This may interest. I’ve been having problems with parcels being delivered by Australia Post/Startrack. I have a Mypost account and have been receiving messages stating ‘unable to deliver due to locked gate’. I have a decorative metal fence and pedestrian gate with a latch. No lock. It occurred again today.
After a few calls I spoke to a calltaker at Startrack. Apparently Startrack has a closed gate policy. If the gate is closed, they can’t open it. Now, I tried to qualify this by asking if this included a gate with or without a latch to which I got the reply of “if the gate is closed, they can’t open it”. They are supposed to be delivering it again tomorrow, no time given. I am required to open the gate to allow them access.
To me, this is ridiculous. Opinion?
It does seem ridiculous. We had a 900mm high, see through mesh gate in our old house in Brisbane and they never had any problems lifting the latch, opening the gate and going to the front door.
But, I can see why they might not enter a property with a higher (~1.8m) gate in a higher fence, where they can’t see all that well, if at all, into the front yard. In a past job we often visited properties and during personal safety training, we were told that we shouldn’t enter properties if one couldn’t see where one was going (e.g. pets which could attack), see someone hiding (being ambushed which was a risk in the past job) or being able to see how to quickly evacuate a property (in case someone on the property took offence to someone entering). The training also covered additional things like taking a buddy, identifying other risks (holes in the yard, low wires dodgy staircase etc), liaising with local police and positioning a vehicle for a quick get-away.
While a courier driver might not have the same level of personal risk as I has in a previous job, some of the above risks are relevant to them entering a property, especially where areas to be traversed can’t be readily seen. As the employer is responsible for the safety of its personnel, I can see why some businesses where employees enter properties, adopt such policies.
For many years, up until COVID caused a change in policy, AusPost would not deliver parcels to our bar fridge letterbox at the front gate, ~350m from our house. The claimed policy at the time was that the delivery driver was not allowed to get out of their vehicle! We had to make a 52km round trip to the nearest PO to collect our parcels. These days our postie often drives up to our house with parcels if they wont fit in the bar fridge.
My understanding is the present ‘rule’ is the drivers cannot lose sight of their vehicle. Our house is a bit off street and they drive about half way to the house so they can keep their vehicle in view while coming to the front door or the safe place.
The question needs to be asked how high and whether see through or solid.
Being decorative and unlocked why not try propping it open?
In most cases I would agree it is ridiculous but @phb covered the why’s it may be as it is. You could lodge a formal written (emailed) complaint on the policy, allowing for reasonable exceptions, without holding your breath for a change since nothing complained about never happened.
There’s reportedly been an increase in dog attacks on posties, other delivery people, meter readers etc over the past couple of years. At least one person was killed and others have suffered serious injuries.
That would be a good reason for being wary of enclosed yards even if you can see through the gate / fence. The dog could be around the back or side of the house but quite able to come to the front.
Standard height fence otherwise I would have required a permit. A couple of cats. I understand needing to see your vehicle and a clear view of premises as although retired I also had a job requiring forward thinking when attending properties, quick withdrawal etc. Hence no trees in front garden. Maybe I’m just being pedantic because I purchase almost everything online. I consider if I’m paying for delivery, I expect it to be delivered. I suppose times have changed. Thanks for your opinions and replies.
I think sometimes courier companies make and break their own rules. Just today, I had a parcel delivered that specifically said on the tracking that it would require a signature, and if nobody was home, would be taken to the local post office. Well, no, I wasn’t home, and got a text to say the parcel had been delivered.
When I got home, yep, Startrack had left it on a chair on the patio…
It is not always the postie, sometimes it is the tracking that defaults to signature required when it isn’t. I get more than a few ‘signature required’ when it is not.
A way to tell is if the label shows ‘signature required’. I recently had an incoming priority mail from overseas that showed signature required on the tracking from the outset. We were home when it was delivered but only knew when we got the ‘delivered message’ from the Auspost system. The label did not show signature required. It was at the front door with the postie long gone, not even a knock or doorbell.
Totally agree Shazz. I purchase a lot of products from overseas that aren’t available in Australia so deal with less known couriers and Startrack are actually one of the worst. Reviews mostly 1 star (because they can’t be given less). A lot state there’s no attempt to deliver whilst person home, and similar to my post where I was gardening at the front. A lot are delivered to the wrong premises. Some cards left, some not.
Since Covid I have not had to sign for a parcel once. In fact when I offered to sign, as it was required, one courier stated. 'That’s ok. I’ll do it". I’ve also had gold and diamond jewellery left at the front door. That one I expected a card left to pick it up as I’d popped out to get a few groceries and missed the courier.
Two weeks ago I dragged myself out of bed to pick up an ‘eparcel’ from the post office with face mask, hacking cough and light headed. (No one else could do it). Kept myself away from the only other customer, only to find the parcel was a little bigger than a tissue box. Problem… It was too big for a letterbox drop.
