How Would You Improve Aussie Delivery Services?

74 responses to “How Would You Improve Aussie Delivery Services?”

1. 

   Brendon

   March 22, 2012

   I’m hoping Australia Post adopts the Postal Delivery Locker long term, I’m part of the trial and and it’s been great. Working in the CBD and catching Public Transport meant that getting large parcels to the office could be an issue. The Parcel Locker has been great in terms of the convenience of 24*7 and SMS / Email updates on when parcels are ready and confirmation that I have picked them up.

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2. 

   Mike

   March 22, 2012

   I’ve had many a “you’re not in” card dumped in my mailbox while I’ve been home. The cards usually have a completely illegible tracking code scrawled on it and usually the wrong post office for collection. Why they don’t have a portable printer I’ll never know. That could also be used to identify time the delivery person was there.

   I’ve also had items dropped over my fence into a muddy garden during a downpour when I have a perfectly serviceable front verendah. Again, I’ve usually been home when the delivery was made.

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   1. 

      Michael

      March 22, 2012

      You know you can report the guy for doing that. When you go to pick up the parcel, you simply tell the person behind the desk that you were home all day & there wasn’t ever a knock at the door, and that you found the “you’re not in” card in your letter box. It happened to me a little while ago and i mentioned it just in passing, and the guy behind the counter said he would look into it. I don’t know if that means any real action was taken, but it sounds good…

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      1. 

         Cheryl

         March 22, 2012

         I’ve tried that Michael. The response I got from the counter worker was “I’m sorry but they are a contractor and we have no control over them”. If you want to complain don’t bother telling the guys behind the counter, go higher up.

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         1. 

            Dave C

            March 22, 2012

            What you need to do is call up Australia POST, make a complaint and they’ll give you a number. Write this number down and keep it in a safe place. If you keep getting the same problem, continue to make complaints with the same number and it gets escalated. I ended up getting the manager of the local distrbution centre deliver my items personally, with many appoligies.

            The staff at the POST office either can’t do anything about it, or don’t care. The people running the Wembley store in WA clearly don’t want to know and do not care.

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         2. 

            In the Know

            March 22, 2012

            Mike & Michael –

            The vast majority of postmen are dedicated staff who service their clients properly. However in your cases I would suggest taking each matter up with Post’s Customer Service line on 13 1318, reporting the issue and when it occurred. In these matters, timely reporting is most effective.

            When you report your complaint this way , the matter becomes part of an official enquiry at the local level and feedback to you is generally provided within 48 hours. There may be a legitimate reason for not leaving your item at the door or in the mailbox, however a warning or disciplinary action may occur if one is not provided.

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   2. 

      Stove

      March 22, 2012

      Yesterday we had a ‘you’re not in’ card dropped in out letterbox. We went to collect the package, and on the way home realised it wasn’t for us – it was a different street address in a different suburb. The only similarity was the person had the same (very common) last name as my partner.

      If they don’t check the street address to deliver to or that the parcel recipients name matches your ID, something is wrong with the system.

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      1. 

         MikeW

         March 22, 2012

         I made complaints about these guy. A supervisor turned up some time later to ask me to sign a letter saying that the service had improved when it hadn’t – and in fact I had another scribbled card from that morning to show him.

         I told him I wasn’t going to sign it, and I think he was going to cry.

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   3. 

      james

      March 22, 2012

      We’ve had the same thing. At home, come up at 9:30am, card in the mailbox saying that they tried to deliver at 10am and to go the local post office after 4pm.
      Complained about five times in person ( filled in the complaint form).

      The delivery drive must have got in trouble, they came tearing down our drive, honked the horn really loud (loud enough to get the neighbours out on their back verandah), then left a burn out on our driveway. Had to make another complaint – wondering if we’re going to get a special delivery… Had to start looking into security cameras for the gate and the driveway now.

      The worst one:

      We had one delivery driver decided to have a whizz in our driveway, my wife came and saw him doing his business. Then he blamed my wife for taking too long to come to the door. Complained and they just relocated him to a different area. Hopefully you don’t get that dude doing his business at your place.

