It’s hardly a new option, but I’ve got to give the thumbs up to Australia Post’s Express Post Platinum, which got me out of a document delivery jam yesterday when a rather more expensive courier company simply failed to show up to pick up some visa-related material. For just $12.20, I sent the document at the nearest post office in Adelaide, and the online tracker let me keep tabs on it until it got to its destination this morning in Sydney. While it’s almost a cliché to diss the PO for its poor service, in this instance it managed the rare combination of cheaper and better.
Alan
July 30, 2008 at 2:44 PM
post office is actually a better (and cheaper) alternative than courier; i tried to send something overseas, and the courier rate is around 100 for some documents, so i bought a express courier international and it arrived the 2nd day after (with signature)
Report Permalinkmarshall
July 30, 2008 at 4:44 PM
I work in freight, and the problem with Auspost is that when they lose the item (and they have a Delivered In Full On Time rate of around 92%) there is no chance of finding it and no recompense. Most air couriers in Australia run in excess of 99% DIFOT.
Auspost is ok for infrequent, low value sendings as long as you don’t mind walking to the post office.
Report PermalinkDoone
July 30, 2008 at 5:35 PM
I ran a chilli themed e-commerce business for 7 years. One parcel was lost in that time and we stongly suspected the large company it was posted to rather than Auspost. And that was using bog standard prepaid satchels.
Report PermalinkI had worked for a well known courier company and knew how much stuff was stolen by our staff so was never going to go the private courier route.
Movendi
July 30, 2008 at 9:53 PM
What about for bulky items such as music keyboards?
Report PermalinkTim
July 30, 2008 at 10:06 PM
So the post office will do pick-ups from my office for Platinum ???
If not, then it’s not really the same as a courier such as TNT, UPS, FedEX is it. What business these days has time or people available to wander down and stand in line at the post office ?
I’m not saying the service is not excellent and the price is VERY good for a trackable service with signature POD.
Report PermalinkGary
July 31, 2008 at 3:02 PM
While I’m glad Aust Post workded for you, Lesson number 3,485 that i learned when i started working for myself 2 years ago was not to use Aust Post for any important item.
Report PermalinkI sent a tender doc by express post 9 days before it was due to close (admittedly i am in a country town, but the PO said it would take 2 days max!). The tender arrived 2 days after the tender closed (11 days). The PO were very appologetic and stated that they never guarantee express post deliveries (then why did i pay an additional premium???)and offered to send my next express post item for free. I later found out i would have won the tender if it had arrived before the due date (govts are very strict on tender protocols). The $8 expense was not worth the $90,000 project lost. I now use couriers, or lately have taken to driving the 400 kms to perth and hand delivering tenders( a days lost earnings are worth it!)
Cheers.
komandoe
July 31, 2008 at 8:03 PM
nice blattant advertising for the company….
Report PermalinkJeremy
August 21, 2008 at 10:18 AM
Australia Post Express Post Platinum use Australian Air Express for their delivery, but this service is cheaper than going direct with Australian Air Express. My scholarship documents arrived a day before the closing deadline too and I has the security of being able to track the whole journey online. Well worth the $12.20 for a potential $15,000 scholarship in my opinion.
Report Permalinkkatja
December 30, 2008 at 3:18 PM
Any recomends how to send cheapest and seucre a laptop from Sydney to Germany??
Report PermalinkSimon
November 7, 2009 at 4:50 PM
I have just started a courier comparison website like webjet although for couriers cheap pricing even for one off senders. Not ready for international yet sorry Katja
Report PermalinkRebecca
November 24, 2009 at 7:15 PM
We also have developed an online freight calculator for one off senders and small business for shipping around Autralia
Report PermalinkJohn Kirkham
June 11, 2010 at 6:15 PM
Funny how Simon posts first, then Rebecca a second copy cat site. If I ‘view/source’ the code will be exactly the same too ?…
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