Another highly embarrassing article regarding Australia Post parcel deliveries.
I once met a dodgy business owner in the early 1970’s who had a belief that any publicity was good publicity.
Perhaps Australia Post is following his beliefs.
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Maybe if we pay more their service will improve? 10% no less !
They mention the two-speed letter service - which could be described as slow and slower …
Australia Post price rise proposal received
7 August 2019
Australia Post has submitted to the ACCC for assessment a proposal to increase the price of its ordinary letter services, including stamps.
Australia Post operates a two-speed letter service, which was introduced for consumers in 2016.
Under Australia Post’s proposal, the basic postage rate charged for ordinary small letters delivered to its regular timetable would rise from $1.00 to $1.10.
The price of delivering ordinary large letters at the regular timetable would rise by 10 per cent.
The price of priority labels for delivering ordinary letters at the priority timetable would remain unchanged at 50 cents. Australia Post is also proposing to maintain the price of concession stamps at 60 cents and stamps for seasonal greeting cards at 65 cents.
“In assessing these proposed price increases, we will consider various issues including trends in the postal industry and whether Australia Post has adequately explored efficiency improvements before increasing its letter prices,” ACCC Commissioner Cristina Cifuentes said.
“We will welcome submissions on this proposal and will take into account the views of industry stakeholders, consumers and Australia Post itself.”
Under the Australia Post price notification framework, the ACCC does not have the role of approving the proposed price increase.
Rather, the ACCC is required to assess the proposed price increase in accordance with the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 and then notify Australia Post on whether it objects to the proposed price increase. In addition to the ACCC’s assessment, Australia Post must give written notice to the Minister for Communications of its intent to vary its rates of postage.
Australia Post may increase the basic postage rate only if the Minister does not disapprove the proposed increase to the basic postage rate within 30 days.
The ACCC intends to release its preliminary view on Australia Post’s draft proposal in November 2019.
The ACCC will soon release an issues paper providing further information on Australia Post’s draft proposal and its review by the ACCC with guidance for submissions. More information is available at Australia Post letter pricing 2019
Release number: 139/19
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Doubtless a common experience.
We regularly send (mainly) letters between The Glass House Mountains PO and urban Newcastle. Only one state border and two time warps distant?
Mail closes at 4pm at our end, 6pm most other places, to keep you thinking.
Typically the cheaper slower regular post is the same or one day slower than paying extra for the priority post delivery. We’ve noted the lower cost Mail getting delivered three days after posting. Priority can also take three days, sometimes two. The higher cost Express Post (yellow and red marked special heavy card envelopes) typically take two days!
We wonder if there is ever any benefit to AP in trying to manage separately the priority letters from the regular given the low volume for the area.
What ever the experience of others it would be easy to label the regular vs priority service a bit of a scam by AP.
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They are selling a fantasy not a product 
I used to preference online buying from local Melbourne area merchants until I realised those that use Auspost usually take an extra 1-2 days delivery as compared to buying from a Sydney merchant, neither using priority service.
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… received a letter today … what are the options?
- my dog is pregnant?
- I am sending my dog somewhere using Australia {P|L}ost and should use registered mail ?
- something else I didn’t think of ?
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I might need to have a polite chat to the local Aust Post agent, about whether it is still safe to reach inside our PO Box when stretching for that last letter right at the back?
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This is priceless @draughtrider,
I think they want to make sure the dog doesn’t get away while they deliver him
somewhere.
Just recently I received a notice that one of my Insurance had expired, but as I haven’t got the first notice I think it got ‘lost in the mail’.
My ‘wash for life’ card from Toyota hasn’t reached me for years, although they send one again after I get in touch with them.
The Permit for local access during the
Grand Prix often misses not only me but I wide section of the zone, even though it’s confirmed that it has been mailed.
Is emailing the only sure way? But what
about anything other than mail, like a dog perhaps? 
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Success with AP.
Express Post parcel, order online 7am Friday ex Brisbane. AP tracking no advised 11:30am and goods on way. Delivery Glass House PO available 8am Monday.
Lucky?
True, the tracking number failed. But that was the supplier leaving a digit out of the parcel ID number! Amazingly the correct tracking number showed the parcel movement including it migrating to Burnside depot on a Sunday!
Perhaps there is hope still for a return to a reliable mail and parcels service?
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This lot actually makes Auspost look good.
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Secure your dog for safe delivery…
Why can’t you secure my delivery so it’s safe from my dogs?!?!
Despite having a sign on my gate that says “NO SAFE DROP PLEASE MY DOGS EAT PARCELS” an alarming number of parcels still just get chucked over my fence, which is admittedly better than when they are wedged into my fence which exposes them not only to my dogs on one side, but theft on the other (I live in a VERY rough area and theft from mailboxes is common).
