23 March 2012

Australia Post - Getting Parcels delivered

| smarttdj
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I live in the Oracle apartments in Belconnen.

Does anyone else living in an apartment in either Belconnen or Canberra seem to have problems getting parcels delivered?

In my case the deliverer doesn’t seem to even leave a card saying they’ve called, which means I have no way of knowing whether or not I’ve received something.

Anyone else with this problem or is it just me?

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I’ve just registered with Australia Post Parcel Collect so I get a street address for deliveries. I ordered a Blu-ray box set from Amazon. It accepted the Australia Post Parcel Collect address. I’ve just been called by Amazon deliveries in Australia and they told me Australia Post will not permit them to deliver to Parcel Collect street addresses. I live in apartment and work 7 am to 5 pm. My employer does not permit deliveries of personal parcels at work. My options are just use my residential address and hope a card is left and I pick up from some warehouse or I just don’t shop from Amazon anymore.

geekette said :

According to the letter in my Queanbeyan PO Box, from Tues 10 April, the new Queanbeyan Post Office at 148 Crawford St will have “a 24/7 zone that contains … parcel lockers for post office box customers..accessible outside of business hours”

‘Yes, Belconnen has this and has been using it for years. Works well (providing they put the key to the parcel locker into your PO box so you know its there – I have had that happen as well).

Great for parcels that don’t need a signature but useless for those that do.

According to the letter in my Queanbeyan PO Box, from Tues 10 April, the new Queanbeyan Post Office at 148 Crawford St will have “a 24/7 zone that contains … parcel lockers for post office box customers..accessible outside of business hours”

Mr Evil said :

Holden Caulfield said :

JessP said :

I also have a PO box in Belconnen and have probelms even getting a card there, to tell me there is a parcel (that needs to be signature before delivery) for pick up. I have had a couple of embarassing incidents with them over the last tfew months where, after not receiving a parcel for several weeks (and checking with the PO staff in the mornings continually over that period) I have complained to the sender of the parcels only to be told (by the person/company sending the parcel to me) that the parcel is in fact waiting for collection and of course they would have placed a card in the PO box to tell me……..

I have had a GPO Box for almost 20 years now (great for when I was share housing back in the day and moving around a bit) and can’t recall ever missing a parcel notification when I was expecting one.

Yeah the parking is not great in Civic, but I usually swing past on my way to work, around 8am when the service door opens (just to left of main entry), and find that pretty reliable.

Seems odd that you’re getting dud service with a PO Box setup.

I too have a Post Office box at the GPO, and while I find them normally very reliable as far as carding parcels is concerned, recently I have had at least two incidents where they’ve had my parcel sitting out back, but never left a card for me. For example, I was handed an item today that was actually dated as being delivered to the GPO on the 13th March – without it ever having been carded to my box.

They obviously have their B-Team on duty in the GPO mail room at the moment, and it’s really noticeble when you go to the mailroom counter before 9am! The Asian lady who used to work there knew exactly where everything was, but the bloke and sheila currently on duty there seem to have no idea, and actually look completely puzzled most of the time!

And to the person who said that Amazon won’t send to a PO Box: I get all my Amazon parcels sent to my GPO Box, no problems at all.

+1

Our local Post Office where our box is (Belconnen), used to be very very good but the standard has gone down over the last couple of years. Seems to be a lot more casual staff, who have a very casual attitude!

VYBerlinaV8_is_back10:23 am 27 Mar 12

We have an Indian guy who delivers parcels, and he always knocks on the door, and has time for a quick but friendly hello. Top bloke.

Holden Caulfield9:44 am 27 Mar 12

Mr Evil said :

The Asian lady who used to work there knew exactly where everything was…

She’s really good, hope she’s just enjoying a holiday.

I had to collect something this morning (delivered and notified today), but was just after 9, so joined the long queue.

crackerpants9:13 am 27 Mar 12

We have a PO Box for all our mail. Contrary to a previous poster, I’ve found that the vast majority of online stores will deliver to a PO Box, even if they insist on a street address. A quick phone call can usually sort things out. And when large items have had to be delivered by courier, the courier companies have usually been professional. I certainly wouldn’t keep putting up with missed deliveries and the other problems described here for the sake of $90 a year. Our PO Box is in a town centre where we work, but our local shops have them too, so there are plenty of options for convenient, parking-hassle-free, secure access to mail and parcels.

