Some FACTS about Rural Delivery.

POST - means NZ Post, or another Post company.

COURIER - means a courier company eg Fastway, NZ Couriers, Courierpost, Peter Baker Transport, Post Haste...etc, but NOT NZ POST. NZ Post is NOT a courier.

Rural Delivery - An address that has R.D in it, OR is outside of a particular Couriers normal delivery area.

 

** NZ POST Change as at 1st March 2012 ** From 1st March NZ Post charge a rural fee for all Tracked items. NZ Post Untracked incurs no rural fee.

NZ Post at the same time as announcing price increases, have added a fee for RD deliveries using their Tracked service ONLY.

Their untracked Parcelpost service DOES NOT require an extra RD fee/ticket.

Untracked Parcelpost can ONLY be used for items less than 1.5kg in weight. Anything 1.5kg and over, MUST go Tracked and incur an RD fee.

Full details on NZ Post website

 

ALL Couriers - CHARGE EXTRA to deliver to Rural Delivery areas, although Pass The Parcel (a division of Poste Haste) are currently advertising no extra for RD.

RURAL DELIVERY for couriers does not always mean your address has R.D in the address, as different COURIERS HAVE DIFFERENT RURAL DELIVERY BOUNDRIES.

 

Q. How do I know if my address is Rural?

A. If your address when put in the NZ Post postcode finder search says your address is R.D, then you are usually Rural delivery for Couriers, but each courier company has their own boundaries so you need to check with each individual courier company.

Q. I don't have R.D in my address so does this mean I am not Rural Delivery?

A. Not always. Many addresses do not have R.D in them, but they are still Rural Delivery for all or some couriers. Each Courier company has different standard coverage areas. What is Rural for one company may not be for another company.

Q. Is there anywhere I can find out what courier companies class what addresses as Rural Delivery?

A. There is no one source (publicly available) that will tell you which couriers class an address as Rural Delivery. You need to either phone or email each courier company with the full address and ask them. If you have an account with a courier company, they may be able to provide you with a copy of their Transhipment Schedule that details what areas are covered.These areas change regularly too, so what is rural one day, may not be the next.

Q. How much extra does Courier Rural Delivery cost vs std Courier delivery?

A. The amount varies depending on the courier company, but is around $3-$5 extra for Rural Delivery of small satchels and parcels. You might see shipping rates such as $5.00 Courier, $9 Courier - Rural Delivery. A very large or heavy parcel may need a much higher charge for Rural Delivery if it is the sort often sent by freight companies that have a limited direct delivery area. One TM member has mentioned they have to pay from $13 to over $40 extra for rural delivery of larger items.

Q. Who gets the extra $ you pay for Rural Deliveries?

A. Rural Post Contractors charge NZ Post and Courier companies to deliver parcels for them. Rural Post contractors are independent business owners who don't work for free. They belong to a co-operative that pays them a dividend based on the number of households they service. This dividend comes from the profit made by selling rural delivery tickets.

Q. I receive deliveries without Rural stickers from Courierpost and NZ Courier vans. Does this mean I am not Rural Delivery?

A. No. Each Courier company has different standard coverage areas. What is Rural for one company may not be for another company, eg I am in Whitianga, and all but two courier companies deliver directly here. Two Companies DO NOT deliver directly here, but sub-contract to another courier firm Coromandel Penninsula Couriers for their deliveries in this area, and they have to pay them for this service.

Q. Can I send something by Courierpost to a Rural address and not put a Rural sticker on it?

A. No

Q. What happens if I don't put a Rural Delivery sticker on the parcel and it needs one?

A. If a courier receives a parcel for delivery to an address that they class as a Rural area and no Rural sticker is paid for and placed on the parcel, they will charge back to the senders account for the delivery. Some senders have an agreement with their courier company that if a package is received by them and it is determined to need a rural delivery sticker, then that parcel shall be held or returned until the rural delivery charge is paid. If the item is returned to sender, the complete re-delivery + Rural will have to be paid again.

Q. I don't have R.D in my address, but I am in a rural area. Do I need to do anything special when sending a seller my address for delivery?

A. No, you don't need to do anything special, just ensure your address is correct as per NZ Post guidelines.

Q. My address is CMB (Community Mail Box). Does this mean I am rural?

A. Not necessarily. Not all CMB addresses are Rural. If yours is, you will also have an R.D and number in your address.

Q. If I know I am Rural Delivery but don't give the seller my R.D number, or let them know I am Rural, will I still get my delivery?

A. You may still get your delivery, however, many senders have an agreement with their courier company that if a package is received by them and it is determined to need a rural delivery sticker, then that parcel shall be held or returned until the rural delivery surcharge is paid. If the item is returned to sender, the complete re-delivery + Rural will have to be paid again. If the seller does not have this agreement, they will get a bill at the end of the month with your details and the extra charge, and may contact you for the extra payment, blacklist you, change feedback placed etc.

Q. I want to bid on something and have it delivered by NZ Post as I am Rural Delivery, but the seller only has Courier delivery in their shipping options?

A. You could ask the seller a question. "I am Rural Delivery. Are you able to send this by NZ Post to reduce delivery cost to me?, and if so, could you confirm cost please? I do understand if you can't, but thought I'd ask before bidding." Please also remember that sometimes Courier delivery is cheaper than NZ Post. An oversize item we used to send by NZ Post increased from $7.50 post cost to $22.00 when NZ Post changed their pricing in 2008. The same item is now under $15 to send by Courier to a Rural address. Sellers are usually the best ones to know the most economical shipping method for what they sell, and it is in their best interests to give the best delivery option possible that suits you both.

Q. Why doesn't the seller offer NZ Post as a shipping option?

A.

  • Many items are on the NZ Post Prohibited items list and as such can not be sent by NZ Post eg perfume, cash, vouchers, firearms etc etc. If the seller chooses to send these items by Post, they may be liable to substantial fines and they will not be able to claim compensation for non-delivery or damage if something goes missing or gets broken.
  • Sellers may have their days planned and have couriers pickup from their door or may not be able to travel to the Post Office to Post things.
  • Sellers may be rural themselves and not have facilities to label and send things by NZ Post without travelling some distance to a Post Office.
  • Sometimes courier delivery is cheaper than NZ Post.
  • Couriers often provide a faster service and tracking system. Many sellers are more comfortable sending by courier to ensure you receive your item.

Additional resources.

Transhipment Schedules (RD/Out of area deliveries that need RD tickets) for commonly used Couriers in NZ.

Fastway Couriers Transhipment, Schedule Version 15 PDF.

NZ Couriers Rural checker http://www.nzcouriers.co.nz/checkit/

 

 

The information above is intended as a guide. While every effort has been made to ensure it's accuracy, the information is the opinion of the author and has been compiled after consultation with other TradeMe members. This information must not be used for other than it's intended purpose as a guide only. Copyright Gary Skipper