topic Re: Australia Post Boxes and Hot Weather = Oven. in Selling

Australia Post Boxes and Hot Weather = Oven.

d.frost23 — Fri, 17 Jan 2014 03:51:53 GMT

This is my first post but I wanted to remind everyone that the red/yellow post boxes in the street are metal and become very hot during this heatwave and become an oven. Your item or sachel may melt / damage - especially DVDs or Games and your buyer may not be happy when they recieve the item.

During this heatwave I recommend posting directly at the post office or later in the afternoon as collection is usually around 5-6pm

Re: Australia Post Boxes and Hot Weather = Oven.

lyndal1838 — Fri, 17 Jan 2014 04:20:46 GMT

Good idea but will not make that much difference as the PO collection vans are metal too.

I just don't buy items that could be heat damaged while it is so hot.

Re: Australia Post Boxes and Hot Weather = Oven.

zelly888 — Fri, 17 Jan 2014 05:07:12 GMT

Yes they are metal but they do have a bag inside them that's made of a durable/waterproof/heat proof material.

Re: Australia Post Boxes and Hot Weather = Oven.

d.frost23 — Fri, 17 Jan 2014 06:53:31 GMT

LOL I guess the post bag inside automatically opens and closes as you put mail into the box to keep the cool air inside. Unfortunetley the ones around here dont have this function, the mail just hits the bottom... clunk. Ive seen the mail man get them out in and put them into a cloth bag. But even that didn't look quite heat proof. Thanks, I'll ask him to install this "automatic opening/closing weather proof bag" next time. Didn't think of that.

Re: Australia Post Boxes and Hot Weather = Oven.

zelly888 — Fri, 17 Jan 2014 07:11:06 GMT

The cloth bags sit around a rim inside the post boxes so the mail just falls into them otherwise if they didn't have these bags the mail would spill out onto the ground as soon as the post collector opened the door.Once they take the full bags out they then replace it with another one.

Re: Australia Post Boxes and Hot Weather = Oven.

lyndal1838 — Fri, 17 Jan 2014 07:52:52 GMT

Not all post boxes have the bags inserted in them. I have often seen mail fall out onto the ground at our local PO when the van driver opens the boxes to collect the mail.

And the bags are not waterproof or weatherproof.....they are very heavy cotton canvas and as such they do provide a small measure of insulation but not enough to cope with this heat.

Re: Australia Post Boxes and Hot Weather = Oven.

zelly888 — Fri, 17 Jan 2014 08:19:48 GMT

You would think that the all the post boxes would be upgraded by now to protect the mail wouldn't you?

Re: Australia Post Boxes and Hot Weather = Oven.

davewil1964 — Fri, 17 Jan 2014 09:41:36 GMT

No. I already pay AP enough for postage. I'm not willing to pay more in order for them to heatproof red boxes (which I hardly use) or yellow boxes (which I never use).

Re: Australia Post Boxes and Hot Weather = Oven.

haolove13 — Fri, 17 Jan 2014 12:09:05 GMT

I agree with the idea of not posting in the red boxes partly because of the heat as the top of the bags are open, and I have seen a posty wince when he touched an EXTREMELY hot ring on the bag, but also because items posted in them does not usually get scanned and therefore your tracking is usually not available.

I lodge everything at the post office and retain postage receipts whenever possible.

They also have a supply of DO NOT SAFE DROP stickers to ensure your items do not just get left anywhere sorta close to the right address kinda, if you sorta know what I kinda mean LIKE!!!

Some busy boxes get cleared during the day but all boxes are cleared AFTER 6pm. However many post offices have their internal lodgements collected as early as 3 pm, so you need to ask if an item is REALLY urgent if it can be posted in the box outside the post office.

I know that the Holden Hill post box outside the LPO is cleared at exactly 6.00pm as the driver waits until 6 to start his run there.

My old address at Pooraka was normally not cleared until 6.45 and today I was at Fulham gardens and the driver was waiting there until 6.01 pm.

While waiting at Lockleys this evening the one on Henley Beach Road at Lockleys was cleared about 6.25 which is about the time I normally see it get cleared.

