<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Australian parcel and courier service Sendle has suddenly ceased operations, leaving </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/business" rel="" target="_blank" title="small businesses"><span>small businesses</span></a><span> in limbo.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Sendle, founded in 2014, sent an email to customers informing them that the service will be halting all bookings "effective immediately" from yesterday, January 11.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"If you have any existing or scheduled bookings with us: Any parcels that have already been picked up and are in transit will be delivered at the discretion of the delivery partner," the message reads.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/iran-protests-hundreds-dead-in-crackdown-activists-say/3a4d312e-bb85-46d1-ba08-4115eb5dee61" target="_blank"><strong><span>Hundreds dead in mass Iran protests, activists say</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/villawood-detention-centre-death-sydney/63521b86-cd52-427c-a381-5a6f617d5980" target="_blank"><strong><span>Man charged after man dies at Sydney immigration centre</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Any existing bookings scheduled for pickup on 12 January or later will be cancelled."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Sendle also apologised to users for the inconvenience but did not give a reason for the shutdown.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/parcel-service-sendle-ceases-operations-in-australia/3744ab01-386d-45fa-a37b-deac2de7615d" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The parcel service said it has shipped more than 65 million parcels across three countries since it began operations.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It was primarily used by small businesses.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Small business owner Alicia Segal, the co-founder of Australian breast pump business Bubka, said she had been blindsided by the shutdown.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/donald-trump-usa-venezuela-nicolas-maduro-cuba-warning/4dbceeef-4e57-4e07-b152-d4e2ba1e9bdd" target="_blank"><strong><span>With Cuban ally Maduro ousted, Trump warns Havana to make a 'deal' before it's too late</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We usually alternate between Sendle and </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/australia-post" rel="" target="_blank" title=" Australia Post"><span>Australia Post</span></a><span>. With the ongoing frustrations around Australia Post, we were in the process of moving all our postage to Sendle - so this update has left us feeling high and dry," Segal told nine.com.au.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Segal said Sendle was "generally much cheaper" than using Australia Post for all parcel deliveries.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>On its website, Sendle bills itself as less expensive than parcel post and express post.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A Sendle three-kilogram parcel is priced at $13.20.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The same weighted parcel costs $19.30 to ship with Australia Post.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Sendle raised $45 million during a funding round in 2021 to help it expand to the US.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Sendle has been contacted for comment.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. 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