Australia Post adds to travel costs

When we travel we get our mail redirected to another address. If its just personnal mail in our own names then the charge is $35 for about 3 months of redirection - fair enough.

However, if you have a business, even if its just to run your super fund, then the fee is a whooping $206 for the same period. Regardless of who the mail is addressed to, it all goes into the same roadside mailbox and it all gets the same readdressing treatment.

Has anyone else encountered this little gem from AP?

Val.
J and V
"Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted."
- Albert Einstein

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Reply By: Crackles - Thursday, May 22, 2008 at 22:25

Thursday, May 22, 2008 at 22:25
$206 sounds like how much it actually costs AP to redirect mail for 3 months ($10 per day) where as the $35 appears to be heavily subsidised (as it should be for personal mail).
No doubt being just for a super fund it's over the top but for others having hundreds of letters sent to another address it would not be unreasonable. Anyway when you claim it as a tax deduction it wont look as bad then ;-)
Cheers Craig.........
AnswerID: 305369

Follow Up By: gottabjoaken - Friday, May 23, 2008 at 13:10

Friday, May 23, 2008 at 13:10
Crackles,

I fail to see the logic in your "(as it should be for personal mail)"

Businesses and their mail would have to be the major revenue source for Australia Post compared to personal mail.

Good business sense would dictate that businesses would get the subsidy and personal should pay the full cost...

So it looks to me as though Australia Post are just trying to slug those who can claim a business expense, and letting off those who won't burden the system with too much redirected mail.

In reality, under User Pays principles and in fainess to all, there ought to be a base charge with an increasing charge per item quantity to compensate for the handling and weight.
Say $30 per 3 months plus $1 per ten items under 50 and $5 per ten items over 50. Or something like that.

that would be fair.

Ken
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FollowupID: 571464

Follow Up By: disco driver - Friday, May 23, 2008 at 14:19

Friday, May 23, 2008 at 14:19
Gottabjoaken,
"Business' and their mail would have to be the major revenue source for Australia Post........".

I'll agree with that, but business can, and no doubt does, claim all their postal expenses as a legitimate business deduction at tax time.

The individual can do no such thing and must accept the charge as part of the cost of going away.

Sorry but I disagree with you on this.

Disco.

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FollowupID: 571469

Follow Up By: stefan P (Penrith NSW) - Friday, May 23, 2008 at 16:33

Friday, May 23, 2008 at 16:33
I am a postie....ever wondered what it takes to redirect a letter????

Trust me aint no one making money out of letters, you lot had better hope it doesn't get into private ownership, BYE BYE $0.50 stamp

Cheers Stefan
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FollowupID: 571484

Reply By: stocky - Thursday, May 22, 2008 at 22:30

Thursday, May 22, 2008 at 22:30
bit like the charge for a PO Box

Live IN town and want a PO box = $$$$$
Live OUT of town (and i mean 6 feet past the town limit sign!) and get it for bugger all!

AnswerID: 305370

Follow Up By: Member - Cruiser (NSW) - Friday, May 23, 2008 at 17:06

Friday, May 23, 2008 at 17:06
I used to own a Post Office Agency and and can tell you its only supposed to be free if you live out of town and AP doesnt provide a RSD (Road Side Delivery)

Cheers,

Cruiser

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FollowupID: 571494

Reply By: Neil & Pauline - Thursday, May 22, 2008 at 23:24

Thursday, May 22, 2008 at 23:24
Val
It is a roadside mail box thing. We got a post box and it costs $70 to redirect. Have been doing it for 3 years now.

Neil
AnswerID: 305377

Reply By: SOS Mail Solutions - Friday, May 23, 2008 at 08:58

Friday, May 23, 2008 at 08:58
Hi John & Val,

There are other options available for your mail redirection that would combine your personal and business as one and the charge is only $66.00 for 3 months.

If you where to put it under your business name then the cost could be claimed as a business expense as well.


Craig
AnswerID: 305412

Follow Up By: Member - John and Val W (ACT) - Friday, May 23, 2008 at 12:27

Friday, May 23, 2008 at 12:27
Craig - sounds like a good offer - but....... wouldn't we have to get AP to redirect to you first???

John
J and V
"Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted."
- Albert Einstein

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Follow Up By: SOS Mail Solutions - Friday, May 23, 2008 at 12:47

Friday, May 23, 2008 at 12:47
Dear John & Val

Yes that is correct, but if you know who is corresponding with you, like family, friends and any businesses, just inform them of your new postal address. They will then update your new address details and any mail will then be posted direct to your new mailing address.

AP charge $11.00 for private, $5.50 Concession and $38.00 business mail redirection for 1 month.

You could pay the $11.00 for 1 month to AP to redirect private mail as it will be more than the business ( I presume) and inform your business correspondence of your new address by email or phone at little or no charge.Eg: Banks, insurance, utilities, super funds companies ect.

It all depends on the duration that you require that will put the cost in perspective.

Regards

Craig B
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Reply By: DIO - Friday, May 23, 2008 at 10:52

Friday, May 23, 2008 at 10:52
FOR CRYING OUT LOUD...HOW MUCH ARE YOU INTENDING TO SPEND ON YOUR TRAVELS? Sorry about the shouting but I get annoyed when people complain about costs (yeh I know it's your/our right to do so) when they are undertaking an activity of their own choosing involving expenditure (fuel, accommodation, van/camper costs, tow vehicle set-up costs etc) again of their own choosing.
Your heading AUST. POST ADDS TO TRAVEL COSTS is inappropriate and incorrect. Your choice of mail direction is what incurs the cost. If you (or anyone) can't afford to go on extended trips then consider shorter less expensive outings. We all (at least most) have to live within a budget and if we exceed that budget then there's no one else to blame other than ourselves. Doesn't matter what the cost of food, fuel, accommodation amounts to, we make the final choice as to what we spend on and how much.

If you are like many, on a Pension with limited resources (money) available you may qualify for a reduced rate through Aust. Post for Mail re-direction. Certainly makes it a lot cheaper.
The other option is to get family or perhaps even a neighbour to collect and re-direct for you. Neighbours can often be persuaded with a bottle (or two) of wine, slab of beer, a couple of tickets for the pictures etc etc. Use your imagination as to what you think would work best for you. Try and think 'outside the square' as one often hears proclaimed. Whatever you choose have a great and safe trip. Australia Post like most Govt. related institutions are now in the business of cost recovery and user pays. For a long time many services were charged at exceedingly reduced rates and often subsidised by taxpayers. All that has now changed and like it or not USER PAYS.
AnswerID: 305429

Follow Up By: stefan P (Penrith NSW) - Friday, May 23, 2008 at 17:54

Friday, May 23, 2008 at 17:54
what a lot don't relise is that letters don't make money.....its the 'value added' services like redirections that recoup some costs.

as DIO said get a family member to collect and send once a week or month ect in a large envelope, and pay them.......heaps cheaper!!!!

Stefan
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FollowupID: 571499

Reply By: Mainey (wa) - Friday, May 23, 2008 at 15:29

Friday, May 23, 2008 at 15:29
Val,
I used a PO Box in Melbourne as my mailing address for 12 years for everything, (except JUNK mail) till I set up home here in Busso this year.

It cost about $55 ?? per year from memory for the PO Box and it was in a small privately owned Post Office.

When I phoned at start of each month the PO owner would then send me ALL my mail, to where-ever I expected to be a few days after the phone call.

It worked for me, as I was never in the same place more than a few months anyway.

Mainey . . .
AnswerID: 305467

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