AusPost crazy charges.

[valdoe]

This Christmas the only one making great profits are Auspost.

1. The Pre- Paid 500g Satchels  are useless

Most things I want to send is a inch or two to big for the Satchel.

This means either put it in my own satchel and pay the same $6.60 at the PO and have no tracking because they will not allow you track anything under 500g, The other option is to use the 3 kg pre-paid.. making to not profitable as any profit would be just lost if you used it.

I also had the same problem when I have to use 3 or 5 kg pre-paid satchels... Bags to small yet no of my items ever weighs more that 2 kg.

Here comes the crunch.. eg yesterday I sent my own satchel .and sent it to a customer in WA. The item weight 1.1kg and using the Auspost calculator postage came to $16.35. and with tracking came to $17.90

At the PO that item was cost $23.75. +$1.55 for tracking Reason - because any item 1kg or over postage is worked out cubic volume ( called Cubing Postage rate) which on the docket said equivalent to 4-5 kg postage.

Today I sent the same item to the same customer that purchased same item again so this time I used C&S .. putting in the dimensions and weight with tracking said the cost would be just under $20 including tracking. I printed the label and again went to the PO.. guess what... I was still charged $25

So no matter what you do trying to work out how much postage to list in your listing.. and if you send through C&S you will  still end up losing.

Anyone has had the same problem this Christmas.. or got a better solution?

[lpede5]

Hi there, you NEED to use the official Australia Post boxes and you will save yourself so much money. As well as the official satchels, both of these postage methods organised online through click and send come with a tracking number, and you are provided with a lodgement receipt at the post office when you post off your items. This means you have proof of postage and a valid tracking number which will cover you in case of an INR case. $100 insurance can be purchased for $1 extra on the boxes and satchel

The satchels can be bought in a pack of 20 for $4 online from the official AUS Post ebay store. $6.20 for up to 500grams (tracking included). Or $10.55 for 3KG satchels (these cost a little bit more online)

The boxes can have up to 15 KG of weight in them. Bx1, Bx2 and Bx4 boxes can be paid for online through click and send. Bx1 Boxes cost $6.50, B2 $10.50 and B4 $13.25. The only other expense is the box itself - these are alot cheaper when purchased in bulk.

Bx1 are $1.38 for a pack of 20

Bx2 are $1.75 for a pack of 20

Bx4 are $2.40 for a pack of 20

Tracking is automatically included in the satchels and boxes, and are SO much cheaper than your own packing organised through click and send. Please change to these and you will save so much money. And remember up to 15kgs of weight in all 3 of these boxes can be had for no additional cost.

Hope this this.

[valdoe]

Thanks for the info.. but the problem is my item don't fit in the the boxes or pre- paids.. the 5 kg satchels are about 5-10cm too small and the boxes are smaller then the satchels.

AustPost has nothing I can use at the same time getting hit with cubing.

[fred_fred_2004]

It looks like you sell audio tapes surely they fit in a box or satchel

or are you selling something else now

[*sparklz*]

If you use your own packaging and enter the dimensions into the C&S site and then pay for that on line then the PO should NOT be charging you any extra.

So if you paid $20 via click and send then all you should be doing is lodging and getting the receipt as proof of postage and NOT pay any more.

I would be questioning your PO as what they are doing is WRONG.

On Monday call C&S and tell them what is going on and the PO that is making you pay more and then next time you go to the PO and they ask for more money tell them to call C&S while you are there to verify there is NO more to pay.

[*sparklz*]

Just too add the PO is probably peeed that they are not getting their cut.

Hope you have kept all the receipts for extra payment sand demand your money back.

[thecatspjs]

Sparklz when you send your own parcel, not in ebay satchels, via C&S you cannot pay online - you can only print out labels and postage remains unpaid.

You must take to the Post Office where weight and size is verified and charged accordingly.

The C&S site usually cubes parcels too, to give you price estimate, so thats interesting about variance with Post Office Ipede.

[davewil1964]

If they're only marginally bigger than the satchels use a hairdryer to soften the satchel enough so it will stretch.

[***super_nova***]

You are obviously not measuring and weighing your parcels accurately.  My items are too big to fit in the C&S boxes; I use other boxes, and I have very accurate scales and I measure precisely.  The only time there is a little bit of difference in my estimate and the actual charge is when I calculate, lets say, from length 55.3 cm and the guy at the PO measures it at 55cm.  I do not worry too much about paying couple of dollars more than I quoted to the buyer.  If being "out of pocket" worries you, make sure you do not underestimate the size.  It would be better to slightly overestimate and if you end up paying  less than the original quote, refund the buyer. 

[phorum_junkie*]

If you use calculated postage and put the correct weight and dimensions in then you will be quoting the correct cost to any destination which is much better than estimating the cost yourself and using flat rate.

You can add the extra $1.50 for click and send with own packaging in the handling fee if you wish then you can just select regular parcel post.