Checking dispatch locations before choosing a supplier

Use the SKU–destination origin check before choosing a supplier for an offer that depends on dispatch location. It ties the supplier’s answer to the exact product variant and Australian destination, rather than relying on an Australian office or an “AU stock” badge.

Record the result as supplier-confirmed, variable or unverified. Make a customer-facing location claim only when the record supports it.

Identify the location behind the listing

Give the supplier the product, variant and supplier SKU. Request a written answer for an ordinary single-item order: where the stock dispatches from, at the level of country, state or city, and whether the origin can change with stock allocation, transfers or substitutions.

Treat an answer as supplier-confirmed only when it identifies the exact SKU and variant, states the dispatch origin and explains whether that origin may vary. Mark it variable when the supplier names multiple possible origins; mark it unverified if the answer is generic or omits the origin. A written reply records the supplier’s claim, not independent proof of the physical stock location.

Record the reply, the date and the person who answered. Keep the customer-facing claim no more precise than the location the supplier has substantiated.

Check the route to your customers

Provide representative Australian delivery postcodes. For each one, ask whether the exact SKU can be dispatched there, where it will dispatch from and whether any origin-related exceptions apply. Record destinations the supplier cannot confirm separately.

Keep one record per SKU and destination group, including the stated origin, date checked, whether it varies and any destination limits. Split groups when the origin differs. A distant supplier can mean longer delivery times and higher freight costs; importing from overseas may involve extra fees and customs duties. A local warehouse does not guarantee fast processing.

Key Considerations When Checking Dispatch Routes

Use a controlled order carefully

For a shortlisted supplier, consider ordering the exact variant to a relevant destination. Compare the acknowledgement and tracking events with the stated route, and ask about any mismatch. A label can be created before handover, and an early carrier scan may occur away from the warehouse; neither alone proves the precise stock location.

One parcel shows only the route used for that order, not every possible stock allocation. Ask how the supplier will tell you if stock moves, a SKU becomes overseas-only or an order is split between locations.

Decide what you can tell buyers

If the supplier confirms one origin for the SKU and destination, say: “This item dispatches from [confirmed location].” Use only the precision confirmed; if the answer identifies a country but not a city, name the country only. Do not claim Australian dispatch unless the supplier confirms an Australian origin for that SKU and destination.

If the origin varies, say: “Dispatch origin may vary between [listed locations] depending on stock allocation.” Include only locations the supplier named. If the origin remains unverified, omit the location claim rather than inferring it from an Australian office, an “AU stock” badge or one parcel’s tracking.

The ACCC educates consumers and businesses about their rights and responsibilities under consumer law, and accepts reports where people consider a business has done something it should not. Keep the dated SKU-and-destination record behind the wording, and recheck it when the supplier reports a change to stock allocation or dispatch origin.