Paying extra to send mail in a NZ Post “ParcelPost Tracked” bag? In some cases it might not be worth it.
Each of these pre-paid bags has a unique number for tracking the parcel online and seeing it gets to its destination. But the tracking system only works properly if you send the item at one of NZ Post’s PostShops.
On its website NZ Post says that its other postal outlets (called PostCentres) may not have the facility to scan the bags – and that means a bag doesn’t get entered in the tracking system when it’s sent. (PostCentres offer only postal and courier services. They’re usually part of a separate business such as a corner dairy or service station.)
NZ Post says tracked bags sent at a PostCentre are scanned when they’re delivered – but they may not show up in the tracking system before then. And if the parcel is being delivered to a rural address, it may be several days after delivery before anything appears online. That’s because rural delivery drivers don’t have scanners, so the tracking numbers have to be entered manually.
ParcelPost Tracked bags cost $1 more than NZ Post’s standard bags. That’s not a huge difference. But if you’re sending items at a PostCentre that can’t scan the parcel, you may not be getting your money’s worth. It would pay to check that the bag can be scanned, before you buy it.
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