      DHL drivers – professional, courteous, always buzz the gate. Carry the packages into the house. It’s a pity that DHL has the afternoon run outsourced to Australia – pretty crappy. We’ve asked them to delay the package and deliver them next morning.

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3. 

   Johann

   March 22, 2012

   I wouldn’t drop in a card on a Wednesday, dated for the Tuesday and say it was left because I was out when I’ve been in waiting for a parcel all day.

   I wouldn’t throw an expensive ‘FRAGILE’ parcel over my fence into my garden.

   I wouldn’t leave a similarly expensive parcel (that needed a signature) just on my porch.

   I wouldn’t put two items addressed to two different people in my household on one missed delivery card – meaning that if I went to pick up one they wouldn’t return the card (as they need) so that the other guy could pick up his parcel.

   I wouldn’t charge three times the price to send stuff to Europe as it does the other way around either now I think about it.

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4. 

   Steve

   March 22, 2012

   The usual principle of business applies: you get what you pay for. Aus Post is cheap and basic service and proper couriers cost a bit more. And with big stuff you are talking about a mail system so there will always be limits. There are no doubt improvements to be made but are you willing to pay for them through higher fees? Sounds like you want both cheaper and better….good luck.

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   1. 

      Keith

      March 22, 2012

      You must be a loaded if you think Aus Post is cheap.

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      1. 

         Keith

         March 22, 2012

         must be loaded *

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         1. 

            Steve

            March 22, 2012

            it’s about what it costs to provide the service not what you can afford to pay. Aus Post is at the cheapest, lowest service end of the market. proper couriers are of varying quality and price but the two are usually linked.

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   2. 

      Tom

      April 3, 2012

      Sometimes you don’t have a choice of which postage service to use. Mostly on Ebay it Aust Post.

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5. 

   Blake

   March 22, 2012

   I think the 24/7 lockers are basically just the way to go for most things. I’m never home during the week (working obviously) meaning there’s never anyone home to pick up anything.
   I think needing to take a whole day off in the hopes the delivery person will come to your door instead of throwing down a ‘You weren’t home’ card is ludicrous.

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   1. 

      Steven

      May 1, 2012

      That’s because you don’t know the real TRUTH. They have limited room in their bikes so those cards pre- filled in back at the post office and the cards are then added to the letters. Don’t let them BS you we have a 3rd worl delivery system

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6. 

   fury-s12

   March 22, 2012

   unfortunately the only way to imporve postal services in aus is to kick auspost into line, they are ridiculous and charge a premium for being ridiculous and other courier companies know this and charge a premium to be slightly better

   ive watched a parcel guy leave a card in my letterbox without even checking if i was home, ive had packages left on my easily visible doorstep, ive had packages jammed between my fly screen and actual door, ive had the fly screen left wide open with the package propped against it for all to see and the two worst, ive had a package poorly thrown at me because i happened to be near my driveway when the guy turned up so he thought why walk when i could just throw this package and ive had a package left in the pouring rain

   luckily for me on all but one of these occasions nothing has been damaged or ruined but in the one case there was damage, no one is willing to take responsibility, the post office representative (news agent) just said “oh went arent auspost, go to a real post office” the real post office just said “we dont handle complaints or damage issues call the head office” and of course the head office guys barely spoke english and just fobbed me off with a “sorry we take no liability but we will look into it bye”

   just recently infact we had multiple envelopes with cards/letters in them turn up sliced open at the bottom, in an obvious attempt to check for cash, now these letters only travelled within state in TASMANIA so from one major city to the only other major city, 2 post offices and 2 postal centers at the most, figuring out exactly who handled those letters would have been very very easy and yet through 3 phone calls to auspost it turns out “they have no way to find out who did it but an email would be sent to the postal centers, an email yea thatll fix it

   someone needs to bring auspost into line and hold them to some standards instead of allowing them to raise the cost fo everything and do nothing with the extra money, once that happens other companies will be forced to lower their prices to compete its simple as that really

   note: ive had absolutly zero issues with packages handled by courier companies and have found them to be generally high standard places hence my only gripe with them being cost

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   1. 

