Postage in Australia

[i_am_awesom-o]

Hello to all

Does anyone know why a book can be posted from the UK to Sydney for 2 pound, but to go from perth/brisvegas/melbourne etc to sydney will cost 7 dollors. Does Australia post get paid to deliver mail from international senders ? Or do we subsidise their shipping costs ?

I'm also courious why eBay appears to do nothing about sellers lying about their location, so many times I try to buy local products expecting local shipping times and I get a package from an international location only to discover the people/shop are not based in Australia and are based in the UK. very poor form eBay, as long as you make a dollor hey.

[phorum_junkie*]

While AP do not get paid for delivering mail from overseas neither do Royal mail get paid for mail arriving in the UK from Australia, all countries deliver overseas mail without any additional cost.

How on earth could it work any other way?

Because of the distances travelled and the remoteness of many communities the cost of delivery is bound to be more in Aus than in the UK, you can fit the entire mainland into one corner of QLD after all.

The main reason you can post a book from the UK to Aus for less than a domestic delivery is that RM don't have a flat rate charge which starts at  relatively high rate and goes up in small increments. When it comes to heavier items the cost of overseas postage is much higher here in the UK, the limit for RM is 2kg compared with 20kg in Aus.

The likes of Amazon also post from outside the UK from other places within the EU that have cheaper postage.

[aussie*watches]

IS that why I cannot compete on price with sellers from China?

I know what the item I sell cost wholesale in China, but with free international postage, they can sell an item cheaper than what I can sell it for with free domestic postage.

I only do OK becasue many customers either want the item quickly or do not like buying from China.

The international postage agreement is OK, but only if everybody is paying the same/similar international rate based say on $US.

NOT FAIR!

[putney32]

it is the same now as it was 2 years ago when this thread was started.

no one said the UPU was 'fair' but without it the world mail system would be in chaos

[thecatspjs]

Old thread or not .... the topic of of how post will be delivered in Australia is very current indeed.

Over the past week there has been increased commentary on this matter by AP chairperson via media on Australia Post losses and the introduction of user pays domestic letter service, a 3 day a week delivery service and privatisation etc etc 

Australia Post is finalising its corporate plan to government which is required to be submitted in July and needed ''to open up that conversation'' with government to make the necessary changes, Mr Stanhope said.

http://www.smh.com.au/national/australia-post-boss-floats-userpays-mail-delivery-20140506-zr5qd.html...

[davewil1964]

But the quoted prices are 2 years out of date. Not that you would care about such minor issues.