I have recently installed a video doorbell and am amazed about what delivery drivers consider is properly delivered.
The last 4 deliveries were:
Leaving an unwrapped box (everyone could see exactly what it was - value $500) outside my gate and visible from our busy road, then walking through the gate to ring the doorbell and running off immediately;
Leaving the box inside the gate, not knocking or ringing the doorbell then running off;
Leaving the box inside the gate, ringing the doorbell then running off; and
Knocking on the door and when I answered, they said Uber delivery. When I said I didnāt order andything I asked what it was - alcohol. I then asked what address they had and promptly pointed to our number which didnāt match the delivery address. I could quite easily have taken delivery and Iām sure they would have claimed delivery was completed.
What does the law consider to be a valid delivery?
In specific circumstances a delivery is actually deemed to have occurred when the āpackageā is posted. In the case of an ecommerce delivery it is what is in the ACL.
At the end of the day the seller is responsible for delivering merchandise but whether they step up or not is highly variable. When approaching the sender regarding a delivery it is common for them to fob one off to the delivery company be it Auspost or a courier service.
Deliveries are addressed in the ACL as a āserviceā. An issue many encounter is the recipient has no contractual relationship with the delivery service - the sender does and thus the sender is the one who technically needs to make a complaint.
That being written delivery services usually will engage with the recipient to recover parcels left at the wrong address, as well as receiving complaints about lack of care. If their agents do not do good enough work it is their business at stake and they will often take action after some number of justified complaints about any individual delivery agent.
Links do not seem to work directly to this text, but the relevant ACCC ACL paragraph is
I live in a Retirement Complex and many of us have items delivered by Aust Post. We are in a secure gated compound and the posties that knock on our door are gone in the 5 seconds it takes to get to the front door and the parcel is always just left on the doorstep. So much for person to person or signed delievery!
We have had several ādeliveriesā over the run up to Christmas. most by Aust Post and our experience is the same as those already mentioned. At Aust Postās request we have asked for them to be left in a secure position adjacent to front door. Thereās a sizeable dog house next to the front door so itās very easy to just place it on the side of the dog house where it cannot be seen from the street. So far not one has been so placed. They have either been dropped at the start of the front deck clearly visible from the street, or we eventually get a text message to say its at our Post Office as no one was home - the reality was that two people were home all day, the dog didnāt make a sound and the front door was open. You can complain to Aust Post who donāt give a damn.
Our local post office manager told us that if a postie has 3 upheld complaints against them they will be put into a formal improvement program or sacked, depending.
The local post offices cannot take complaints though. They make it difficult by requiring all formal complaints go through their central call centre/web site.
Customers often complain but do not make a formal complaint, and there is a difference how each is handled.
Had a recent wine delivery issue.
I found a ānot at Home slip - please collect from the post officeā in the letterbox. I actually was at home all day, and the delivery person did not come to the front door - evidence - not seen on the video.
Complained to the post office who said do it online.
I completed the online Auspost form because I was peeved - carrying a dozen bottles and a trip to the post office in the car gives me that right!
I didnāt hear back from the AusPost. However, the wine company got in touch and said āhow was the deliveryā?
I told them - and they gave me a 10% discount which actually did make me feel a bit better. (but Iām still peeved at the lying delivery driver who did NOT come to the front door)
You probably will not, but keep your complaint ticket number. If it recurs quote that ticket number in your next complaint. You still probably will not get a reply but after a third time if there is a third time you might have a new postie.
We have found approx 1/3 of Amazon delivery people are incapable of navigating our wooden gate, which 99.99% of toddlers can open.
Those 1/3 just drop the parcel over the almost 2m high gate (regardless of what is in the parcel).
That includes the guy who was about 5 metres behind me on the street and was about to drop the parcel over the gate when I was walking in the front door!
We have a prominent doorbell right next to the front door and Amazon delivery people rarely use it.
As best I can tell Amazon delivery people are paid about 20~25% less per hour than the average for cleaners in my outer Melbourne metro area and as contractors have to pay their own fuel, wear and tear, and so on and deal with personal taxes.
Their āemploymentā appears to resemble that of a ride-share driver in many respects. They get paid a fixed amount āper blockā and have a specified number of parcels to deliver; if they go over time they do not get paid extra unless they can prove it was beyond their control.
If I know a parcel is being delivered and that it will be sent to the post office if āno one homeā, which to be honest is often shorthand for the delivery person couldnāt be bothered knocking on the door, I leave a note on the mailbox in clear view saying āI am homeā and also one on the front door. Our post office is roughly a 30 minute plus round trip and itās annoying when you have to make an unnecessary visit.
This morning I received notification from Aust Post that attempted delivery of an item could not be done, so it was carded and taken to the local post office for collection.
Problem is, the message is timestamped 5:39am!!!
Are they really attempting to deliver at that hour of the day?
I note that at 11am the card is yet to be put into my mailbox. Iām sure it will be put there later today.
Obviously, Aust Post had no intention of ever attempting delivery of the item, and had already planned to leave the āattempted delivery nobody homeā card in my letterbox telling me to go to local post office to collect. A regular scenario.
Does Aust Post think we are stupid??
This is not the first time this scenario has played out, nor will it be the last.
Aust Post - āWe Deliverā
Bollocks.
BB
Post script.
No card was ever left in my letterbox. I picked up the parcel next day from the post office.
On certain days of the week, depending on which contractor is āonā, we donāt get the luxury of parcel delivery OR a card in the box. A certain Grumpy only sends an email notification that the parcel is available for pick-up at the PO. Makes a farce of the Australia Posts ādelivery serviceā.
