Thursday 16 May 2013

International Small Packet

I think the most interesting part for the recent (started on yesterday 15 May 2013) international postage rate hike is the introduction of new category small packet. I tried to look for the definition of small packet by Pos Malaysia, and here is the definition of International Small Packet by Pos Malaysia (in Pos Malaysia website):

Any small packet containing small and lightweight items such as gifts, goods, commercial samples, audio/video tapes etc. transmitted to a foreign destination by air. The maximum weight for the small packet is 2 kg.


So, by looking at the definition of small packet, I have the feeling that a vast number of online trading (in particular eBay) might have to use small packet for shipping purpose. I am not sure if Pos Malaysia has been dealing with huge volume of not-much-profit small packet mail in recent years so that it has to come up with this new category of postage. Well, it is very interesting to see when will this new small packet postage be applied on domestic mail. I strongly believe that sooner and later domestic small packet would come up.

The most killing part of the new international small packet's term is the interval weight increment. The basic weight for the international small packet is up 1 kg, the next interval is up to 1.5 kg and the last interval is up to 2 kg (see the table below; the table was obtained from Pos Malaysia website). So, if one is to send a small packet of a weight of 250 gm (many gifts fall into this weight), one still has to pay for the basis up to 1 kg postage. I think this is the part many customers express their grouses.