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Australia Post tracking status

Australia Post “Attempted delivery”: what it means

The short answer

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The driver could not deliver or safely leave the parcel, so it is going to a nearby Post Office or Parcel Locker. Australia Post does not redeliver from a Post Office, and you have 10 business days to collect it there.

When to act: If you were home when Australia Post says it tried, or no collection notice arrives after 2 business days, file a complaint and we send it to Australia Post.

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Tell me what happened. I write your complaint with you and we send it to Australia Post.

Also shown as: “Attempted delivery photo sent” · “We couldn't deliver your parcel to the delivery address, so we're taking it to a nearby collection point” · “Sorry We Missed You”

What to do now

  1. Open the AusPost app and look at the attempted delivery photo and the reason given.

  2. Check the mailbox for a card, then your email, SMS and app notices for the collection location.

  3. Collect it with one valid photo ID, or two valid IDs without a photo, at least one showing your address. Photos of ID are not accepted.

  4. If someone else will collect it, share a collection authorisation from the AusPost app or MyPost, unless the sender requires you in person.

  5. If you were home, note the date and time, save any doorbell camera recording and keep a screenshot of the tracking.

  6. Still not sorted? File your complaint here. We write it with you and send it to Australia Post, so you do not have to chase it yourself.

    Start my complaint

Missed delivery or a card left with another courier

What does “Attempted delivery” mean?

The driver came but could not complete the delivery. Australia Post gives two main reasons: nobody was available to receive the parcel, or the address was hard to reach, such as a gated property, pets or a secure apartment building. A parcel that needs a signature also ends up here when nobody is home to sign, unless the sender allows a safe place and you have asked for one.

The parcel then goes to a collection point. Australia Post may leave a 'Sorry We Missed You' card, but it is moving away from cards, so you are more likely to get an email, SMS or app notice with the details. App users can also see a photo of the attempt. This status does not mean the parcel is going back to the sender yet.

Why does Australia Post show it?

  • Nobody home to sign for a parcel that needs a signature
  • No secure, discreet and weatherproof place to leave it, or no permission to
  • A locked gate, an unsecured dog or another barrier
  • An apartment building the driver cannot get into
  • The front of the property is close to the street and in view of passers-by
  • Your delivery instructions would mean leaving the vehicle unattended or out of sight

How long does it last?

The next headline should be 'Awaiting collection', with the location, and you get a notice when the parcel is ready. Australia Post does not publish how long that takes. You then have 10 business days at a Post Office. At a Parcel Locker you have 2 business days, then it moves to a nearby Post Office. If it is still not collected by the date in your notice, it goes back to the sender.

Other Australia Post statuses

All Australia Post statuses →

Who is responsible for a late or missing parcel from Australia Post?

If you bought online from a business, it is in most cases for the seller to put right. The Australian Consumer Law (section 36) says a business that took your payment must supply the goods within the time it stated, or a reasonable time if it stated none, unless the failure was due to someone else or a cause beyond its control and it took reasonable precautions and due diligence to avoid it. A seller may argue that a failure by Australia Post falls under that exception. Section 36 does not itself set out a refund, and the Australian Consumer Law does not say in so many words who carries the risk of a parcel lost in the post. Government guidance in Victoria and Western Australia says the seller is responsible for resolving delivery problems with Australia Post, and that you are entitled to a refund if the seller still does not deliver. State sale of goods law and the seller's terms can also matter and are not covered here. Australia Post generally pays the sender for a lost domestic parcel, but its terms leave the claim with the addressee, up to $100, on parcels a business lodges under Business Standard or Business Express Delivery.

If you posted the parcel yourself, you have a contract with Australia Post, and its General Terms and Conditions apply. Most parcel services include compensation of up to $100 plus a refund of the postage when a parcel is lost or damaged and Australia Post is at fault, and Extra Cover bought when posting can raise that. It pays nothing for delays, except a refund of the postage when Express Post misses its next business day guarantee. Its terms say any rights you have under the Australian Consumer Law apply in addition to them.

Questions about “Attempted delivery”

What does attempted delivery mean on AusPost?

The driver could not deliver the parcel, because nobody was available or the address was hard to reach. It then goes to a nearby collection point, and you get the details by card, email, SMS or app notice.

Why did AusPost say attempted delivery when I was home?

Australia Post lists access reasons such as a locked gate, an unsecured dog or an apartment building the driver cannot enter. If none applies and you were home, keep your notes and screenshot, file a complaint on Complain.biz and we send it to Australia Post.

Why did I get no card from AusPost after an attempted delivery?

Australia Post is moving away from cards. MyPost account holders get a digital notice instead, so check your email, SMS and the AusPost app.

Will Australia Post try to deliver my parcel again?

Not from a Post Office. Australia Post does not offer redelivery once a parcel has been taken to one. You can collect it, let someone else collect it, or have it moved to another Post Office for a fee.

Can I see a photo of the attempted delivery?

Usually, yes. Australia Post shows attempted delivery photos in the AusPost app, where the driver took one and your MyPost account is linked to the parcel.

Based on

  • Australia Post help: What your status means ('Attempted delivery', 'Sorry We Missed You')
  • Australia Post help: Requested delivery but parcel at Post Office (reasons, no redelivery, ID)
  • Australia Post help: Delivered status but parcel not received (moving away from cards)
  • Australia Post: Missed parcel deliveries (collection limits, nominating someone, ID)
  • Australia Post: Tracking service (attempted delivery photos)
  • Australia Post: Trusted tracking and notifications guide ('Attempted delivery' messages)
  • Australia Post General Terms and Conditions, clause 4.3 (unattended premises, 10 business days)
  • Australian Consumer Law (Competition and Consumer Act, Schedule 2), section 36: supply within the stated period or a reasonable time
  • Government of Victoria: Products missing or damaged in transit (the seller resolves delivery problems, refund if the goods are not supplied)
  • Government of Western Australia: Missing or damaged products (the seller resolves delivery problems, refund if the goods are not delivered)
  • Australia Post General Terms and Conditions, clauses 3.1 to 3.8 (delays, lost items, included compensation, claims by addressees on business parcels)
  • Australia Post: Compensation (generally who is paid, amounts, Express Post refund)

Parcel still not here?
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