Alternatives to You Shop / Rogue rural delivery driver

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MichaelNZ

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#306004 19-Jun-2023 20:24

I am looking for ways to remove NZ Post where I can. My immediate need is ex-USA.

A Google informs me there may be alternatives to You Shop but thought it would be easier and safer to ask the community who they have used and their experience.

Background:

I run a rural business. Our rural delivery driver has always come across as a bit lazy but we just let it be. She would leave expensive couriered items in our box on our drive way or under our hedge but we usually saw her coming and grabbed it.

But she has now taken this up a notch to try and force us to put a box at the road side - seemingly so she can leave the parcels out there where we can't see!!! - and made a phoney baloney "health and safety" claim with carefully framed and misleading photos. Clearly she knows how to play the game.

I have tried to resolve the matter with NZ Post and gotten nowhere.

This has left us with a headache and scrambling to put alternatives in place.

Won't make that mistake of relying on them again.

WFH Linux Systems and Networks Engineer in the Internet industry | Specialising in Mikrotik | APNIC member | Open to job offers

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#3092300 19-Jun-2023 20:27

I used to use Shipito and don't recall any issues, but it's been maybe five years since then.

JaBZ

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#3092304 19-Jun-2023 21:10

I've used Planet Express extensively and had no issues, they have quite a few options and plenty shipping options. I've also recently started using their Uk service too. Youshop can take a hike, terrible service.

My opinions and ideas expressed in posts are solely my own and do not reflect the views of my employer in any way..

MichaelNZ

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#3092306 19-Jun-2023 21:37

JaBZ:

I've used Planet Express extensively and had no issues, they have quite a few options and plenty shipping options. I've also recently started using their Uk service too. Youshop can take a hike, terrible service.

Thanks for that. I have had a look at their site on your suggestion.

Which "service" do you use and do you have it delivered to a street or PO Box address?

JaBZ

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#3092312 19-Jun-2023 22:02

MichaelNZ:

Thanks for that. I have had a look at their site on your suggestion.

Which "service" do you use and do you have it delivered to a street or PO Box address?

I don't have PO Box, just street addresses, Home or work.

Early last year I paid for 1 month of premium for them to forward me my Steamdeck purchase. That went well, I had it forwarded via DHL to my work address since someone is always there to sign.

Aug last year I paid for 1 year of premium, because I was anticipating using them a bit, used them to consolidate all my Black Friday purchases, including Bluray movies which all had free local shipping via Amazon. Have consolidated multiple purchases this year too. They have extensive options for how you want to deal with consolidation in terms of removing outer /inner boxes and or packaging etc.

Depends on how much you use them whether their yearly plan is economical enough for you, if its only for a few times then maybe not worth it.

Youshop claim to remove extra/excess packaging to save you money but there's no specific options, and its to their whim, in my experience they could have done much better in a few parcels that ended up costing me a lot to send.

My opinions and ideas expressed in posts are solely my own and do not reflect the views of my employer in any way..

MadEngineer

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#3092317 19-Jun-2023 22:31

Have your deliveries addressed to a nearby petrol station or similar if you’ve got a friendly local business owner.

You're not on Atlantis anymore, Duncan Idaho.

MichaelNZ

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#3092318 19-Jun-2023 22:35

MadEngineer: Have your deliveries addressed to a nearby petrol station or similar if you’ve got a friendly local business owner.

I am getting something sent to our local farm supplies store but the difficulty is some items come by post and require a street address like Amazon for example.

Also I don't want to inconvenience them given this is a regular thing.

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Jase2985

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#3092328 20-Jun-2023 05:27

why not just get a secure mail box that they could put the packages in at your gate?

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Goosey

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#3092330 20-Jun-2023 06:22

I feel your pain however they are only obligated to deliver to the gate or in the case of any tracked parcel delivery, they can deliver this to the door providing that door isn’t further than half a kilometre (one way) from said gate.

https://www.nzpost.co.nz/personal/receiving/rural-delivery

edit; you could see if NZ couriers have a rural delivery service, I.e. many business have their inwards mail handled by nz couriers (aggregated / forwarded by nz post and sent to nz couriers for delivery to you). The same works for outgoing….nz couriers will collect then handle the outgoing).

