Auspost Parcel Locker Resent as Letter

dufflover on 23/06/2018 - 12:08
Last edited 23/06/2018 - 12:12

TLDR: item sent to parcel locker, got email it's a letter, haven't received in weeks

In the last couple of weeks or so I've had 3 deliveries flag as being letters so I get the email saying it'll be sent to the backup address by regular post. Ok sure, as in the end as long as it's in my mailbox or a parcel locker, not business hours collection. The first time this happened ages ago it went to my residential address as in my account info; there isn't anything actually labelled back up address there.

But it's been a couple of weeks since the first email about an item, but I haven't received it yet. Just wondering if anyone has had this happen to them and where the item ended up being located assuming you collected it?
My guess is it's sitting at the post office that's attached to the set of lockers I use. But before I waste time leaving work early to check I'd like to see if that's a likely scenario from other peoples' experiences.

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Comments

  • [Deactivated] on 23/06/2018 - 12:40
    +1

    What did Australia Post say when you spoke to them about this?

    • foxmulder on 23/06/2018 - 13:57

      Haha this should be automatica response by ozb system for this type if question. Pecel locket only hold item for 48 hrs. Once pass they move it to the post office. For parcel usually past 5 days usually return to sender. Not sure on document though.

    • dufflover on 24/06/2018 - 12:13

      The generic contact sounded like a bit of a call centre screen reader where they tell you stuff you already know like how it's for parcels only, and to check all my address details online are correct.
      Some items don't have tracking just got told to contact the P.O directly but it was a bit late plus busy for me at work. One did have tracking but yeah screen read person just saw the same thing, unavailable.

  • Grande Kintama on 23/06/2018 - 12:56
    +6

    They said make a post on OzBargain they know everything

  • retiredfeline on 23/06/2018 - 14:15

    Backup address is Auspost euphemism for shredder. 😉

  • trustnoone on 23/06/2018 - 14:29

    Is your backup address correct? I've had 2 of mine turn into mail addresses and they just went to my backup address without issue, probably took a few extra days.
    Does any of the packages have tracking? Can you see where they are currently located?

    • dufflover on 24/06/2018 - 12:19

      One of them has tracking and that just shows Unavailable, with no history of where it was last.

  • Ocker on 23/06/2018 - 16:25

    Australia Post will not deliver regular post items (letters) to a Parcel Locker:

    This is an extract from the AusPost site:

    "For safety and security reasons, the following items can't be delivered to (or sent from) a Parcel Locker:

    Letters and standard mail that can be delivered to your letterbox"

    • bobbieb on 23/06/2018 - 16:43

      I'm not sure what their safety or security concerns are, but the policy is quite a pain.

      What kind of packaging your online order is gonna be dispatched not exactly predictable. You've got folk like amazon who seem to take great pride (or possibly amusement) from putting mundane small items absurdly oversized boxes, then there's the ebay sellers who cram your order into a DL envelope and hope for the best.

      For me, I've gotten the worst of the system a few times…
      1. Order is addressed to my parcel locker.
      2. Arrives at Auspost to be deigned "not worthy" (this got this exact phrase in response to one of my complaints to Auspost) of a Parcel Locker.
      3. Parcel gets a label tacked on with my home address.
      4. Parcel gets fed back into the glacial delivery system again…
      5. After taking several days to travel less than a kilometer, the delivery - which despite being too much of a letter for a parcel locker, is not enough of a letter to go in my mailbox, or safedrop - gets carded and sent back to the very same post office.
      6. The aforementioned post-office has decided that they couldn't be stuffed opening Saturdays, or offering out-of-hours collections, so I get to take time off work to collect the item during business hours.

      Great stuff Auspost, it's a pleasure using your "services".

      • retiredfeline on 23/06/2018 - 16:47

        For safety and security reasons

        Nah, I'm sure it's for economic reasons, they don't like tying up a locker for a small item. These days I pick vendor or Woollies C&C if available. For Chinese sellers, I usually can guess if the item will fit into my letterbox slot. One of these days I'll guess wrong though.

        • Ocker on 23/06/2018 - 18:15

          Many of the items we sell on our EBay store are sent in a standard sized envelope. It was not until we started getting items returned to us, with absolutely no indication why, did our investigations reveal the AusPost restriction on delivering "normal" items to a Parcel Locker address.
          When you think through this situation it does make sense. If AusPost was to accept all items of mail to a FREE Parcel Locker, then people would not rent a Post Office box at about $100+ p.a.

        • bobbieb on 24/06/2018 - 09:39

          @Ocker:

          Ironically, I've got a PO Box as well. If anything it makes things a little worse. I've had a few items go Parcel Locker -> rejected and sent to my home address -> hit my PO Box Redirection -> carded for some reason or another -> Pick up during weekday business hours.

          I've also had a few instances similar to @chcse, where the item - yes with full tracking - has simply been held at the post office, but no card, email, or App push notification sent. In most instances, I've noticed the item magically appear in the Android app, but I've also had a few returned to sender as unclaimed. :(

          To be fair, when the Auspost system works, it works really well, but these rough edges really suck.

        • dufflover on 24/06/2018 - 12:22

          Yeah I'm going to have to start guessing on those item sizes again then. Kinda kills one of the main benefits of it. A lot of places won't ship to a P.O. Box either but will a parcel locker!

          I don't mind if it doesn't get put into a locker but obviously the whole resending as letter thing ain't happening, at least consistently.

  • chcse on 23/06/2018 - 17:48

    When this happened to me, my account said that it will be redelivered as a letter (games). However, it was actually being held at the local post office next to the Parcel Lockers, they didn't even bother to tell me to pick it up, I had to google others' experiences. I just popped in and asked if there were any parcels under my name and they found them at the back.

    From my googling, I found that a lot of people's items were left at the post office without telling the receiver, then once it passed the 10 business days or so, they mark it as return to sender so I recommend you go and check as soon as possible. Not sure why the treatment is inconsistent.

    • dufflover on 24/06/2018 - 12:24

      yep that's why I'm asking here; I came across one or two posts around with a similar thing. The first item just passed 10 days on the Fri so hopefully it's still around!

  • AssociatedVishSunny @ Australia Post on 23/06/2018 - 20:35

    Was there a tracking number in the email that you received? If there was, you could track it online.

    Usually any parcel redirected as a letter take a couple of days to arrive at your backup address. As chcse suggested best to check with the post office near your parcel locker as well as your backup address.

    • dufflover on 24/06/2018 - 12:27

      Yep so one has tracking, but there is no info at all. No events, dates, etc.
      The others are your good ol AliEx/eBay style of Chinese packets where tracking is 50/50 at being recognised and even then there's no actual info.

      I've received enough of those letter things in the lockers before but if they're getting stricter or busier about it then that's fine, but at least be accurate about what's next (i.e. tell me to come pick it up!)

  • pennypincher98 on 24/06/2018 - 15:01

    Also, redirecting something to a parcel locker doesn't do anything it seems. I got told "my parcel is coming tomorrow" in the parcel locker but get a "your parcel has been delivered again to parcel locker postcode" they haven't got it. Sure enough I go home and it's on my doorstep.

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