Does Australia Post Enforce Satchel Weights?

SaberX on 26/08/2015 - 00:18
Last edited 26/08/2015 - 18:18 by 1 other user

Hi all,

Looking at mailing a book im selling to an interstate buyer. It's exactly/just above 500 g, maybe 600 g max with bubblewrap etc. Its only 26 x 16 x 3.5 cm max so well within a small satchel parcel ($8.40).

Does aus post weigh or check your parcels? If i mail it by mailbox will they weigh it at the centre and reject it possibly??

Or if i send through a post shop front will they authorise it there and then, and if so provided i sneak it by them (the weight) once i get it approved will they reassess weight once it gets sent at the shop to see if im over 500g??

Or provided im within the dimensions of the satchel do they not usually reject your parcel?

The next parcels a medium satchel which is 13.50…. It holds up to 3kg but thats way overkill and i dont blame the buyer not wanting to buy it otherwise (book itself if just over $10)

The small parcel satchel is the same as

https://shop.auspost.com.au/product/parcel-post-small-500g-s…

Would appreciate any feedback. Or any tips on sneaking this one through…

General Discussion

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Comments

  • adventurer96 on 26/08/2015 - 00:40
    +1

    Yes, they often do, so no point taking the risk. Usually the receiver will be asked to pay the extra postage, so you can ask your buyer if he is willing to take the risk.
    If it is a book slim enough (about 4/5 cm I think) and can fit an A4 size envelope, it can go as letter and it will be very much cheaper than $8. You can buy a Tough Bag (envelope from the post office).
    I think Officeworks have a delivery parcel post which is slightly cheaper than Auspost.

    • mskeggs on 26/08/2015 - 08:04

      20mm including envelope is the limit thickness for a letter.

      • SaberX on 26/08/2015 - 12:24

        It's about under 3mm thickness. Mskeggs says it can't go as a satchel? If tough bag box can it go as a parcel? If so postage would probably be the same as the 8.45 to post by the prepaid satchel?

    • nocure on 26/08/2015 - 09:23

      Usually the receiver will be asked to pay the extra postage,

      Australia post will not ask the receiver to pay any money…the cost will be adjusted and a bill sent to the sender.

      @OP.Just use your own packaging, put $7.45 worth of stamps on it and throw it in a red box it will be fine.

      • SaberX on 26/08/2015 - 12:22

        The lady at the shop said if i took the chance and sent it via the post box they would charge the sender, but if there were no return to sender details they would charge the buyer?

        Are you sure? I was going to be sneaky and send it without a return sender so the item still gets there and the buyer wears the risk if they send an adjustment penalty…

        • nocure on 26/08/2015 - 12:33
          +1

          Are you sure?

          It's worth a try ..the worst that can happen is you get a bill for the correct postage. I do it all the time.

          send it without a return sender

          Why would you send anything without a sender address on the back?

          and the buyer wears the risk

          the last thing you want is the buyer getting pinged for more postage…instant negative feedback.

        • SaberX on 30/08/2015 - 16:48
          +1

          @nocure:

          Im selling privately, was via Facebook. No ebay rep at stake.

          No sender address was so i didnt get pinged for additional fees given they wanted to send by the smaller parcel and not pay for larger.

          Only issue is if its not by registered mail i may be in trouble if they take the book and lodge a paypal dispute. I did ask for their acknowledgement of sending by post box. And the risk of this not being registered sign on delivery mail but they insisted it was ok. So surely that'd be proof enough in itself.

  • amkssg on 26/08/2015 - 01:06

    Your post shop will usually weight it (if they are not being lazy). Auspost policy is to return it to the place of lodgement (post shop), but I am not sure how strict they are with it.

  • umoddbro on 26/08/2015 - 01:35

    It's hard to tell with Auspost.. If you lodge it over the counter, sometimes they will weigh it and other times they'll just dump it in the box. The thing is if they weigh it and you're over by even a gram they'll charge you for it. I find that if you post it in the street boxes, you'll generally be fine if you're over by less than 50gm. 100gm is a bit of a risk…. Have you tried click and send? I find that it's cheaper than the prepaid satchels.

    • grimace3 on 26/08/2015 - 02:20

      I've had a express post 500gram satchel weigh 565grams and they didn't make me pay more, they just reminded me that its meant to be 500grams or less :)

      • Geewhizz on 26/08/2015 - 06:34

        And I've had one that weighed 503g and they wanted to charge me more. Fortunately I had cardboard inside for padding so I simply peeled a bit off.

        If you get 'done' for it, they will not only make you pay the extra postage, but an 'underpaid tax' which was about 42 or $3 last time I came accross it.

