The post office offers a service where entrepreneurs, SMEs and big companies can sell to customers anywhere there is a postal outlet in Africa. This excellent service is called 'Cash on Delivery' (COD) and it is one of the traditional mail services from the post office. The model works exactly as the phrase suggest, 'you pay cash when you get the item delivered to you'. You pay for the item, that is, the purchase price and the shipment service as well. If you any reason the sender wants to pay for shipment, the price of the item should be adjusted to cater only for the unit bought.
The seller receives an order from a customer from wherever his marketing initiatives reached and got a lead, let the buyer agree to pay for the item upon receipt and then the item is sent. The buyer would give delivery address, which is normally his or her nearest post office. Those postal administrations that provide door-to-door delivery are always ready to offer the service even with COD parcels, as long as the item has been fully paid for. Items should comply to the post office rule, that is, items should fall within the acceptable volume and non prohibited items.
The sender should then package the item and send it through the post office. Normally, the post office will use normal mail delivery service to get the item to the recipient. At the receiving end, a notice slip is sent to the post box and the recipient should present himself / herself in person. The owner should prove with the help of an ID that he is the rightful owner and should pay for the item.
The post office is really unhappy when customers disown COD parcels. However, if for any reason the recipient is not happy with the item, they are free to reject it. The post office then sends it back to origin and yes somebody must pay for this.
These items are allocated bar codes at the sending / origin office. This means that once posted, they can be traceable until they reach the delivery / destination office.
The Message
If you have anything to sell that can be posted through the post office, should you be an entrepreneur, SMEs or a big company, you are welcome to use this service. This service is good and even more relevant in today's world of e-commerce.
If you are a buyer but have no means of collecting your item, simply inform the seller that such a service exists in the post office. If you are in Swaziland, you can call 00268 3405 2000 to talk to a manager that will engage your chosen shop to assure them of the COD delivery service.
Note: This post will be updated continuously as more information is gathered about this service
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