New Post Office return policy

[Gem Shop 10]

The Post office have informed me that they have now received official instructions from their head office that all parcels returned for non collection by buyers will be charged for.

In other words if a buyer does not collect his/her parcel the seller will pay have to pay the Post office for returning the parcel to him/her.

 

Now I wonder how to handle this situation? As a seller I am now loosing money having to pay for the returned parcel...and if a customer refuses to pay the return postage plus the postage to resend the parcel what do I do?

 

Technically I cannot resell the item to try and make up the costs as the item was paid for.

Is there a time limit we can allow for the repayment of postage fees before reselling?

Will we then be liable to refund the customer?

Can we raise a SNC as the customer "technically" rejected the product by not collecting?

I will be very interested n how other sellers/buyers feel and what is BOB's view on this?

[Vinyl Lady Decals 11]

Hi Gem shop

 

I also got this message from my post office and I told them they will have a problem with returned parcels piling up as I refuse to pay for this. The seller cannot control the behaviour of the buyers, so why should we be made to pay for their non-collection.

 

I have had a few returned parcels that I have informed the buyers of, indicating that I will not collect the parcel from the post office until the buyer has paid double postage, once to collect and again to re-post.

 

Needless to say, none of these buyers have ever queried where their parcels were and I have no idea what the post office has done with the parcels.

 

In my postage email, I clearly inform buyers that if they don't collect the first time, they will be liable to pay double-postage for me to post the parcel again. Since adding this bit of info, I've had no more returned parcels.

 

It may sound harsh, but what choice do we have?

[brands online 10]

Hi, yes, I know exactly what you mean. Costs R18-15 to collect a returned parcel. A few buyers have already chosen not to pay for return postage + the returned fee. Which means adding R18-15 to the cost of selling it a second time as well. And every time I go to the post office I'm reminded to pick up all these returned parcels and pay for them. What to do?

[Vinyl Lady Decals 11]

I'm sure the post office will eventually see the error of this stupid idea when they have thousands of parcels piling up in their post offices around the country.

[JPBon 10]

Theoretically the post office will only keep the parcels for a short period after which they will surely dispose of them, legally they will probably institute a time frame which they will hold a parcel.

[brands online 10]

'tis a crazy world we live in. Somebuyers hound until their item arrives. Others hound you only after the item is returned to the seller, and then some others still don't seem to care at all...:confused:

 

Banks charge you to give them your money to 'use' and then charge you again when you ask them for it...

 

now the post office is also on the band wagon...

Anyone know how that Mars settlement thing is coming along?

[lilythepink 11]

I think they will just hold public auctions and sell the stuff to recoup their costs? Something like Customs and Excise do?

 

I think it is poor customer service on the part of the Post Office to NOT return legitimate items to senders without charging them! (Could one accuse the PO of "stealing" the parcels, perhaps?) :mad:

[shamotz 10]

I'm sure the post office will eventually see the error of this stupid idea when they have thousands of parcels piling up in their post offices around the country.

 

 

Somehow I suspect that they'll be quite happy, they get to dig in! :mad:

 

recently sent a friend a R500 gift card and some ***CENSORED*** at SAPO neatly opened up the envelope (sent registered without insurance ) took out the gift card and sealed again and sent it off :mad:

[brands online 10]

I have collected 5 returned parcels this month, 3 buyers can't be gotten hold of. 2 don't want to pay the return fee the post office charged me. Grumble, grumble...

[wayjen 10]

this is the problem we are sitting with at the moment. people complain about high postage and others don't collect theirs which leads to high postage.

 

what a nightmare.

[Vinyl Lady Decals 11]

Hi All

 

This is the detail that I add to my postage notification and since I've been doing this, I've had very few returns. No buyer can claim that they weren't informed.

 

"It is your responsibility to collect your parcel timeously.

It will be at your post office for one month before they send it back to me.

 

If that happens, you will have to pay double postage for me to post it again.

I was informed in April 2010 that the post office now charges for the collection of returned parcels and then I will have to post it back again, thus the double postage charges.

This is not something I have any control over, so PLEASE collect your parcel timeously.

I do not want you to have to pay double postage to receive your parcel a second time and am not at all happy about this.

 

I will inform you (via email) if your parcel is returned to my post office.

I cannot collect parcels unless you pay the double postage tariff.

I simply cannot afford to carry double costs on behalf of any buyer."

[wayjen 10]

I like that Tananka, I think we should also add something like that on our side.

[Vinyl Lady Decals 11]

It seems to have done the trick, so it should help you. I've also never had a negative rating as a result of this either.