      Steve

      March 22, 2012

      so you’re saying that aus post is cheap and low service versus couriers who give good service but charge more? Amazing how everyone expects good quality to not come at a cost these days…

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7. 

   Ben

   March 22, 2012

   I’m getting sick to death of “Sorry we missed you” Happened to me AGAIN yesterday. This is not on – Whats the point of them delivering packages when they have no intent of GASP even knocking on the door???!!

   I have rung Auspost and complained numerous times with no result – I shall be contacting the ombudsman from now on.

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8. 

   rusty

   March 22, 2012

   Lockers are a great idea, but Post Offices staying open a little later than 5:00pm would be a bonus. Imagine if the closing time was 7:00pm, it would mean most of us could pick up our eagerly awaited stuff the same day (yes, I have also had the card-in-the-letterbox while I was at home. Grrr.).

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9. 

   Mazley

   March 22, 2012

   The Aus Post contractor who does deliveries in my area is probably the best I’ve ever seen – honks his horn as he pulls up to my address (giving me heaps of time to get to the door) – and he’s not some half drunk moron who owns a van.

   The place I lived previously, I’d know I had a delivery either when I checked my mailbox (for a missed delivery, despite me not being able to leave the house), or when I heard a thud on my front porch as he threw my parcel over the fence!

   Also, Aus Post likes to put packages that are addressed to the same address (even if there’s different names on the parcels) together, usually using tape, as they pay their contractors per item – even though the people sending the packages still pay full price (then pass that on to the consumer).

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10. 

    Tom

    March 22, 2012

    Like majority of the comments here i also have a lazy postman in Fortitude Valley in Brisbane. Often leaves cards without even ringing the door bell, the woman at the local post office told me that this was their policy if there were running late, however i find it hard to believe that writing on a card takes less time than ringing the door bell.

    A bit of care and pride in their job wouldn’t hurt anyone. If it says Fragile thats because it is!

    Another way they can certainly improve is with their tracking. I often buy from the states and UPS especially has amazing tracking, every time the parcel does anything it seems as though it is scanned and reported. Although there are is a lot more involved in getting a parcel from o/s it would be nice if there was more than just ‘parcel received’ and ‘onboard with driver’.

    I think that as other companies grow such as fastway and star track we will see some healthy competition and services will improve.

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11. 

    Morgan

    March 22, 2012

    Open parcel pickup locations (post offices, post shops) later and on weekends. Some are, more should be.

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    1. 

       Blake

       March 22, 2012

       This drives me crazy.

       I have a post office an eight minute walk from my house, it’s open til 530 and in Saturdays.

       It’s super convienent.

       But all of our packages are diverted to the next suburb over, (a ten minute drive) and they aren’t open in a Saturday.

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    2. 

       Apothus

       March 22, 2012

       Yeah this is my biggest gripe with Australia Post. We work most days so a “sorry i missed you” is how we get most of our parcels (when i dont get them sent to my office). This isnt a problem unless they deliver it on a friday in which case you need to wait untill Monday morning to pick it and you dont have the weekend to use the parts.

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12. 

    John

    March 22, 2012

    After hours delivery service. It costs a few $$ more but you can nominate the time you want it delivered. Most people work 5-9, why would I want a delivery driver to go to my house repeatedly when I am not home.
    They could also do after hours boxes. You get an SMS saying that this post office has it in this lockable box. This lockable box can contain multiple packages and can only be opened with a pin. Each delivery would go to its own lockable box. This would allow for after hours pickup also.

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13. 

    scootah

    March 22, 2012

    Transitional PO boxes. Go into a post office with your ID and request that all mail for your address (including packages) be held at a transitional PO box at a location of your choosing. Get a text message with the box number when a package arrives with the PIN. That PO box will continue to accumulate your mail until you show up to collect it or until you go 6 weeks without recieving mail at which time it’ll be RTS’d. 24 hour self collection. Central panel where you put your pin that tells you which box to collect from so they can shuffle your stuff if it gets too much for the first box, and photo capture of collector before release so no need to sign for a package.

