Postage Question

[*tippy*toes*]

I had a buyer purchase tonight and paid straight away. When I went to check the order details I noticed she had paid for express postage. When I looked at her address, I noticed she lives in the next town. Anything I've ever posted there arrives overnight. I sent her a message pointing out that standard mail usually arrives overnight. I'm not in the express network so it's a minimum of 2 days from here. I asked if she wanted me to post it regular mail and me refund the difference, or whether she would prefer just to have it sent express regardless.

What I'm wondering is, if I don't hear back from her by the time I go to post, should I still post express, or should I just post standard and refund the difference? I'm just concerned that express might still take 2 days, even though it's to a neighbouring town. I'm not sure how express works in that situation. Does it go to the city, then get sorted and sent back, as opposed to regular mail just going by truck overnight from here?

[*tippy*toes*]

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@transport-posters wrote:

I don't know why but I thought of my Chinese friend who came to visit Australia and wanted to take some souveniers home.  Jokingly, she said it's probably made in China.  So we looked and looked and looked and couldn't anything in the gift shop which was not made in China.  Amazing.  She came all this way to pay probably 10 x the cost of the item from her own country.

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I used to go to Sydney a fair bit to visit my brother and I nearly always walked into the city to go to Paddy's Markets. Most of it is typical cheap Chinese stuff, but I used to go there to buy cheap fancy long socks as I wear them at work because it looks silly and makes people laugh (if someone laughs at me it means they're not sad and that's a good thing right?!).

The place is loaded with cheap "Australian" souvenirs and the tourists seem to flock there to get their Aussie flags and stuffed kangaroos. I overheard an American couple complaining that everything was made in China and they wanted to take stuff home that was made in Australia. It sounded like they were getting quite frustrated. It got the better of me and I interrupted them and said I wasn't eaves dropping, but overheard their issue.........

I wasn't overly familiar with the city, but had walked past the same shops so many times, that I had learned where a few things were. I had even been into a few different shops just to have a look. I was ready to leave, so I offered to take them to a shop nearby that I knew only sold Australian made. Yes, they were more expensive, but they were Aussie made. They accepted my offer and were over the moon. They got everything they wanted, and more, and nothing was made in China!

They were so happy they offered to buy me lunch, but I opted just to have a coffee with them (or in my case, a hot chocolate as I don't like coffee). That wasn't the only good thing to come out of that day. I now have 2 American friends who I've been in regular contact with ever since!

[transport-posters]

What a lovely story.  I'm glad they were happy to pay some more for locally-made goods and really appreciated you helping them out.

The fancy long socks are lovely, too.

[mbselections00]

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@*tippy*toes* wrote:

Thanks everyone. I haven't heard back from her, so unless I do, I'll send it express. I know the PO will shake their head at me, but as mentioned, that's what she paid for. I only wish she had read the item location when she first bid. She's a very low feedback buyer (less than 5), so may not have known to look at that. I just hope I don't get a message just after I post saying that she's happy to have it sent regular!! I normally upload tracking numbers when I get home, but I might take my phone with me and upload hers as soon as I walk out. I probably won't go to the PO until about 3, so there's still time to hear back from her yet.

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So did you hear back in time and if not, did you end up sending Express ?

The other thing I have since thought of is from time to time, the auto invoice seems to put the most expensive postage at the top, it has happened to me on several occasions, but I do always try & check invoices before buyers pay (lol, if I'm quick enough & they don't pay instantly), I have always figured it must be another grab for money as it is certainly NOT the way I list my postage - I always start with the cheapest I am prepared to offer for the particular item.

PS  Love the story about Paddy's Markets & brings back lots of happy memories shopping with my mum back in the day

[lane-ends]

Send as requested, best not to enquire otherwise you can have inadvertant delays trying to clarify. 

Keep it simple, if they were of a frugal mind they would probably not have opted for express.

Then what happens when usual overtnight turns out not to be/

[lane-ends]

I can often ship regular sooner than express, so it actually can be quicker locally

[lyndal1838]

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@lane-ends wrote:

Then what happens when usual overtnight turns out not to be/

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Express is only guaranteed overnight if both parties are in the Express Zone.

Tippy has already stated that she is not in the zone.

[dazzledayz]

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@lyndal1838 wrote:

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@lane-ends wrote:

Then what happens when usual overnight turns out not to be/

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Express is only guaranteed overnight if both parties are in the Express Zone.

Tippy has already stated that she is not in the zone.

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And therein lies the problem with "express" post.

eBay intimates that express will get there quicker and implies overnight.

Buyers do not read the fine print as there is none to read on eBay; they'd have to go to AP to find out the true postage time estimate.

I don't know why eBay keep sticking their noses into a matter they have nothing to do with and no control over.

They constantly set buyers up for disappointment and saddle us with the opprobrium.

It's so much better to underpromise and overdeliver than to do it the other way round.

For goodness sake, why not make it plain that ETA is an estimate and not a guarantee!

[mbselections00]

Hear hear eBay !!!

Couldn't agree more !!

[*tippy*toes*]

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@mbselections00 wrote:

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So did you hear back in time and if not, did you end up sending Express ?

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I did hear back.....at around 8pm. She thanked me for the message and said she didn't notice the item location. She said to post regular post. Too late, I'd already posted express! Oh well.

I did ask the lady at the PO if express would still get there overnight, given regular post goes overnight. She said no, all mail goes to Sydney then redistributed, so would still take the 2 days. UGH! I know that not to be the case as my husband used to do the mail run in the truck and most of the bags were dropped at the mail centre in the next town. I would imagine they'd be sorted, local stuff kept, then the rest go off to Sydney.

What I thought was really strange was, I had to sign an air declaration. Mail comes here from Sydney on a truck, so not sure why I had to sign. Maybe it's just a standard thing with all express items regardless of destination.

[mbselections00]

What a shame all round   Surely she realized messaging you at 8pm would be too late to request regular post.  Sad really that we have become more concerned about covering our own backsides these days than anything else.  But, you did everything you could, and made the best choice under the circumstances.  I guess next time she'll remember to look at the location, but I hope you're correct & the mail is sorted before leaving for Sydney .  As someone else said, buyers rarely understand or check the delivery times of Express with the PO and eBays estimates are far from factual and imply overnight.

Yes, I think the air declaration is a standard thing for all Express - I've always had to sign one for Express, even within Brissie