An Post now leaving parcels outside

gezley

Rural area. Freestanding letterbox at the gate. House about 25 metres from road.

Over the years we've had various An Post drivers and they've always come to the front door to hand in oversized parcels which can't be squeezed into that box. Recently they have started dropping them outside the gate, in full view of passers-by, and also exposed to the weather. Has this become standard practice elsewhere? Are An Post trying to get us to buy one of these new delivery boxes?

I'm quite annoyed about this because I often order books, and occasionally order electronic items. Needless to say the rain is no friend of books and electronics, and I don't particularly like the idea of my parcels left near the roadside where somebody could lift them. Most books will fit through the letterbox at the gate, which is fine, but some don't. It's not as though the driver is coming to my door 5 times a week. 5 times every 6 months would be more like it.

Has anyone else had this problem recently?

davo10

gezley wrote: »

Rural area. Freestanding letterbox at the gate. House about 25 metres from road.

Over the years we've had various An Post drivers and they've always come to the front door to hand in oversized parcels which can't be squeezed into that box. Recently they have started dropping them outside the gate, in full view of passers-by, and also exposed to the weather. Has this become standard practice elsewhere? Are An Post trying to get us to buy one of these new delivery boxes?

I'm quite annoyed about this because I often order books, and occasionally order electronic items. Needless to say the rain is no friend of books and electronics, and I don't particularly like the idea of my parcels left near the roadside where somebody could lift them. Most books will fit through the letterbox at the gate, which is fine, but some don't. It's not as though the driver is coming to my door 5 times a week. 5 times every 6 months would be more like it.

Has anyone else had this problem recently?

I thought the point of having your letterbox at your gate was to allow you to keep your gate closed and stop people from entering your property? If your mail box is at your gate, and the post being delivered won't fit in it, I think it's fair to leave the item as close as possible to your mailbox. You could just remove the box at the gate so that mail comes to your door instead. It's difficult to see this as a consumer issue.

WHIP IT!

davo10 wrote:

I thought the point of having your letterbox at your gate was to allow you to keep your gate closed and stop people from entering your property? If your mail box is at your gate, and the post being delivered won't fit in it, I think it's fair to leave the item as close as possible to your mailbox. You could just remove the box at the gate so that mail comes to your door instead. It's difficult to see this as a consumer issue.

Good god....

Advbrd

WHIP IT! wrote: »

Good god....

I had similar thoughts but couldn't be bothered.

_Brian

No problems here, he just leaves a slip and we pick oversized stuff up in the post office.
Was chatting to the postie recently and he said that people keep asking him to drop parcels that can't be delivered but he says he refuses as he'd be responsible for any problems that come up as a result.

I'd say ring your local post office and mention that stuff is being left out.

donegaldude

davo10 wrote: »

I thought the point of having your letterbox at your gate was to allow you to keep your gate closed and stop people from entering your property? If your mail box is at your gate, and the post being delivered won't fit in it, I think it's fair to leave the item as close as possible to your mailbox. You could just remove the box at the gate so that mail comes to your door instead. It's difficult to see this as a consumer issue.

Or alternatively move the house closer to the mailbox by that reasoning.

Teyla Emmagan

Have you got into your local post office to complain? Don't write them off because of one lazy driver

Though one of the reasons I use parcel motel is that the post man used to leave parcels in with my neighbours. He possibly thought he was doing me a favour but it wasn't much use when they then headed off for a week with my parcel inside! Or some of my neighbours are mad/old. I didn't want the interaction with them/to see them bothered. There were times I would gave rathered get up before dawn to go to the delivery office.

Darth Melkor

davo10 wrote: »

I thought the point of having your letterbox at your gate was to allow you to keep your gate closed and stop people from entering your property? If your mail box is at your gate, and the post being delivered won't fit in it, I think it's fair to leave the item as close as possible to your mailbox. You could just remove the box at the gate so that mail comes to your door instead. It's difficult to see this as a consumer issue.

Our mailbox is by our front door around 15 metres in from gate. When the gate is open the postman can drive in but when the gate is closed they have to walk in. Two separate post men have given out about this. One has said that we need to move our box outside the gate and constantly drives over part of the lawn. Another "accidentally" broke off part of the gate. I don't know how he managed it with his barehands. He apologised but pointed out that we should have a box outside the gate or leave it open at all times.

Just noting that moving the mailbox might not necessarily resolve the problem.

davo10

I posted based on the op's "consumer issue" as this is a consumer issue thread. The op put his/her mailbox outside the gate, that is the point of delivary for on post, designated by the op, why? Because that's where the letterbox is. Why should a postman take the time to walk 25m in the rain to try and put it through the front door? These sense of entitled by some makes me go "good god" as well.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

We are rural and the house is 30metres from the gate. The postman always calls to the door with parcels. If we are not here he would leave it at the back door and put a note in the letterbox.