    Like everyone else, I’ve SEEN the delivery guy walk to my letter box, put in the ‘you weren’t home card’ get back in his vehicle and drive away without getting my package out or even starting up my driveway letalone knocking.

    I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve tried to get up early or get home early enough to get to the post office and found them closed at times listed as open on their cards, or seen activity within the office but had no-one answer the early collection bell for long enough that I’ve had to leave so I could get to work. It’s just a waste of everyone’s time.

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14. 

    light487

    March 22, 2012

    One thing is to do with large objects. If it is being delivered to a block of units, even if it’s not a secure block, AusPost policy is to card you even if you are at home. They don’t even bother to find out if you’re home, they just card you as a matter of course. That needs to change. Either they need to refuse large parcels to units or they need to attempt delivery.. one way or the other I don’t care but you can’t have it the way it is with more and more unit blocks being built every year. The last time this happened to me, the boxes weren’t even that big.. and were certainly not heavy. I carried all 3 boxes in my hands without any problems and my wife could’ve done the same etc.

    Another thing that needs to change is the ExpressPost/eParcel system. Domestic ExpressPost needs to be overnight between metro areas, no excuses. When they do fail to deliver the next day all that happens is the sender gets a free satchel.. nothing more than that.. There’s no real accountability or punishment in this area for failing to deliver on time.

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15. 

    liz

    March 22, 2012

    delivery on saturdays

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16. 

    MotorMouth

    March 22, 2012

    It is easy for sellers to blame the delivery service but when I sell something on eBay, I always send it Express Post and the buyer ALWAYS receives it the day after (s)he pays for it. OTOH, things I buy on eBay take up to a week to arrive, even from local Sydney sellers. But compared to buying from Amazon’s marketplace, eBay is super-fast. I rarely get anything in less than 3 weeks from amazon and their standard postal charges are very expensive (more than $6 for one CD). So its all relative.

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17. 

    Weazley

    March 22, 2012

    I’ve actually bumped into the postman at my letter box, while he put in a “Sorry you weren’t here” card in. When I went off at him – because I was, well there and wanted my parcel, he stated that he hadn’t brought it with him. What do you mean you hadn’t brought it with you? What the hell do you actually get paid to do?

    Also definitely agree that policies for apartment blocks need to be addressed.

    The idea of the lockers is fantastic – and 24 hour access is a great idea, one that has taken way too long to implement.

    On the other hand as much as Aus Post annoys me, Royal Mail in the UK is worse – I don’t think anything I have ever sent ever arrived. When it is almost a necessity to get insurance to send anything? That is a problem! (Although at least most of the banks near me were open on Saturdays – wish more in Australia would do that!)

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18. 

    gingerbreadman

    March 22, 2012

    24/7 package lockers are the way to go.

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19. 

    Newman

    March 22, 2012

    How about delivery lockers at our houses? Much better than having to go to a post office to pick up. Aus Post could have a master key. They just drive around now and instead of dropping a card or dropping the pacakage on your porch, they ping it into the delivery locker! Nice one.

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20. 

    michael xion

    March 22, 2012

    I just get everything delivered to work. I live in a rural area and would never bother getting AusPost to deliver to home. Half the time the contractor can’t be bothered to deliver our normal mail – just saves it up until it’s enough of an effort for him to get out the van and put it in our mailbox.

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21. 

    Apothus

    March 22, 2012

    The general feel here is that the problem with parcels delivered through Australia Post is the contractors and store opening hours. It cannot be that hard to find contractors willing to do the job that they cannot keep a stricter control on their actions, it is simple, too many complaints over a period and they loose a bonus. As for the post offices, if the franchise post offices find it viable to be open on a Saturday then surely the government run post offices that dont need to to turn a proffit can be open on at least a Saturday!

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22. 

    Tyris

    March 22, 2012

    O god.. the entire last paragraph! A million times over!
    Your job is to deliver the package, its not that hard!!!
    Also, I’d love it if aus post stopped playing football with packages… I regularly get stuff shipped from overseas that arrives in a terrible state; and I know its not the overseas postal service that is at fault.

