Australia Post tracking status
Australia Post “Cannot be delivered”: what it means
The short answer
Take actionAustralia Post cannot deliver this parcel as addressed. Usually the address is wrong or incomplete, the name is not known there, or there is no suitable place to leave it. It then goes to the return address, if it has one.
When to act: If your address is correct and the tracking still says 'Cannot be delivered' after 2 business days, file a complaint and we send it to Australia Post.
What to do now
- 1
Check the name, unit number, street and postcode on your order against your real address.
- 2
Make sure the name on the parcel is known at the address, for example on the mailbox or at reception.
- 3
Check that a driver can reach your door or mailbox, and that the mailbox is usable.
- 4
Keep a screenshot of the tracking and your order confirmation showing the address.
- 5
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.
What does “Cannot be delivered” mean?
'Cannot be delivered' comes from Australia Post's status list for developers, which defines it as an item that cannot be delivered as addressed, so your own tracking may word it differently. Its notification guide speaks of an 'inability to deliver'. Australia Post does not explain the label further on its help pages, but its terms list the reasons an item can be undeliverable: it is not addressed, or is wrongly or poorly addressed; the addressee is unknown or does not receive items at that address; there is no suitable receptacle or facility; or the addressee refused it.
This status alone does not tell you the parcel is lost. An undeliverable parcel with a return address goes back there. Without one, Australia Post may open it to find an address, and if it cannot deliver or return it, it may sell, destroy or dispose of it.
Why does Australia Post show it?
- The address is wrong or incomplete
- The addressee is not known at the address
- There is no suitable mailbox or facility at the address
- The addressee refused the parcel
- Required customs documents are missing, for an item going overseas
How long does it last?
Australia Post's terms say an undeliverable item with a return address goes to that address, so the next line is likely to be 'Returning to sender', then 'Returned'. No time is published.
Other Australia Post statuses
- Label created by senderKeep an eye on it
- PendingKeep an eye on it
- It's on its wayNormal
- Item processed at facilityNormal
- Onboard for deliveryNormal
- Possible delayKeep an eye on it
- Tracking not updatingKeep an eye on it
- Attempted deliveryTake action
- Awaiting collectionTake action
- Delivered but not receivedTake action
- Returning to senderTake action
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 “Cannot be delivered”
What does 'Cannot be delivered' mean on Australia Post?
Australia Post's status list for developers defines it as an item that cannot be delivered as addressed. Its terms name a wrong or incomplete address, an unknown addressee, no suitable mailbox or facility, and a refused delivery as reasons.
Why can't Australia Post deliver to my address?
Its terms give reasons such as a wrong or incomplete address, a name not known at the address, or no suitable mailbox or facility. Compare the address on your order with your real address first.
What happens to an undeliverable Australia Post parcel?
It goes to the return address if there is one. If there is none, Australia Post may open it to find an address, and if it cannot deliver or return it, it may sell, destroy or dispose of it.
Can the address be fixed once AusPost says it cannot be delivered?
Australia Post does not say so for this status. A MyPost redirect works only for eligible parcels until they are onboard for delivery, so the parcel may have to go back and be sent again.
Based on
- Australia Post developer reference: Statuses ('Cannot be delivered')
- Australia Post General Terms and Conditions, clause 4.6 (undeliverable items)
- Australia Post help: Return to sender
- Australia Post: Parcels in transit (redirect limits)
- Australia Post: Trusted tracking and notifications guide ('Inability to deliver')
- 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)