Holden Caulfield said :

JessP said :

I also have a PO box in Belconnen and have probelms even getting a card there, to tell me there is a parcel (that needs to be signature before delivery) for pick up. I have had a couple of embarassing incidents with them over the last tfew months where, after not receiving a parcel for several weeks (and checking with the PO staff in the mornings continually over that period) I have complained to the sender of the parcels only to be told (by the person/company sending the parcel to me) that the parcel is in fact waiting for collection and of course they would have placed a card in the PO box to tell me……..

I have had a GPO Box for almost 20 years now (great for when I was share housing back in the day and moving around a bit) and can’t recall ever missing a parcel notification when I was expecting one.

Yeah the parking is not great in Civic, but I usually swing past on my way to work, around 8am when the service door opens (just to left of main entry), and find that pretty reliable.

Seems odd that you’re getting dud service with a PO Box setup.

I too have a Post Office box at the GPO, and while I find them normally very reliable as far as carding parcels is concerned, recently I have had at least two incidents where they’ve had my parcel sitting out back, but never left a card for me. For example, I was handed an item today that was actually dated as being delivered to the GPO on the 13th March – without it ever having been carded to my box.

They obviously have their B-Team on duty in the GPO mail room at the moment, and it’s really noticeble when you go to the mailroom counter before 9am! The Asian lady who used to work there knew exactly where everything was, but the bloke and sheila currently on duty there seem to have no idea, and actually look completely puzzled most of the time!

And to the person who said that Amazon won’t send to a PO Box: I get all my Amazon parcels sent to my GPO Box, no problems at all.

That’s just given me an idea. A ‘Postie trap gate’. It’s hidden, and when the postie drives into your driveway the gate slams shut. He can’t get out until there has been a successful parcel delivery!

Not so good for those without driveways, but I’m sure we can modify the gate to suit!

I’ve been considering getting of those thingies that lay across your driveway and “ding” when a car tyre passes over, so that they can’t get away with this any more.

Holden Caulfield12:10 pm 26 Mar 12

JessP said :

I also have a PO box in Belconnen and have probelms even getting a card there, to tell me there is a parcel (that needs to be signature before delivery) for pick up. I have had a couple of embarassing incidents with them over the last tfew months where, after not receiving a parcel for several weeks (and checking with the PO staff in the mornings continually over that period) I have complained to the sender of the parcels only to be told (by the person/company sending the parcel to me) that the parcel is in fact waiting for collection and of course they would have placed a card in the PO box to tell me……..

I have had a GPO Box for almost 20 years now (great for when I was share housing back in the day and moving around a bit) and can’t recall ever missing a parcel notification when I was expecting one.

Yeah the parking is not great in Civic, but I usually swing past on my way to work, around 8am when the service door opens (just to left of main entry), and find that pretty reliable.

Seems odd that you’re getting dud service with a PO Box setup.

I’ve just had the same problem today. Waited all morning for a parcel to arrive. Decided to check the mail box, and there was a card, “Sorry, We Missed You”.

Bloody liars – they didn’t even try.

It’s an absolute disgrace. We pay for a service and get jackshit.

Felix the Cat7:33 pm 25 Mar 12

My postie is great no complaints. Well one very minor grizzle, if I get an attempted delivery and I’m not home the driver leaves the card tucked in my front screen door which advertises the fact that nobody is home. They used to leave the card in the letterbox which was a better idea but I think for some reason it is policy now to leave it at the front door.

I-filed said :

It’s actually worse when Australia Post leave parcels on your doorstep, which they routinely do unless the parcels are registered. I don’t want parcels left at my door in view of the street all day! I prefer to pick them up from the post office. When I rang to complain, Australia Post told me their policy is that, unless it’s a flat, and unless it’s a registered item, they will leave the parcel. This “change to their policy” sounds to be unofficial and driven by laziness and convenience to them.

