Policy regarding package delivery and security gates
Dear Australian Postal Corporation,
I lodged a formal complaint with you about one of your delivery drivers who, after refusing to deliver a package to our front door, was leaving by the time I made it down to the street. I hailed him and he got out and retrieved the package but was throwing a bit of a tantrum and claiming he'd been waiting 10 minutes. That was a lie and I told him so. He became more hysterical and when I asked if he wanted me to submit a complaint, he got back in his van with my package and drove off.
There was an independent witness to this - another driver delivering to a nearby residence and you were given their contact details and written account.
Further, your driver maliciously chose not to deliver two more packages in following days and wrote bizarre notes on them.
The first Aus Post staff member I spoke to over the phone advised that your driver had acted improperly in not delivering to our front door. She said unless there was a physical obstruction or something like a vicious dog preventing access, he should have done so. I also note that at our previous residence the Aus Post delivery driver delivered to peoples' doors.
I was never able to get you to even acknowledge the substance of my complaint and the Postal Industry Ombudsman curiously chose not to make any written response to my complaint about this. But I was advised over the phone - and I noted this in an email to them so it's on record - that you have a "not secret" but not available to the public policy on package deliveries.
Specifically the PIO complaints officer advised that if a gate is locked when a delivery driver arrives that is as far as they'll go. Unlocking the gate (via eg. an intercom system) for them doesn't change anything. They won't go further. The same gate if unlocked when they arrive they would go through to deliver to the front door.
I would like to see this policy.
Yours sincerely,
Nick Green.
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Good afternoon Nick,
I refer to your Freedom of Information request dated 19 August 2015 in which you have sought access to documents under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (“Act”). You have requested the following from Australia Post:
“Freedom of information request –Policy regarding package delivery and security gates”
Please accept my apologies for the delay in responding to you. Your enquiry was sent to a different area of Australia Post, thus causing a delay. Find attached my response.
Regards,
Information Officer
Australia Post
Dear foi,
Thank you for publicly demonstrating more typical Australia Post corruption.
As you'd be perfectly aware, one of your staff members already directed me to this document when I made a request to see your supposed policy about package deliveries. April 23, reference number 01536506.
"Your address is defined as a secure complex and Australia Post deems that this is a common delivery point for mail, therefore, our contractors are following the correct procedures by carding all articles for collection at your nearest post office. Access to your apartment is deemed as impeded. The Terms and Conditions for Delivery to Common Points are located here: www.auspost.com.au/media/documents/Appen.... Australia Post also deems an attempted delivery when a “Postal Item Awaiting Collection” (PIAC) card is left at a common delivery point."
However, as I replied on April 24, this policy document doesn't say anything about PACKAGES. It specifically and very clearly relates to LETTER deliveries. Nor does it say anything about how our residence is supposedly impeded. Or for that matter, that your staff can refuse to hand over a package to someone who has come down to the street to collect it - which was witnessed and attested to.
Yours sincerely,
Nick Green