Auspost 'discretionary' payments for lost items

[bettyboopsadaisy]

Yesterday I had a chat with an auspost employee, who deals with enquiries regarding items apparently lost in the post.

I've been a seller for 9 years and in that time have only had cause on about half a dozen occasions to open lost item cases with auspost. Not a bad fail rate, considering I have sold and sent 1000's of parcels (or letters) through the auspost system.

On the occasions when an item has become untraceable (all my parcels and letters have tracking and registration), auspost have offered me a 'discretionary' compensation of up to $50 + postage. This is all without having purchased insurance.

The employee I spoke to yesterday explained to me that though they will again on this occasion offer me that payment for an item not received by the buyer and untraceable, in the future unless I have also invested in insurance for the lost item, this payment would no longer be available to me.

She kindly explained to me that it was only $1.50 for up to $100 value (ie, item value) so was well worthwhile. I said that I would consider it, but only if I was willing to cover the cost of insurance myself as I think that postage costs were already a significant element in buyers being put off from bidding on or purchasing sale items.

The cost to the seller, with FVF and ebay charging sellers a fee on postage, would again be increased by the cost of insurance.

Its a case of balancing the costs against the risk of loss, and in my view, it will only become worthwhile when the value of the sale item is relatively high.

This is not really the case for me anymore, as I very rarely sell anything for more than $50.

This may be relevant info though for any sellers out there that regularly sell items over the value of $100.

[thecatspjs]

I have had my fair share of missing parcels over the years.Some not insured, some insured.

I have never been out of pocket for missing parcels even though I have mostly refunded the buyer (with a few exceptions that were tracked as delivered).

I always purchase extra cover insurance for goods over a certain value (approx $80+)  I do not pass this cost onto the buyer, nor do I advise them that I have insured their parcel, unless someone asks.

A few years ago an Australia Post employee said to me, much the same as been said to you.  I have subsequently received compensation for uninsured parcels, including most recently when a parcel went up in flames in an Oz Post truck on the Hume.

Whilst Australia Post might seek to deter those who have had compensation for uninsured parcels before, from seeking it again, they are in no position to apply a blanket rule, given the circumstances of each missing or misdelivered parcel being unique.

Whilst the payment is discretionary if the evidence demonstrates that the parcel has disappeared in transit, and the goods were not of a value that were worth a retailer paying extra to insure, then I think a bit of pressure can still be applied to secure a refund.