NZ Post criticized after $ 4000 camera was stolen from door

An Auckland man is urging Kiwis to take note of New Zealand Post’s terms and conditions after the postal service reimbursed only half the value of a $ 4000 package stolen from his door, even though his contractor did not Followed delivery instructions.

Martin Moeller purchased a $ 4,000 camera from a private seller on Trade Me in November and paid for it to be shipped with New Zealand Post’s “signature required” service.

The package was delivered to his Bayswater, Auckland address, but with no one available to sign for the item, the courier signed in his own name, Moeller said.

The package was left “in full view of the street” and stolen before anyone returned home.

READ MORE:
* Hastings courier truck the seventh to be attacked by burglars in three years
* Courier thief Tokoroa delivers stolen uniforms
* How to avoid theft of your packages

Moeller said the three weeks since then had been frustrating as both he and the Trade Me salesperson were looking for answers and a resolution from the New Zealand Post.

The postal service had been “very cautious and bad at communication” but eventually agreed that the courier’s actions in signing the package himself were wrong, Moeller said.

“They have agreed to pay $ 2000, which is the limit in their terms and conditions.

“But when it comes to those terms and conditions, they breached them themselves when the courier signed without my permission.”

Under New Zealand Post’s terms for courier services, your liability is limited to a maximum of $ 2000 for direct loss or damage.

“We will not pay compensation for any other direct or indirect loss or damage caused to you or your items, even if it was caused by an intentional act or negligence of our employees, unless required by law,” the terms state .

A spokeswoman for the New Zealand Post said she had conducted a thorough investigation into the loss of Moeller’s camera.

“[We] regrets that it was apparently stolen after delivery. As such, we encourage the customer to report this to the police.

“The camera should not have been left without a signature under this service, and we sincerely apologize that our contractor did not follow the delivery instructions this time.”

The incident had been discussed with the contractor and the New Zealand Post was taking the matter seriously.

Under New Zealand Post’s Conditions of Carriage for Restricted Items, packages with content valued up to $ 2000 can be shipped via courier within New Zealand.

“The value of this item exceeds the amount covered by our terms and conditions for this service, but under the circumstances, we have offered to pay this customer compensation up to the specified limit,” the spokeswoman said.

Following the theft, Moeller said the New Zealand Post told him that he should have purchased additional insurance for the high-value item.

However, he felt that having a required signature should have prevented the incident, which had been reported to the police.

“We have proof that it was stolen – the courier has a picture of him on the door – and a home and contents insurance that will cover the rest. [of the camera’s value], less the excess of $ 500, ”Moeller said.

“But we will still have to pay out of pocket and I would really encourage people to read the terms and conditions carefully, because who does?”

The New Zealand Post said that as more kiwis shopped online, post-delivery theft was something to look out for.

“NZ Post has several services available to help prevent this. It can redirect a packet if it is not going to be [home], you can use click-and-pick at nearly 400 drop-off points nationwide, and you can also set up instructions for a safe place to drop off a package, like under the grill cover. “