When you're eagerly awaiting a package, the last thing you want is to find out it's been dumped on a footpath outside the wrong address.

This is precisely what happened to a Townsville woman, leading to the dismissal of an Australia Post delivery driver.

The incident occurred last month when the driver, in a questionable attempt at delivery, left the package on a footpath at the wrong address.

The driver then sent the woman a photo of the package in a 'safe place' on the path beside a patch of grass as proof of delivery.

An Australia Post driver left a woman’s parcel at the wrong address. Image source: Facebook.

The woman called out Australia Post on social media and demanded better service.

She posted a photo of her parcel with the caption, 'This is the "safe place" my parcel was left—at the wrong address.'

The incident sparked outrage among fellow Aussies, with many agreeing that the delivery was 'appalling'.

'I'm not sure what's more tragic here?' one replied.

'The fact they'd got the wrong address or the fact they've just left it on the floor nowhere near a door or delivery box.'

Some users shared their own delivery horror stories, including packages left at random locations.

One user recounted how a driver left their package 'behind the rubbish bin' despite having a parcel container at their block of units.

Australia Post quickly responded to the complaint and assured the woman that the driver was no longer employed by them.

'Australia Post has strict protocols in place for the delivery of mail and parcels, and the driver's actions here clearly did not meet the high standards we expect,' a spokesperson said.

'We have been in touch with the customer to apologise, and we can confirm the driver involved no longer delivers for Australia Post.'

The spokesperson also urged customers with delivery issues to contact them on 13 POST (13 7678) for support.

Key Takeaways

• An Australia Post delivery driver lost his job after leaving a parcel on the footpath outside the wrong address and sending a photo as proof of delivery.
• The customer whose package was misdelivered expressed her frustration on social media, prompting Australia Post to apologise.
• Australia Post emphasised that it has strict delivery protocols and that the driver's behaviour did not meet their high standards.
• The incident sparked an angry response from the public, with people sharing their own negative experiences with parcel delivery.

What are your thoughts on this incident? Have you had a similar experience with a parcel delivery? Share your stories in the comments below.

 

[riskydave]

So there is something new here is there???

 

[Bridgit]

Our LPO refuses to deliver our mail - we are on a rural roadside delivery - he doesn't like our mailbox! He has to use 2 hands to open it and put our mail in - Aust Post agrees with him so how does that grab you? I refuse to allow my husband to go to his Post Office and I can't go there as there is no disability access - so we have to travel 30klm to the next PO where we now have a box to get our mail and parcels - the LPO doesn't deliver parcels.

 

[CristinaV]

I don't believe auspost has fired the guy. They would have the union on their backs pronto.
My guess is he has been transferred to another location with a warning to do better.

 

[Clancieblue]

Maybe he had 3 strikes already.

 

[wendell]

my parcels have always been left where I have asked no problems but I had a delivery of food meals this week which was left 2 doors up. I didn't know until the neighbour bought it to me She was at work . Don’t know how person can get mixed up with clear numbers displayed

 

[Victoria56]

I had 3 parcels delivered recently by Couriers Please and despite me asking for them to be left at the front door the delivery lady sat them on top of my letterbox where anyone could have walker by and taken them. If I hadn't heard the van I would not have known. I put in a complaint not that it will probably do any good.

 

[Staffordshire Whippet]

Strange, the difference between locations: for the eight years we lived in Townsville, right in town, the postal delivery service was at best how-ya-goin', and the Parcel service woeful - they couldn't even get Express Delivery right. For the ten years following, living in Atherton, absolutely brilliant service, up to and including getting a phone-call on Christmas Eve (that year it was a Saturday) advising that they had a parcel awaiting collection if I could get there in the next hour! It was particularly appreciated because it was a medicine-delivery; I can't speak highly enough about the Atherton Post Office.

 

[Staffordshire Whippet]

If you REAAALLLYY want to see "Bloody Useless" in action, try getting a delivery from My Deal, delivered (allegedly) by Aramex.

 

[52-KID]

If you REAAALLLYY want to see "Bloody Useless" in action, try getting a delivery from My Deal, delivered (allegedly) by Aramex.

And not just My Deal. I've found Aramex useless in our area. With them not turning up several times, I changed the pick up date, and they arrived on one of the original days. Worse still, one of the days, they were supposed to pick up, they actually delivered to my son-in-law!

