Shipping And Handling Recordings

Due to extremely popular demand, we've put all these shipping details on their very own page! Please check out the details below here, and if you still have any questions or concerns, by all means give us a call or contact us directly, and we'll be happy to help figure out options for you!

Sending Your Recordings

Many of us have recordings that we'd love to save, but we might be just a bit nervous about putting them in the mail. And our nervousness is based on many horror stories or (in our case) on practical experience using couriers and delivery "specialists". Ever seen a thin vinyl LP folded in half? We have (and we recovered everything from it, too).

If you're in the greater Melbourne metro area, we're now able to offer a personalised pickup and delivery service; details can be found in our prices page. We also offer pickup and delivery services outside Melbourne, however we do need to discuss timing and costing requirements on an individual basis. We do try to ensure that no-one is unable to protect their recordings, just because they don't live nearby!

There's nothing at all to be frightened of, if you follow our shipping instructions. Of course, you still need to be concerned, but it shouldn't keep you up at night. Here's how to protect your investment if you wish to ship to us (please note, this is really simple, and takes longer to describe than to actually do, so bear with us):

For records, LPs, and 45s :

If you don't have access to a record shipping pack (these are available from all good record importers, and some post offices and courier companies also sell them for about $2), you can follow these simple, easy steps to ensure your record gets to us in one piece.

First, if you have access to large Ziploc bags or other resealable PVC bags, pop each album in one and close the seal. (We've never had a single instance of water or dust ingress in standard packaging, but if it makes you feel better, what's the harm?)

• If you have access to bubblewrap or soft foam wrapping (available at your post office, local newsagent, or places like OfficeWorks), put 2 layers around each album.
• Sandwich the padded album between two pieces of corrugated cardboard, about 1cm (½ inch) larger than the album cover on all sides.

Corrugated cardboard is the kind of cardboard used for large packing boxes - you can find them (or you can ask for flattened boxes) at your local Kmart, Harvey Norman, Myers, Coles, Grace Bros., or corner store. Just about every retail store gets products shipped in these boxes, and most are more than happy to let you grab a couple of boxes so they don't have to recycle them).

Please don't use thin cardboard (like shoebox cardboard or wine casks) - the cardboard is just too thin, and won't protect the recording at all.

• If you have more than one record to send, place another layer of foam or bubblewrap and another piece of cardboard between the albums - like a club sandwich.
• Tape the edges of the pieces of cardboard so they're nice and snug against the record. This minimises the chance of the record sliding around.
• Place the whole 'record sandwich' inside a standard padded postbag.

Your local post office should be able to select a standard sized postpack that's right for you, and this varies from country to country.

If a padded postpack isn't available, wrap the album in two to three extra layers of bubblewrap , with a couple of turns of tape around each edge, and place it all in a nice thick, strong envelope (again, your postoffice will be able to help figure out the best envelope for you).

We always send back the original recording in Post-Office certified packaging, and in most cases, you can re-use our packaging to ship your next recording if you wish. Or pass it on to a friend who's not sure what packaging to use for their albums.

For tapes (cassette, dictation, and reel):

• First, make sure that you secure the tape so it doesn't unspool on its own. If you don't have access to reel clips (C-shaped plastic or aluminium strips like bicycle clips), a rubber band around a reel is sufficient for reel-to-reel tapes, but cassettes can just be put in their case. If you wish, you can tape the cassette case shut.
• Pop the tape(s) in a padded Postpack. In Australia, a number '2' postpack is fine for up to 3 tapes.
• If you're sending more than 4 tapes, it's best to group them into 3s or 4s and pop each group in their own postpack. Otherwise, what we receive is usually a huge great envelope with a dozen loose cassettes, with all of their labels knocked loose, and a dozen broken covers, with a dozen loose tape inserts, and we have to figure out which tape goes with which album cover. This can take us hours to sort out, so please, please, don't take the cheap and easy option!

