Fleur Layden at the Courier Mail has the story claiming that the Trading Post division of Telstra owned Sensis is in discussion with Australia Post about an escrow arrangement to offer buyer protection for expensive items.
While I don’t see this move as them taking on eBay, it would have been courteous if Trading Post had talked with newsagents, their more natural partners. While sales of the Trading Post have tanked, we all still carry it in our stores. Partnering with Australia Post is flawed because the 863 or so Government owned outlets are open 25 hours a week less than newsagencies.
To take on eBay, Trading Post needs to be more competitive on price, provide tools for better quality ads and address eBay’ weaknesses such as ticket scalping.
Newagents wouldn’t have the facility to get together to anable people to pay at one point and the seller to receive the money at another, and it would be large sums of money. My local newsagent has trouble paying me $500 for a powerball win. Newsagents are very independent and something financial like this would be a nightmare to organize. I think your feelings about Australia Post are making you unrealistic about anything they are involved in.