AusPost brings guillotine to unaddressed Xmas mail

Printers may be caught out with the country’s mail monopoly Australia Post setting this Monday 9 November as the final day for unaddressed mail bookings to be made for December delivery, and saying it will not accept any more bookings from non-contract customers.

AusPost says it has having to introduce the “temporary changes” as it is having to deal with a “record number” of items, as the online shopping boom continues, with the AusPost parcels service reaching record new numbers. It has just switched 2000 of its 9000 posties from mail to parcels.

Industry figures tell Print21 that “a lot of people will be caught out by this” and that it confirms the switch in focus for AusPost from letters and mail to parcels. Mail is currently on alternate days delivery in much of the country. Mail houses tell Print21 they increasingly feel at the mercy of the whims of AusPost, which they say "seems to make it up as it goes along".

AusPost says bookings will be now only accepted for contract or government customers, saying it is unable to accept Unaddressed Mail bookings for deliveries between 23 November and 8 January from customers without an Australia Post contract.

Premium service bookings will also be unavailable from 23 November until 8 January, with deliveries recommencing from 11 January. There will be no Unaddressed Mail delivered between 21 December and 1 January.

Bookings are required by this Monday for delivery scheduled in weeks beginning 23 November, 30 November, 7 December, 14 December and 4 January.

AusPost says all bookings for delivery during the peak delivery period must be captured in the UM online booking tool by 9 November. Bookings will be assessed by Operations on a case by case basis to confirm capacity for delivery.