'Failed big time': Australia Post customer slams 'lazy' driver
An Australia Post customer has criticised a delivery driver accusing him of leaving a parcel behind his mailbox without checking whether or not he was home.
Adrian Dewick received a text from Australia Post on Friday morning informing him his parcel would be delivered in a two-hour window between 8.24am and 10.24am.
He told Yahoo News Australia he was at home doing chores but never received a knock on the door of his home in Rockingham in Western Australia.
But when he heard rowdy kids out the front of his home, he discovered they were looking at a package placed behind his mailbox.
Mr Dewick said he then checked the history on a surveillance camera at the front of his home, and said he saw the delivery driver had pulled up on his driveway and placed the package in plain sight behind the mailbox without checking whether he was home.
According to Australia Post, delivery drivers have the authority to leave a parcel without a signature after checking if the customer is home.
"For non-signature parcels, we still knock/use intercom and call out three times and hand the parcel to the customer where possible, unless the parcel is so small it can be safely left in the letterbox," Australia Post says in an Authority to Leave flyer.
"If no one is home, our drivers and posties are trained to follow delivery instructions displayed on the scanner or parcel label wherever it is possible to do so."
'That guy failed big time', customer says
Mr Dewick told Yahoo News Australia he hadn't had a problem with Australia Post deliveries until recently.
"I have had several issues lately with mail being jammed in the letterbox, ripping a certificate in an A4 envelope last week," he said.
"I have had a postie bring a parcel and put it under my wife's car's wiper arm which tore the rubber but [Australia Post] ended up paying for a replacement."
Mr Dewick said he made a complaint to Australia Post about the delivery driver's act.
"To me that guy failed big time," he said.
"I don't think Amazon would be too happy either as if that parcel did get taken the item would have to be refunded or replaced. And I would definitely be unhappy as it was for my grandson's fifth birthday."
Mr Dewick said his package could have easily been stolen and the delivery driver was "just being lazy".
"If no one is there leave at the front door out of sight," he said.
"Very unprofessional."
Why posties may not deliver your parcel
Others who saw Mr Dewick's surveillance video of the incident on Facebook were equally unimpressed by the service.
"Love how they call that a safe place," one said.
Another customer claimed she received a message saying her parcel would be delivered in a two-hour window but despite being home she never heard her postie knock.
"I'm in the lounge, with the doors open. Not a peep, not a beep, not a hello. Nada," she said.
"Go to check on the dogs and low and behold, there's the famous 'pick up from post office' card in the mailbox.
"Are they employing bloody ninjas now?"
Yahoo News Australia understands Australia Post makes the postie’s safety the priority when delivering mail.
If there is an off-leash dog behind a front gate, posties are not required to knock on the door.
Similarly, posties will just leave a card if a property has a high entry gate they can’t see over or open.
It’s also policy for posties to ensure bikes are always in their sight, so if a front door requires them to leave it alone they will just pop a card in the mailbox.
An Australia Post spokesperson told Yahoo News Australia drivers were working harder than ever to get unprecedented volumes of parcels to customers.
"The vast majority arrive safely," the spokesperson said.
"Delivery drivers will often safe drop items where required, but we acknowledge in this instance he should have come to the door.
"If customers have concerns about their delivery service, we encourage them to contact us directly on 13 POST so that we can investigate and address the issue."
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