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Thread: A few thoughts about posting items you have sold or want to sell

  1. #1
    Join Date: Nov 2008

    Location: North Down /Northern Ireland/ UK

    Posts: 19,484
    I'm Neil.

    Default A few thoughts about posting items you have sold or want to sell

    Hi Guys

    Quite often I see items listed in 'Private Exhibitions' with words indicating that postage/carriage is included in the sale price. That is certainly a great aid to getting a sale but I would like to suggest you think that through first, as there are a number of factors you need to take into account.

    Firstly the Royal Mail should really be called Royal Fail, they lose lots of mail regularly so in my opinion you should only post by *Recorded Delivery or Special Delivery* these are the only methods whereby post can be tracked (if anyone knows differently then please say so)

    I would really however encourage you to factor in the cost of using *Special Delivery* as this is really the only Royal Mail service that still works well, it means next day delivery, tracking and insurance on the goods being sent + decent levels of compensation if the item is lost. However this is going to cost.......

    Secondly your generosity re paying the postage may well end up being greater than you originally thought; regardless of what service you use. Postage charges vary for parts of the UK (as weight and size are a factor) so sending to Scotland or Northern Ireland may cost a bit more than a few miles down the road, so take this into account. You can of course state UK mainland only or England only etc re your offer of paying postage on your listing but again I would urge you to think this through beforehand.

    Thirdly the bottom line here is if you post it in such away that the risk in the item getting lost is greater with no way of tracking or finding the item, then frankly this is a false economy. You may well end up having to refund the money on the item if you posted using Second or First class mail (no compensation there except cost of postage X8). If you post via a better service then at least no one losses out money wise.

    Fourthly make sure your item is packed to survive WW3 and addressed well using clear large type face i.e printed or using large, black ink, block capitals. I would also protect the address details with a protective film covering sellotape or such like. Also worthwhile putting a return address on the item and info relating to both addresses, the one being sent to and address being sent from inside the item, that way if the addresses are lost from the outside there is still address info inside.

    One other advantage of using a postal service were the item must be signed for, is you the sender then have proof the item was received. I guess this is really more for selling on Ebay than on AOS but I suppose better safe than sorry might be the order of the day here as well.

    This post is just by way of getting sellers to think things through a bit more before placing their ad in Private Exhibitions and nothing more than that and mostly applies to smaller items that can be sent via Royal Mail, most bigger items will be sent via a courier of some sort, I suspect, but much of the above will still apply to that as well.

    If anyone can think of any areas/info I may have left out then feel free to add that extra information to the thread.


    Regards D S D L
    Last edited by Spectral Morn; 23-02-2012 at 12:43.

  2. #2
    Join Date: Jan 2012

    Location: Manchester

    Posts: 480
    I'm graham.

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    I use www.parcel2go.co.uk and it is a relatively simple task to work out the postage beforehand.
    As an aside - I have discovered that if you advertise an item on eBay inclusive of postage at, let's say £7.50 it will sit there whilst the exact same item advertised a £6.00 plus £2.50 postage sells first. Nuts I know but that is our experience anyway.

  3. #3
    MartinT Guest

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    A second vote here for Parcel2Go, excellent service and creates all the paperwork for you.

  4. #4
    Join Date: Mar 2008

    Location: Galashiels

    Posts: 13,669
    I'm inthescottishmafia.

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    Thirded. Have used them many times.

  5. #5
    Join Date: Sep 2010

    Location: High Peak, Derbyshire

    Posts: 2,241
    I'm Keith.

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    I agree with most of the above except for the use of Recorded Delivery. All Recorded Delivery does is provides the seller with proof of delivery - there is no difference in the compensation for loss (which, incidentally is the lower of the postage paid plus the intrinsic value of the item OR 100 x 1st class stamps (=£46) provided a proof of posting (free) is obtained).

    The item isn't processed any differently to normal first or second class mail. Indeed, it may well be less convenient for the buyer for small items which will fit through the letterbox as somebody still needs to be in to sign for the item - or it gets taken back to the delivery office. In my opinion, the only time Recorded Delivery is of use is if the seller doesn't trust the buyer - not something that's likely to be an issue here?
    Keith
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  6. #6
    Join Date: Jan 2012

    Location: Manchester

    Posts: 480
    I'm graham.