I’ve attempted to use the “Parcel Collect” address for my local franchised LPO a couple of times on deliveries where the vendor doesn’t offer SOD, but was met with a “Que?”-type response both times.
I’m working in the CBD now, so I’m trying the parcel collect address with the GPO for one coming next week, I’ll see how that goes 
Of course my other option is to spend $500 on a parcel mailbox… but where’s the guarantee AusPost’s delivery contractors will use that when it’ll be much easier to just keep throwing packages over the fence?
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Have you tried a parcel locker? they are (at the moment) free, and if your parcel doesn’t fit they will notify you for collection at the parcel window/counter …
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Parcel lockers would be great… if they had them locally. (They don’t)
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Update:
I attempted a “redirect to parcel collect address” (which is the GPO in town).
The Auspost App has had it like this since Tuesday (4 days)… at our local Delivery Centre… 6 days across the country, 4 days across town???
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My experience is that simple delivery is a challenge fraught with danger, dragons and all manner of uncertainty. Changing the equation ‘mid story’ (I too have done this) is adding all manner of complexity to something the organisation is already at its limit trying to deal with …
… think of an endless sea of muppets suspended in space gazing into a black hole saying in unison “your parcel is in there somewhere …”
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Auspost has signed onto ‘The Best Government is Opaque Government’ concept, also known as ‘What you don’t know won’t hurt us’.
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A bit confused about this …
Post shop and parcel collect window closed on Saturdays for the last few months, until further notice …
I imagine we are expected to assume that inside the dark and locked building our parcels are indeed moving “as quickly as possible” …
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Imagine instead a valuable OS parcel sitting proudly on the top of the letter box at the front gate. Out of sight from the front door, and too cold at present for the local snake patrol to protect from redirection. I suspect the posting instructions did not require it to be left in a safe place despite it being a tracked delivery.
In this new COVID reality one parcel delivery every week or two is not a big ask. All have arrived generally within a week of order/posting, surprise surprise. The tracking system still fails miserably, usually only providing notification of the expected delivery day the morning of delivery. Sometimes the parcel arrives prior to the email? Not sure how to respond to the request to rate that level of service. Delivered ahead of schedule? 
That email request is usually in the inbox, minutes after delivery!
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If they have fewer staff busy quarantining and delaying letters with only regular postage it could improve delivery. Curiously they seem to have redeployed those staff to postal service duties effective last month. No more sorting to try delivering letters on time and most less so, when they can more efficiently be equally delayed, slow, or missing even if they have the priority postage applied. Aussie egalitarianism?
From 1 June 2020, Priority letters will be processed and delivered as Regular letters.
More seriously my experience with the tracking system is what tracking system? They seem to scan when they receive an item and when they deliver it. Everything in between is opaque ‘it is coming’. Instead of leaving it at the door and ringing the so obvious door bell and running, they drop it at the door and run. The email within a few minutes causes me to fetch it.
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Update on my situation…
17/06 I launched a “case” because my parcel still hadn’t arrived (or, I had not been informed it had arrived at the local GPO)
03/07 Aus Post admitted they had “lost” my parcel, and I needed to contact the merchant, who could contact them for a remedy. Merchant (Apple actually) refunded the price of the item to me and presumably recovered it from Aus Post. Refund into my account 04/07
06/07 I receive a phone call from my local GPO “We have an uncollected parcel addressed to you and we are about to return to sender because you haven’t collected it…” and sure enough, upon asking, sender was Apple.
I told them I had already been compensated for that package which I had been told was lost so they might as well send it back anyway.
Draughtrider, you were right. Our Postal service should more rightly be named Australian Muppet Show…
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Is a portion of the problem at the delivery end?
In the really olden days. Back when Mick Jagger was the devil reincarnate to many parents and wobble boards still to be the trend? Were most posties locals?
That’s my impression. The trusty Honda was still uncommon and pedal power part of the health giving benefits of postal servitude. Importantly being local posties had mostly some rapport with the community and thrust. But most importantly they knew their suburb, and probably nearly every household by name after a little while. What chance back then the current practice of toot and drive off, or misplaced ‘you have a parcel to collect’ notices. Back then without tracking parcels were reliably delivered or held and a note placed in the letter box. That’s the correct letter box, not the one next door or the next street, same number. Although if mail was dropped in error (very rare) neighbours seemed to know each other and it was soon rectified.
Today contractors bid for mail service runs, with casuals or subbies who travel tens of km’s across town to a place unknown. The time cost of money pressures on all in the food chain to make a basic income.
On occasion I get to talk with the local mail or parcel delivery staff and local post office franchise owner.
Unfortunately none can offer any insight into the tracking notification system. They are like us all at the end of the food chain. Where-ever possible we address parcels to a PO Box. At least the ‘you have a parcel to pick up’ in that instance relies on just one person. No computer system required. Service at larger mail centres may not be the same.
P.S.
I don’t think wobble boards were ever that trendy. 
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