NZPost / CourierPost

Graeme from Frankton

Just having a laugh or smirk .

For over 30 years , my small business had a P O Box . From memory , originally it was $60 a year . By the middle of last year , it had gone up to $200 a year . And guess what -- no-one sends mail any more , and even stranger -- courier companies don't deliver parcels to P O Boxes .

So the very , very few companies that still send out letters , and don't send that info by e-mail , I advised to post to my house . No problem . I advised NZPost too . Of course , they took the next year payment out of my account via Direct Debit , but to their credit , they did refund that -- took about 3 weeks and 4 phone calls , but that isn't bad for Almost Govt Depts .

But here's where it gets silly -- CourierPost drops off a couple of parcels or more , each week . So now they have to call to my house , and 90% of the daytime hours , I aren't here . Leave a card . So I go , with ID , and pick up the parcel . Yes , at the Post Box Centre on Anglesea Street . Yes , they store it there , and while it costs me a bit in petrol , my parcels are safe , and they have to run around ( both the courier ,then the mail centre staff ) and find it . All included in the price .

Sometimes the staff even ask me if I want my P O Box cleared while i am there -- as soon as I say I cancelled it , some say 'yeah , like a lot' .

So lets hope their Courier side is making money , and doesn't decide they will make more by putting their price up -- that seems to be their modus operandi -- income is dropping in specific areas , so lets put up prices by 50% to make more money -- then when sales drop by 60% , they'll put up prices another 70% ! They are probably still wondering why no-one sends mail any more . . . . . . . . . .