eBay.ie, the localised eBay website, and An Post, the Universal Service Obligation provider in the Republic of Ireland have joined forces to introduce a new pilot scheme for eBay sellers resident in Ireland.
The “e-Parcel Card” was launched on 21 August 2007 and will be reviewed in April 2008, offers eligible eBay users favourable prices on national and international parcels weighing up to 5kg, sent using An Post. Users save up to 45% on national parcels and 75% on international postage. As most of my buyers are in “Great Britain” - to use An Posts language - this should save me a fair amount of money.
The new service is free to join and open to all eBay users who
- reside in the Republic Ireland
- have a minimum feedback score of 90
- with at least 98% positive
Eligible eBay users can effortlessly sign up for the scheme by visiting www.e-Parcel.ie Once registered, they will receive an e-Parcel Card, which they can produce at one of 1000 local “automated” post offices nationwide whenever they are sending an eBay parcel to allow them to benefit from the preferential pricing.
The An Post press release quotes random Irish eBayer, irgs025 as saying: “As a frequent seller on the eBay.ie website, I regularly post packages of all sizes nationally and internationally. The e-Parcel service takes the hassle out of posting packages, the site itself is easy to use and the cost of postage very favourable.” Not how he speaks in the present tense yet the card takes 28 days to arrive and was only launched this week, he must be a yes man.
I welcome the card but I expect when it is “reviewed in April 2008″ it will be cancelled. I’ve seen so many discount cards come and go over the years I have little faith in them, fortunately this is not a stored value card and it is free to apply so one cannot lose.
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