New forward service from NZ Post: YouShop

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#933325 13-Nov-2013 17:08

freitasm:
dclegg: I've purchased a turntable from Amazon...

I hope you used our aff link?

:)

I will not answer that on the grounds that my forgetfulness may incriminate me :-(

But if things go the way they appear to be heading, I may be cancelling and re-ordering. I'll ensure that I remember to use the affiliate link if this happens.

To give a bit of background here, my wife wanted to purchase me a turntable for Christmas. She found a perfect one, but the cheapest it retails for here is NZD $700, which is way out of her budget.

After finding out that I could get it for NZD $300 from Amazon (thanks to a post here from NZTechfreak, actually), I thought we'd be able to save quite a bit of money and bring it within the required budget. But if NZ Post can't come to the party and discount this shipping fee, and we begrudgingly decide to pay it, we still have customs to contend with. It would definitely be over the $60 GST threshold they use, and if they do decide to apply GST + duty, I'm looking at around $128 for that. All of a sudden, we're only $30 cheaper than the NZ retailer, and we have increased warranty hassles & no CGA protection.

dclegg

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#933373 13-Nov-2013 17:41

johna8: What you do can is perform a return via Amazon - they will provide a return pre-paid label for UPS Ground.
You chat to NZPost online and upload and provide them the return label.

Have it sent back to Amazon - re-order again and ship to NZ direct (if they allow it to).

Have you actually done this before? And if so, did NZ Post charge you anything to have the item shipped back?

johna8

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#933387 13-Nov-2013 18:10

Yes, I've done it twice recently - one to Amazon and one to ship2u.co.nz.
You opt for the return to merchant and upload the prepaid label and save.
Don't pay anything even though it requests 50% of the costs.
Chat online to the NZPost team and advise you wish to return your item to merchant and upload the prepaid label to them.

That's pretty much what I've done - haven't been charged anything either.

dclegg

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#933413 13-Nov-2013 18:31

johna8: Yes, I've done it twice recently - one to Amazon and one to ship2u.co.nz.
You opt for the return to merchant and upload the prepaid label and save.
Don't pay anything even though it requests 50% of the costs.
Chat online to the NZPost team and advise you wish to return your item to merchant and upload the prepaid label to them.

That's pretty much what I've done - haven't been charged anything either.

Thanks. I'll get online with a NZ Post rep tomorrow, and confirm there will be no charges. I don't need any more nasty surprises here.

dclegg

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#933442 13-Nov-2013 19:05

dclegg:
johna8: Yes, I've done it twice recently - one to Amazon and one to ship2u.co.nz.
You opt for the return to merchant and upload the prepaid label and save.
Don't pay anything even though it requests 50% of the costs.
Chat online to the NZPost team and advise you wish to return your item to merchant and upload the prepaid label to them.

That's pretty much what I've done - haven't been charged anything either.

Thanks. I'll get online with a NZ Post rep tomorrow, and confirm there will be no charges. I don't need any more nasty surprises here.

According to this page, I could be up for 50% of the international shipping costs. You mention that, but how did you get away with not paying it? Surely they wouldn't action the request until funds are received?

TBH, I'm a little disappointed NZ Post have decided not to help out here at all. Had they offered me a 15-20% discount, I'd be OK to proceed. It would still be a lot more than what I was expecting to pay, but would be a lot closer to the original shipping costs Amazon were going to charge me. But when I asked if a discount could be applied, I was told this wasn't possible. Considering how out of whack the quote vs actual was, I thought this was not a great example of customer service. So while I just want some sort of resolution to ensure I'm not too much out of pocket now, I doubt I'll be using the YouShip service again.

I know at the end of the day the buck stops with me, but I thought I had taken every precaution to get an accurate quote. I used the shipping weight and dimensions as stated by the manufacturer of the turntable, but unfortunately Amazon had supplemented this with their packaging, and YouShop claim they can't repackage. It just boggles my mind that there can be such a large discrepancy between the quoted and actual shipping amounts.

johna8

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#933453 13-Nov-2013 19:41

dclegg:
dclegg:
johna8: Yes, I've done it twice recently - one to Amazon and one to ship2u.co.nz.
You opt for the return to merchant and upload the prepaid label and save.
Don't pay anything even though it requests 50% of the costs.
Chat online to the NZPost team and advise you wish to return your item to merchant and upload the prepaid label to them.

That's pretty much what I've done - haven't been charged anything either.

Thanks. I'll get online with a NZ Post rep tomorrow, and confirm there will be no charges. I don't need any more nasty surprises here.

According to this page, I could be up for 50% of the international shipping costs. You mention that, but how did you get away with not paying it? Surely they wouldn't action the request until funds are received?