OP, just say it to him politely and I'm sure he'll do whatever is best for you. There is no incentive to the postman to encourage you to get the parcelbox.

davo10

Hendrix Wonderful Ratchet wrote: »

We are rural and the house is 30metres from the gate. The postman always calls to the door with parcels. If we are not here he would leave it at the back door and put a note in the letterbox.

OP, just say it to him politely and I'm sure he'll do whatever is best for you. There is no incentive to the postman to encourage you to get the parcelbox.

This is the common sense approach rather than looking at it as a consumer issue.

ED E

davo10 wrote: »

I posted based on the op's "consumer issue" as this is a consumer issue thread. The op put his/her mailbox outside the gate, that is the point of delivary for on post, designated by the op, why? Because that's where the letterbox is. Why should a postman take the time to walk 25m in the rain to try and put it through the front door? These sense of entitled by some makes me go "good god" as well.

Ehhhh, because that's his job? He's a mailcarrier. In the name.

Parcels go through a different channel which can be outsourced unlike the regular mail. Sometimes leads to chancers. Get onto the local DU and let them know.

Advbrd

davo10 wrote: »

I posted based on the op's "consumer issue" as this is a consumer issue thread. The op put his/her mailbox outside the gate, that is the point of delivary for on post, designated by the op, why? Because that's where the letterbox is. Why should a postman take the time to walk 25m in the rain to try and put it through the front door? These sense of entitled by some makes me go "good god" as well.

I think this particular "consumer" has every right to complain about the "issue" of parcels being left outside the gate in which I presume is a public area. I presume the OP is away on occasion for a number of days/weeks. I presume it rains in that particular area. I presume there are chancers in the area who may take an interest in the contents of said parcels.
The code of practice in my area is that a slip is inserted in the post box informing the recipient that there is a parcel to be collected in the local P.O. Quite simple.

Edups

davo10 wrote: »

I thought the point of having your letterbox at your gate was to allow you to keep your gate closed and stop people from entering your property? If your mail box is at your gate, and the post being delivered won't fit in it, I think it's fair to leave the item as close as possible to your mailbox. You could just remove the box at the gate so that mail comes to your door instead. It's difficult to see this as a consumer issue.

Are you joking?

davo10 wrote: »

I posted based on the op's "consumer issue" as this is a consumer issue thread. The op put his/her mailbox outside the gate, that is the point of delivary for on post, designated by the op, why? Because that's where the letterbox is. Why should a postman take the time to walk 25m in the rain to try and put it through the front door? These sense of entitled by some makes me go "good god" as well.

Oh good you're serious.
Good.
That's very... good

It's not as though the driver is coming to my door 5 times a week. 5 times every 6 months would be more like it.

That doesn't even absolve him/her. The post person is being paid for 5 days of work and their job is to deliver the mail to the recipient, the recipients post box and failing the above return to depot for collection. It's all very well for the guy above to say "what's the problem" but if he was throwing his post letters and all outside the post box there'd be a big issue. OP, I had a post man who was acting the prick a while back with my mail and a call to an post in Dublin and my local depot fixed his wagon. I suggest the same to you

yop

davo10 wrote: »

I posted based on the op's "consumer issue" as this is a consumer issue thread. The op put his/her mailbox outside the gate, that is the point of delivary for on post, designated by the op, why? Because that's where the letterbox is. Why should a postman take the time to walk 25m in the rain to try and put it through the front door? These sense of entitled by some makes me go "good god" as well.

fro9etb8j5qsl2

davo10 wrote: »

Why should a postman take the time to walk 25m in the rain to try and put it through the front door? These sense of entitled by some makes me go "good god" as well.

Eh, because it's his or her job?? If every postal worker took this attitude there would be no mail delivered on a daily basis.

Op you probably have a new postman who is either lazy or unaware. If you ring your local delivery office they will knock it on the head for you.

Edups

2016 - when having an expectation that involves a person doing their job is entitlement.


**** me

Advbrd

Brysen Ashy Harpsichord wrote: »

Eh, because it's his or her job?? If every postal worker took this attitude there would be no mail delivered on a daily basis.

Op you probably have a new postman who is either lazy or unaware. If you ring your local delivery office they will knock it on the head for you.

So says mrs postman. End of story.

L1011

Advbrd wrote: »

So says mrs postman. End of story.

I wouldn't make assumptions based on usernames. I'm not an obsolete three-engined Lockheed passenger aircraft.

The issue as I see it here is the parcels being left outside - after installing a postbox I wouldn't expect a postal delivery worker to bypass it if something doesn't fit when they have the delivery office option. I would expect the leaving them in the open to be stopped immediately if a complaint is made, but you're not guaranteed they'll come up the drive.

mooeire

We have the issue at home were the postman drops letters inside the porch and not in the letterbox in the door. We live in a small housing estate, it would take an extra second or two to put into letterbox in the front door. Is it the local sorting office i ring to get the matter addressed? My mother has a disability and cant get out to pick the post up so can be sitting there all day.

my3cents

OP just have a word with the postman and tell him exactly what you want done with the parcels. If we are not in ours will open a 16ft farm gate drive down 100 yards of track and leave leave any parcels inside the porch even though we have massive dogs that appear aggressive. He does get a decent tip at Christmas time but he did a good job before he even knew he was getting a tip. Normally he just beeps as he drives past the house and he waits at the gate while we go up and collect parcels from him.

