My experience at local PO is not about stamps but the price that I had to pay. For many years, I have sent hand painted birthday cards to my grandchildren in UK. Using watercolour paper, the cards fit into the standard size C5 envelope, 229x162m. One backing sheet of very light cardboard and the total weight is 26gm and labelled ‘birthday card’ with ‘no commercial value’. The cost has regularly been $3.60 for past several years although it was originally $2.50 many years ago. However my chin hit the floor when I was asked to pay $14.60. I asked why has the price increased from $3.60 and was told that the envelope would not fit through the slot and had to be treated as a ‘package’. I was then asked if I wanted to insure it, but I politely declined. I thought that it may have been a faster service but it still took the usual 10 days to arrive. I will add that this PO has recently been sold and has new proprietors but I intend to take a similar C5 envelope (with card not painted) to see whether the result is the same. Since it is very light so I will try four sheets of watercolour paper and one backing sheet in C5 and weight is less than 50gm. Then, I might be able to send four painted cards for $14.60 instead of one card at $14.60, they will then be costing me $3.70 each. I am not sure if it was a genuine mistake but Australia Post is becoming a very unfriendly place to shop.
What a nice way to send a birthday greeting.
The current AP postage for OS.
It does not specify a size for a card in this doc, although it is restricted to a total weight of 20g and 2 months of the year, $2.40 (gst exempt). $3.50 is the regular rate for small letters up to 250g. Anything larger or heavier than 20g sent as a card in Nov/Dec by my reading will be assessed against the large letter requirements. Unfortunately a C5 envelope is just that little bit larger (32mm) than the small.
For those wondering the link to the full document will answer other questions. EG why there are different stamps for international postage, and possible confusion over the cost due to domestic stamps including gst. The staff in the LPO or Aust Post outlet should have the same for their reference. Is it just possible that not all staff are equal, or consistent?
When this topic began I sent an email query to Auspost for what I hoped would be an authoritative reply. Fortunately @phb provided what seems to be the factual response in a far more timely period.
The salient bit from the online reply beyond the ‘sorry for the delay’ and scripted pleasantries →
As a general answer, we accept postage services used with Australia Post that meet the total value if the postage charges. We’ve had customers pay for a parcel deliveries with stamps in the past.
Combining the two services, I couldn’t give you a direct answer and would recommend contacting our Postage Meter Team directly on 1300 823 789.
Precious and not needing further comment because it points to the underlying problem, Auspost. If their customer facing people cannot answer it? It is either too complex an issue to be made simple, poorly documented internally, or whatever. But why would or should that be the case? (No need to speculate.)
Not needing further comment?
Which post provided the correct information more timely?
This “official” response tells you nothing. Obviously not written by a postmaster or sub postmaster actually working with the public. Of course people have used postage stamps for parcels, that’s what stamps are for.
How did this question get diverted onto whether stamps could be/ should be combined with machine printed postage dockets? That was only ever one solution to the much more straightforward and obvious solution of a PO actually having multiple denominations of stamps for sale.
How many people would be expected to buy their stamps online in anticipation of posting a birthday card?
Be realistic, not just clever, posters…
Perhaps some posters, myself included, expected Auspost could print any amount of postage required to top up a stamped item and expected that would be ‘the answer’ if they did not have appropriate stamps.
That is the point. One should not require a postmaster level staff to be able to answer reasonable queries, especially when a non-answer comes from their ‘official channel’ for queries.
If you no longer see value in continuing your topic since your point has been answered I can close it for you or you can close it yourself. As for me, it has been educational in multiple ways.
Please close the topic for me, thank you.