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23. 

    dazed1

    March 22, 2012

    I run a small, local record label and regularly send vinyl and CDs around in Australia. In the half or so year of operation AUS Post have lost 6 or so items and I now have to send via registered shipping. I know I probably should’ve in the first place but I wanted to keep things cheap for the fans and hell, it’s only a CD.

    It took them 2 weeks to send a CD from Northcote to Springvale (pretty much outter city to the suburbs). Not that far at all. It takes 5 days to send something from the states to here! The customer service is horrible as well.

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24. 

    Alan

    March 22, 2012

    Disclaimer: I used to work at Australia Post at their corporate HQ.

    Australia Post hates those idiot contractors who leave cards in your mailbox even if you’re home just as much as you do — but you need to phone Australia Post and report them before they can take any action against the contractor themselves: 13 POST (13 7678).

    They have a process for this scenario and they WILL act on reports made.

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    1. 

       luke

       March 23, 2012

       Thanks for letting me know, I’m expecting a package today (well yesterday, but i guess its not coming yesterday :P) if i just get a card I’ll call up.

       cheers

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25. 

    dazed1

    March 22, 2012

    I forgot to mention the postie bending a vinyl shipper in half to fit into a letter box. Thanks for helping me lose money!

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26. 

    Max

    March 22, 2012

    I’d like them to introduce a package delivery service — one where they actually deliver packages to your door. The current system where they send out a contractor to deliver a slip to tell you your package has arrived seems really inefficient.

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27. 

    David

    March 22, 2012

    I think call the person on the day of deliver and ask what time he is available and drop it , rather coming without notice ..

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28. 

    Luke

    March 22, 2012

    The only way for AusPost to become more efficient is to privatize. But we all know there’s no money in it.

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29. 

    Cameron

    March 22, 2012

    I’m fine with the card leaving process right now, mainly because I’m not ever home 9-5 Monday to Friday. But what really annoys me is they’ll take your package to a post office that’s only open 9-5 Monday to Friday! How am I supposed to go and collect that? I’ve then got to get it transferred to a post office that’s open later, possibly pay a fee for doing so (that was a new thing last time I did that!). If they just took all parcels to an appropriate pick up location everything would be fine. Is it so hard to have a retail outlet open regular REAL WORLD retail hours (9-5 Saturday – Wednesday, 9-7 Thursday and Friday)?

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30. 

    tvz

    March 22, 2012

    I liked how yesterday my postman just chucked a small parcel over the fence and left it in the grass while we had a downpour. Lucky for me my book was wrapped in plastic so wasn’t damaged but sheesh how hard is it to do your job.

    Also, go to post office at 7am to pick up parcel as per the delivery card (its one of those newsagent/post office arrangements) “oh we don’t actually open the post office part until 7:30” “oh…you should update these delivery cards with the right time” “oh we don’t set those hours its austpost” UM WTF YOU ARE THE POST OFFICE!!!!!!!!!

    Also had fun with leaving cards when I was at home. I rang head office to complain “oh yeah, you probably just couldn’t hear the intercom” Not really sure where I could have gone in a one bedroom apartment to not hear my intercom but whatever.

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31. 

    Sarah

    March 22, 2012

    I’ve made complaints in the past about packages left on my doorstep when I actually paid to have my mail held – packages that were soaked due to storms with the contents ruined. They took two months to respond and wanted the original ruined packaging which I’d thrown out.

    I have also complained about the practice of sending your packages to a post office that is only open 9-5 Mon-Fri. They told me I had to pay the fee to have my packages transferred as the post office was a franchise.

    I also hate that they only write an initial and surname on the “sorry we missed you” card as my husband and I have the same first initial and surname so I sometimes get to the post office to find that I need my husband’s signature to collect an item. Very frustrating.

    I think dedicated lockers for after hours collection with SMS pins would be brilliant. You could register to pay extra for it if they need to justify the cost.

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32. 

    dpk

    March 22, 2012

    Use Toll Priority logistics

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33. 

