Yet more shipping price changes

[purplemon18]

my post business just sent me an email that basically says no more discounts for rural destinations.

Here's the link:

https://image.email.auspost.com.au/lib/fe6415707c66047a7215/m/4/4d1db2af-c956-4729-80fd-dfea5d0426ac...

I mostly ship large letters or ebay flat rate, so I never send enough items to qualify for a discount anyway. But I thought I would alert others here.

[eol-products]

$5.40 for a 500gram satchel within your capital city is a cheap rate for the top discount. So as long as you post most items to capitals with the odd rural most on the top rate will be ahead. This would be a good time to work out the ebay postage region thing where you add th different rates for different areas. 

[davewil1964]

I haven't checked lately, but the last time I did my city (which is the capital of the country) counted as rural NSW.

Typical.

[dazzledayz]

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@davewil1964 wrote:

I haven't checked lately, but the last time I did my city (which is the capital of the country) counted as rural NSW.

Typical.

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So Dave, does that mean you would never be able to get a Business discount no matter your volume?

There's another sting hidden in the fine print too:

To get the discount now, you are not only assessed on an 8 week rolling average, but also on annual volume.

(tough luck if your business is highly seasonal)

These pricing increases also come just after AP have recorded a record profit.

AP are pretty much run by ex-bankers with mostly NAB histories or associations so I guess this sort of thing is to be expected.

(the executive board was stacked by Mahour with old cronies and although he's gone they still remain)

It almost looks like AP are breaching spirit of their charter here by slyly discriminating against rural customers.

When a public good is privatised this is just the sort of thing that we can expect; profit before people.

[dazzledayz]

The rate table above gives us some idea of what pricing eBay get for their postage labels.

They magnanamously offer us a huge 10% on RRP.

[dazzledayz]

It only just occurred to me; does anyone know AP's definiton of a "major city"?

I don't seem to able to find a definition so that leaves a lot of locations in doubt.

Brisbane yes, but what about Ipswich, Caboolture, Mackay, Rockie, Townsville Toowoomba and Cairns?

Mebourne yes, but what about Geelong, Ballarat etc

Sydney yes, but Newcastle, Wollongong, Dubbo etc

Hobart yes, but Launceston?

Also, are thay talking about Metro areas or delivery zones?

I'm in Brisbane in the Q1 zone which streches from the NSW border north to Caboolture so is this "Brisbane"?

If I travel 10km to the west I will be standing in the Q2 zone (Ipswich); is that a "major city".

If anyone wants to try and set up freight tables on eBay I'll wish them luck; ebay certainly aren't doin' it for themselves.

(or if they are it's behind the scenes and we are not being offered it)

[brerrabbit585]

In the small print at the bottom of the link in the OP, it says refer to their postcode guide for more information (on the definition of major cities, etc).

[davewil1964]

Hopefully Canberra would qualify as a regional city.

Not that I do enough business to consistently qualify for discounts. Most of my stuff goes as letters or 500g parcels, so AP 500g satchels from eBay sellers (when I get a decent discount) is better for me.

[dazzledayz]

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@brerrabbit585 wrote:
In the small print at the bottom of the link in the OP, it says refer to their postcode guide for more information (on the definition of major cities, etc).

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Unfortunately, when I search the AP site for that info - "Please refer to our postcode guide for more information.", all I can find is a free pdf which just lists postcodes or a range of purchasable pdf's starting at $75 which don't appear to give the info either based on previews of contents.

The only other relevant parcel post info appears to be the Parcel Guide which does not clarify the definition of "other major city"

Just what consitutes one of these?

I'm left with the feeling that they are referring to the zonal classifications ie Q1, Q2, Q3, N1, N2 etc or more specifically, any of the number 1 zones.

In other words, capital cities in another state, which would make places like Canberra and Newcastle "rural".

This policy has the effect of disadvantaging the great geographical majority of Australia as it won't take too long for most big retailers to start incorporating variable postage rates into their shopping carts (once known).

I wonder if this same distinction is being drawn fo eParcel operations?

[marwi_3023]

Typical, rural residents on average earn the least but pay the most