MichaelNZ

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#3092410 20-Jun-2023 10:38

Jase2985:

why not just get a secure mail box that they could put the packages in at your gate?

Because around 50% of the packages won't fit.

MichaelNZ

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#3092413 20-Jun-2023 10:48

edit; you could see if NZ couriers have a rural delivery service, I.e. many business have their inwards mail handled by nz couriers (aggregated / forwarded by nz post and sent to nz couriers for delivery to you). The same works for outgoing….nz couriers will collect then handle the outgoing).

Thanks for the suggestion.

NZ Couriers don't service here. Fastways used to until I think 2016.

I am presently trying to gauge the extent (if any) of drop offs to agents in town. I know they pickup but I don't know how it works for receiving.

Since my first post I have found I can get the item I need from Amazon and the delivery is US$12. Wow, that's cheaper then I would have paid if I buy it direct. So its still a headache just slightly less so today.

WFH Linux Systems and Networks Engineer in the Internet industry | Specialising in Mikrotik | APNIC member | Open to job offers

tweake

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#3092442 20-Jun-2023 11:02

the problems i have had is courier drivers are lazy and will dump everything off at rural delivery even tho you live in town and they are driving past anyway. that can annoy rural delivery as they have to do a special trip to deliver in town and it also adds a day.

dropping off at gas stations i do not recommend. i have had that before with lazy courier drivers who dump it gas stations where it sits with all the customers walking past and pissed off staff who ring and ask you to pick stuff up.

best bet it to arrange with local business who is open and has a place to store it.

Fiveonefive

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#3092451 20-Jun-2023 11:34

Hey

Give these a whirl

https://www.forwarding.co.nz/nz-post-youshop-alternative

I found this thread trying to see if my blog post was indexing.

Full disclosure, the link is an affiliate.

Price to send an iphone (they accept small li-ion batteries FOC) is about $50NZD

Thanks

wally22

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#3092484 20-Jun-2023 13:09

With rural addresses the delivery will always default to the local RD service, unless it is too heavy or large for their limits.

Do you have an authority to leave in place?

If not, then anything that requires a signature should be signed for, or else they should leave a card for you with info on how to pick up your item at the local depot.

CYaBro

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#3092494 20-Jun-2023 13:47

wally22:

With rural addresses the delivery will always default to the local RD service, unless it is too heavy or large for their limits.

Do you have an authority to leave in place?

If not, then anything that requires a signature should be signed for, or else they should leave a card for you with info on how to pick up your item at the local depot.

This. Doesn't matter who the original carrier is, or country, anything sent to our rural delivery address always gets delivered by the same rural delivery postie unless it is a bulk / heavy item.
Then it can vary depending on the carrier and comes on a truck.

Opinions are my own and not the views of my employer.

MichaelNZ

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#3092498 20-Jun-2023 13:57

wally22:

Do you have an authority to leave in place?

Good question. Yes and we will be withdrawing it as soon as we can find out how. Though its a bit of a moot point right now because nothing is turning up here.

There appears to be no path of resolution for this matter at NZ Post. Noone at NZ Post gives a stuff because they are paid a salary and it doesn't affect them. One of their call centre folk were somewhat anti as soon as they realised a "health and safety" issue had been claimed. I returned it back to them pointing out the roads she had to drive on around here were worse and how could she possibly cope? If the RD driver had thought it through - it wasn't the smartest thing to claim.

Flooding, fallen trees, pot holes and slips are part and parcel of the rural Manawatu. A short distance from here 1/2 the road has disappeared into a gully but I know she drives through there because I saw her in town last week. Unless she took the back route adding around an hour to the trip, but oh my goodness, that road is worse. lol.

She took a photo of a very selective patch of the drive way which she had stirred up because noone else drives over that spot... conveniently left out the large area she could go around it if she wanted like everyone else. It really is that ridiculous.

I have contacted our MP and anticipate they have better channels but this probably won't change the time frame.

It sure looks to me like this RD driver knows how to play the game to cause maximum disruption.

WFH Linux Systems and Networks Engineer in the Internet industry | Specialising in Mikrotik | APNIC member | Open to job offers

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