What's going on with Australia post? This is my vent!

[musicyouneed]

I have had nothing but problems with sending CD's to Australia and I just had another buyer contact me tonight asking where her CD is.  They were all sent light packet from Canada. 

I sent:
CD sent November 14/16 received by buyer in Australia Jan 9/17
CD sent November 21/16 received by buyer in Australia Jan 9/17
CD sent November 21/16 not yet received buyer said he is just starting to receive CD's he purchased around the same time as mine so he wants to give it a few more weeks.

CD sent Dec 5/16 not received, buyer contacted me tonight.

I asked the buyer to wait a little longer and gave her the above dates.   Buy they definitely don't make ebay's estimated delivery dates. 

I have since blocked Australia.

The Australian buyers have been excellent, so nice and patient.  It is too bad that their mail system is such a mess. 

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-12-22/australia-post-christmas-parcel-delivery-failures/8140130

http://www.productreview.com.au/p/australia-post.html

[recped]

It's been slow to a lot of countries since early November. Happen every year but this year has been particularly slow for me to a number of countries especially the ones which are normally slow.

.

[snoopwiz]

The only countries that I have been experiencing slower than usual delivery to are the ones in which my packages have been arriving later than they may usually do . Otherwise, absolutely peachy-keen. No, really.

[zee-chan]

I don't have recent sales to Australia but below is my own buying experience. Normally, I receive my SAL packages in 8-21 days but it has been reeeeeeeeally slow from Japan.

Shipped mid-October, arrived on the second week of December, SAL no tracking.

Shipped late-October, arrived TODAY, SAL no tracking.

Shipped mid-November (SAL, no tracking) and early-December (SAL with tracking), arrived together this Monday.

I had two other parcels shipped early-October and they arrived in 2-3 weeks like usual. Then since the mid-October parcel didn't arrive in 3 weeks like usual I started added tracking to my purchases (~$5 CAD). I would also like to note that I have one purchase from HK shipped air in December and that arrived in 3 weeks. Not sure what's going with shipments from Japan, but I'm glad that nothing is missing. None of the parcels showed signs of being inspected by customs either (no yellow tape), as that used to be the reason why my shipment would take longer than 3 weeks.

Judging from feedbacks received from buyers, November sales (letter post, light packet, small packet air, tracked packet) have been taking anywhere from 6 days to 3 weeks to Europe. That seemed pretty normal. My USA sales takes anywhere from 8 days to 3 weeks (all within estimated delivery dates), with the exception of one letter that took 5 weeks so I got one late defect from it...

[38e_avenue]

I blocked Australia a while ago. 1% business = 90% late delivery complaints. Not anymore!

[musicyouneed]

Well finally another CD arrived.  The were all sent airmail light packet from Vancouver Canada. 

I sent:
CD sent November 14/16 received by buyer in Australia Jan 9/17
CD sent November 21/16 received by buyer in Australia Jan 9/17
CD sent November 21/16 not yet received buyer said he is just starting to receive CD's he purchased around the same time as mine so he wants to give it a few more weeks.  Buyer contacted me today and let me know it arrived.  CD arrived January 18/17, that is 2 months it took to get there.   

Last one - One more CD sent to Australia Dec 5 has not yet arrived at this rate it will be March 2017 before she gets it.  I'll post when she gets it.  

Australia has been blocked so hopefully I won't have this issue again.   Australia definitely has to straighten out this postal mess. 

And ebay needs to look at expected delivery to Australia and put it as 2 months not 2 1/2 weeks.  

[vintagenorth]

Pretty soon we won't be able to mail anywhere! I too have had to block Australia and I usually get lots of sales from there. I will probably unblock soon and give them another chance. I've also noticed shipments to the US West coast are very slow lately. Everything seems to be taking longer lately.

[ypdc_dennis]

A different data point (for Canada to Australia):

Sold a dvd Dec 23, mailed Dec 28, feedback yesterday (Jan 17)

Exit point would have been Toronto Pearson International

Untracked Canada Post service.

So, it took 12 or 13 business days to arrive (January 16 or 17, pesky world date lines).

eBay estimate: January 5 to January 16 (Xmas and New Years holidays did not exist for eBay)

Based on 2016 data I was expecting it to take 15-18 business days or January 19 to January 24.

-..-

[musicyouneed]

I'd be happy with 12 or 13 days, it is the 2 months that it actually took that worries me.  We are not talking about 1 parcel but 4, of which 3 have arrived well past the date they were supposed to .  Even the ones that were sent on Nov 21, different places in Australia, one arrived the 9th and the other the 18th.  I have no explanation as to why my items are taking so long. 

[Anonymous]

I used to sell items to Australia and get the same thing "Where is my item?".  More than 2 years ago I switched from cheaper mail service with NO tracking number to mail service with tracking number.

Yesterday and today I sold 3 items to Australia and have shipped them with tracking number.  These buyers didn't mind paying the Tracked Packet which is hefty.  Too bad that Canada Post doesn't offer tracking number on any mail service even small packet air like USPS does!!  I even have contacted Canada Post asking them why not offer tracking number on any mail service and I am not giving up.

[a52split]

Are you putting the blue "Air Mail Par avion" stickers on your packages?  Maybe they're getting diverted into the surface mail bin?

I checked my records.  Last year I sold 12 items to Aus.  No complaints or reports of slow shipping from anyone.  Those that reported shipping times said 13 days and 15 days.

[musicyouneed]

Yes, blue stickers Air Mail on both front and back.  Up until about September never had a problem with Australia.  Had lots of repeat buyers from there and it averaged about a 3 week delivery.  Starting with my November shipments to Australia that it has been a nightmare.  

I have never met a bunch of nicer buyers so willing to wait, they are almost nicer than Canadians.  They are really really nice.  I wish I could post their emails just to show you.

