Start-up that hailed itself as a major rival to Australia Post suddenly shuts down operations, cancelling all deliveries
A postal service that promised to provide faster and cheaper deliveries than Australia Post has shut down its operations without warning, just months after a merger with two US companies.
Sendle advised customers on Sunday that it would no longer be completing deliveries.
‘I am sorry to let you know that, effective immediately, Sendle will be halting all bookings for parcel pickup and delivery,’ the email obtained by Daily Mail read.
‘Any parcels that have already been picked up and are in transit will be delivered at the discretion of the delivery partner.
‘Any existing bookings scheduled for pickup on January 12 or later will be cancelled.’
Online marketplace eBay was among its delivery partners.
Questions about existing Sendle deliveries were directed to ‘the relevant delivery partner’.
‘We understand this may be disruptive to your business and we apologise for any inconvenience caused,’ it added.
Australian-based postal service Sendle has shut down its operations without notice
The Australian start-up had promised to provide faster and cheaper deliveries than Australia Post
‘Since Sendle started, we are proud to have helped shape the small business parcel industry for the better, including sending more than 65million parcels across three countries and delivering more responsible, carbon-neutral shipping for small businesses and the world.
‘We thank you for all your support.’
Founded in Australia in 2014, Sendle recently created a merger with two US-based delivery services – FirstMile and ACI Logistix.
In August, the three companies created FAST Group, which offered deliveries in the US, Australia, Canada, India and the Philippines.
Headquartered in California, the new holding company aimed to create a ‘dynamic ecosystem’ for e-commerce shipping, serving everything from small businesses.
‘Each of these three companies have a proud history of cultivating distinct strengths and deep insights into their respective customer needs,’ FAST Group CEO Keith Somers said at the time.
‘By combining our capabilities under FAST Group, we’re creating a complete and powerful logistics ecosystem that can support customers through their entire growth path, as they adapt and compete in an ever-evolving ecommerce landscape.’
However, one of Sendle’s key investors began having issues in December.
Sendle informed its customers of its closure in an email (pictured) on Sunday
Federation Asset Management, which held a majority stake in Sendle and a minor share of FAST Group, closed its fund for Sendle, citing ‘significant deficiencies’ in ACI Logistix’s financial statements discovered post-merger.
No resolution has been announced as of Saturday.
FAST Group now faces the real threat of filing for US bankruptcy protection if financing falls through.
Daily Mail has contacted Sendle, FirstMile and ACI Logistix for comment.
