NZ Post changes disrupt mail delivery for businesses

New rules for PO box numbers are causing problems for businesses in New Zealand. A company in Dunedin reported that it has been missing important legal notices which could lead them to court. This issue follows a policy change by NZ Post, which says local post workers will no longer redirect mail meant for PO boxes. Earlier this year, NZ Post instructed that any mail sent to a physical address should be returned to the sender if a PO box is available. This means that local posties cannot look up the PO box number and write it on the letters. In February, some posties had been ignoring this rule, but now they are required to follow the new policy. Steve Divers is the risk manager at Dynes Transport. He said they rely on infringement notices for things like vehicle repairs. These notices used to be delivered to their PO box, but now they are returned because mail is sent to their physical address, which doesn't get regular delivery. He shared that they started receiving court fines because the notices were not reaching them. In another case, the Shakespeare Globe Centre New Zealand is facing challenges for a national competition. The organization sent out over 700 information packs to schools, but more than 50 were returned as undeliverable. Dawn Sanders, the chief executive, discovered that the physical addresses were used, not the PO boxes. This mistake means many schools are missing out on participating in the festival. The costs for sending the returned envelopes have added up significantly. With entries down from 200 to 172, Sanders thinks this is due to schools not receiving the necessary information. She plans to share information digitally for next year, but it is too late for many schools to join the competition this time. NZ Post acknowledged that the changes might be inconvenient but said it is responding to a trend toward more online communication. They are also planning changes to their mail delivery network to cut costs and improve service.