Therefore, after my experience, I re-iterate to all the hard working eBay sellers out there......

Please be aware that if you send Express Post items to guaranteed next day delivery destinations, best to advise your buyers that it may take an extra day to arrive at this time.