What to do in a situation with a Parcel locker?

[dealuxe_store]

I sold an item to a customer and sent it to their address which was a parcel locker. I sent the item with my courier, and the parcel was subsequently rejected by the parcel locker as it is an Australia Post service and couriers need to pay an additional fee to lodge into the AP network. The parcel has been returned to me.

I had a look on the AP website and read that

"Other carriers / delivery providers can deliver items to a 24/7 Parcel Locker as long as they lodge the articles into our network and pay for this service.

StarTrack is a subsidiary of Australia Post, and parcels carried by StarTrack will be accepted for delivery into 24/7 Parcel Lockers.

Where possible, you should check with the sender or company you are buying from which delivery providers they use.

Delivery providers who do not wish to lodge your parcel into the Australia Post network for delivery to your parcel locker, should follow current standard procedure for carriers, which is to contact you or the sender to organise alternative delivery or pick-up options.".

After reading this, I believe it is up to the customer to check with the seller what service they use to ensure that the package will be accepted by their parcel locker. My listing had stated Courier delivery in the listing.

I sent the customer an invoice for redelivery fee but the customer now wants me to resend the package out of my own pocket to their home address.

Who would have thought that a "Parcel Locker" only accepts parcels from only AP?

Has anyone else had a similar experience and who is in the right here?

I feel like I am being held to ransom by the negative feedback system as even though I believe I am in the right, the customer will be able to leave me negative feedback and likely force a refund from my Paypal account.

Let me know what you think.

Thanks in advance.

[amber-eyed-girl]

Thanks 🙂

[*crikey*mate*]

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@digital*ghost wrote:

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@*crikey*mate* wrote:

so the courier has to contract AP to take over delivery in which case AP are the carriers and the courier is the customer paying to use the AP service - which fits in with that good guys scenario back there somewhere

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Not really. The two circumstances are completely different.

One - buyer arranges parcel locker, uses it as an address for any packages that are deliverable to said parcel locker, i.e. buyer has the address before they even start shopping.

AP go on to mention, hey, we actually make it even easier by allowing online stores to arrange the parcel locker on your behalf, which means once you tell them where the best place to collect your parcel is, the seller will tell YOU the address (or rather, the locker number and combo, or what have you) - there's no mention of third party delivery carriers in that scenario.

The point of my post was to clarify that couriers can opt to hand over packages so that they can ultimately be delivered to a parcel locker. If the Good Guys (or anyone else) use a courier by default, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense for them to be providing customers with the parcel locker option for deliveries, unless they are using AP from the start (or unless they want their services to cost more, I guess).

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gosh digi - that is just so full of possible areas for stuff ups, isn't it?

you get notified by text of the parcel - inmagine if they enter one wrong digit or character....

I reckon I'll be waiting a while to use it

[digital*ghost]

By the look of it, that's the only way you can access a parcel locker, whether you registered for one or not - i.e. you have a locker number, but the access code changes with each new delivery. I would presume the SMS is system generated, so not susceptible to human error... and if so, I guess the data would have the same potential to be stuffed up just as much as any other similar system (eg mobile phone codes with stuff like net banking, or even eBay phone verifications). 

[amber-eyed-girl]

So we've established that if one has an AP locker, it is possible for couriers to accept that as a delivery address.

But one needs to check the specific courier, as with a P.O. box.

And that online stores, can give you the option of delivery to an AP locker. I am going to try that if I see it, and see how it works out 🙂

but will stick with normal home delivery for other stuff for now.

[amber-eyed-girl]

So to answer the OP's question, if it was me, I would check with any courier in the future and put it in the listing, whether or not they deliver to these lockers or P.O. Boxes.

It is a shame your buyer has been unpleasant, but I would put this one down to experience. Lockers may well be the way of the future, and the buyer may well expect the seller to provide that information. As listings often do for P. O. boxes. It would hopefully avoid unpleasantness, anyway.

[lyndal1838]

Not answering Amber in particular but just to clarify the information about couriers delivering to Post Offices or AP Parcel Lockers.

StarTrack and AaE can deliver to pot offices as they are owned by AP (they are known a Blue Post)

Yes, other couriers can make arrangements to deliver to Parcel Lockers but it is unlikely that many (if any) companies will take up the offer as they have to pay a fee for the privilege....the last I heard was that the fee was $11.  How many buyers will want to pay an extra $11 on top of the normal courier fee.  And that is assuming that the courier company does not add a bit extra to the fee for their time and trouble.

[amber-eyed-girl]

Thanks Lyn. Yes, the first post here says that there is a fee, but not how much it is.

It would be up to the buyer to decide if it was worth it, as part of the total price paid. The seller would have to specify the fee, too, then, in the listing, for the best chance of no recrimination from the buyer.

[*crikey*mate*]

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@lyndal1838 wrote:

Not answering Amber in particular but just to clarify the information about couriers delivering to Post Offices or AP Parcel Lockers.

StarTrack and AaE can deliver to pot offices as they are owned by AP (they are known a Blue Post)

Yes, other couriers can make arrangements to deliver to Parcel Lockers but it is unlikely that many (if any) companies will take up the offer as they have to pay a fee for the privilege....the last I heard was that the fee was $11.  How many buyers will want to pay an extra $11 on top of the normal courier fee.  And that is assuming that the courier company does not add a bit extra to the fee for their time and trouble.

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and how many couriers will want to go to the trouble of the extra paperwork etc

then there is also the issue of size of the parcel and weight, so courier companies or sellers can't indiscrimantely offer that service anyway as they will not know how many items a buyer may purchase - and if they're going to add an additional $11 plus to each delivery fee - imagine for example my 4 dinnersets - I'd need 4 lockers, so my $11.95 delivery (by AP parcels for me - but if they used a courier) for combined post is now approaching $70! - but as I bought an extra 2 on top of that, they gave free delivery for the last 2 - so 6 delivered for $11.95) but multiply that by 6 lockers!

It's just fraught with too many dramas - my $11.95 postage has now turned into close to $100! (adding a $4 handling fee to each $11 imposed by the courier)

No wonder AP says they will accept some parcels from other couriers - they get money and it isn't a free service then - it is only a free service for product delivered by AP be that regular parcel or their two courier companies

[amber-eyed-girl]

Yes, the first post by the seller here says there is a fee.

If I had a locker, it would be purely to save time at the post office, collecting any missed carded items. That time might be more valuable to someone, than the extra fee imposed by opting for the courier delivery.

Also depends on how badly someone wants the item and if otherwise, it is a good price.

A win for AP in any event, if couriers find that there is a demand for locker delivery. Not seeing that anytime soon though 🙂

And sellers don't have to offer it, so that's a way to avoid any complications, too.

[cherry*135]

There doesn't seem to be that many areas that have parcel lockers available...lots in Sydney.... 2+ hours a bit too far for me to go to pick up a parcel.