I rang Aust post today to make a simple enquiry over the issuing of receipts for regular post.....trust me, nothing is ever simple...
My theory is (and I'm sure the law supports this)...that if I pay Aust Post to deliver a parcel via regular post, that they should fulfill that service and deliver the parcel without it going missing. I get so annoyed having to pay for Rego all the time, simply because Aust Post can't be trusted to do what we pay them to do.....
It all comes down to proof of postage.....if you have that, you can make them accountable for any missing regular parcels....
When I sold on ebay, I ALWAYS got a receipt for regular post because that enables me to claim up to 50.00 from them if they fail to deliver the parcel....Now when you send ordinary parcels, it's not a problem because the register receipt issued, has the postcode on it....But...if you buy satchels whether in Bulk or over the counter, all it records is the purchase of the satchel...no postcode.....So I asked them if Aust Post are required to issue a receipt on request....they couldn't answer that.......but, since Aust Post require consumers to provide proof of postage in order to claim compensation for lost parcels, one would think that we as consumers have a right to ask for a written receipt proving postage of the item in question....
So....the moral is...that if you buy items and don't wish to pay endless registration fees (gawd they add up), then ask the seller you are purchasing from to obtain a receipt whether posting in a satchel or a box.
Another suggestion Aust Post gave in the absence of any firm policy was that the seller could list the names and addresses of the (satchel) recipients, purchase the satchels, and have Aust Post stamp and sign the list of recipients as proof of postage...either way, Aust Post is made to be responsible if they fail to complete a service they are being paid for in good faith...simple really...lol...
For all you sellers out there....get a receipt even if you have to stand your ground....it's your only proof of postage and bankdeposit customers will thank you for being so dilligent...it will save them 2.70 and you as a seller a LOT of headaches with AP's mishandling when it happens...and it happens...