I actually have a little window nook near my front door that would be perfect for most packages to be left, that wouldn’t be visible from the gate for any opportunistic thief. But on the rare occasions they’ve just left packages, they’re leaning against the front door in plain view.

I’ve given up and just get stuff delivered to work (although this doesn’t work for large appliances, for example). I’m a shift worker though, so if the delivery is likely on my night shifts or days off I sometimes risk it. More often than not even if I am expecting the courier / Aus Post contractor I end up with a card, whether they attempt delivery on most occasions or not is debatable. I live in a townhouse, not apartments, but the front door is on a main street. I recently had a doorbell installed as I can’t hear knocking from upstairs unless I am expected it. My main annoyance is that my stuff gets left at the Civic GPO, which is way on the other side of Civic and Braddon from where I live and has no free nearby parking other than the 10 minute loading zone which is normally occupied. Dickson or even O’Connor would be closer and more convenient, and O’Connor is open Saturday morning. I also work way on the other side of Civic. Paying for delivery to your door to end up having to take an hour of your day off to go collect or use up your entire lunch hour is annoying, and Aus Post don’t redeliver even if you are sure they didn’t attempt delivery the first time.

I live at Red Hill and have had an ongoing problem (11 years) getting mail etc delivered. I either don’t get my mail or I get mail meant for another address at Red Hill. Despite numerous complaints to Australia Post and having been told the problem has been rectified it still happens. As I said to Aust Post on one occasion “Do you check that staff can read English and a street directory”?

Shinigami_Josh9:49 am 25 Mar 12

rosscoact said :

I live in Gunners and my Aust Post delivery guy is outstanding, never a problem. But then again I have instructions to leave at the front door if not at home.

I have serious issue with the safe drop practice; much as according to the procedures it should only be placed in a safe location not able to be seen from the front of the property; yet i have on multiple occasion stuff dropped behind a pillar that could only be not seen if you were right in front; to either side you could see it, also it was raining and so they left it there. I was lucky it wasnt broken by the rain or stolen (it had an xbox 360 in it).

I live in Gunners and my Aust Post delivery guy is outstanding, never a problem. But then again I have instructions to leave at the front door if not at home.

Lazy I said :

PantsMan said :

Given that AusPost is going bust, why dont the just get people to register email adresses and tell you when there is something to pick up from the post office?

Which is exactly what this is….

http://auspost.com.au/personal/parcel-lockers.html

That is awesome – first time I’ve seen this, and I really hope the trials are successful and this is rolled out nation wide. That is exactly what I want.

Darkfalz said :

I pay for delivery to my door, not to have to make a trip into town using my whole lunch hour or on my day off to collect what should have been delvered to my door. My stuff gets left at the Canberra GPO which is way on the other side of Braddon/Civic to me, and has virtually no (free) close parking except for a few 5 minute spots in front which are usually full. Why they can’t leave it at the O’Connor shops (which is open Saturday morning) or even the little Newsagent/Aus post outlet in Braddon – even Dickson is beyond me.

These days I usually get stuff delivered to work, but being a shift worker means sometimes a week before I’ll be at work on a weekday during business hours, so if the delivery is due to arrive during my days off I optimistically try to get it delivered then, usually to end up having to go collect it from Civic anyway.

Did you even bother to read the link? This would be a 24 hour facility, so concerns about parking, having to waste your lunch break, etc etc are irrelevant. Even if your shift was after hours, you’d still be able to collect your parcel on the way to or from work – with the bonus of not being woken up by a delivery if you needed to sleep during the day.

Seriously, I’d pay another dollar or two for this type of service – no having to rush to try to get to the post office before it closes, before waiting in line with everyone else doing the same thing – but they’re doing it for free. In essence, it’s the ability to choose to have parcels delivered to a temporary PO box. I’m surprised, impressed, and it can’t get here soon enough.

Lazy I said :

PantsMan said :

Given that AusPost is going bust, why dont the just get people to register email adresses and tell you when there is something to pick up from the post office?