TBH, I'm a little disappointed NZ Post have decided not to help out here at all. Had they offered me a 15-20% discount, I'd be OK to proceed. It would still be a lot more than what I was expecting to pay, but would be a lot closer to the original shipping costs Amazon were going to charge me. But when I asked if a discount could be applied, I was told this wasn't possible. Considering how out of whack the quote vs actual was, I thought this was not a great example of customer service. So while I just want some sort of resolution to ensure I'm not too much out of pocket now, I doubt I'll be using the YouShip service again.

I know at the end of the day the buck stops with me, but I thought I had taken every precaution to get an accurate quote. I used the shipping weight and dimensions as stated by the manufacturer of the turntable, but unfortunately Amazon had supplemented this with their packaging, and YouShop claim they can't repackage. It just boggles my mind that there can be such a large discrepancy between the quoted and actual shipping amounts.

My 2 items I've returned in YouShop are still requesting payment. I simply kept an eye on the tracking and once it was within the UPS system I had known the Warehouse had used the prepaid label and was being returned to the merchants.

They did advise me - that I shouldn't have to pay any fees at all if shipping is provided. Which is why I uploaded the prepaid .pdf label to the YouShop site and again when chatting to the NZPost rep online - you can send an attachment while chatting to the NZPost reps. From there an investigator will take care of the rest and ensure the package is returned with the label (takes around 2-3 working days for it to happen).

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dclegg

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#933705 14-Nov-2013 09:57

Update: Had the following conversation with a YouShop rep. Guess I'll have to wait 3 working days to see how to proceed.

: Hi, my name is . How may I help you?
David Clegg: I recently arranged for a parcel to be delivered to me via YouShop, but there is a significant difference between the quoted price ($140) and the price I'm being asked to pay ($240). I am wondering what my options are here. I know this is because volumetric pricing was applied, but I tried to use the most accurate information when arranging the quote (I used the shipping dimensions and weight specified by the manufacturer)
: One moment please
: We have a repacking service but this occurs automatically if your parcel is eligible for repacking
: When a YouShop parcel arrives at our USA or UK warehouse it will be assessed to see if it can be repacked. This is done by comparing the difference between the parcel's volumetric weight and its actual weight. If the difference is greater then 2kg the parcel will be repacked.

The parcel will be repacked by either cutting down the original box or transferring the content to a smaller box.

Parcels will not be repacked if:

-They do not have a weight difference greater than 2 kg.
-They contain protective manufacturer's packing e.g. Styrofoam.
-They are in manufacturer's branded packaging e.g. Shoe boxes.
-The parcel contains leather items.
: I apologise for any inconvenience caused
David Clegg: So I have no choice but to pay the extra $100? This seems a little absurd to me. Is there a charge if I return this back to the manufacturer?
: If you don't want to pay the fee, you can arrange for the item to be returned to sender or you can get it sent to alternative address in the US: http://www.nzpost.co.nz/tools/youshop/pay-for-send-youshop-parcel/returns-alternative-delivery-options
David Clegg: I can understand that a quote and estimate may be out, but by so much is a bit mindboggling. Had I known it was going to be so expensive to use your service, I would have looked elsewhere
David Clegg: Are there fees involved in having it returned or sent to another US address?
: The dimensions and weight you have entered into our calculator were obviously not the dimensions of the final product as the merchant sent it to us
: Yes, it is 50% of the postage cost to NZ
: Unless you can get an RMA/Return label from the sender as these are prepaid
David Clegg: Obviously. The weight was similar, but Amazon placed it in a larger box. And I have been informed that you are unable to repackage it in a smaller box
David Clegg: So if I get a RMA label from Amazon, I don't have to pay the 50% fee?
: We do advise on the website that we charge the postage according to the greater of the actual and volumetric weights
: That is correct
David Clegg: I would be OK to proceed with YouShop if you were able to help out a little here with the shipping costs. Is there any way you can discount the quoted rate at all?
David Clegg: But if I have no way of knowing the volumetric weight, does it make sense to you that I should expect an increase of nearly 100% over the quoted price?
: No we cannot, as then we would have to do it for every customer(we have 50,000). WE have to use the same rules and policies for everyone
: I can send something through to make sure the measurements are correct?
David Clegg: I understand that. But surely you can apply discretion in some cases, so you can turn a bad customer experience into an acceptable outcome
: Would you like me to ask the warehouse to re-measure the item to make sure what we have charged is correct?
David Clegg: As long as there is no cost involved in doing so, yes please
: There is no cost, I will send a request through to them and an investigator will contact you with their response. The reference number for this enquiry is
: What is your YouShop ID please?
David Clegg: . Do you know how long this will take?
: Thanks. This may take up to 3 working days due to the time difference and the volume of parcels at the warehouse
: I apologise for any inconvenience caused
: Thanks for your enquiry

has disconnected.

dclegg

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#933708 14-Nov-2013 09:59

I should also point out that the rep disconnected before I could ask how I would be contacted (I assume via email, but assumptions have already got me this far down the wrong path)

johna8

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#933788 14-Nov-2013 12:04

So I take it you will be returning the item via Amazon and re-ordering again and ship via Amazon?

dclegg

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#933790 14-Nov-2013 12:11

johna8: So I take it you will be returning the item via Amazon and re-ordering again and ship via Amazon?