General Posting "Good Practices"

No matter what it is you're sending, there are some rules that can help prevent lost or misplaced parcels. The notes below were put together to address a common mailing problem - handwriting! I can't write legibly for peanuts, despite lots of practice, so we understand completely that it's not easy to be a good writer, especially on shipping labels and awkward parcels! But some simple things can help more than you'd believe.

• Pop any documentation inside the package! Don't bother sticking it in little plastic envelopes, as these get wet, scored, and broken.
• Make sure you always fill in the sender's details in a clear and legible hand (if you haven't contacted us by phone or email, we may not be able to decipher your handwriting, so use BLOCK CAPITALS if needed).
• Place a 'FRAGILE' label on both sides of the package.

This "Fragile" labelling is actually a bit of a contentious issue at the moment - the Australian Post Office has informed us on many occasions that "every package sent through the post, regardless of whether it is fragile or not, must be able to withstand being thrown into the back of a van with up to 50 kg (100 lb.) of other mail on top of it". However, mail handlers and delivery contractors usually take much more care with clearly labelled packages with fragile stickers, than with brown paper packages tied up with string!

• You may wish to purchase shipping insurance at this point. It's fairly expensive, but it's up to you. However, you should note that the insurance only reimburses you the cost listed on your insurance label - they won't give you a new recording (unless you're really lucky on eBay)!
• We always recommend that you send any recordings by registered post. We are always available to sign for registered parcels, and our local mail contractor knows if we're not in the office, they'll try again on their way back to the depot.
• We always return mailed recordings packed correctly and insured and registered. If you know you can't sign for a package (for example, if you're at an RMB or RSD delivery route), please let us know, and we'll arrange alternative secure return.

Some general notes on saving on shipping costs:

If your albums are important to you, don't cut corners, and you'll find, like all our remote customers have, that shipping your favourite album is no more dangerous than posting a letter. It just (ahem) costs a bit more. Trying to save a few cents by reusing old postpacks, cheap tape, and skipping the 'fragile' labels may save you the cents, but cost you in the long run.

Shipping Charges

Unfortunately, due to continuing increases in shipping costs, we've been forced to charge a standard shipping/handling fee for all packages sent out by us. Records and tapes are both affected. (Reel-to-reel and Dictaphone tapes count as a single album). The new shipping charges are as follows:

• Records and tapes within Australia : AUD$8.50 per album. (The maximum we've been charged by Australia Post is $18.00 for four double albums and CDs, so we'll never charge more than this).
• Records and tapes outside Australia : AUD$18.50 per album. This includes all Pacific territories, New Zealand, Norfolk Island, and the Cocos Islands, as well as international continental delivery - US, Canada, UK, Europe, Asia, and South America. Because all international deliveries are by air freight, both volume and weight multipliers are used.

As our existing customers are aware, we have always absorbed all shipping costs to all destinations up until now. We do apologise for the extra imposition, but with the lowest conversion service costs anywhere in the world, we just don't have the "padding" in our prices to be able to continue this courtesy. The alternative, raising all our prices to allow for worst-case shipping prices, is just plain unfair to many of our customers; so we feel a "user pays" arrangement is fairer to everyone, as well as being far more transparent!

Pickup and Delivery Service:

We realise that shipping albums may not be a viable option for some customers, and we completely understand if you would rather not entrust your recordings to couriers. So we offer a personalised pickup/delivery service for local customers.

This service allows us to come to you, where we can inspect the recordings on the spot and give you an idea of the likelihood of recovery.

This service is available for a flat fee of $20.00 (including both pickup and delivery) in the greater Melbourne Metro area. This area covers all of Melbourne: from Altona, to Mill Park, to Packenham, to Dandenong. Outlying areas can have pickups and deliveries arranged on an individual basis. Typically, this extends from Melton, to Sunbury, to Gembrook, to Frankston.

Please note, there are no additional handling or shipping fees for personal delivery and pickup!

Send mail to Webmaster@audiography.com.au with questions or comments about this web site, or use our Contact form to report any issues.

Our street (postal) address is:

20 Churinga Avenue,

Mitcham.

Victoria.         3132

Phone Details:

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Last modified: 01-Nov-2008

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