These were 2 feedbacks that were left for me where it took 2 months for delivery:

AAA+++ Absolutely Awesome!Great E Bayer,Bid with confidence.

Lovely transaction with a very communicative seller. Recommended!

Can you imagine they left me with great feedback and did not report late shipments. 

[ricarmic]

A couple thoughts, did you have the ebay invoice/description in with the item? They may be being stalled in customs if they're thinking they're pirated or something?

I have had an Australian buyer tell me that their item was delayed because it was deemed as being "suspicious", but that was a couple years ago...

My Australian shipments seem to be normal (so far), touching wood when I say that!!!

[a52split]

At the postal outlet today, I asked the girl if she has heard of slow shipping to Aus lately.  She hadn't heard anything through CP, but said she sent a her own package in late Nov by air mail, and it took 2 months.  Her conclusion was that even though she put the blue air mail stickers on it, it must have gone into the surface mail bin at the sorting office in Richmond.

[musicyouneed]

I could see that happening every so often but not with 4 different parcels on 3 different days.  If you look at the links I posted Australians are very upset with their postal system right now.  It is broken.

[jt-libra]

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@musicyouneed wrote:

Well finally another CD arrived.  The were all sent airmail light packet from Vancouver Canada. 

I sent:
CD sent November 14/16 received by buyer in Australia Jan 9/17
CD sent November 21/16 received by buyer in Australia Jan 9/17
CD sent November 21/16 not yet received buyer said he is just starting to receive CD's he purchased around the same time as mine so he wants to give it a few more weeks.  Buyer contacted me today and let me know it arrived.  CD arrived January 18/17, that is 2 months it took to get there.   

Last one - One more CD sent to Australia Dec 5 has not yet arrived at this rate it will be March 2017 before she gets it.  I'll post when she gets it.  

Australia has been blocked so hopefully I won't have this issue again.   Australia definitely has to straighten out this postal mess. 

And ebay needs to look at expected delivery to Australia and put it as 2 months not 2 1/2 weeks.  

---

I'm surprised, actually, that your buyers were willing to wait this long.  I would have sent refunds long ago.  If an item does not arrive a week after the estimated date, I refund.  I can't be bothered with the e-mails back and forth discussing a low-cost item which, in most cases, is simply delayed in transit -- not lost.  I accept the fact that the buyers are getting both the item and the money, since the items have never been returned to me.  But I have fewer headaches this way.

[pocomocomputing]

I sold a few items to Australia sent by Light Packet and sometimes Small Packet . This was 1+ years ago (not selling for the past year). It was quick, 1-2 weeks. 

One time I had a buyer from Australia complain about not receiving their Light Packet after 3 weeks. I asked them to wait another week or so because most likely it went surface instead of air. They had no issue waiting and it arrived the next week.

This was before estimated delivery dates were in listings and when international buyers were reasonable. Now with the estimated dates in a listing for many international buyers, more buyers seem to have less patience.

[musicyouneed]

Hi Jt, all of the buyers were super nice and it was them that suggested that they wait a few more weeks as they are aware that there mail system is a mess right now.    I initiated the first contact with them after 4 weeks when I saw that they hadn't received their items.  The last one I hadn't yet made contact when she contacted me.  

As I said in a previous post these buyers are extra special.  I don't mind keeping in touch with them, in fact I enjoy it.  They are assured that I am on top of it and that when they say they have waited long enough, I will definitely refund. 

So sad that I am not shipping to Australian buyers anymore they are the best. 

[jt-libra]

---

@musicyouneed wrote:

Hi Jt, all of the buyers were super nice and it was them that suggested that they wait a few more weeks as they are aware that there mail system is a mess right now.    I initiated the first contact with them after 4 weeks when I saw that they hadn't received their items.  The last one I hadn't yet made contact when she contacted me.  

As I said in a previous post these buyers are extra special.  I don't mind keeping in touch with them, in fact I enjoy it.  They are assured that I am on top of it and that when they say they have waited long enough, I will definitely refund. 

So sad that I am not shipping to Australian buyers anymore they are the best. 

---

You're very lucky.  I only shipped to Australia for a short time when I first started selling.  When I began to get "where is my item" e-mails, I quickly stopped.

[maximus7001]

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@musicyouneed wrote:

I have had nothing but problems with sending CD's to Australia and I just had another buyer contact me tonight asking where her CD is.  They were all sent light packet from Canada. 

I sent:
CD sent November 14/16 received by buyer in Australia Jan 9/17
CD sent November 21/16 received by buyer in Australia Jan 9/17
CD sent November 21/16 not yet received buyer said he is just starting to receive CD's he purchased around the same time as mine so he wants to give it a few more weeks.

CD sent Dec 5/16 not received, buyer contacted me tonight.

I asked the buyer to wait a little longer and gave her the above dates.   Buy they definitely don't make ebay's estimated delivery dates. 

I have since blocked Australia.

The Australian buyers have been excellent, so nice and patient.  It is too bad that their mail system is such a mess. 

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-12-22/australia-post-christmas-parcel-delivery-failures/8140130

http://www.productreview.com.au/p/australia-post.html

---

You are doing it wrong. Light packet has a customs # goes through customs and costs almost $9 to ship one cd with no insurance or tracking. Lettermail costs $5.90 in stamps, half that if you use discount postage stamps like we do and bypass customs. We ship cd's and cassettes to Australia and more remote places almost every day by lettermail. We are getting  delivery times of 5 to 14 days to Australia by lettermail, even over christmas.

Are you putting airmail stickers on both sides? If not half the time a light packet can end up on a boat. Lettermail is all by air. We put airmail stickers on everything going out of Canada. It is redundant for USA singe there is no ground services at all to USA but we feel it can make those buyers feel special.