Trial of domestic letters WITH TRACKING

[jfmgray]

https://auspost.com.au/business/marketing-and-communications/business-letter-services/bulk-mail-opti...

[clarry100]

Good news on this product. Hopefully it lives on.

Closest participating PO to us is in Brisbane City around a 1-hour drive.

For regional area sellers will be hard to get hold of them unless you know someone in a major centre who can puchase them in bulk for you and mail them out to you.

[brerrabbit585]

If it's a success I'd imagine they'd make them available in more post offices and in more sizes.

I use a few C4's and the contents can be worth up to around $50 so it's a good option for me. The nearest ones available at the moment are 80 kms away but I sometimes head that way. I'm happy to wait and see if it becomes a permanent thing.

What concerns me is that they're being delivered the usual way, which means they'll probably be left in the letterbox same as they currently are. What happens if a large envelope won't fit in a letterbox and is left hanging out and then gets stolen? Will ebay deem it delivered if the postie has recorded it as being delivered? If not, they're a waste of time (in some ways).

[dazzledayz]

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@brerrabbit585 wrote:
If it's a success I'd imagine they'd make them available in more post offices and in more sizes.

I use a few C4's and the contents can be worth up to around $50 so it's a good option for me. The nearest ones available at the moment are 80 kms away but I sometimes head that way. I'm happy to wait and see if it becomes a permanent thing.

What concerns me is that they're being delivered the usual way, which means they'll probably be left in the letterbox same as they currently are. What happens if a large envelope won't fit in a letterbox and is left hanging out and then gets stolen? Will ebay deem it delivered if the postie has recorded it as being delivered? If not, they're a waste of time (in some ways).

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I think it would be covered by PayPal seller protection as they will cover the loss if tracking shows delivery.

The AP fine print is a bit interesting though:

" Domestic letter with tracking* can provide a:

• scan on lodgement, if lodged over the counter at any Post Office with electronic point of sale

• scan at a processing facility, if processed via automated mail processing equipment, and

• scan on delivery, where a tracking scan can be captured. "

The final point may be an issue as regular posties sometimes don't carry scanners.

[davewil1964]

If a buyer uses the eBay MBG, Paypal doesn't get involved except to process a refund, and Seller Protection wouldn't be triggered. Or possible.

[bigbrickshop]

I am trying them for the first time today. Had to send someone to an LPO half an hour away to buy the envelopes. I hope the trial is a success and it continues long term.

[bigbrickshop]

I posted 2 of the envelopes today. I lodged over the counter and they were scanned in. So far, so good  🙂  It will be interesting to see if they get further scans.

They have a tear-off lodgement receipt on the back that you need to fill in with name and address so you will have proof of posting if required.

[curraone]

PO staff are going to be thrilled if this takes off and they have to scan hundreds of letters over the counter - just a thought

[lm-entertainment]

about time they did this. taken donkeys years. 

[digital*ghost]

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@curraone wrote:

PO staff are going to be thrilled if this takes off and they have to scan hundreds of letters over the counter - just a thought

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Their self-checkout stations should be set up so that a package becomes irretreivable once successfully scanned. Digital receipts could even contain a quick snap of the package (i.e. to show the delivery address) if they really wanted to go the extra mile. 

At the moment, they're not really set up for lodgements at all - they can be scanned in, but a staff member has to come over and authorise it after you've finished scanning in the packages, and then they have to take them over to their counter and scan them in again, because unless things have changed in the last couple of months they get compliance errors on the packages if they don't (I now get everything scanned in at the counter since they can print lodgement receipts there now, even for international large letters, but that's what they had to do with anything I lodged at the self-service terminal before).  

[jfmgray]

The DL letters with tracking are already available to buy on the AP eBay store. I assume the C4s will also be sold online when they start in September