        • sparkles on 26/08/2015 - 09:57

          I got charged extra for 2 gram over, and sometimes never charged for 10 gram over. It simply depends on who you get at the counter. Those "chargers" must have bad karma, that's all I can say.

  • Sage on 26/08/2015 - 01:37

    from my experience Aus Post will rip you off given the chance.
    you can get print off labels that you pay for online and tape to the box. I don't think they check if the weight matches what it says on the label since it's already been paid for. there may be a convenience fee of some sorts for that though.

    • mskeggs on 26/08/2015 - 08:07
      +2

      Yeah, how dare that organisation owned by all of us enforce their rules clearly stated on the satchel. What a rip off.

      I have received a satchel that was overweight and I had to collect it from the post office. It was stamped with a note to pay excess postage but our local post master waived it.

      • SaberX on 26/08/2015 - 12:48

        Was their a return to sender on the back??? Judt wondering if they went to charge you for the excess as the buyer as the return to sender details were omitted? As I'm thinking of doing something similar and omitting mine so the buyers at risk of any excess charge.

        • mskeggs on 26/08/2015 - 13:17

          Sorry, I can't remember. It was a parcel from an ebay seller.

        • SaberX on 30/08/2015 - 16:48

          @mskeggs:

          Did you ask for money back from seller?

  • idjces on 26/08/2015 - 03:47
    +1

    Try the officeworks mailman service instead? I've used them for my last few postal needs, much better value

    You can pay with a coles group gift card too, incase you managed to get one at a discount

    • SaberX on 26/08/2015 - 12:46

      Officeworks does parcel deliveries? Will it have tracking etc ?

      • idjces on 26/08/2015 - 15:32

        Yes, they have tracking, signature on delivery is optional, insurance is extra

        http://www.officeworks.com.au/mailman/mailman-selector

        • SaberX on 30/08/2015 - 16:49

          Ahhh interesting, wonder how paypals policy.on dispute resolutions as to whether officeworks.mail if tracked is proof, or like aus post you must have signature on delivery activated or they'll rule in buyers favour?

        • amkssg on 02/09/2015 - 23:34

          @SaberX: Officeworks Mailman service uses Fastway Courier.
          And signature on delivery is Free. Fastway courier is listed on the ebay tracking system, so I don't see a problem.

  • cd93 on 26/08/2015 - 09:14

    Also speaking from experience. I posted an 800g item in a 500g bag. Took a risk and dropped it in the street book, and buyer didn't get stung.

    • SaberX on 26/08/2015 - 12:25

      Did you leave your return to sender details off the bag?? Wondering if the post office lady is correct in that they'll only charge the receiver if no send to details are available?

      • cd93 on 26/08/2015 - 16:40

        I put them on the bag. Seller said nothing.
        Wondering if the post office lady is correct in that they'll only charge the receiver if no send to details are available? Not entirely sure, best to find someone who works at AP.

        • SaberX on 30/08/2015 - 16:50

          I figured they'd be more likely to charge sender than receiver in these instances so i took my chances and left my sender details off…

  • SaberX on 26/08/2015 - 12:46

    I went to the po today. Weighed in at 540 g so they would only recommend the medium satchel bag which is way more expensive. Perhapa if i bought the bag and sealed it and brought it to the counter they wouldnt weigh it or they'd accept it??

    They said i could try sending it by post box subject to whether the audit protection team picks it up. If so they'll charge you and an admin fee. Supposedly if sender details are on you cop it, if not then the buyer.

    Can anyone confirm this? Im happy to leave sender details off so only the buyer cops it (they've confirmed to try our luck by post box and aware of weight over) but my worry is if they dont charge the sender am i at risk of them not sending it altogether and because there's no return to sender the book gets lost in limbo???

    If anyones tried this before can you let me know, thinking of trying at lunch haha

    • Randxyz123 on 26/08/2015 - 13:19

      Perhapa if i bought the bag and sealed it and brought it to the counter they wouldnt weigh it or they'd accept it??

      DO NOT DO THIS. They will charge you an admin fee.

      They will weigh it at the counter and if you've sealed it they will still charge you for the bag.

      I recommended the padded bags especially for books and then do regular shipping. Cheaper than the medium satchel.

      Speaking as a experienced eBay seller.

      • SaberX on 26/08/2015 - 14:30

        Whats this padded bag? The lady said the medium satchel was next cheapest best.option after i was overweight the 500g small satchel… Surely the postage must be cheaper than vs the padded bag??

        Nah i thought if they dont weigh it at the counter or if they do and i dont get past perhaps i can say dont worry about it, pay for the small satchel but just go outside and try my luck posting it throuugh the post box?

        • Randxyz123 on 26/08/2015 - 14:59

          Padded bags are exactly what the name says I'll try and find a photo but to send something that was 0.525kg recently cost me $11.40.

