Australia Post apologises after man's rare coin collection gets 'lost'

A coin collector has blasted Australia Post for losing a set of limited-edition coins posted to him direct from the Royal Mint, with the Queenslander "disappointed" he wasn't offered "proper compensation".

Stephen Ferguson, from Mackay in Queensland, said he ordered a range of collector's edition coins back in April, including a special monarchy set, a Chinese New Year set and a set of King Charles $1 coins, with the view they might one day be worth a lot more than he paid.

Ferguson said the entire package cost him $145. On the day the parcel was dispatched, he received a notification saying it had been delivered, only to find out it was sent to an incorrect address.

Coin collector fumes over 'unfair' policy

In the Australia Post app, the delivery driver uploaded a photo of where the parcel was left— a property Ferguson didn't recognise. He assumed it was within the Mackay area, but after following up with Australia Post, neither he, nor the company were able to track it down.

Ferguson complained about his experience and attempted to seek remuneration, and AusPost offered an apology and $100 in compensation, the maximum amount given to customers under its policy. But Ferguson said the amount doesn't cover what he paid and branded the refund "unfair".

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A spokeswoman for Australia Post told Yahoo News Australia refunds are not distributed on a case-by-case basis. Speaking to Yahoo, Ferguson said it's the "principal" that really counts.

Australia Post 'could've done more to help'

"They basically lost it," he said. "I tried to tell them I wanted at least the money back for the cost of goods, which was only $145 mind you, but still it's the principal of the thing.

"And, the fact that it was a collector's item, so who knows down the track what it might have been worth. I'll never know that now."

While Australia Post's refund policy is publicly available on its website, stating that customers "may be entitled" to be compensated up to $100 if goods are lost or damaged, Ferguson said the mix-up "is not my fault". "So I'm supposed to pay for the privilege of them losing my mail?" he said.

"They did say sorry, which is better than nothing, but it still doesn't put the mail in my hand.

"The whole thing is just disappointing... they didn't seem to want to help. You know, it was just follow procedure. They could have contacted the driver who was on that day and maybe I would have found them. I was very frustrated, disappointed."

'Sincere apology' offered to Ferguson

Speaking to Yahoo News Australia, an Australia Post spokeswoman reiterated the company's apology and said they would work with Ferguson to track down the parcel.

"We sincerely apologise and will continue to work to retrieve the item, while speaking to the customer further around next steps," she said. "Australia Post delivers an average of 9.5 million parcels each week, with the vast majority reaching their correct destination safely."

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