Express Post is not Express as we used to know.

[prettypaperprints]

Just been going back and forward with emails with Aussie post for 2 hours now and finally have an answer.

I posted an Express post item on Monday last week and the customer received it Friday ....4 days. It should have arrived Thursday at the latest.

Anyway, it appears now that only 80% of Australia is covered by the Express post network. If the item you are posting falls outside the network, it goes NO faster than regular mail.  What a rip off.  They take extra money from us for a service they do not provide to some areas AND they don't tell us about it. It explains why the postcode delivery areas are not shown on the back anymore. 

I used the calculator below and there was no difference in delivery time for Express or regular to this customer as their postcode is " Outside the network "

It means more work, but in future I will be checking my customers postcode 1st, before charging express post. I will also need to contact the customer and let them know if there postcode falls outside the " Network "

Anyone else had problems with this happening ?

https://contactus.auspost.com.au/app/answers/detail/a_id/880/related/1

How can I send my item urgently if the origin or destination fall outside the Express Post network?

You can still use Express Post for delivery to or from areas that fall outside the Express Post network.

While next day delivery is not guaranteed, your item will still be processed, handled and delivered as fast as possible.

Use our online postage calculator for an estimate of when your parcel might arrive.

[davewil1964]

It also works between Canberra and Adelaide. 1200km by road, so a fair bet it goes by plane.

[*tippy*toes*]

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@jillywinkle wrote:

Hi, you most likely already know this but Express Post is only applicable between Australian capital cities in very close proximity to each other, based on my experience. Brisbane to Sydney ~ Sydney to Melbourne, or Melbourne to Adelaide for example. Otherwise it just goes ordinary old mail, even if already in the express system. A lot of people waste their hard earned dosh if Australia Post workers don't tell them this fact at the counter...jily

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I find that a bit hard to believe. I'm not in the express network so express takes 2 days for me rather than over night. I have recently had several parcels sent from WA to me in regional NSW and they arrived in 2 days. Ones I've sent that way have arrived in 2 days. In fact, every state in Australia that I've sent express to arrives in 2 days. I've ALWAYS had to sign a label to say it's safe to send by air. The machine at the PO automatically spits it out, I sign it and it gets stuck to the parcel.

The only time it has differed from 2 days were a few that did arrive overnight in my own state. Given it normally takes 10-14 days for me to get something to WA, I find it very difficult to believe that my express parcels are going by "ordinary old mail". If AP pulled that stunt, a lot of people would be up in arms and someone would have taken them to task long before now.

I have no idea where you heard that info, but it's completely wrong.

[lyndal1838]

Jensmanchester in WA has often stated on the boards that she sends most of her items by Express because it is a lot quicker from WA to the eastern states than ordinary mail, although not overnight.  I know I have had items from her in 3-4 days by Express instead of up to 2 weeks.

[padi*0409]

Same thing the other way lyndal, Brisbane to Perth 2-3 days that's not bad, though I hazard a guess they don't go anywhere near Chullora.............

[*tippy*toes*]

I've had a few express items go via Chullora and I nealy puked when I saw that appear in the tracking. Thankfully they still got through with no delays.

I think express post says 1-3 days. I've never had any take longer than 2. I'd imagine the 3 days is to cover their butt when something is going to a really remote area.

[mbselections00]

My local LPO has advised me several times, they can't guarantee even 3 days for Express Brissie to Perth !  That said, standard large letters have been known to arrive in 3 or 4 days - go figure.  Some time ago I posted 2 large letters on the same day, one Registered International to United States & one std large letter to WA & you guessed it, the one to the US arrived first