Hi folks

Some of this information has already been circulated and some is new but it is all kind of related so I am posting it together here.

Firstly, if you have not caught up with this so far, we are no longer putting PMKeyS numbers on our parcels and emails.

Now the bigger subject.

Mail!

First up, how to post a laundry bag or a quilt to an AFPO address.

Postage to them is free as long as your parcel is 2kg or less.

Small box/LB

Firstly the Laundry bag

Please check out the posting instructions. https://aussieheroquilts.blogspot.com/p/posting-information.html

If you are posting a laundry bag you may still use a box and fill it with goodies to pad it out or you can use a padded postpack. I think they are stronger than the Tuff Bags.

The problem with using small or medium boxes to post laundry bags is that the customs form we have to use is too large and covers the top of the box, including the address section. Australia Post gets around this by putting the customs form on top of the address.

Yes, the recipient’s address is included on the customs form so it should still get to the recipient. The problem is that sometimes the parcels end up being sent to the first address on the customs form and that is the sender’s address. These parcels are not labeled RTS (Return to Sender) so I am assuming it is a machine sorting problem. Either way, it is inconvenient.

My suggestion is that you use a padded postpack to send your parcel off. I buy the padded bag that is called PB3 – 210 x 274 cm. Pictured below is the bag with the customs form on it and the address on the right. I can send you a copy of the address label I use for these Padded Bags. I suggest you save the address label. Once you have a copy you can easily change the postal address every time you need to send another parcel.

I take the parcels in with the customs form already attached so that the PO is not tempted to stick it over the address.Hopefully, this will prevent your parcel being returned to sender which happens on occasion but far too often for my liking. Any questions please let me know.

Now for sending a Quilt

Please check out the posting instructions. https://aussieheroquilts.blogspot.com/p/posting-information.html

Postage to them is also free as long as your parcel is 2kg or less.

Frustratingly Australia Post has discontinued the boxes we used to use for AFPO address parcels. There are now NO boxes available for purchase at the PO that are the right size for our quilts. It is very frustrating.

Sometimes you can find similar boxes in Officeworks or Bunnings. The dimensions are 310 x 230 x 105mm A4 (BX2)

If you can’t get the right size box, then it is fine to use a padded post pack and that is covered in the posting instructions above.

You can use the same address sheet which you can print out and use as the address label. Simply add the customs form (the large one) on the left-hand side, just like the photo above. You need a larger post pack for a quilt. You can save this form and change the address whenever you need to post.

Again, I take the parcels in with the customs form already attached so that the PO is not tempted to stick it over the address.

Hopefully, this will prevent your parcel being returned to sender which happens on occasion but far too often for my liking. Any questions please let me know.

And finally a NEW Instruction……

Posting to our ships.

You need to pay attention to the actual addresses you are given.

Sometimes the address will look like a normal street address. You just post them as you normally would and we provide prepaid satchels for those.

Other times, given the new mailing system that is in place, a ship’s address will look like the following:

Recipient’s rank and name

HMAS (whatever the ship’s name is)

Australian Defence Force NSW 2890

When the above address is used I have just been told that Australia Post would like us to use the large customs form please.

As per the photo above, the customs form will fit to the right of the address box. There is plenty of room on the large satchel. On the small satchel it is a tighter squeeze and you will have to cover some of the declaration but that is written for our benefit, not for Australia Post’s so that doesn’t matter. You will also need to cover part of the QR code next to the tracking labels but I have been told that is not a problem.

Again, please take your parcel to the Post Office with the customs forms already attached.

Printed Version

If I were you I would print these instructions out and put them somewhere that you can refer to them whenever you need to post parcels as above. Alternately you could save them as a word document. If you can’t manage either of those options and would like me to send you a copy please just let me know.

If you have any problems at all with Australia Post then please let me know. If you have any parcels marked RTS (Returned to Sender) please take a photo of the front of the parcel and email it to me so that we can work out what needs to be done.

I think that is all for now.

Till next time, keep spreading the word and happy stitching!

Jan-Maree xx