Which is exactly what this is….

http://auspost.com.au/personal/parcel-lockers.html

I pay for delivery to my door, not to have to make a trip into town using my whole lunch hour or on my day off to collect what should have been delvered to my door. My stuff gets left at the Canberra GPO which is way on the other side of Braddon/Civic to me, and has virtually no (free) close parking except for a few 5 minute spots in front which are usually full. Why they can’t leave it at the O’Connor shops (which is open Saturday morning) or even the little Newsagent/Aus post outlet in Braddon – even Dickson is beyond me.

I live in a townhouse with a secure yard with gate. It doesn’t stop the drivers from just card dropping (problem is the parking / driveway is at the back door, the front door is on the main street). I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve been home, waiting for a delivery, only to check the mailbox and find a bloody card left by the courier or Aus post contractor. And they refuse to re-deliver!

These days I usually get stuff delivered to work, but being a shift worker means sometimes a week before I’ll be at work on a weekday during business hours, so if the delivery is due to arrive during my days off I optimistically try to get it delivered then, usually to end up having to go collect it from Civic anyway.

I have a PO Box at the Erindale Centre and really can’t complain about the service I get there. Never had a lost parcel, the card is always there when i suspect there should be one.

Also its very rare for an australian business to not deliver to a PO Box unless they use a courier in which case I give them my office address.

PantsMan said :

Given that AusPost is going bust, why dont the just get people to register email adresses and tell you when there is something to pick up from the post office?

This is a furphy PantsMan. We deal with Aussie Post all day every day. Prior to last financial year, Aus Post revenue was on the slide, no doubts about that. But, at the start of the previous fin year they kicked off with what they called their Future Ready business transformation, recognising their core business had changed, and that for longevity they need to change and transform their entire operating models.

Last fin year, they posted a pre-tax profit of $330 million. Note that is a proft, not a loss. The previous fin year was from memory in the order of $250 million. So in one fin year they improved the bottom line some $80 million profit – a huge deal of it coming from parcels (our main transaction with them).

Aus Post are doing well and are not going bust.

PantsMan said :

Given that AusPost is going bust, why dont the just get people to register email adresses and tell you when there is something to pick up from the post office?

Which is exactly what this is….

http://auspost.com.au/personal/parcel-lockers.html

What I don’t get is this. Regular post revenues are falling. Yet the number of parcels sent is increasing. But instead of making sure they provide a first class parcel service, they’re making it even harder to get deliveries.

I like PantsMan’s suggestion. Give me the option of registering an email address. When a parcel for my address arrives, it never hits one of their contractor vans, and is held in a central collection centre that’s open after hours – say until 7pm – so I can collect it on the way home from work.

Give people the option to bypass the dodgy contractors who don’t even bother to attempt delivery, and see how quickly their attitude changes.

Canberra was the WORST place I’ve ever lived in for having parcels delivered.

I used to live in Evatt, and one Christmas after being away on holiday for 6 days came home to find a ‘missed you’ card tucked into the screen on my front door. It was dated the day after I left for my hols. Well thank you Australia Post for advertising that I had just been away for a week! I made many complaints to Aust Post, but I really don’t think they give two hoots.

Many times I would be home all day and would find a card in the mailbox, the mailbox was no more than 3 steps from my front door. Seriously. When I enquried about that the lady at the PO counter told me the van drivers must not leave the van unattended. So I said oh really, so why do they sometimes leave the card stuck in the front door then? Oh well that can’t be one of our drivers she says. Yes well whatever.

I think they make up their own rules as they go along.

I’ve since moved from the ACT, and can honestly say even in a small regional area every single postie or courier driver comes up my long driveway, knocks on the door, has a chat about the weather, and leaves with a wave. Call the country backwards if you like but I have not had any mail problems since I’ve been here.

Shinigami_Josh10:15 pm 23 Mar 12

PantsMan said :

Given that AusPost is going bust, why dont the just get people to register email adresses and tell you when there is something to pick up from the post office?

there is a trial like this in syd/melb and possibly brissy; basically you get a parcel then they give you a txt you go to the automated lockers then you insert your one time pin then you get your package (meant to be open extended to 24 hrs once package at a time but sounds useful

PantsMan said :

Given that AusPost is going bust, why dont the just get people to register email adresses and tell you when there is something to pick up from the post office?

