What kind of postage speed do you expect from an Australian online retailer?

flamin'trek

Likes Bikes and Dirt
I think its reasonable to expect a package from any Aus online business delivered to my door within 7 days. ie if I order on Monday it should be there by the next Monday etc. This allows a little time for handling, I don't expect my order to be shipped the second it is placed, but to be packaged and with the courier company or in the post box by the end of the next shift. Order on Monday morning, posted on Tuesday. ordered on Monday night packed on Tues, shipped on Tues. Sometimes it should be better than this.

Online stores should idenify what their normal packing times are and when they ship. ie We pack all orders placed by 12pm the same day (business days) and ship each afternoon at 3pm or whatever they actually do, gives me (the customer) the opporunity to shop elsewhere if it doesn't suit me.

If it isn't going to be posted within 3 days for any reason let me know immediately.
 
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Ozkaban

Likes Dirt
I think its reasonable to expect a package from any Aus online business delivered to my door within 7 days. ie if I order on Monday it should be there by the next Monday etc. This allows a little time for handling, I don't expect my order to be shipped the second it is placed, but to be packaged and with the courier company or in the post box by the end of the next shift. Order on Monday morning, posted on Tuesday. ordered on Monday night packed on Tues, shipped on Tues. Sometimes it should be better than this.

Online stores should idenify what their normal packing times are and when they ship. ie We pack all orders placed by 12pm the same day (business days) and ship each afternoon at 3pm or whatever they actually do, gives me (the customer) the opporunity to shop elsewhere if it doesn't suit me.

If it isn't going to be posted within 3 days for any reason let me know immediately.
I think the main problem with the store that the OP was talking about is that they'll happily take weeks to even ship the order.

On a slight side note, I've just put two orders in of small-ish items from Chain Reaction and Wiggle within minutes of eachother. I'll be interested to see which one gets here first!
 

ctguru

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Update

So ordered on the 2nd April

Emailed them today, reply: said it was posted yesterday

If you run a 'proper' internet business confirmation of package being sent to customer should be automatically generated

the customer should not have to ring/email to find out whats going on
 

smitho

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Delivery time

Mine was a slightly different issue. I ordered a helmet through a local retailer - called the store, they didn't have it in stock, and agreed to order it for me. I was given an estimate of 3-4 days. No communication so I called back two weeks later to find out if it had arrived and was told that the distributor had decided not to post it individually and was including it in their bulk delivery to the shop due to arrive in the next few days. Sure the shop could have communicated better, but it seems the distributor is just shooting themselves in the foot trying to save themselves a few bucks on postage. I try and shop locally, but when you order an item in-store, but it takes three weeks to arrive and the same item could be had for 2/3 the price and in half the time online it is difficult to justify.
 

Ozkaban

Likes Dirt
So ordered on the 2nd April

Emailed them today, reply: said it was posted yesterday

If you run a 'proper' internet business confirmation of package being sent to customer should be automatically generated

the customer should not have to ring/email to find out whats going on
They do send out auto generated messages. I've been told exactly the same BS by them. Then you get the actual posted message in a few days when it actually gets posted.
 

ctguru

Likes Bikes and Dirt
sent them a pretty truthfull/blunt email with some advice last night, will post here if I get a reply

on another note, this is what I expect.

I order a lot from www.bike-component.de and this is what you get when you place an order, stating apporx. delivery date

order.JPG

received an email from germany yesterday letting me know that there will be a delay on one product

That's the kind of communication I like!
 

g-fish

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Mine was a slightly different issue. I ordered a helmet through a local retailer - called the store, they didn't have it in stock, and agreed to order it for me. I was given an estimate of 3-4 days. No communication so I called back two weeks later to find out if it had arrived and was told that the distributor had decided not to post it individually and was including it in their bulk delivery to the shop due to arrive in the next few days. Sure the shop could have communicated better, but it seems the distributor is just shooting themselves in the foot trying to save themselves a few bucks on postage. I try and shop locally, but when you order an item in-store, but it takes three weeks to arrive and the same item could be had for 2/3 the price and in half the time online it is difficult to justify.
The shop lied to you, the distributor doesn't care about postage costs because the shops has to pay. It is common for a shop to hold all orders for a distributor till they can cover the postage costs with everything that is ordered. If you order a $150 helmet, $10 postage takes a significant amount out of the margin. If you tell them you'd like the thing immediately they might tell you they can do that, but you'll need to cover the postage.

At the shop I work for we order from most distributors every monday, bigger ones we might order multiple times a week. So we can usually give a guide as to when to expect the item from there.
 

speedyjonzalas

Likes Dirt
I miss the days of living in the West cost of Scotland.

Order something before 3 o'clock on CRC, have it at your door the next morning!

I reckon they would do that around 50% of the time, with the remainder coming the next day.

Australia just needs shrunk down in size a bit!
 

smitho

Likes Bikes and Dirt
The shop lied to you, the distributor doesn't care about postage costs because the shops has to pay. It is common for a shop to hold all orders for a distributor till they can cover the postage costs with everything that is ordered. If you order a $150 helmet, $10 postage takes a significant amount out of the margin. If you tell them you'd like the thing immediately they might tell you they can do that, but you'll need to cover the postage.

