prepaid postage solutions

[chezzy]

Hi guys

It has been many weeks since I have shipped an ebay item (much of this to do with my local PO's attitude,

but that is another story).

I want to prepare myself for selling/shipping again, whether that be ebay or elsewhere.

Ideally I would like to keep my PO time to an absolute mininum so don't want to have to do any/much

fiddling, packing or paperwork IN the Post Office.

My options?

Ebay labels or Click and Send.....

Prepaid Parcel satchels? How does one get on with the red (normal) or yellow (express) satchels

if they need to add extra cover or signature? Can any of these services be pre purchased eg people

used to buy rolls of Registered Post stickers....

If I can add extra cover etc to normal parcel post satchels (or even own packaging) but have to do it AT the Post Office, is it an

easy process or does it require filling out paperwork at the counter?

Thanks...

[digital*ghost]

You can use flat rate satchels with C&S, the red and white ones rather than the eBay branded ones (the eBay Aus Post shop has them). They cost the same all up as pre-paid satchels (unless you qualify for Business 250, which gives a bit of a discount on postage prices if you send at least 250 parcels a year), and you pay for the postage as you go rather than up front as with pre-paid satchels, plus you get proof of postage and can add signature on delivery and/or insurance. 

For under 500gm, own packaging may work out to be more cost effective than the satchels if you don't qualify for Business 250, but 3kg and 5kg is probably better than assessed postage, if the items fit etc. 

You can choose express post with own packaging via C&S - I'm not 100% sure about the red and white satchels, as I haven't used those as yet, but it seems like you can, judging by the info in the item description (171316454773).

You'd still need to lodge over the counter to ensure proof of postage, though. 

[chezzy]

The lodging over the counter is ok, I'd just prefer to have everything (or most things) done at home.

So am looking at what things I may have to buy up on to have at home to streamline the process.

If it was low value items I'd risk it with normal parcel post and letters but the items I am looking to

list start at about $20 in value, some $50+

Anyone else experienced with lodging/paying for registered/extra/cover/signature over the counter?

Are there forms to fill out, what is the procedure? Thanks!

[digital*ghost]

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@chezzy wrote:

Anyone else experienced with lodging/paying for registered/extra/cover/signature over the counter?

Are there forms to fill out, what is the procedure? Thanks!

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I buy pre-paid registered labels (for letters), just under $170 for a box of 50, from memory. You need to fill out a lodgement form, so can either ask for some at the PO, or print them out from a PDF available online via Aus Post (3 to an A4 page - I prefer AP's lodgement forms, as it saves me paper / ink, and the print is more stable).

If you use pre-paid satchels and add SOD, the PO doesn't give you any paperwork (well, they didn't last time I did that, and I asked for it). 

[chezzy]

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@digital*ghost wrote:

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@chezzy wrote:

Anyone else experienced with lodging/paying for registered/extra/cover/signature over the counter?

Are there forms to fill out, what is the procedure? Thanks!

---

I buy pre-paid registered labels (for letters), just under $170 for a box of 50, from memory.

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Will using a registered label for letters at $3.40 ea give you up to $100 of cover automatically?

With parcels I think 'extra cover' is around $1.50 per $100 or part thereof? (hazy on if you have to purchase SOD to have the option of extra cover or whether extra cover can be standalone?)

[digital*ghost]

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@chezzy wrote:

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Will using a registered label for letters at $3.40 ea give you up to $100 of cover automatically?

With parcels I think 'extra cover' is around $1.50 per $100 or part thereof? (hazy on if you have to purchase SOD to have the option of extra cover or whether extra cover can be standalone?)

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Yes, a registered label includes $100 of cover, then you have to pay $1.50 per extra hundred.

You used to have to buy SOD to get extra cover, but these days you can purchase up to $300 cover on parcels without it. 

[chezzy]

Thanks DG for your responses. I think I am going to have to visit a friendly PO and see for myself what goes on

and then decide the best way forward, as to whether I buy up on prepaid satchels (I want to focus on selling

items that will fit into the 500g and 3kg satchels for starters, am even stocking up on boxes that fit inside

the satchels for some more protection).....or go the online postage purchase route.

[englishrosegardens]

It's a while since I've used c&s so I won't comment on that.

When I post ebay satchels I print the label at home and pay for it through ebay.  I can add extra cover and it's all charged by ebay.  All I do is lodge it over the counter and they print a receipt for me, with $0 on it and the tracking number.

If I send a registered letter I fill out the form at home and they just stamp it when I pay and get my normal receipt.  They give me several sheets of their lodgement receipt forms for reg'd post so I don't have to ask very often.

I've often sent parcels with extra cover but no signature - that's been covered by digital_ghost.

If I send a normal satchel or parcel and I want extra cover, I fill out the lodgement receipt form (same as for reg'd post but I tick different bits) and put the amount of cover I want on it, then I just hand it to the PO with the parcel and they know how much to charge me for it.  I never fill out anything at the PO.  It's all done at home beforehand.

Extra cover these days isn't really extra on parcels because I get charged for the first $100 as well as each $100 over that.  Reg'd post on letters is different and the first $100 is covered by the reg'd fee.

You can buy prepaid registered envelopes but I think they only come in one size.  They're very good value if you send letter items that need to be registered.  I'm told you can add a reg'd post sticker to ordinary prepaid envelopes too, and I think I may have done this once.

I've been told you can use the rego stickers on parcels to pay for SOD and I think I've done it once or twice, but it would have been over a year ago.  Sometimes it's not cost effective to do that but it depends what you paid for your stickers and what the charge for SOD is at the time, but it would save you having to pay for SOD at the PO.

[chezzy]

Thankyou - this is all really helpful information! If I have a chance tomorrow morning I will pop into a Post Office

and check the various items for myself. As for the 'lodgement form', do they still use an A4 (?) size form that is

in triplicate (?)  I have used 'ebay labels' a couple times and found it quite easy and not the paperwork to worry

about. I just have to do a comparison of costs, convenience etc!

[dylan11235813]

If you have heaps to send that is registered the post office has an A4 size sheet that can list and verify heaps of lodgments, different to the little red slips they give out in sheets. I only know this because my post office ran out of the normal ones and filled out an A4 size sheet that could hold about 40 different records, I can't find it but it holds a lot, I don't think it was specifically for registered post either.