2 fantastic (?) Australia Post events

[DJT (David)]

Originally Posted by Kunama

Some good news stories about AusPost:

I recently posted a couple of Tak TSA120s, one to Queensland, one to Northern NSW....
Price wise Australia post came to about half of the cost of Pack&Send's Depot2Depot... even with insurance of $5K, the AusPost cost was much less than any of the couriers.
One scope departed Canberra on Tuesday and arrived in perfect condition in Queensland in less that 48hrs. I thought this was excellent !!

The second TSA120 was posted in Canberra on Monday and arrived in Northern NSW this morning, again in less that 48hrs and in perfect condition..

A great result, saving each buyer about $150 in freight/insurance ....

I did however use up a couple of kilometres of bubble wrap, the only padding that actually absorbs impacts without transmitting them to the fragile contents...

I find if you pay for the insurance with auspost its got more chance of getting somewhere quickly (because no one likes a claim) and in one piece. Costs Tuppence and you get a better outcome in my experience.

Lewis. Don't let me eat my words...the package is due with you tomorrow!

[Russj (Russ)]

I recently sent 2 parcels to WA, both 4kgs each, AP quoted price was $116 no insurance, I ended up sending them with OfficeWorks Mailman, total price was $66 including $2000 insurance.

Over the recent months our AP parcel delivery lady has been pulling up walking up the driveway with the card already filled in fixing it to the flyscreen and taking off as quick as she could, leaving me to go to the PO to pickup the parcel myself.
After this happened several times I made an online complaint to AP, they got back to me several hours later wanting more details which I supplied, several hour later they emailed me to say the matter has been taken up with the local distribution manager, it will be interesting to see if the service improves.
I cant complain about the service on this occasion.

[Exfso (Peter)]

Last Saturday I ordered some supplements from a mob in the USA, Aust Post apparently have an agreement somehow to act as their postal relay. Amazingly the articles arrived today, not bad 5 days from the USA to here. Got notification this morning from AP that my gear is at the local PO. awaiting collection.

[The_bluester (Paul)]

Regards insurance, a workmate of mine many years ago spent a bit of time working in an Auspost parcel center. Nothing I have seen by way of the service has surprised me since.

What he had to say was of items marked fragile etc being literally thrown from person to person with all the rest of stuff, markings of "Photos, dont bend" being taken as a an affront to grammar, and a challenge to prove the statement wrong rather than as the request it should be etc, and insured/registered items being treated with absolute pantomime sarcastic care as if it were an insult that there might be repercussions for damaging something that would actually result in some form of investigation.

I ordered some race car bits on the weekend, all were sent Monday, some came via Auspost from Melbourne (I live an hour or so out of the CBD) which I am still waiting for, the bits from Queensland came via Toll at a very reasonable cost and arrived at lunchtime yesterday (Tuesday) I know they were not sent until late morning Monday at least as I was on the phone to the supplier sorting out a back order issue at 10:00.

[DJ N]

Lunchtime Tuesday I ordered (via the website) a #56 green filter from Astro-Anarchy in Brisbane ...... I am in Adelaide.....

Got home from work Wednesday evening and an Express Post bag sitting in the letter box .

I actually left a message on A-A phone just to thank them for what is simply an awesome service!! The fact is, they must have posted it minutes after I ordered it!!

[Paul Haese]

Adapter finally arrived today. Just over 3 weeks since dispatch in the US. The longest one yet. Mostly is takes 10 days from Precise Parts.

[Kunama]

One has to have a sense of humour when it comes to paying for USPS Priority International Mail services..... I bought an item from USA on 5/8, it was sent on 6/8 and arrived in US Customs on 8/8....... fast forward to 24/8 and US Customs have only just released it to continue its journey to Australia Just as USPS suspends all flights of mail that has to go via Hawaii due to hurricane warning...

It is a 2" tuBlug, maybe Customs couldn't work out what it was .....

[Marke (Mark)]

Originally Posted by Kunama

One has to have a sense of humour when it comes to paying for USPS Priority International Mail services..... I bought an item from USA on 5/8, it was sent on 6/8 and arrived in US Customs on 8/8....... fast forward to 24/8 and US Customs have only just released it to continue its journey to Australia Just as USPS suspends all flights of mail that has to go via Hawaii due to hurricane warning...

It is a 2" tuBlug, maybe Customs couldn't work out what it was .....

Same here I have an item coming USPS priority as well and it spent 2wks in US customs apparently. Then tracking shows arrived / departed Kingsford Smith a week ago and no updates since Im at just over 3wks now. In the mean time I got a focuser from the UK in 5days and package from China in 7days lol

[LewisM]

Had an item sent to my US on-forwarding company. US Customs have seized it, and claimed it is a restricted export item. I am not sure when a set of aluminium guidescope rings became a restricted export...must have thought they were guidescope rings for a laser guided bomb or something... SMH

Interestingly though, they said that the sender would not be returned the items either. I mean seriously, WTF USA?

[Kunama]

Originally Posted by Kunama

One has to have a sense of humour when it comes to paying for USPS Priority International Mail services..... I bought an item from USA on 5/8, it was sent on 6/8 and arrived in US Customs on 8/8....... fast forward to 24/8 and US Customs have only just released it to continue its journey to Australia Just as USPS suspends all flights of mail that has to go via Hawaii due to hurricane warning...

It is a 2" tuBlug, maybe Customs couldn't work out what it was .....

Hooray, an item posted from Los Angeles 20 days ago is still in Los Angeles but at least now it is at their international distribution centre.... I might have it for Christmas yet....

[PS19.1 (Greg)]

Whats happening with items from vendors under the $75000 threshold are they getting hung up on arrival or is AP collecting GST? Reading the new law it's seems very unclear or are they only targeting the big vendors?