Advice on selling low cost items and including tracking...

[viva_celebrity_clippings]

So recently I sold a DVD to a person in the US.

A few days before I sold one to a person in the same state.

I sent both in timely fashion. One arrived safely, the other did not.

I issued a refund as I didn't want to risk any defects on my account.  I now want to use tracking on all sales to avoid this happening again.

My usual items are clippings packs which range from $1.99 to whatever the buyer will pay.

My question is, is it worth including tracking on items under a certain price range? (say $5.00 for example) Do you think it will put buyers off adding tracking to the postage cost?

I've been selling on eBay for a long time [in spurts though not constantly] and this is my first ever "Item Not Recieved".

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[digital*ghost]

Aus Post are currently trialling domestic letters with tracking: https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Domestic-letter-with-tracking-Large-Prepaid-Envelope-Pack-of-50/17355290...

They won't be available for much longer, and the envelopes will be accepted until March or April I think, so a short term solution for local sales, for now, but the more popular they are, the higher chance there is they'll become a permanent product. They are especially good value if you can buy with a discount code, and / or you frequently send large letters over 125g (with a 10% discount, a pack of 50 of those large ones work out to about $4.35 each). 

[imastawka]

I don't believe buyers would pay the price for tracking on low value items.

Digi's link is for domestic post.

For international post, the cost becomes prohibitive - upwards of $16

https://auspost.com.au/sending/send-overseas/registered-post-international

[beautbots01]

@digital*ghost - Is there something official about these envelopes being phased out.  I bought some but only use them occasionally so don't want to be stuck with an expensive item I can't use.  Normally with prepaid envelopes there is no expiry date.  I think they are great addition.

[beautbots01]

Have just found this bit of info from AusPost website

'The trial is now extended until mid-2019. Prepaid envelopes will continue to be sold on the Online Shop. It’s intended that the Domestic letter with tracking service will be available nationally shortly afterwards.

Domestic letter with tracking* provides the same tracking experience as articles sent by Registered Post with the key difference being a scan on delivery rather than a signature on delivery."

[digital*ghost]

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@beautbots01 wrote:

Have just found this bit of info from AusPost website

'The trial is now extended until mid-2019. Prepaid envelopes will continue to be sold on the Online Shop. It’s intended that the Domestic letter with tracking service will be available nationally shortly afterwards.

Domestic letter with tracking* provides the same tracking experience as articles sent by Registered Post with the key difference being a scan on delivery rather than a signature on delivery."

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Good to know, thanks! 🙂 I hadn't checked up on the T&Cs for a couple of weeks, and thought they were still being sold because they still had stock (initial end of offering was at the end of January, from memory, glad to hear it's going to be permanent).

I was in a bit of a rush earlier, and forgot to mention for international tracked shipping on small, low value items, including documents, look into DHL GM packet and packet plus. Documents can be very cheap, and other items start from around $7-$8 for tracked shipping, if you send regularly, anyway. 

[purplemon18]

I do around about 10-20 international orders per week, mostly $5-12 item with $3 or $7.50 buyer pays postage. I find that it's rare for things to go missing to europe or USA and figure that it's no big deal having to refund the occasional item. For other parts of the world, they often don't have reliable tracking systems anyway.

I have gotten into the habit of checking the language of the buyer's country and using google translate to make a label in chinese or arabic or whatever language is written in their country. I also send them a message to let them know that delivery normally takes 4-6 weeks.

Digi's suggestions are worth looking into though.

[heihachi_73]

"The same tracking experience as articles sent by Registered Post", does that mean they will be scanned exactly once at the original post office and never to be seen again in the system? That's my experience with Registered Post anyway, you pay 2-3 times as much for tracking and get nothing in return, leaving you just as open to INR scams as with no tracking at all.

[dazzledayz]

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@heihachi_73 wrote:
"The same tracking experience as articles sent by Registered Post", does that mean they will be scanned exactly once at the original post office and never to be seen again in the system? That's my experience with Registered Post anyway, you pay 2-3 times as much for tracking and get nothing in return, leaving you just as open to INR scams as with no tracking at all.

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The promise by AP is that there will be at least 2 scans - 1 at consignment and the second at delivery.

That should at least give you some level of seller protection in the event of any INR claims.

[digital*ghost]

I just checked a bunch of tracking results on the ones I've sent, and the norm seems to be 3-4 scans for them (received, on board for delivery, delivered, with occasionally arrived at facility in there as well). There were a few here and there with 5 scan events, but none had fewer than 3.