You shouldn't have to but if the postman doesn't bother to be helpful just keep reporting them, he'll probably get moved or sacked if he does the same to other customers.

I'm expecting two parcels today and its raining. One is coming with AnPost and I've no worries about that and the other a HDD is coming with Fastway and I'm expecting it will be left balanced on the top of our sloping roofed letter box in the rain and the driver will sign for it.

gezley

davo10 wrote: »

I thought the point of having your letterbox at your gate was to allow you to keep your gate closed and stop people from entering your property? If your mail box is at your gate, and the post being delivered won't fit in it, I think it's fair to leave the item as close as possible to your mailbox. You could just remove the box at the gate so that mail comes to your door instead. It's difficult to see this as a consumer issue.

The last time we had post delivered directly to the door the postwoman drove over our dog without stopping. After some legal wrangling over vet costs and whatnot the postbox was then installed at the gate by, you guessed it, the post office. But thanks for your suggestion anyway.

gezley

_Brian wrote: »

No problems here, he just leaves a slip and we pick oversized stuff up in the post office.
Was chatting to the postie recently and he said that people keep asking him to drop parcels that can't be delivered but he says he refuses as he'd be responsible for any problems that come up as a result.

I'd say ring your local post office and mention that stuff is being left out.

Done some time ago. Still no reply. As with most complaints about so-called "public services" provided in Ireland, a complete waste of time. Same experience with electricity supply, which has become very unreliable lately. On one occasion I lost a hard disk over it. Complained to ESB over a year ago. Still no reply.

gezley

davo10 wrote: »

I posted based on the op's "consumer issue" as this is a consumer issue thread. The op put his/her mailbox outside the gate, that is the point of delivary for on post, designated by the op, why? Because that's where the letterbox is. Why should a postman take the time to walk 25m in the rain to try and put it through the front door? These sense of entitled by some makes me go "good god" as well.

See my reply to that post. Good God indeed. Some people are truly burdened by their superior intellects.

gezley

davo10 wrote: »

This is the common sense approach rather than looking at it as a consumer issue.

Why is it not a consumer issue? Am I not a customer of An Post, entitled to a courteous service from them? Have you read their customer charter, promising a "high-quality", "secure" and "reliable" service (p.4 of their 8-page charter)? Do you consider leaving parcels outside, at the gate and near the road, to be a "secure" and "high-quality" service?

gezley

Edups wrote: »

Are you joking?



Oh good you're serious.
Good.
That's very... good



That doesn't even absolve him/her. The post person is being paid for 5 days of work and their job is to deliver the mail to the recipient, the recipients post box and failing the above return to depot for collection. It's all very well for the guy above to say "what's the problem" but if he was throwing his post letters and all outside the post box there'd be a big issue. OP, I had a post man who was acting the prick a while back with my mail and a call to an post in Dublin and my local depot fixed his wagon. I suggest the same to you

Thank you. And it's not as though the driver even has to leave a note. These parcels are not signed delivery, so they can easily leave them in the porch. The porch door is open and all the drivers so far know this. Only recently have they stopped leaving them there.

Shelflife

If a polite word with the Postie doesnt work you need to write to the area office/depot and keep a copy.

Phone call can be denied a letter cant, once it lands on someones desk they will have to deal with it. Paper trail all the way.

gezley

Shelflife wrote: »

If a polite word with the Postie doesnt work you need to write to the area office/depot and keep a copy.

Phone call can be denied a letter cant, once it lands on someones desk they will have to deal with it. Paper trail all the way.

I will do this. Problem with waiting for post is that delivery can be any time between 1100 and 1430, so a letter it is then.

former total

gezley wrote: »

The last time we had post delivered directly to the door the postwoman drove over our dog without stopping. After some legal wrangling over vet costs and whatnot the postbox was then installed at the gate by, you guessed it, the post office. But thanks for your suggestion anyway.

Ahhhh here.

Perhaps you should have mentioned in your initial post that you'd been in legal dispute with An Post! Might have put things in a bit of context.

gezley

former total wrote: »

Ahhhh here.

Perhaps you should have mentioned in your initial post that you'd been in legal dispute with An Post! Might have put things in a bit of context.

Really? You think they're no longer obliged to provide a service to you because they ran over your dog on your property? The only relevance that case has to this thread is that An Post supplied a box to be installed outside gate so problem would not occur again. Said box does not allow for moderately oversized parcels.

What do you propose we should do now?

L1011

If its a Deliverybox, getting it installed FOC is unlikely to change the T&Cs which provide for them leaving delivery cards. This is what they should be doing.

I would entirely expect them to stop leaving the parcels out in the open, but that's it.