          That is $1.35 for the bag and $10.05 for the postage.

          this

          It also provides more protection for the book.

          That is personally what I'd do.

        • SaberX on 30/08/2015 - 16:52

          @knick007:
          Found the padded bag on that day but they have to go as a parcel and at over 500 g it costs 15 dollars something hence why even buying the next satchel up would have been cheaper at 13.40.

          Took my chances and sent the book in satchel over weight the 500 g until the post box. Hopefully ok

        • Randxyz123 on 30/08/2015 - 18:00

          @SaberX: my book was over 500g as well. It was considered a parcel but it wasn't $15

    • momov3 on 26/08/2015 - 13:22

      540 gm is quite over the 500 gm limit. Personally I wouldn't do it as it would strike my conscience. However if you can get it through the red box, it's still unlikely it will be audited as there is a shortage of workers and can you imagine the millions of large letters that have to be quickly sorted and sent out to the destinations everyday, I doubt it so you can take your chance. I have only ever done it when it inside the 10 gm limit but never over.Since you wrongly quoted the postage price to buyer, how can you imagine it's correct to let buyer cop extra price (it will include an administrative fine) when buyer bought item in good faith knowing about the postage cost? I know that is a no no with eBay if it was an EBay sale. Buyer can report you. How about telling buyer first what you are about to do, and ask if he/she willing to cop the postage extra should it be audited (which is not likely to happen if it went through the red box) Most buyers are reasonable and will agree.

      • SaberX on 26/08/2015 - 14:32

        I already spoke to the buyer. This was through Facebook paid with paypal. I mentioned all of last night it was likely it wouldnt get accepted and they were too cheap to pay the extra few dollars for a medium. Now he's said take the risk and just try the postbox (it was his idea that he's done it before and theyve let him through.

        So no it wassnt that i had a preset delivery price…

    • swiggity swag on 26/08/2015 - 13:32
      +3

      Here's an idea: Why don't you just pay the appropriate amount of postage to post the item instead of trying to cheat the system.

      • momov3 on 26/08/2015 - 13:42

        Still befuddles me how any CEO (Ahmad Fahour of Australia Post) can keep his job whilst announcing a $1.5 billion loss over 5 years and 2015 loss of $500m. Suffice to say OP's not paying a few $ more for a larger satchel will not fix the problem.

      • Randxyz123 on 26/08/2015 - 13:45
        +1

        +1.

        Sometimes people's level of cheapness absolutely annoys the crap out of me.

        It is NOT fair on the buyer to make them pay

        • SaberX on 26/08/2015 - 14:34

          I made it clear it seemed over the 500g and they didnt want to chuck in the extra few dollars for the medium… I cant chuck it in because its a 10 dollar or so book with 8.40 of postage already. If they wont pay 13.40 and i pay the difference i might as well not sell it.

          Keep in mind id been weighing it and mentioning the potential need for a medium satchel over small for some time

  • bohn on 26/08/2015 - 14:14

    I had to pay $5.75 recently to receive a 500g express post satchel (usually they try and bill the sender but there was no sender info on it).
    It was 35g overweight.

  • justinh93 on 27/08/2015 - 14:57

    I think you should have just sent it in the small bags. I have gotten away with sending 1.1k in a 500g satchel quite regularly, however I guess it is a bit hit and miss, but given the value of your product, I would have even tried using a padded envelope and paying $3.5.

    • SaberX on 30/08/2015 - 16:54

      3.50 in postage or you mean for the padded bag? I sent the small satchel in the post box in the end. Haha nowhere near your overweight. Have you ever received a notice to pay extra?? Or did they ping your buyer?

      I left my sender details off incase of that but my preference would to have it on incase they need to return the package

  • whooah1979 on 30/08/2015 - 18:13

    Hi Lomandrial,

    Wp not giving you the answers like?
    https://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=2443741

  • Ralovesonlineshoppin on 23/05/2017 - 19:43
    -1

    I can honestly say that I have crammed at least 2-3kgs into a 500gm satchel on countless occasions and never had a problem. I always use the red box and print my own label. I have just began using a big yellow envelope and putting about 4 x 70cent stamps on it to send things like pairs of jeans and other clothing. I ziplock bag the item and put into the envelope and then use a second envelope to strengthen the package. I write the details on the envelope complete with sender address and the cover everything but the stamps with clear contact to make sure it doesn't tear open. $2.80 is better than paying $7.60+ I have received lots of parcels from other people who just put $1 or $2 worth of stamps on so I thought why not give it a shot. Australia post is privatised and we pay more than most other countries for our postage. They make plenty of money out of me as it is.

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