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    Quote Originally Posted by keiths View Post
    the only time Recorded Delivery is of use is if the seller doesn't trust the buyer
    Not strictly true (I know I am mis-quoting you) It is also useful if your funds are being held back by Paypal until you have delivered the item. As soon as you put the recorded delivery number into ebay your funds are released.

    Another contestant for Parcel/Package delivery logistics is: http://www.myhermes1.co.uk
    BUT if you are a small business you really need to be talking to one of the big organisations and get your own account manager. You can also negotiate a very favourable rate and get issues resolved that much more quickly if it goes wrong.

  7. #7
    Join Date: May 2008

    Location: A Strangely Isolated Place in Suffolk with Far Away Trains Passing By...

    Posts: 14,535
    I'm David.

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    May I please give a HUGE shout to the people here who've sent me various "stuff" over time. The packing has been first class, the comms have been wonderful and the items always as described. Thanks fellas
    Tear down these walls; Cut the ties that held me
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  8. #8
    Join Date: Feb 2011

    Location: South Wales

    Posts: 7,487
    I'm the'greatunwashed'.

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    Hmmm, I feel I must post something in defence of Royal Mail (and I don't work for them!), as the service is not IMO as bad as portrayed. For all the years I have been using RM I can count on one hand the times they have failed me. In fact I can only think of two times and these were Tesco DVD rentals that never arrived back at Tesco, or so Tesco say? I am an eBay trader with over 500 successful sales, most of which were sent via normal mail. The compensation described in your third point is not quite correct either;

    Compensation available for lost items
    1st Class

    For stamped and metered items a postage refund plus compensation on the basis of actual loss, where evidence of posting and evidence of value can be provided. This compensation is subject to the maximum payable being the lower of the market value of the item and statutory maximum of 100 x 1st Class stamps at the first weight step.

    Postage refund (a minimum payment of 6 x 1st Class letter stamps at the first weight step) shall be payable where only basic evidence is provided or the item is of no intrinsic value.

    For items posted before 9th January 2012 claims must be submitted within 12 months of posting. Claims for items posted on or after 9th January 2012 must be made within 80 calendar days of posting.
    That puts maximum compensation at a basic level at £46.00, provided you can validate your claim, dropping it into a mailbox alone is not a good idea. I always obtain a proof of posting and if the value is more than around 30.00 it goes recorded, but as pointed out the way recorded mail is routed and handled is no different to regular mail. I am however fastidious about addressing, with large clearly legible labels and I photograph the packet too. Looking at some of the parcels I get from eBay and the scrawls written on the packets, it's no wonder that some don't arrive - is this the carriers fault? I guess a lot can depend on where you live too and the staff at your local depot.

    All the other advice is sound and makes sense, I also like Parcel2Go but do choose the carrier wisely as cheapest if often not worth it, especially if you have to wait in all day and the courier does not turn up (CityLink on two separate occasions).

    I may have been lucky, but I think Royal Fail is a bit harsh.
    "People will hear what you tell them to hear" - Thomas Edison

  9. #9
    Join Date: Jan 2012

    Location: Glasgow, UK

    Posts: 2,076
    I'm Tony.

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    I've started using parcel monkey, they're about a third cheaper for the same service from other couriers.

    E.G, £5.99 plus vat for next day city link with a 7kg parcel from Glasgow to Durham. There's some free insurance but upgrading to £50 costs £0.14

    They are easy to use and so far so good.

    Think if you up-grade your account with them then you get parcelforce deals really cheap, I've no idea how much the upgrade is though as I've only subbed to the free service. The Parcelforce price for the same service above was £11 plus vat however with the upgrade it was down to about £7.50 plus vat.

    Tony

  10. #10
    Join Date: May 2011

    Location: Preston, UK

    Posts: 851
    I'm Dominic.

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    I have found out recently that all the other parcel companies will only insure parcels up to £500.00. However, royalfail will insure up to any amount, but they charge you through the nose. This is in particular to parcels being posted abroad. Sadly, royalfail have the monoply on the insurance. I have tried every parcel company to try and get some of the expensive Koetsus that are going abroad insured for there value, but none of the other companies will do that. Royalfail, are well aware of this fact, and you end paying well over the odds, an example insuranced item to be sent to Newzealnd valued at £2500.00 insurance price £133.00. Greedy B******s. Sorry for the bad language.

    Natalie

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