“Only cares about the big ones”: Swiss Post terminates package contract for small business owner Maurice Gauch’s online shop

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Small entrepreneur Maurice Gauch (21) has been running the aeroshop.ch online store for more than two years. There he sells travel-related items such as rolling suitcases for children or Swiss model airplanes. Delivery will be made via post. “I have shipped over 1,000 orders in the last twelve months,” says Gauch. So far he has a contract with the yellow giant.

But that’s over now: prices for letters and parcels will rise from 2024, the Post Office announced in July. Therefore, in September, he terminated the contract with Gauch at the end of the year. So far, small businesses like Gauch have benefited from a special discount for takeaway orders of 750 or more per year. Gauch will now need to ship at least 5,000 packages to benefit from the lower prices. But his shop is not that big. There is still a sale discount. But for Gauch, this will only be a drop in the ocean.

Additionally, the weight class between two and five kilograms has been abolished at the post office: If the weight of the package is more than two kilograms, you pay the same fee for up to ten kilograms.

“For SMEs, it makes a big difference whether the cost of the package is one franc more or less,” Gauch told Blick. Therefore, the new solution offered by the post office is not an alternative for him. He says the post office barely bothered with Gauch: “I sorted the packages myself and loaded them into the wheelchair myself.”

Gauch feels abandoned

Swiss Post believes that SMEs can still benefit from attractive prices. “We are in daily contact with our private and commercial customers to review their concerns,” a spokesperson told Blick.

The yellow giant informed all its customers about the new pricing model. This affects 5,200 business customers. “The majority is actively informed about pricing measures.”

Gauch feels let down by the post office: “It seems to me that the post office only deals with large customers. Everything else is bycatch.”

Transition to competition

The Post Office argues the price changes affect everyone, including large customers. He also emphasizes that price increases are necessary. On the one hand, due to the decrease in the volume of letters and the decrease in transactions at post office counters, and on the other hand, due to inflation.

Gauch has now found a solution: He is moving to DPD starting next week. “It’s cheaper for me and DPD buys the packages itself,” says Gauch. He saves a good franc per pack by switching.

Source :Blick