Australia Post and 20mm thick question

[zulu_99]

I took a small padded envelope weighing 220g to the post office and got charged $7.60 standard postage.
When I checked later on the website, I saw that postage upto 20mm was $3 and over 20mm was parcel rate.
I recreated the package with the same item and when I measured it it was JUST over 20mm (like 20.1mm) the postmaster didn't even measure it.
I was wondering what would happen if I just put 3 stamps on it and posted it in a post box? Would it get returned to me or would the recipient get charged extra?
Cheers

[stickerswa]

Get your self a measure or make one . If it does not go through the sorting machine then they will deliver the package to the person you sent it too and then deliver to you a bill extra postage PLUS a fine for insuficient postage. Ends up costing more than parcel rate.

Sometimes they will go through but if they dont - expect a fine.

[springyzone]

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@zulu_99 wrote:
I took a small padded envelope weighing 220g to the post office and got charged $7.60 standard postage.
When I checked later on the website, I saw that postage upto 20mm was $3 and over 20mm was parcel rate.
I recreated the package with the same item and when I measured it it was JUST over 20mm (like 20.1mm) the postmaster didn't even measure it.
I was wondering what would happen if I just put 3 stamps on it and posted it in a post box? Would it get returned to me or would the recipient get charged extra?
Cheers

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Just over is still over, unfortunately.

You remind me a bit of a friend of ours who planned to save money. She turned up at the airport with carry on luggage only but it was a bit over the limit. She and her husband both had to pay $20 extra. For that she could have taken a suitcase as well!

She was very upset with jetstar I think it was, said she had often gone qantas in the past & they never worried about a tiny bit over, never usually weighed her carry on.

But her experiences will be similar to yours with the parcel. Sometimes a parcel that is just on the very edge of the limit might get through at the cheaper rate. But you can't count on it at all. Sometimes it will get weighed and if it is slightly over, you will be penalised.

[zulu_99]

Fair enough. Up go my prices to cover it then

Thanks

[clarry100]

20.1 is just over. But over nonetheless.
But at my local po they would likely allow that to go on. If it touches the sides of the guage but drops thru under it's own weight they should allow it. I would think it's a bit tough that they rejected it for being 0.1mm over.
I put ours all thru the red street box and I'm sure some are a millimetre or so over especially if the contents move around, but we've never had one rejected for oversize going that way.

[enigmabear]

I took an item into my PO late last year, they weighed it and the scale said 501gr

I did'nt say anything about anything but the woman on the counter immediately started up about how it would cost x amount and they would NOT be putting it through at the '500gr' weight but that was for items UP TO (yells she) 500gr. 501gr is over the limit

As luck would have it, I had to go to another town that day anyway so I just thanked her, took it and left

the other PO weighed it (still 501gr lol) so I sighed and said about how I'd missed the limit by *that* much. The woman there just gave me an odd look and said they were'nt going to quibble over 1gr

So def seems it 'depends' 

[davewil1964]

Interesting. Both my local PO's scales use 5g increments. 502 will read 500 on them. Which I have successfully tested.

[digital*ghost]

Aus Post's letter gauges tend to average 1.8cm wide, sometimes a little more if they're older and had frequent use, as the cardboard edges get a little worn. So if something is 1.9cm thick, it generally won't go through and you'll be charged parcel rates. 

You can challenge them if something doesn't quite slide through easily, get out some calipers or summat 😄 because the letter gauges are generally designed to test for max thickness for a letter to pass through their sorting machines safely, and rigid mailers / padded bags do not go through their sorting machines, ergo the 2cm limit should apply regardless on those articles. 

[phorum_junkie*]

Ask your PO for a guage then you can know for sure if they will go through. I sell clothes and not many will go as large letters but if it is close I put them under my cushion and sit on them until I go to the PO, they sure as hell go through then lol.

[davewil1964]

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@zulu_99 wrote:
I took a small padded envelope weighing 220g to the post office and got charged $7.60 standard postage.
When I checked later on the website, I saw that postage upto 20mm was $3 and over 20mm was parcel rate.
I recreated the package with the same item and when I measured it it was JUST over 20mm (like 20.1mm) the postmaster didn't even measure it.
I was wondering what would happen if I just put 3 stamps on it and posted it in a post box? Would it get returned to me or would the recipient get charged extra?
Cheers

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Given you wanted it to go as a letter, unless you pay for registered, which pretty much makes the price the same as a parcel, just chuck it in the box. Standard letters don't have tracking, so you are ineligible for seller protection anyway.