All our products are made with love and care in RURAL Australia by men and women who have a disability.
What You Need To Know About The Changes At Australia Post
Australia Post has changed the way it delivers parcels.
All parcels must now have a tracking number. So they can be tracked. This is a free service by Australia Post.
This service does not require a signature on delivery.
If you’re not at home, it’s NOT a given that a red card will be put into your box. Asking you to collect your parcel at the post office.
Unless.
Your parcel has to be signed for.
Or.
Leaving your parcel at your address would be deemed by the Australia Post contractor to be unsafe.
What is unsafe is up to the discretion of the contractor delivering your parcel.
And how busy that particular contractor is.
In the last few weeks, Australia Post contractors, delivering parcels to my customers, have left parcels in apartment buildings, in unsafe spots. Above a bank of mailboxes. In full view of anyone who enters the apartment building. They have said their delivery was ‘Delivered With Safe Drop’. Meaning. In their opinion, they consider the place where they leave your parcel as ‘safe’ from pilfering.
These parcels have never been received by my customers. Because leaving a parcel in an unprotected, open area, is NOT safe.
We can stop the laziness of Australia Post contractors by putting a sticker on your parcel that says: Do Not Safe Drop.
With this sticker on your parcel, Australia Post has no choice but to leave a red card in your box. And take your parcel to your post office.
If you deem your address not a safe place to leave a parcel if you’re not home, let me know by telling me in Comments: Do Not Safe Drop.
If you have a safe place to leave your parcel, please let me know.
For example:
Please leave my parcel at the front door.
OK to leave my parcel behind the side gate. On the verandah. In the garage.
This is an apartment building. OK to leave parcels with reception. Or concierge. Or nominate a safe place.
This will be put on your parcel for the Australia Post contractor to read. And abide by.
It will be difficult for you to successfully negotiate a claim with Australia Post for damages for loss if your parcel is scanned as delivered. And the contractor deems his delivery was made in a ‘safe’ place. A place that is of their choice.
When a contractor leaves your parcel as a ‘safe drop’, the contractor must take a photo of where they have placed your parcel. So far, this has not helped my customers with their claims against Australia Post. In every case, Australia Post has taken the side of the contractor.
It is much more preferable for you to tell me what you consider to be a ‘safe place’ to leave your parcel.
If there is no safe place. Again. In Comments. Please tell me: Do Not Safe Drop.
The rules have changed. But by working together, we can make sure that your parcel is received by you. If you give a little forethought as to where you want your parcel delivered.
This is Option 2.
Use the FREE Parcel Locker service offered by Australia Post. Many customers are now using this service. It’s safe. It’s free. And it allows you to apply for a parcel locker. And pick your parcel up 24/7. In other words, at your convenience. Outside of post office hours.
It’s not available everywhere. Yet. But if it is available where you live. Sign up. It’s FREE!
I personally think this is a wonderful service offered by Australia Post. And is something you should consider if you live in an apartment building. Or have no safe place to leave your parcel if you’re not at home.
Postage And Handling Charges Within Australia
All parcels with an Australian address have a flat rate postage and handling charge of $16.95. Regardless of location. Or how many items you put into your parcel.
We live and work from our remote rural property in ‘The High Country’ of rural Victoria. In the foothills of Mount Hotham. It’s an extended trip to the post office. Along narrow two lane winding mountain roads. So we post only once a week.
We hope you understand the trials of our tyranny of distance.
What Does Postage And Handling Mean?
Every order takes time to pack. And post.
Handling charges are the costs a company incurs in getting your order ready for posting. And these charges ARE NOT included in the price of your product.
When an order is received, we enter each order into our database. Prepare the Tax Invoices. Debit your credit card if it’s not a PayPal order. Create mailing labels. Prepare checklists of what goes into each parcel to make sure we don’t make any mistakes that will disappoint you. And pick and pack each parcel from the stock we store on our premises.
Then transport those parcels on our extended trip to our rural post office.
We must also keep accurate details of every order and debit. In case you make an enquiry about your purchase via your credit card company. Or PayPal. These organisations may only give a merchant 24 hours to respond.
Those are the handling charges – that we rarely recover.
We post via Australia Post.
An organisation which increases parcel rates by 7% every year.
Their charges vary according to the weight of each parcel. And location within Australia.
But we always offer our postage at a flat rate within Australia.
What Does It Mean When You See Postage Free? Or Free Delivery? On A Website?
There isn’t an online business that can absorb postage costs. They’re too high.
So when you see Free Delivery. Or Postage Free. It means those costs have already been added into the cost of a product.
So if you buy several products ‘Postage Free’ from that company, you’re paying more for postage than you need to.
It’s as simple as that.
We like to treat our customers fairly. And keep our product costs down. And charge one price for postage. Regardless of how many items you put in your parcel.
Postage And Handling Charges Outside Australia
Postage and handling charges for international parcels vary. They’re based on the postal charges for the country of destination. And how much the parcel weighs.
These charges start at $40. And rise.
In our shopping cart, you are able to see how much your postage is before committing to complete your purchase.
Many countries now are protecting their own industries and starting to add charges for VAT. Sales tax. And also charges made by customs for handling your parcel.
Compliance with the laws and regulations of the destination country as well as import duties and charges payable on your purchase are your responsibility.
We strongly advise that you please make your own enquiries as to any additional charges that may be due at point of entry.
When your parcel arrives in your country of destination, we don’t want you to be disappointed by having to pay unexpected extra charges before being released by customs.
Just A Word Before You Go
The easiest tactic in business is to be the cheapest. The hardest is to be the best.
We have always strived to be the best.
Best products. Best quality. Best customer service. Best after purchase customer care.
Our testimonials bear witness to this.
If you need any more information, please contact us.
You can contact us:
By Phone: 03 51 59 43 38.
By email: interfaceaustralia@bigpond.com
By Mail: PO Box 83 OMEO Victoria 3898
We’d love to hear from you.
Photo Credits
All the photographs are of our property and are taken by Carol the Paddock Paparazzi. At sunrise every morning (regardless of the weather). Carol uses a Panasonic Lumix DMC-fz150 Super Zoom Digital Camera with an Optical Zoom Leica Lens.
To view more of Carol’s photos click here. For more information contact us and talk to Carol.