At the shop I work for we order from most distributors every monday, bigger ones we might order multiple times a week. So we can usually give a guide as to when to expect the item from there.
Scumbags. I went in and visited them the other day to see if it had arrived. Said they had it out the back in a pile of boxes that had just arrived but didn't have time to go through them at the time. Store-owner said he would call me the following day, and may be able to drop it off to me. 4 days later and still havent heard from them. Closing in on a month since I first ordered it!

Think I'm going to get another shop to order one now on principle. Or just go back to shopping online, where I'd have the item in 1/2 the time for 2/3rds the price.
 

driftking

Wheel size expert
Scumbags. I went in and visited them the other day to see if it had arrived. Said they had it out the back in a pile of boxes that had just arrived but didn't have time to go through them at the time. Store-owner said he would call me the following day, and may be able to drop it off to me. 4 days later and still havent heard from them. Closing in on a month since I first ordered it!

Think I'm going to get another shop to order one now on principle. Or just go back to shopping online, where I'd have the item in 1/2 the time for 2/3rds the price.

No time.
You ordered, you paid.
Tell them to walk out the back and complete there damn transaction before taking a new order.
Fark me I'm glad I don't live in Melbourne near these blokes.

Talk about lazy.
 

smitho

Likes Bikes and Dirt
No time.
You ordered, you paid.
Tell them to walk out the back and complete there damn transaction before taking a new order.
Fark me I'm glad I don't live in Melbourne near these blokes.

Talk about lazy.
Thankfully hadn't paid. Sent them an email and told them that I willingly pay a premium buying goods from local retailers, over online, because it usually means good customer service and getting the item quicker, but that I wasn't willing to fork out extra cash when both were absent. Told them to jam it and I'd be ordering another one elsewhere.
 

ctguru

Likes Bikes and Dirt
this is a copy of the email I sent to the online retailer on 11th April, no response as yet



Thanx

I think you really need to do something to improve your dispatch times.

If the item is not stock, the customer needs to be informed.

Most times the customer will be fine if they know what's going on

10 days to post is poor, all most quicker to buy from CRC or wiggle

When I order stuff from them of USA companies they dispatch usually that day or the next

I have raised this issues with you in the past, but looks like nothing has changed

I though you were getting a new software system to deal with these issues?

I'm not the only customer that has had issues like this

Just trying to give you constructive feedback so you don't loose business to other companies

Pushy's all ways post same or next day and they are just one of your competitors

Good luck

XXXXX
 

mimps

Likes Dirt
I think ive just found out who the retailer is. I put an order in on Friday morning at 9:30 and it still hasnt left the building.
 

setonz

Likes Dirt
Giving Bikebug in sydney a big wrap !

ordered about 11pm sunday night, on my doorstep when i got home from work tonight. prices were pretty close to what i would have payed from ribble.
 

driftking

Wheel size expert
Thankfully hadn't paid. Sent them an email and told them that I willingly pay a premium buying goods from local retailers, over online, because it usually means good customer service and getting the item quicker, but that I wasn't willing to fork out extra cash when both were absent. Told them to jam it and I'd be ordering another one elsewhere.
Good on ya mate,
If they're going to be that slow and poorly managed with no contact, don't give them the satisfaction of the sale.
 

Chil

Likes Dirt
Bought some gear from different online shops here and abroad (not the usual ones), we'll see how things go considering all were bought over the weekend.
 

Art Vanderlay

Hourly daily
I think ive just found out who the retailer is. I put an order in on Friday morning at 9:30 and it still hasnt left the building.
I am guessing I know who it is too. Sounds like the exact same thing that happened to me. Give a swift kick up the ass by email, I did.
 

MJS

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Was going to start a new thread on the same topic. Having missed the original post with the name of the shop involved, I can hazard a pretty good guess who it is. Same issue here, they've really dropped the ball in the last year or so, multiple times items listed as in stock have ended up being not in stock at all and having to be ordered in. Not acceptable if you ask me. My most recent order with them was made on Wednesday and have been advised that the order won't ship til "early next week". Pathetic, I used to shop with them all the time for the reliable service and fast shipping compared with ordering cheaper from overseas. Not anymore, I think I've made my last order with them.
 

floody

Wheel size expert
This is from the site of the last Aussie online retailer I ordered from;

I need my order as fast as is humanly possible. Can you do it?


Sure! For starters, we ship all orders (no matter what shipping method) within 24hours (next business day). If you order before 2pm, we'll get it packed up and shipped out the very same day!

If you really want it super quick, then you can opt to upgrade to Australia's Post "Express" eParcel service. This means that if you are in a metro area (as defined by Aus Post), you'll get your parcel the next business day. For everywhere else, Aus Post guarantee the fastest possible delivery.

Note that this upgrade is not available for bulky items (frames, bikes and wheels).

I ordered at 10pm in the evening, figuring it would go out the next day, and it did, so points to the shop. I paid for the express post option so I could get some new tyres before taking the bike on holiday, the shop did their bit but as soon as Auspost got hold of the thing they fumbled the ball big time and it finally arrived 9 days later, leaving me no time to fit it before I left. I ended up chucking it in the box and fitting it when I arrived.

Its disappointing how much Auspost's inability to actually deliver their advertised services affects the online shopping experience in Australia. 9 days to deliver an average sized parcel during a not especially busy period, when the parcel was advertised as a next day network item and was shipping between next day network centres.
 
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