Going Bust?

I pinched the below info from their website

Australia Post is a Government Business Enterprise (GBE), Australia Post is subject to the particular requirements of the Australian Postal Corporation Act, and the Commonwealth Authorities and Companies Act, as well as the government’s Governance Arrangements for Commonwealth Government Business Enterprises External Link.

Within the Australian Government, the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy has portfolio responsibility for Australia Post. Under a dual shareholder model, overall responsibility is shared with the Minister for Finance and Deregulation.

fabforty said :

I recently had this issue with Amazon who insisted they had to deliver to street address because they needed a signature. I eventually gave them my work address and phone extension. My parcel ended up being left with all the incoming mail at the reception desk.

Silly buggers. It all ends up at the PO, my stuff certainly does, which is fine as I can get it on the way to work, sign their little machine, got my parcel. I ordered something from Amazon and to my horror, after checking out, it said some courier mob were bringing it. Crap. They are impossible, they leave a card inviting you to visit their depot, in business hours, in whoop-whoop. Great.

But no, the actual card that turned up in my letterbox was from australia post. apparently some couriers have now outsourced the last bit to Aus Post. And that’s OK, thanks to the parcel room being open from 5am!

Given that AusPost is going bust, why dont the just get people to register email adresses and tell you when there is something to pick up from the post office?

The Australia Post parcel contractors are either completely stupid or completely lazy. My wife has just finished up 12 months of leave, and during that time she witnessed several cards left in the box, several items left at the door (including several that required a signature) and on at least one occasion; a “fragile” item dropped at the doorstep from waist height… The outsourcing of parcel delivery has come at a great cost of goodwill from the public…

phototext said :

If they deliver the parcel then you won’t have to go into an Australia Post shop and then you won’t be tempted to purchase one of their many wonderful products they fill the place up with these days, such as Crocodile Dundee II on DVD for only $29.95.

God forbid you go in looking for an envelope though.

Tuggeranong Business Centre do open their parcel pickup in the early morning, before the shop though!

Yep, happening to me also.

They are not leaving the card, and when I chase up the parcel, it’s been sitting at the Tuggeranong Business Centre for a up to a fortnight in once case recently.

Woody Mann-Caruso7:32 pm 23 Mar 12

I’d *love* our slack-arsed postal contractor to leave our parcel in the front yard, or even a ‘missed ya’ card hurled in the direction of the house from the footpath. But no – we got to settle for having our mail for – let’s say 10 Smith Street – delivered to 10 Jones St, and vice versa.

No huge dramas – the streets intersect, we each know where the other lives now, no big problem to walk around the corner. Until parcels weren’t being delivered to either address, and we both started receiving mail for, say, 10 Utterlyunf***ingrelated Boulevard on the other side of the suburb. And then, just before Christmas, we got a lovely parcel addressed to our street and number, but for a suburb in farking WESTERN AUSTRALIA.

Our daily postie is a top bloke. Give him the parcel van and let him deliver mail as well.

It’s actually worse when Australia Post leave parcels on your doorstep, which they routinely do unless the parcels are registered. I don’t want parcels left at my door in view of the street all day! I prefer to pick them up from the post office. When I rang to complain, Australia Post told me their policy is that, unless it’s a flat, and unless it’s a registered item, they will leave the parcel. This “change to their policy” sounds to be unofficial and driven by laziness and convenience to them.

The whole post thing drives me crazy. I live in units but have my own PO box because the mail boxes where I live are always being broken into.

Most on-line businesses wont deliver to PO Boxes – only to street addresses. I’m not sure how many people these days can sit at home for days waiting for parcels to be delivered, but that is another story. If I provide my home address I risk them either leaving at my front door for anyone passing by to nick, or (here’s the irony) they leave a card telling me to collect my parcel from…you guessed it…. the post office.

I recently had this issue with Amazon who insisted they had to deliver to street address because they needed a signature. I eventually gave them my work address and phone extension. My parcel ended up being left with all the incoming mail at the reception desk.

