No wonder our fees keep going up!

[*crikey*mate*]

Don't mind me - just ranting about postage charges from one of our Top Rated sellers.

TRS - Feedback nearly 3000 - selling clothes.

I bought two items - charged $11 combined postage.

*shrugs*

fair enough, I knew up front and calculated the cost into my purchase price calculations.

The items arrived today.

They were squished into a in a 500 g satchel - but here's the kicker - they weigh (according to my trusty digital postage weighing scales) 1006g

[the-kazbar]

Hi Dicko 🙂

I have successfully argued with AP that 509grams was ok due to the weight of the satchel being 10grams so the contents were under 500grams.

Its not something I am in a hurry to test again though :^O

[calsof]

Hi dickos

I've never really researched this but I'm sure there's a point at which Auspost would allow for a bit more weight. Scales aren't all the same or precise and that's kind of allowable.

Just like you have to go over the speed limit by at least 4km/hr before they book you because your speedometer or theirs may be a bit off.

Just like you would not yell at a mate who was 5 minutes late meeting you because your watch or theirs may be a bit behind.

Anyway, 500 grams over is not a small amount, like Crikey said. Many of the items I buy have 60 cent stamps on them when they should have been a parcel. And all those sellers normally don't include a return address. As I spend a lot on postage and complain about Auspost being so expensive for me, I don't appreciate the competition from other sellers, even when they pass savings on to buyers, effectively making themselves cheaper than any other honest Australian sellers like myself 😞

[thecatspjs]

I just go by that the flat rate 500g satchel weighs 13 grams - in that satchel I can post up to 500 grams. 500g plus 13g = 513g. 

I lodge my parcels at my post office who accept, scan and sometimes weigh my parcels. No problem struck there.

My AP account, name and address details are on post label, so if at a later point AP determine that post has been underpaid by something between 1- 13g, I will get a bill for underpaid post. Never happened yet, if it does so be it, I will adjust my practice accordingly. 

[purple.cow]

AP judge a 500g sachel as being the GROSS weight, not NETT, just as a 3kg etc. is the gross, but most AP stores grant a few grams leeway without going OTT about it.

Their scales are checked by the govn Weights & Measures office to be within 2 grams of absolute.

[phorum_junkie*]

I too take it as the complete packaged weight including the satchel.

If it is 520g then I can re package it to remove the sheet of tissue paper, the business card and the paper clip it is attached with, that brings it in at 498g

If it weighs more than 520g it goes in a 3kg satchel and I make a few bucks less but I have not defrauded anyone.

[*crikey*mate*]

Tax is paid on all profit regardless of where it comes from

if it is declared...

OK bad word choice - apologies

but is income derived from selling unwanted used items from around your house after a "massive cleanout" considered to be taxable income?

what about if you took those items to Cash Converters or had a garage sale?

what about "hobbies"?

[purple.cow]

but is income derived from selling unwanted used items from around your house after a "massive cleanout" considered to be taxable income?

what about if you took those items to Cash Converters or had a garage sale?

what about "hobbies"?

1.  No, it isn't

2. Even is somewhere like Cash Converters was willing to buy your unwanted item they wouln't be generous toward you for it :-(. The gargare sale option might be the better way to go than CC ever will be 🙂

3. A hobby only remains a hobby until a given dollar turnover is achieved in the taxman's eyes, if declared at all that is, beyond that point it's seen as a taxable income.

[*crikey*mate*]

Thanks for that Moorna, it's what I thought...

hmmmmm

"Me and my family (huge family) are having a massive clear out lots n lots of bargains to be had,"

2163 feedback transactions as a seller......

[purple.cow]

"Me and my family (huge family) are having a massive clear out lots n lots of bargains to be had,"

Good luck with it all mate.

One man's trash is nearly always seen as another man's treasures 😛

I think the advantage (Maybe disadvantage sometimes) of selling your unwanted items through an Ebay auction is that you can end up with getting a better deal for your gear than you might price it at as a BIN or garage sale, but not being a true Ebay seller I can't say which way would be the best to go.

Only you can be the judge of that.

[*crikey*mate*]

lol - it's OK Moorna - I didn't write the pink stuff - it was from somewhere else

just how my goldfish brain works (I don't have that avi for nuffin ya know) 

it kinda went from profit to taxable income to whether it was declared, to whether it had to be decalred and in what circumstances, and when a clean out ceased to be a clean out or a hobby etc....

don't mind me

*goes back to swimming in circles around the fish bowl*