 

[bigfelladave]

Yup, same problem out in westerrn NSW. Package was left at the wrong address (street, number and TOWN wrong). I rang Australia Post's complaint number (131318) as the local Post Office refused any responsibility and was of little assistance. The package was retrieved and re-delivered on the same day, but left on top of my mailbox for all to see, when I had previously specified a safe location on my front verandah. No apology offered for any of it.

 

[AlanQ]

I don't believe auspost has fired the guy. They would have the union on their backs pronto.
My guess is he has been transferred to another location with a warning to do better.

He would be a contractor, not an employee.

 

[AlanQ]

Our LPO refuses to deliver our mail - we are on a rural roadside delivery - he doesn't like our mailbox! He has to use 2 hands to open it and put our mail in - Aust Post agrees with him so how does that grab you? I refuse to allow my husband to go to his Post Office and I can't go there as there is no disability access - so we have to travel 30klm to the next PO where we now have a box to get our mail and parcels - the LPO doesn't deliver parcels.

Why would a Licensed Post Office deliver your mail? They sell stamps and provide the retail part of Australia Post in areas that don't warrant a full post office. The mail & parcels in rural areas are done by contracted delivery not by any employee of Aust Post. https://auspost.com.au/about-us/operating-as-a-post-office/licensed-post-office-lpo-information

 

[SGH]

We had a parcel delivered on a Sunday (maybe Saturday night) thrown under the letter box, only found because we have the papers delivered on the weekend.

 

[Johan van Zalen]

The delivery driver gets no sympathy from me. I have had parcels dropped outside my door and they haven't even bothered to knock on the door. I live in units so anyone could have taken it

 

[Suzanne rose]

My Australia post delivery man plus my postman and wonderful. The postman always leaves my larger mail on my verandah and if I see him he always says hello and a quick chat.
My Australia post parcel man always brings my parcels around to the back door.

I have had problems with temu deliveries just throwing parcels on the grass or leaving on top of my letter box.

And Couriers please never comes in but leaves a card in my letter box, I have seen this happen a few times and the last time lucky he was stopped a few doors down and was carding the neighbour as well without even going in. I pulled him up on it and asked why he never knocked on my door or the neighbours. I got my parcel and I told him to wait , and I knocked in my neighbours door and she opened straight away and was horrified when I told her what he did.
He gave us both our parcels but acted like he didn't understand. We both put in a complaint was told that someone would get back to us but never happened.

The only thing we could think of was that the courier must have been paid more for going back a second time when signature was required

 

[Bill MacL]

So I'm sitting in my lounge room reading the paper, the front door is partially open, screen door closed. I hear the delivery guy call out parcel delivery, I look up and he throws it on the door mat and takes a picture with his phone before I can even get up. The door is only 3.5 metres away from where I'm sitting, by the time I open the door he's already in his truck reversing out of the driveway. Seriously they are fucking useless.

 

[Ezzy]

Our LPO refuses to deliver our mail - we are on a rural roadside delivery - he doesn't like our mailbox! He has to use 2 hands to open it and put our mail in - Aust Post agrees with him so how does that grab you? I refuse to allow my husband to go to his Post Office and I can't go there as there is no disability access - so we have to travel 30klm to the next PO where we now have a box to get our mail and parcels - the LPO doesn't deliver parcels.

Not an acceptable situation at all.

What is hard about using two hands to open your mail box? This proves to me that this is a secure mailbox. How can the Post Office justify supporting the Postal Worker on this matter. The Posti is not doing what he or she has been employed to do. In a rural situation how can the LPO refuse to deliver parcels thereby forcing property owners to travel unreasonable distances to collect those items? Does your LPO set their own conditions about what they will & will not deliver, possibly going against standard requirements?

 

[Kevin Rockemer]

BUT did Auspost recover item & correct delivery etc.

 

[Rosi Gordon]

Our postman is really great but it is the couriers they hire for bigger parcels are the problem. Delivery to wrong addresses or parcels being Frisbeed from the bottom of the driveway is a common occurrence even when it says Fragile. I don't have dogs or a front fence so there is no excuse. I even had at one time a courier chuck a parcel into the front yard from his car window. Australia Post didn't want to know about it.