On another occasion I contacted an on-line shop to explain my dilemma. She told me to write my address as “care of” my local post office. That was OK, but my actual PO Box number was not acceptable.

A former Aust Post Contractor told me that he’d spend a couple of hours in the morning delivering the ‘i missed you’ cards, 4-5 hours on the golf course, and then he’d drop off the parcels at the post office in the afternoon. Easy work…

I live in Belco and buy a lot of crap online… for me, this has started happening after Christmas. Perhaps we got a new contractor… in any case, I’ve half been relying on Australia Post’s online tracking system for my parcels as I’ve been able to receive emails when my parcel is in the system somewhere. I don’t know if it tracks all parcels but it’s pretty cool.

http://auspost.com.au/personal/my-deliveries.html

phototext said :

If they deliver the parcel then you won’t have to go into an Australia Post shop and then you won’t be tempted to purchase one of their many wonderful products they fill the place up with these days, such as Crocodile Dundee II on DVD for only $29.95.

God forbid you go in looking for an envelope though.

That’s one thing Quangers has over Canberra. They open the parcel room at 5am, you can grab stuff through the window until 9am. I hope that continues when they re-locate due to K-mart taking over the Quean B.

If they deliver the parcel then you won’t have to go into an Australia Post shop and then you won’t be tempted to purchase one of their many wonderful products they fill the place up with these days, such as Crocodile Dundee II on DVD for only $29.95.

God forbid you go in looking for an envelope though.

You are not alone.

I dont live in Oracle or any apartment – I live in a house and I cant get a parcel delivered! If I am lucky, parcels address to my home address may result in a card in the letter box, but the parcel post delivery people never knock on the door.

I also have a PO box in Belconnen and have probelms even getting a card there, to tell me there is a parcel (that needs to be signature before delivery) for pick up. I have had a couple of embarassing incidents with them over the last tfew months where, after not receiving a parcel for several weeks (and checking with the PO staff in the mornings continually over that period) I have complained to the sender of the parcels only to be told (by the person/company sending the parcel to me) that the parcel is in fact waiting for collection and of course they would have placed a card in the PO box to tell me……..

All complaints about the fact I have never received a card and had asked about the parcel multiple times (always being assured there was nothing for me) are met with silence from Australia Post.

The other thing is to be certain who you should be sending your complaint to.

In my case there were two separate incidents:

1) Aust Post contractor leaving the parcel in my front yard AND leaving a “missed you” card. The missed you card caused a bit of confusion at the post office when they couldn’t find the parcel, because it was hidden in a bush in my front yard!

2) Air Express leaving no note indicating that they’d attempted delivery. Luckily I was able to use the tracking number provisioned by the seller to discovered that it had been sitting at my local post office for several days.

So, be sure to know who you should complain to before you actually do.

There’s a loooong thread on whirlpool about this. Many of the Australia Post people especially the van drivers are contractors, so less accountable once they’ve got the contract. Many accounts of people sitting in their home/apartment watching the Aus Post guy put a red card in their letterbox, not even attempting to deliver the actual parcel. There’s a few anecdotes of people running out and catching the driver, only to discover that the parcel isn’t even IN the van!

This happens all the time in Wanniassa. We’ve had this issue for four years now, and no amount of complaining to Australia Post or the local post office makes any difference. I sometimes have a whinge on Facebook and Twitter when it happens, and it seems to be a national phenomenon. My guess is that AusPost don’t pay their drivers enough to hang around, so they’re constantly training new ones.

There’s not much that can be done. I now put a reminder in my phone for three weeks after I order anything and if I don’t have it when the reminder comes up, I go down to the Post Office and ask. About half the times I’ve done this, it’s just sitting there. I failed to do this once and I got a message from the retailer in Hong Kong asking me to confirm my address because it had been returned!

The other thing I’ve managed a few times (though not very often) is to convince the retailer not to use Australia Post. Almost impossible for offshore orders, and even Australian retailers can be difficult, but other companies actually deliver the services they promise.

AusPost do have a complaints system, which I’ve used, but it does no good. I’ve never tried the Postal Industry Ombudsman, but that might be another course of action if you’ve already tried complaining directly.

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