    NegativeZero

    March 22, 2012

    These Parcel Lockers sound quite interesting. Presumably there’s a limit to how big a box they can handle? I’m a model collector so I get a monthly shipment which requires a signature, and almost always the contractor tries to deliver at about 1pm when no one is home and doesn’t believe in ringing the doorbell. Stuff that gets carded can’t be picked up until the following day, and the post office it’s delivered to is staffed by the most hateful old pack of harpies you could imagine. It’s quite annoying. If I could get a 24/7 delivery locker for packages I’d be all over it, provided the locker’s big enough.

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34. 

    Steve

    March 22, 2012

    Aus Post = cheap and basic low quality service. TNT, DHL, Toll = cost a bit more but less dodgy. Shame most AU retailers go for cheap with aus post when they spend so much of the time trying to deliver good customer service

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    1. 

       Max

       March 23, 2012

       What’s frustrating is when you buy from overseas, and choose the most expensive delivery option — and they *still* go with AusPost for the Australian leg.

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35. 

    par

    March 22, 2012

    Even more annoying than the card leaving is getting to the post office and stuck in line for 20 minutes behind people applying for passports and paying their bills with coins. If they force us to go to the post office at least have a dedicated parcel pick-up line.

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36. 

    Caitlin

    March 22, 2012

    Count yourself lucky people that you had deliveries at all. I’m at my second rural address with no mail delivery AT ALL. Try commuting long hours then having to fit in with country town shop hours to get your normal mail. Try telling companies that there’s no point using our street address because it will just go to the post office anyway. Luckily my local is great and will try to sort mail from these fools into our PO box.

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37. 

    Dan Lavitan

    March 22, 2012

    To go against the general grain here, I actually have a few items of praise for the only two Australia post people i have ever had delivering parcels.

    When I was a younger i lived outside the nearest ‘city’ in a regional area. The town i was in had a little over 600 people as a population and my property was a 5 acre block with a reasonable driveway on a dead end dirt road two mailboxes from the dead end. The lady that delivered the post there never forgot anything. If it was at the depo, it was bought to us. She even went so far as to wrap our letters in freezer bags (not tightly, but in there and folded over) before putting them in our mailbox if it was raining or looked like it might rain. Once I started ordering parcels from online shops, she more than once drove up the whole driveway and hand delivered it to me as i was getting in the car to go to work. If my car wasn’t there, and if the parcel was bigger than say a Roses box, she would drive up and leave it on the front doorstep for us (our ‘front’ door actually faced the back of our property so it was completely hidden from the street unless someone really trespassed on our land) I had signed a waiver allowing her to leave parcels that needed a signature on our doorstep because at this time my wife was often sleeping in with our 2 month old son and didn’t like the horn honking. Never had a parcel broken or damaged, always delivered on time or the next day.

    Now we live in the ‘city’ I mentioned before. I have had nothing but excellent service. We have had several parcels carded, but my local post office is just over 400m away and all of my mail goes there, it started going to Red Hill for a while, but after I asked the people at my local post office why that was, it somehow started going back to my local post office. The people at my local post office happily search for something when I turn up early to get it, and have always been polite and helpful in ensuring that my postal needs are met.
    As if that wasn’t enough, the last package I ordered was delievered at 3PM on a SATURDAY afternoon in 35 degree weather buy our regular AustPost contractor. And it didn’t even require a signature! When I opened the door to find him waiting there, I said ” Wow, is there Saturday delivery here?” and the contractor replied “Nope, I missed a couple of people yesterday so I am catching up”
    The next parcel I get I am going to leave the esky on the front porch with a beer in it for the delivery contractor.

    To summarize, I have had nothing but exemplary service from all of the AustPost people I’ve had contact with, and I happily put my mail through them.

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38. 

    Tom

    March 22, 2012

    I think I’m pretty lucky. I too encountered the “Sorry you were in but I couldn’t be bothered ringing the bell so I’ve left a card” card in my letter box for many years.

    I now have a PO Box. If I have mail I get sent an email. I walk up to the post office on the way to work the next day, if it’s a parcel there’s a card in the PO Box – and the best bit… if I ring the bell on the post office from any time between about 6am and about 8:30am they will let me have my parcel even though the office doesn’t officially open until 9am. I only found this out as I saw someone waiting outside with a parcel card early one morning.