It is handy to know regular times as there are occasions when I need to drop a box that is too large to fit the box so I wait for the posty to arrive and hand him the parcel. Does not get full tracking but sometimes it can save it sitting in the post Office till Monday.

Re: Australia Post Boxes and Hot Weather = Oven.

lyndal1838 — Fri, 17 Jan 2014 12:17:03 GMT

@zelly888 wrote:
You would think that the all the post boxes would be upgraded by now to protect the mail wouldn't you?

How is a cotton canvas bag going to protect the mail?

All it does when inserted into the post box is make it easier for the driver to grab the mail in one go without risking to being blown away as it could be if it was loose in the box.

Re: Australia Post Boxes and Hot Weather = Oven.

thecatspjs — Fri, 17 Jan 2014 13:06:09 GMT

Blow a temperature controlled post box .... I'd like to see post boxes that scan parcels that are deposited so I don't have to queue at the Post Office and can post more at my leisure

Re: Australia Post Boxes and Hot Weather = Oven.

ytwo000 — Sun, 19 Jan 2014 22:01:52 GMT

maybe contact au post and suggest to paint their street mailing boxes white and air con them

Re: Australia Post Boxes and Hot Weather = Oven.

gec2002 — Sun, 19 Jan 2014 22:14:48 GMT

Agree with the heat issue. Also the Red Street Boxes (at least in Victoria) aren't emptied on Saturdays.

Re: Australia Post Boxes and Hot Weather = Oven.

clarry100 — Sat, 25 Jan 2014 21:26:40 GMT

Does somebody know if the QLD red street boxes will be emptied today given tomorrow is a public holiday (Aust Day)?

Tries to find info on Aust Post website without success.

Re: Australia Post Boxes and Hot Weather = Oven.

lyndal1838 — Sun, 26 Jan 2014 02:57:03 GMT

There is certainly nothing on the AP website...only details of PO opening hours.

I have a feeling that the public holiday makes no difference to post box clearances. There is no mention of public holidays in the section on post box clearances so I would think it will be tonight and tomorrow night as usual.

Re: Australia Post Boxes and Hot Weather = Oven.

haolove13 — Sun, 26 Jan 2014 03:12:36 GMT

When Monday is a public holiday street boxes are not cleared on Sundays.

The mail exchange is not open tonight.

Re: Australia Post Boxes and Hot Weather = Oven.

lyndal1838 — Sun, 26 Jan 2014 03:21:50 GMT

But today is a public holiday...tomorrow is only the alternate public holiday. So we have two public holidays in a row.

Re: Australia Post Boxes and Hot Weather = Oven.

haolove13 — Sun, 26 Jan 2014 12:07:35 GMT

The question asked if street boxes would be emptied today?

That has nothing to do with a public holiday.

Normally street mail boxes are emptied after 6.00pm on Sundays.

When the Monday is a public holiday street boxes are not emptied on Sundays.

Quite simple really.

Why do people make it so hard??????

Re: Australia Post Boxes and Hot Weather = Oven.

lyndal1838 — Sun, 26 Jan 2014 13:51:18 GMT

@haolove13 wrote:
When Monday is a public holiday street boxes are not cleared on Sundays.
The mail exchange is not open tonight.

If it has nothing to do with a public holiday can you explain this answer please?

Re: Australia Post Boxes and Hot Weather = Oven.

clarry100 — Sun, 26 Jan 2014 20:50:31 GMT

I've searched up & down the Aust Post web site and was unable to find any information on when these boxes are cleared.

So I decided I would not put my articles in the box on Sunday evening, as normal, as I didn't want to take the risk of them sitting in there all day Monday only to bake in the hot QLD sun. And perhaps for the box to be subjected to vandal attack as this one has been before now.

I normally drop them in there around 5:30pm. As by then the box is shaded by trees and they only have a half hour or so to avoid any vandal attacks.

I got there one Sunday afternoon and the whole red box was uprooted from the ground and laying on its side. So had to go to the next nearest one.