Australia Post scamming customers on underpaid postage now...

[harleyfxstc2008]

Hi all,

I received an invoice from Australia Post in the mail this afternoon stating that I under paid postage on a parcel I posted the other week by 70 cents and was invoiced for $2.20.

I called Australia Post and the first question I asked was "what stamp was on the parcel?" the customer sevice person replied it was a 70 cent  stamp..

"Hmm, thats odd because I have no 70 cent stamps at all so there is no way that I could have put a 70 cent stamp on the parcel"

I then pointed out that I buy my stamps in bulk and since Australia Post put their prices up I've had to purchase 10 cent stamps to make up the difference, with this parcel I had put down 2x adhesive 60cent stamps and  2 x10cent stamps (which were still connected) next to the 60cent stamps.

As the Customer service person said that she believed I was telling the truth she cancelled the invoice.

How many other Australia Post customers are they trying to fleece "Underpaid postage" from to boost up their profits.

Looks like I have to take photo's of all my parcels with their stamps attached from now on...

[broncraft]

Did you know that when you get an invoice for an underpaid postage cost, they never follow it up. I know people that have ignored them and nothing happens.

[davewil1964]

No I don't, as I don't put myself in that position.

[cherry*135]

Prepaid C5 envelope is $1.70 - up to 500g?

Stamps for items that fit into a C5 envelope:

$1.40 up to 125g

$2.10 up to 250g - prepaid option better

3.50 up to $500g - not many items that weight would fit.

Plus cost of the envelope

[davewil1964]

i send a significant number of over 250g books in a C5 prepaid, which makes it even more viable. Plus there are no stamps to fall off.

[cherry*135]

I got an underpaid mail notice today (may have been in my PO Box since Wed 10th).  My fault, I put a small parcel in a padded bag in the Post Box outside the PO without any stamps on it. Had other items to post that already had stamps on them. Realised as soon as I turned away from the post box. 

The letter is dated 3 June.  Payment due 17 June. 

[cherry*135]

The prepaid envelopes are made of a good quality paper also. Much better than any ordinary envelopes you can buy.

[harleyfxstc2008]

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@davewil1964 wrote:

Use prepaid envelopes. I do. There is 0 chance of being pinged for underpostage.

And, yes, if the 2 10centers were there and the 2 60centers weren't then I would assume they fell off. Remembering that AP use HIGH speed sorters for letters.

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I'll just answer the questions in this post, but isn't specifically directed to davewill.

I use the PB1 Padded bag as a few years back I had items that I purchased coming in plain envelopes that were either damaged or the product missing due to being ripped out by the rollers. The padded bags offer some protection from the item being ripped out or damaged.

The item that I sell (on my selling ID) is about 10 grams and is 0.5cm in thickness, 5cm in length, 2cm in width and fit's easily through the slot on the Cardboard device that the post office uses to guage whether the padded bag will go as letter rate or parcel rate, as it fits with ease, it goes through at the large letter rate of $1.40.

I have sold approximaty 300+ of this item over the years and have only had 1 purchase damaged in transit, as the item is only $2.30 I can't  justify sending it in a 500g Satchel (eBay or C&S) and as there is no tracking on large letters I take the risk if it is damaged or lost. But I do like the convienience of popping the parcel into the the red letter box on my way to work rather than hanging around and waiting till the post office opens and then lodging it over the counter.

The invoice from Australia Post stated that there was only 70 cents postage on the parcel and was short the remaining postage to go at the large letter rate of $1.40, as I have never send anything in less than a PB1 padded bag I can garantee with certainty that I didn't make a mistake with only putting 70 cents worth of postage on the padded bag.

My guess is that someone at AP doesn't know how to do their job and stuffed up.

[chameleon54]

I had the opposite happen recently. I had an international large letter to send to the USA. Normally I fill in the paperwork at home and mail across the counter at my local AP. This one was worth over $100 so I left the paper work off with the intention of sending it $22.00 pack & track. I got talking to the local AP staff and forgot to seperate it from around 20 Australian large letters that I had to mail. The result was it recieved the normal $1.40 bar code for Australian delivery. I realised my mistake later in the day, but it was too late by then to do anything. Turns out AP. delivered it to the USA, air mail and the customer recieved it in good time, leaving glowing feedback. ( no extra fees to pay either ) . I suppose it works both ways sometimes.

[dylan11235813]

Is there a prepaid C5 envelope for $1.70 for up to 500g?

[dazzledayz]

@ davewil

The pre-paid C5 standard post envelope is good for up to 500g.

A 10 pack will cost you $16.15 or singly $1.70.

I too have had similar problems with AP, usually to do with the 2cm thickness limit.

The post office workers have a strange interpretation of how to gauge thickness with their cardboard tools.

They seem to require a vague condition best described as "ease of fitment".

ie. the letters needs to go through the slot easily (define easily as you like it lol).

For quite a while I have been measuring my letters with a cheap plastic micrometer.

If I get a negative assessment from AP I just give them a ring and let them know the actual dimension.

It seems that some sorting centres are quite strict while others are very lenient.

I also see there are quite a few sellers posting books I know to be well over 500g at letter rates and getting away with it.

They probably have a local mail centre that doesn't worry themselves with the extra paperwork.

It's pretty much luck of the draw but if you get an underpaid mail bill from AP and know you were within guidelines then a quick phone call usually sorts things out.