At this stage, yes. Currently talking to a customer service rep. The difference in service between them and YouShop is like night and day. Amazon are very helpful! They are going to send me a prepaid return shipping label that expires in 7 days. They have also told me there is no fee on their end to perform the refund and re-order.

I will be polite and give YouShop the 3 working days to reply to my request, but its not looking good for them. If they had only given me a discount on the actual fees they're trying to charge me, they may have got my custom. They didn't have to come all the way down to what Amazon are going to charge me for shipping either.

Satch

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#933805 14-Nov-2013 12:32

freitasm:
dclegg: I've purchased a turntable from Amazon...

I hope you used our aff link?

:)

I'll start using the aff link for the many things I purchase from Amazon once my "reset read posts" idea is implemented ;-)

Dell

Shop now for Dell laptops and other devices (affiliate link).

dclegg

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#933828 14-Nov-2013 12:58

I've been credited back for my Amazon purchase already (via Amazon Gift Card credit), even though I've not arranged with YouShop to return it yet. Now THATS customer service!

tigercorp

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#933848 14-Nov-2013 13:31

dclegg: ..snip

I will be polite and give YouShop the 3 working days to reply to my request, but its not looking good for them. If they had only given me a discount on the actual fees they're trying to charge me, they may have got my custom. They didn't have to come all the way down to what Amazon are going to charge me for shipping either.

I really don't understand the dissatisfaction with YouShop here.

- you got an estimate by entering dimensions taken from the manufacturers website.
- (pending the investigation) it looks like the dimensions are wrong
- the actual dimensions are larger so YouShop charge accordingly

Surely if someone needs to be at fault here its either yourself for not confirming shipping dimensions with the supplier or Amazon/supplier for not displaying the correct dimensions?

While I'm all up for getting a discount whenever possible I can't see how you can express such disappointment if you don't get it. The mismatch of your expectation vs reality was not caused by YouShop.

dclegg

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#933857 14-Nov-2013 13:49

tigercorp:
dclegg: ..snip

I will be polite and give YouShop the 3 working days to reply to my request, but its not looking good for them. If they had only given me a discount on the actual fees they're trying to charge me, they may have got my custom. They didn't have to come all the way down to what Amazon are going to charge me for shipping either.

I really don't understand the dissatisfaction with YouShop here.

- you got an estimate by entering dimensions taken from the manufacturers website.
- (pending the investigation) it looks like the dimensions are wrong
- the actual dimensions are larger so YouShop charge accordingly

Surely if someone needs to be at fault here its either yourself for not confirming shipping dimensions with the supplier or Amazon/supplier for not displaying the correct dimensions?

While I'm all up for getting a discount whenever possible I can't see how you can express such disappointment if you don't get it. The mismatch of your expectation vs reality was not caused by YouShop.

Amazon don't display the overall shipping dimensions anywhere (although they do display the shipping weight, which I did use), so the best I had to go on was the shipping dimensions provided by the manufacturer. Due to the nature of the item (already securely packaged in styrofoam), it was reasonably safe to assume it would not have been placed in a much larger container.

And while I understand there can be scope for difference, I was not expecting this scope to increase from the quoted price of $140 to an actual price of $240.

You are correct in that the quote was inaccurate due to the information it was fed, but surely you can see that a quote system that can be so far out of whack is not a good thing, especially if there isn't an easy way to get the actual shipping dimensions. As Amazon don't state this information, my only choice would have been to contact a customer rep to ask for them. Admittedly this is a step that I didn't try, so I don't know whether they would be in a position to provide this information.

I would also question why Amazon will now be charging me USD $130 for shipping, but YouShop insist that they need to charge NZD $240 for the same item. And why YouShop had no discretion to offer a discount on the shipping rates in order to turn a negative customer service experience into a more acceptable outcome.

timmmay

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#933889 14-Nov-2013 14:33

Amazon always put things in larger boxes. Youshop should really be able to repack into a smaller box, no idea why they won't. Perhaps just try a different reshipper.

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