    PS – not telling you which suburb I’m in in case they’re not supposed to do this and get in trouble!

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    1. 

       Deb

       March 23, 2012

       I’m pretty sure they won’t get in trouble, lots of post offices have ‘early opening’ hours for parcel pickups only. They just really don’t advertise them very well. I once complained that I had a package that I couldn’t get to because the post office it got sent to only opened at stupid ‘business’ hours and the lady told me that they actually had early morning hours but of course, these aren’t really advertised online or anything.

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39. 

    James

    March 23, 2012

    Customs taking FOREVER to clear goods… why on earth does a pair of shoes take 9 working days to clear!?!? Seriously… they are shoes, brand new in a box…

    I think the average time that goods I order from overseas now spend in customs is over 5 days, usually around 7. It usually takes 2-3 days for the goods to arrive from the USA, but then another 7 days in customs… SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THE SYSTEM!!

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40. 

    Phil

    March 23, 2012

    How about post offices that open at – shock horror – hours people who work can get to them? Even Saturday mornings would be a start….

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41. 

    shane

    March 23, 2012

    Same problem here, the delivery driver very rarely knocks on the door.. I was standing 5metres from the door (In the kitchen) once and heard the mailbox shut, walked out the front and the bloody delivery driver hadn’t even taken the package out of the car. Sort your sh*t out auspost.

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42. 

    Bernadette

    March 23, 2012

    I would like a post office that opens late at least one night a week (e.g. until 7pm) and for a couple of hours on a Saturday.

    THEN I would like to be able to nominate this post office as my designated post office.

    Near us there are 2 post offices but somehow all our packages get taken back to the one that never opns late or on Saturdays. I have to pay a fee each time I want it transferred from thiis post office to the other one near me that does open on Saturday mornings. I don’t see why I can’t have my preference recorded somewhere – even prepared to pay an annual fee or something so that my packages always go to the office that’s open on Saturdays (though really they should all be open on Saturdays then I wouldn’t have a problem).

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43. 

    Sandy

    March 23, 2012

    Well, I love my postie. He is funny, conversational, always careful with his motorbike not to damage the front garden. But, I was a bit shocked when he mentioned that he had a criminal record. Having read all these posts, I would suggest that on the reverse of the “you weren’t home” delivery card should be a “how did we do?’” customer feedback form. It should be sent to a central customer service centre, via freepost, of course 🙂

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44. 

    Mario

    March 23, 2012

    After hours postal service, could be cheap cause its only to pickup online goods/deliveries, nothing else. How hard is that to implement? from 5pm to 8 pm

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45. 

    AussieJarrah

    March 24, 2012

    I WISH we got a “We missed you” card. Our idiot contractor leaves the parcels on the front porch which is easily visible by anyone in the street. We also live near a bus stop and have people walking by all the time. We lost a registered parcel before Christmas and had a hard time (with both us and the company who sent the parcel trying) getting a refund. The delivery guy had scribbled AL which apparently means Authority to Leave on his book where the customer signs to say it’s been delivered. Neither we nor the company had given such an authority and Australia Post didn’t care. Both parties made numerous calls to AP to get the situation resolved. And he STILL leaves our parcels on the porch in full view.

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    1. 

       Char

       March 27, 2012

       this is the problem – so many people complain about the cards, but when they do deliver a parcel to the door, people still complain…

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46. 

    Ross

    March 26, 2012

    You guys get cards in your mailbox? I don’t even get that… I get the “final notice” cards only which are sent out by the post office.

    It’s as if they not only don’t try to deliver the item, they don’t leave a card either – even though the tracking says “failed delivery”.

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47. 

    Phil

    March 26, 2012

    There’s a tech answer to what seems to be most people’s main gripe. Surely the postie’s little PDA thingies could be equipped with GPS?
    When they attempt a delivery they have to scan the qr/barcode on the box and the PDA records the time and GPS position along with the parcel. So then if the delivery is failed, there’s proof of a) time/date b) location and c) the parcel was there.
    I imagine the postie unions wouldn’t be so keen though.

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48. 