The problem is there seems to be no regulations in place, or if there is, they’re not enforced. They have us over a barrel.
It can be difficult to tell if the way deliveries work in your area is official policy, a local variation used to get things done or the temperament of the postie doing the delivery, or some combination.
My local postmaster cares if his gentleminions do their job, they are expected to be thorough and to adapt to oddities of locale. Some actually do it. I think it works because the people involved know each other.
Courier drivers are the same as in the city, don’t know anybody, don’t care, always pushing the timetable and think that any vague effort in the direction of delivering the goods will do. They take custody of parcels on the basis that they will deliver them to the gate and then immediately get on the phone to try to negotiate or even force a way to not deliver them at all.
“I’m not driving all the way out there!”
So why did you sign for the goods and take the money knowing you wouldn’t do the work?
When I saw the earlier road frontage photo, I couldn’t work out with certainty, where the ‘pedestrian’ gate was. I thought it must be down to the left as this is where the path appears to go. Others might also have the same issue looking at the property from the road and think the automatic gate for vehicles might also be for pedestrians - this is a relatively common arrangement. If one thinks this is the case, they would think entry wasn’t possible.
Maybe get a sign saying ‘Gate’ or something similar which clearly shows the pedestrian gate location. Alternatively leave it open/ajar on days parcels are expected, providing you don’t have pets.
As the property is well fenced, one looking at the property might think there is a high chance of a pet wandering around. This might give reservations to entering as with a one gate entry in a well fenced property, it is very easy to be bailed up preventing a hasty exit.
With meter reads, metering companies should retain information on the property which is accessible to their readers. Possibly contact them to ensure they have all relevant information to allow the reading the meter. For our own property, we have a water meter behind the backyard fence (is a corner block). We have contacted the meter company to ensure they call us when they arrive so we can unlock the back gate. If we aren’t home, which isn’t that often, we can lodge a manual read with them.
Unlike before Covid, many parcels aren’t designated by sellers as having to be signed. I understand before Covid, signing was the default option, post Covid, signing has to be specifically requested and available for the delivery method. This could be why there has been a change.
I have seen people look at the pathway on the left which runs from the footpath along the fenceline to the side of the house. That was actually put in before the fence so that the metre readers had unobstructed access straight to gas/electricity and water at the front. Due to the rock terracing there is no path from there to the front door.
The property has a very wide frontage so some don’t walk as far as the letterbox. The delivery driver did as he put the card in the letterbox which is next to the gate.
A different delivery driver arrived today (his friend) and, as you said, stated because the driveway gate was closed he believed no one was home. He also stated they do open latched gates and enter properties. I informed him that if I know they’re coming I normally have the vehicular gate open so they can drive in and turn around as my street is long and a dead end.
Hence the clear front yard and the colorbond fencing with extensions. Call me crazy but I actually did that so my cats had free rein of the backyard without getting out. Yes. I’m a crazy cat lady.
I actually thought I could make my premises more secure for me, as the area isn’t the safest anymore, but still try to make it easier for others.
Anyway the delivery driver was very polite so I thanked him, wished him a great day and he left happy.
I still believe thinking outside the box is being replaced by laziness but then I’m old. Times change.
Faith, I wonder if it is worth getting a ‘doorbell’ on the gate? And also a sign encouraging its use. Instead of answering the door you could answer the gate!?
@gordon “The claimed policy at the time was that the delivery driver was not allowed to get out of their vehicle!”
I have never understood this policy and clearly the delivery people ignore it to put the card in the letter box! So how hard can it be to make the delivery as expected or at least knock on the door?
This logic is similar to the way that trains are run where they don’t stop at stations to allow embarking/disembarking because that would mess up the timetable. Carrying those people (or parcels) makes it so hard to get your trip done on time, the system would be so easy to run without them.
I think there is a simple reason for this. The drivers and lazy and Australia Post/Startrack don’t care. We have no gate, have no fence. Our cameras don’t show any sign of a driver even stopping. Just straight to drop it off at the local post office. Unable to deliver.
Useless service
Possible injury or death to a postal or freight delivery personnel is real. I have added some links to my original post to the real risks to personnel and why there is caution associated with entering properties.
While it is easy to think everyone is like oneself by being respectful and ensuring anyone entering their property isn’t injured or killed, this isn’t the case for all others. It is impossible to know where risks lie, and being cautious from looking for some telltale signs is important to ensure the health and welfare of workers. One attack, injury or death is not only a statistic, but can impact on the ongoing lives of those involved.
While a parcel not being delivered for some reason and having to pick it up from the local post office is inconvenient, the health and safety of postal/freight personnel overrides this inconvenience.
