Australia Post and Click and Send

[chatterbox1986]

hello all

Imsorry if my questions have been answered elsewhere but im unable to find any recent posts that may help me out.

FIrstly i have a question about Australia Post. Previously i used to be able to buy a 500g prepaid satchel and have it registered for an aditional cost. I mainly only selected registered post because i would always recieve a slip of paper where i would write the details of where it was being sent and then it would get stamped by the post office.

Now apparently since Ausralia post changed their system to include tracking on their prepaid satchels, i have been told that thins are different now. i asked for registered and paid the aditional money but i was not given a lodgement receipt. I asked about this at the time and was told that when they scan it to lodge it i get a lodgement receipt from their computer system.

I almost got into an argument with the australia post person at the time because i was trying to explain that theirl automatic lodgement receipt once scanned doesnt show any details of where the item is being sent. and i tried to tell them several times that i need PROOF of the actual adress of where it was being sent. they then told me that the registered is basically just signature on delivery now and means that they have to sign for it. again i still tried to tell that that that gives me absalutely no proof of where the item has been sent to.

A nice young girl at another Australia post location kindly gave me a whole heap of thoe old lodgement receipts, but on odd ocasions when i dont have her serve me, the worker refuses to stamp the lodgement receipt. again ive argued with them about this and have said all i need is for you to stamp it but some have continued to refuse to regardless of if i have paid for signature on delivery or not.

I have had to refund money in the past and because of the changes to australia post, and how with pay pal they still require proof of lodgment, can someone please tell me how can i get proof of lodgment and proof of the actual adress of where i have sent the item when posting at an australia post outlet and when not using click and send.

Sorry it was such a lengthy explanation but i wanted to make sure everyone knew exactly what i meant.

Now to my next question. I have recently looked into click and send and also the ebay satchels and paying for postage through ebay.

it seems as though the click and send satchels are the same price of the ebay satchels, however the cost to post a 500g satchel via click and send is $8 as aposed to the cost of paying for postage through ebay with an ebay satchel which is slightly cheaper. is there any particular reason why its slightly cheaper to pay for the postage through ebay?

thanks in advance for the advice and help.

[phorum_junkie*]

I use the ebay bransed satchels and the ebay label printing service which is the cheapest way of sending satchels,  $7.15 for 500g and $11.70 for 3kg. They are cheaper because ebay have worked out a contract with AP much the same as any other business who send a lot of parcels.. 

I only add SOD if the item is worth more than $50, I have only ever had one ebay satchel go missing since I started using them back at the start.  As long as they are lodged over the counter and you have a docket witht the tracking number on you have your proof of posting as the details can be accesed on line.

Ebay complaints are a different matter as you have to prove delivery as well as sending and for that you may need SOD bhut I still wouldn't bother as the extra $3 per parcel would certainly put buyers off and I am sure my saving of three bucks on every parcel would counteract the loss of a cople of undelivered items.

[thecatspjs]

Why would you use SOD it is not insurance. 

You are only required to use SOD if you are purchasing extra cover for goods over $300.

If you want insurance you need to purchase extra cover.  It is only $1.50 per $100 of coverage.

OP IMO the cheapest and most efficient way to post if you are not an AP business contract is to use eBay satchels and post, (with Click and Send a close second).

Either way you get all the proof you need of sending the goods - if it is lodged over the counter OR if posted in a post box and a single scan is recorded along the way.

Tracking is automatically uploaded saving time as well.

Also saves arguing with disagreeable Post Office staff that need to find new jobs outside of the customer service field.

When I used satchels - I used the lodgement forms too - I just argued with the Post Office staff that I needed them for my business records, as per Australia Tax Office mail register requirement. 

[curraone]

Now that postage labels are available through ebay - not only for the 500g and 3kg satchels, but for parcel post as well, it is difficult to advise sellers to use anything else.

• You get discounted parcel post rates (for 1kg or more)
• You get cheap ebay satchels from the Aust Post site - the more you buy the cheaper they are - allow about 15c each if you are not a big seller
• You can print your labels in the middle of the night
• The tracking number is automatically uploaded against your sold item and the buyer gets an email with the tracking number
• Your label email shows the address of the buyer as required for paypal or ebay protection.

What's not to like?

NEW POSTAGE AS AT 2 MARCH 2015 price comparisons

Must buy at least 10 satchels/20 boxes online at a time

With both the ebay labels and click and send: you have the option to pay extra for signature on delivery.

But I don't recommend it unless it is a hugely expensive item.

METHOD	BUY AT PO (1 at a time)	EBAY ONLINE	CLICK AND SEND ONLINE
500g parcel	7.45	7.45	$7.45
500g satchel	8.25	7.15 + 15c =       $7.30	8.0 + 25c = $8.25
3 kg satchel	13.40	11.70 + 21c =   $11.91	13.05 + 35c = $13.40
1 kg box Bx1		7.15 + 1.38 =      $8.53	13.10 + 1.38 = $14.48
5 kg satchel	17.10	-	17.10
3 kg box Bx2		11.70 + 1.75 = $13.45	15.40 + 1.75 = $17.15
5 kg box Bx4		15.35 + 2.40 =  $17.75
Express 500g	10.55		16.65 + 25c   = $16.90
Express 3kg	14.80		23.70 + 35c   = $24.05
Express 5 kg	24.15
LETTERS
Prepaid 500g	1.46
125g	1.40
250g	2.10
500g	3.50

[clarry100]

PJ under Australian Consumer Law (ACL) and clearly in the Sale Of Goods Act (SOGA) in your state the law only requires that you have proof of lodgement with a registered carrier. This then deems delivery to the buyer.

So no matter what words ebay might use about proof of delivery they simply cannot override ACL. Proof of delivery is a USA thing not relevant to trade in Australia under our laws. These ebay words clearly flow over from the USA and are not valid here.

I would recommend that you read up on the relevant section in the SOGA, I think its in about section 34 depending on your state as its a stated-based thing.

If ebay insist on proof of delivery in any case raised by a buyer they will be pretty quickly set straight following a complaint to the ACCC or possibly even the FOS. If you have proof pof lodgement they will have to reverse any decision made by saying proof of delivery as lodgement = delivery under our laws.

So long as the seller can prove lodgement to a postcode then you are covered. With C&S items the tracking number is associated with the buyer's full address at the time of printing the label so all you need from the PO is the over-the-counter lodgement receipt and all is good. No need to mess with postcodes on the receipt. And while I have never used ebay labels I am guessing same deal applies there.

If we use the normal red express satchels we write the postcode on the lodgement receipt and ask the PO staff to put their stamp on it. Done & dusted!