    Char

    March 27, 2012

    The official reason for the cards left in the mailbox is the security of the mail on the postman’s truck. Apparently it’s up to the postman to decide if it’s safe to leave the mail unattended in order to walk to the front door, knock, wait and deliver the parcel. If anyone decided to break into the truck and stole some mail, it would be the driver’s fault for leaving it unattended so they leave the card instead. I do also agree it’s probably used as an excuse for a lot of drivers to just leave a card instead of trying.

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49. 

    Tom

    April 3, 2012

    Most of you should be thankful you get carded by Aust Post. Most of the time I never even get carded for packages and if it wasn’t for tracking numbers I might not even receive the item. God knows if some random sent me a package I might never get it without being carded and not expecting it. I think with the on-line shopping revolution they are just fed up with doing their job (ie delivering packages).

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50. 

    np

    April 19, 2012

    I have used Aus Post for eBay for over a decade not and I have steadily seen them charge more and more while cutting services (to force you into spending more (like getting rid of economy air)) and providing less than adequate services.
    Since privatising it is impossible to get a delivery driver to give half a s**t. My local one went through a process hinting to all the neighbours that he wanted a X-Mas bonus. Then when no one gave it to him we ended up with cartons weeks late (something hard to prove with international shipping). His latest habit is taking days off and then delivering all at once on a Sunday. And these are always just left in a pile on our doorsteps.
    Aus Post are incredible expensive compared to ALL other countries that I am aware of including Europe and the States/Canada. Did you know Americans still get deliveries 6 days a week. Did you know in Germany and Italy it costs almost half t ship from them to us vs. us to them?
    Privatising Aus Post was a travesty. The government just wants to sit back, be responsible for nothing and collect the taxes.

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51. 

    ewkdon

    April 22, 2012

    Theres something weird happening with the postage, it cost more for me to deliver something in NSW to NSW, than it is from Hong Kong to Sydney, or from the UK to Sydney. It simply makes more economical sense to shift all my operations to Hong Kong, rather than stay in australia. But why on earth is it like this?, the routes and staff should be the same, and aus post is supposed to be the cheapest deliverers in australia. I can’t imagine how many business have moved offshore already because of this. The Gov better do something about this.

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52. 

    Steven

    May 1, 2012

    That’s because you don’t know the real TRUTH. They have limited room in their bikes so those cards pre- filled in back at the post office and the cards are then added to the letters. Don’t let them BS you we have a 3rd world delivery system. UPS delivers to Australia half way around the world in 2 days yet is takes auspost 3 days to delliver in teh same state LOL

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53. 

    Steven

    May 1, 2012

    Forget their tracking system half my items 2 years latter still show not recieved

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54. 

    shelly

    May 5, 2012

    Why does it take two months or more for my parcels sent from adelaide to ireland. And yet when my family or friends send parcels from ireland it takes a week or two. The parcels i send or not large just letters with a small gift?

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55. 

    Mimi

    October 22, 2012

    Within a week I was home and twice I saw a postman throw a parcel into the garden. He didn’t even other come up to the door. Our garden is not fenced by the way…

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56. 

    Samuel

    August 2, 2013

    SORRY BUT WERE ALL SCREWED!!!, A couple of years back i was living in Melbourne, and my mother sent me down a box of stuff for christmas, posted on the 15 Dec, it wasn’t until the 28th Jan that my box was delivered, I was so pissed off that i called the head office in Melbourne where i got onto a “Distribution manager”, who couldn’t explain why my package got lost or why it had taken so long for it to be delivered, so i asked him where he was and he said he was in Melbourne CBD, with this i took his name and went to see him personally about the matter, after finding him at his office, he apologised and said he would escalate the matter to the board!!, NO RESPONSE, and still none two years later, AUSPOST don’t have to care!!!, they don’t have direct competition and they are a law unto themselves so good luck trying to get any satifaction from them for anything, and they have been ripping off the public for years with registered tracking when you can’t track the package or item you have paid good money for. Gov should PRIVATISE AUSPOST, and all those who think of using STARTRACK EXPRESS, guess who owns that as well yep AUSPOST!!!, Bloody hopeless.

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