A DECISION by Australia Post to not deliver mail to business street addresses and charge for returns could be costing companies thousands of dollars in double postage payments.
Documents obtained by brisbanebusinessnews.com.au show Australia Post is charging customers to return mail, despite it being Australia Post policy not to do so in most cases.
In an obscure note on page 17 of its Print Post Service guide, Australia Post states print post service items can incur return-to-sender charges at the ordinary post-price.
Spokesperson Nyssa Black says Australia Post will aim to make the issue more prominent on its website, urging businesses to authorise redirection of street address mail to their post office boxes.
She says from September last year, Australia Post wrote to more than 350,000 post office box holders informing them of its policy to ensure redirection of their mail from a street address to post office box.
“The cost involved is just the postage but there is no cost for the package to be returned to the sender – we want to know about these issues because if there is a gap in our policy or someone that isn't doing the right thing, we want to fix it,” she says.
Black says Australia Post can return mail if it the intended address does not have a letterbox or receptacle that is deemed suitable.
Several Brisbane CBD buildings cannot receive mail as a result of the policy.
Black advises Brisbane businesses in the CBD to contact Australia Post about their eligibility to have mail delivered.
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