How do you satisfy the PayPal Buyer Protection when sendng letters not "packages"?

[hang1945]

Hi all,

I have been reading a few threads today - and would appreciate some long time users of ebay if you could advise the best way to send an item that can be sent in an envelope ie sticker letters or die cut shapes or photo mounting paper..... and keep postage costs low?

I can't see any other way than to send Signature on Delivery for an additional $2.95 on top of standard or large letter rate - this is what my local PO (franchisee) told me to do.. Today however, I was advised by another local PO (not franchise) that letters & envelopes don't get sent "Signature on Delivery" though they didn't tell me how and accepted the lodgement of it anyway.

Does anyone have advice or recommendation on how to do this?

Kind Regards

Melissa

hang1945

[lyndal1838]

Letters can still be sent with registered mail which will satisfy paypal requirements.

[hang1945]

I do know that but buyers seem to be reluctant to pay the extra required as the item is low cost - I'm seeking advise from others to see what it is they do or what they charge 🙂 

Cheers Melissa

[shoptilludroptara]

hi

i sold some fashion earrings for $5- and charged $4.25-registered post

you can buy the registered post envelope at the post office and post small thin items in it

i just put cardboard on either side of them done it twice and no issues as long as its under 250gm and under

5mm thickness no issues and it covers you for paypal as they have to sign for it and it can be tracked on aust post site

tara

[shoptilludroptara]

hi

i should also add that the total cost for this envelope is $4.25-and that includes the registered post

so you only pay one pymt.

tara

[digital*ghost]

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@hang1945 wrote:

I do know that but buyers seem to be reluctant to pay the extra required as the item is low cost - I'm seeking advise from others to see what it is they do or what they charge 🙂 

Cheers Melissa

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I send a lot of small items as a large letter, and most of them are valued under $30.00, so I decided to risk the odd loss in favour of being able to offer low-cost postage. If I charged the extra $3.50 for registered post (I use padded envelopes as I sell jewellery), it's likely that I would lose a significant portion of my sales to sellers who don't, particularly as I have a lot of items under $10. If I paid it out of my own pocket, I doubt I'd make a profit, so I felt this was the best solution for me. For higher value items, I include the cost of registered post in the P&H charge, and when a customer makes several purchases that total over a certain amount, I just pay for registered myself (it is an option on all my listings, but rarely selected by buyers). 

I currently average about 80 packages sent a month, I won't try to guess how that would be affected if my P&H included registered costs, but if I paid for it out of my own pocket, that'd be well over $200 per month to AP, and this year I've only had to issue one refund for a lost item, for $10, so I figure I'm much better off this way. 

[clarry100]

Hi DG,

We are mailing out about 20 pkgs per day by large letter. Our stuff is all low cost too so we just take the hit when someone says INR and simply replace it no arguments. After verifiying they had the address correct of course.

We would get around 1 per month go lost, so say 1 in 500 packages or so. But just recently this has gone up a bit.

Like you, if we charged for registered mail the reality is we would have no customers at all, but we would be 100% PayPal compliant. They need to get real.

[stampingpaws]

I too sell small items, CD's and send out in padded envelopes. The cost is $1.20 to Australia and $2.60 to Europe. I give free postage in Australia absorbing the $1.20 charge but charge $3.60 standard postage to Europe. I offer Registered and Express Post for an additional fee but in 2 years noone has requested it. If a letter goes missing I replace it without worries, hasn't happened yet.

Here is the relevant part of my Description

DELIVERY Your item will be posted the next working day after cleared payment is received. We use the name and address advised by EBay on the Order Details page. If you are known by a different name or live at a different address, please advise us. We will send this stamp album as a PDF file on a CD. To save on postage costs the CD will be shipped in a plastic sleeve in a padded envelope. No CD case is provided. 

POSTAGE & DELIVERY TIME - AUSTRALIA

Standard Mail Free postage anywhere in Australia. This has no tracking facility. Consequently, we are unable to assist should your item be lost in the mail.

Registered Mail This has the added security of proof of sending, online delivery tracking, and signing for delivery. This will cost an additional amount. In order for PayPal to provide Buyer Protection this option must be selected if the total value of your order exceeds $50.

Express Post This is if you require your item as quickly as possible with online delivery tracking. The item will be delivered to your mailbox without signing for delivery being required. This will cost an additional amount. Australia Post estimates Standard and Registered Mail will be delivered in up to 4 business days. Provided you live within the Express Post Delivery network 

Australia Post guarantees next business day delivery. In addition, Ebay determines a range of estimated delivery dates, these may be different to Australia Post. Delivery times may vary especially during peak periods, they may be shorter or longer than estimated by Australia Post or EBay depending on the postal service. This is something which is outside our control.

POSTAGE & DELIVERY TIME - INTERNATIONAL

International postage is sent by Standard Air Mail. This has no tracking facility. Consequently we are unable to assist should your item be lost in the mail. As the delivery time varies considerably we are unable to estimate how long your item will take to reach you.

Best wishes

Robert

[coast_golf]

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@stampingpaws wrote:

Registered Mail This has the added security of proof of sending, online delivery tracking, and signing for delivery. This will cost an additional amount. In order for PayPal to provide Buyer Protection this option must be selected if the total value of your order exceeds $50.

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Hi Robert, unfortunately this is not correct, in fact the opposite is true.

Provided that the seller can provide proof of postage (as is the case with registered) then Paypal's Buyer Protection Policy does not apply. If the item does not arrive then the seller can seek compensation from AP and consequently compensate the buyer but they are not eligible for the BPP. The BPP only kicks in when the seller cannot prove postage.

[stampingpaws]

Thanks Coast, I will delete that last sentence. Much appreciate your help. Robert