Why can buyers blame sellers because Australia Post is slow?

[flashback_deals]

Paid 21/1 Sent 23/1 and it arrived 3 weeks later from SA to Vic

I copped a neutral for slow postage and no communication when I answered their message about the lost books on Feb 5 and never heard back

What gives buyers the right the blame sellers because Australia Post cant do their job correctly

[kayedonproducts]

I always message buyers also to let them know their parcel has been posted.

I've only ever had a couple of lost parcels the whole time I've been selling and one turned up after doing a big detour - buyer was kind enough to send it back to me as I had sent a replacement. Maybe I have been very fortunate.

I haven't been well the past couple of months, so there has been delays in postage, but have only been been marked down a lot once, by a new seller who had looked at the estimated time gven by ebay.  They were most apologetic when they realised the problem.

Feel sorry for sellers copping the flack for late postage.  Ebay should just omit their estimation of delivery time from listings as it is confusing to buyers.

[thesoulyearns]

I, too, let my buyers know when I have posted off a parcel but I also explain that I am in Perth and Australia Post is notoriously slow from Perth.    Especially if it's going interstate and into the country as well.

Not a lot we can do I don't think.

Yeah, alot of the time I'll send a courtesy message to thank them for bidding and let them know when the parcel is being shipped.

Maybe as a precautionary measure, you can also ask them to get in touch if there are any problems, e.g. if it arrives late. It might help to put their mind at ease a bit, that you're able to be contacted if need be.

[the_hawk*]

After buying lots of items for HK I have been spoilt with their superior communication.

A message of thanks for buying from them.

A message to say its been posted and explaining that HK post is slow.

A message after 15 days to say item should arrive soon and if it doesn't to contact them

A message after about 20 days asking if item has arrived and if happy please leave FB

compare that to how Oz sellers communicate 😞

[nonny_muss]

I always send my buyers a courtesy message just tell them when I will (or have) posted their item. I always tell them it should arrive to them within the week, but to contact me if it isn't and I'll chase it up for them.

I haven't had any postage time complaints. (even before when I used to sell).

I don't know if my short message makes a difference, but it seems to work for me. touch wood.

Me too.  On my selling ID I am happy to say that my best DSRs are for communication.  I always post within 48 hours of cleared payment, mostly within 24 hours actually!  Ironically, despite me always sending a message saying that I've posted it and the estimated delivery date, and to contact me if there are any problems,  my lowest DSRs are for postage time.  Go figure!!

Another reason to be less than impressed with Australia Post  😛  

[davewil1964]

After buying lots of items for HK I have been spoilt with their superior communication.

A message of thanks for buying from them.

A message to say its been posted and explaining that HK post is slow.

A message after 15 days to say item should arrive soon and if it doesn't to contact them

A message after about 20 days asking if item has arrived and if happy please leave FB

compare that to how Oz sellers communicate 😞

I don't consider spamming the buyer with multiple messages stating the bleeding obvious to be communication or welcome. I guess that's why my communication star is only 4.9

[the_hawk*]

Dave funnily enough I don't consider it spamming when a seller thanks me for the order and paying them, or letting me know the goods have been posted, or an email about the time the goods should have arrived. 

What I hate is buying something and never hearing from the seller again except for ebay system generated messages or paypal.

Most Oz sellers seem to operate that once they have the sale and the money they don't care anymore and you never hear a thing until the item turns up in the mail.

[the_hawk*]

Oh by the way that's purely from a buyers point of view 

[davewil1964]

The buyer knows they've paid, I mark posted when I post, or C&S inserts the tracking number in their bought items page, I subscribe the buyer to C&S tracking reports, I never ask for feedback.

They're already getting the eBay generated emails plus the C&S ones, so I don't feel a need to add to that for a single purchase.

That's as a seller.

As a buyer, I don't need to be told when an item is posted. I am a repeat buyer and know the timeframes full well.

[the_hawk*]

Yes I know I have paid but I dont know the seller has seen the order or actioned it

Perhaps that's why some sellers complain about getting marked down on coms stars ?

[technicaone]

It is very true that Austraila Post delivery times are extremely slow, this has been observed over recent months. However, eBay's Buyer Protection places demands ob buyers that they must make a claim within a limited number of days. The number of days where Buyer Protection is available in many cases is less than the time it takes Australia Post to deliver the orders. So I agree that the problem is firstly as a result of disgusting delivery times from Australa Post and the eBay Buyer Protection expiry times.

However, Buyers do have to protect their purchases, in many cases Australia Post Tracking does not work and the Buyer does not know if the seller has shipped the order or not, therefore the Buyer must make a claim if the eBay Buyer protection is about to expire.

We have seen parcels arrive at our local post office and sit for 4 or more days before they are delivered and this includes express delivery articles.

Australia Post now does not even respond to questions as to why this is a significant delay.

We use Click and Send for deliveries but always hand deliver to the post office to ensure the receiving post office does a lodgement scan,

For parcels from outside Australia we have seen parcels arrive in Austraila within 2-3 days, then several days in NSW receiving post office and then the bulk of the time (up to 4-7 days) sitting at our local post office before being released for delivery.

Buyers do trust sellers that they have dealt with previously, however because eBay has a time frame that is not reflective of Austraila Posts current service levels this becomes a real problem for both sellers and buyers.

While Austraila Post now has tracking on all parcels, we have many orders that we have despatched that show that they have never been delivered (according to Austraila Posts tracking) yet the customers have confirmed that they have received the orders, this again works against the seller in that Austraila Post's tracking is very inaccurate.

In summary the problems are all based of a degraded service from Austraila Post.