International shipping - small parcel options?

[chezzy]

I am considering offering overseas shipping on a small quantity of
items that I think might benefit from the bigger audience.

My items would be mostly under 500g, values varying from $30 to $100.
Registered Post appears to be 'only' $5 dearer than regular Airmail
so would that be the best way to go?

Are there any ways I can reduce costs and/or streamline the shipping
process eg any prepaid options? Click and Send > Customs paperwork?

Thanks in advance for your help/tips!

[chezzy]

Anyone?

I forgot to mention that all items will have to go as parcels as all will be too bulky for letter class.

[digital*ghost]

For parcels, both registered and pack & track (if available to the destination country) are generally the same price. For example, to the US, a parcel up to 500gm is $20.10 - I sent one via C&S last week and did the label processing online, but I had to take it into the PO to pay (it has to be lodged over the counter, anyway). Everything is done online, including the customs info, then you print out two labels (one for the parcel and one for the PO), it's not any cheaper but it is a bit easier, plus I had sent a pack & track parcel once before via the PO and I didn't get an official copy of the shipping info, but online via my C&S account I have a record and can save a copy if required. 

I chose pack and track because registered often doesn't have online tracking, though occasionally it can be tracked on the destination country's site, but P&T does so I felt it was better for the customer. It doesn't get a signature on delivery like registered, but an online status of delivered is acceptable proof of delivery for items under $750 (so registered would definitely be recommended for anything of higher value).

The alternative for low value items is to ship unregistered / untracked and accept the risk of refunding if something goes wrong. I just started selling internationally and have decided to go that way because my items go as letters, the difference between a normal and registered letter is closer to $15, and my items aren't of high enough value to warrant $20 P&H (unless people buy a couple of things, anyway). I've been copying down the customs number assigned to each package, and it will sometimes be able to be tracked on either the website for destination country's postal service, or a universal tracking site, which can give you and/or your customer a little bit of assurance. 

[chezzy]

Thanks, digital*ghost. Yes if only my items were flatter and of lower value it would be so much easier.

It has been a long time since I sent anything by Click and Send so will have to check that out.

What size are the labels that get used for the International packages?

Registered Post seems to offer coverage up to $100 but does Pack and Track offer any cover? Am

more inclined to go for cover than tracking as I have not always found tracking (international or

domestic) to be very reliable, or kept up to date?

Does Click and Send offer any protection to seller/buyer, the fact that it has a 'record' online?

[digital*ghost]

Pack and track can only be used for items valued up to $500, but I honestly don't know if there's any included insurance (I suspect it may have, but don't want to presume - I tried to double check on the AP info page, but it doesn't mention it, and if you use the postage calculator on site, extra cover is crossed out as an option for both registered and pack and track, but I don't really know any more than that unfortunately, so I'll have to go through the full T&Cs properly at some point). 

If you print out the pack and track labels at home, it takes up one standard A4 page (one half page for each label copy). As far as seller protection goes, you definitely get enough documentation to prove postage, but full seller protection to places like the US will be reliant on the tracking showing a delivered status (similar goes with registered, though, as proof of delivery would be required for an eBay buyer protection case, so the item has to actually have been delivered with the signature obtained as proof - if the package is lost before then, you'd be in the same boat as with P&T not showing a delivered status online. I do know that the tracking facility for AP products is never 100% reliable, so some sellers prefer registered for that reason). 

[tonalidesigns]

We use Pack and Track (P&T) regularly, but NOT via Click & Send  (C&S).

The reason is that just after we started using P&T on C&S several of the items were sent straight back tio us - there was nothing wrong with them but somehow the Australia Post system picked up our sender address as the delivery address. Our PO picked up the error and resubmitted them but that cost us 2 days in the delvery cycle. They gave us a handful of the P&T forms to use.

That sort of "duh" error (error code #101 postage processing for/by dummies) left us questioning the system so we still do them maually.

[chezzy]

I am actually not very familiar with Click and Send (only used it for a couple of domestic items some time ago) but was hoping it would save having to fill in carbon duplicate/triplicate forms with dodgy pens. Looks like I might have to give Australia Post a call or visit them in person.

Anyone know if Pack and Track or even regular Airmail offer any kind of insurance? And what does "extra cover" actually mean. From or what amount is it actually covering? Say for example the contents are valued at $30. Would one have to take out "extra cover" for that or would that be covered by the so-called discretionary refunds up to $50 that used to (??) be available. For the record, for the amount of up to $30 I'd possibly risk it and send by ordinary airmail. But need to know what is available for items say $50 upwards?

*sigh*

[digital*ghost]

This is probably the best place to find out and/or compare:

Registered Post T&Cs

Pack and Track T&Cs