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NZ Post tracking status

NZ Post “Parcel delayed”: what it means

The short answer

Keep an eye on it

NZ Post has flagged your parcel as running late and says it is working to get it back on track. The line gives no reason or new date. 'Missorted' is a specific case that NZ Post says usually clears within a day.

When to act: If 'Parcel delayed' or 'Missorted' is still the latest update after 2 days, file a complaint and we send it to NZ Post.

Bizzy online

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

Also shown as: “Delayed” · “Missorted”

What to do now

  1. Note the date and time of the delay line, so you can tell when 2 days have passed.

  2. Check the delivery address on your order, including unit, floor, business name and postcode.

  3. Read NZ Post's domestic delivery updates page for weather problems or a public holiday schedule in your area.

  4. Compare today's date with the delivery date you were promised when you ordered, and keep that confirmation.

  5. Screenshot the tracking history and keep the tracking number.

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

    Start my complaint

Running late with another courier

What does “Parcel delayed” mean?

'Parcel delayed' is NZ Post saying it knows about the delay: its status table apologises and says it is working on getting the parcel back on track. It gives no reason and no new date. Its scan guide says delays can happen during processing because of misdirection, a hold or possible damage. The parcel has not been reported lost, and this line does not mean it is going back to the sender.

'Missorted' means NZ Post has found a sorting problem and is correcting it. It says the scan usually lasts one day, that tracking should update within 24 hours, and it treats two days as too long. It says it will try to deliver as near to the target as it can. NZ Post's delivery times are targets rather than promises, and its terms say no compensation is payable for delay.

Why does NZ Post show it?

  • The parcel was sorted to the wrong place
  • It was held during processing
  • Possible damage is being checked
  • Weather events or network conditions
  • A public holiday schedule, or a missing Saturday delivery label
  • An address with missing details, such as a unit number or postcode
  • A rural or remote address, which can take longer

How long does it last?

After 'Missorted', NZ Post says tracking should update within 24 hours. After 'Parcel delayed' it publishes no time. The next useful line is 'Processed at depot' or 'With courier for delivery'. If a reasonable time passes and NZ Post has no information on where the parcel is, its terms say it may treat the parcel as lost.

Other NZ Post statuses

All NZ Post statuses →

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

If you bought online from a business that arranged the delivery, the seller is responsible. Under the Consumer Guarantees Act (section 5A), a supplier who delivers or arranges delivery guarantees that you will receive the goods at the agreed time or, if no time was agreed, within a reasonable time. Your rights are against the seller, and on delivery the Act gives two. If the failure is substantial, you can reject the goods and choose a refund or, if the seller has one in stock, a replacement. The courier losing the parcel does not take that right away, because the Act treats the carrier as the seller's agent on this point. In any case, the seller owes damages for loss that could reasonably be foreseen. NZ Post's contract is with the sender, and it usually pays any compensation to the sender. The Act sets no number of days, and it does not say whether a parcel left at your address counts as received. It covers sellers in trade and goods normally bought for personal or household use, not a private person selling something second hand.

If you sent the parcel yourself, your contract is with NZ Post, under its Public Contract and Postal Users' Guide, and you are the one who has to raise a problem with it. It promises reasonable care and skill. Its delivery times are targets and its terms say it pays no compensation for delay. If it is liable for a parcel lost or damaged within New Zealand, cover is up to $250 for Economy or $2,000 for Courier, including Courier Economy, plus the postage, depending on its conditions. Its terms set a limit of 21 days from sending for a parcel that never arrived, and 10 days from delivery for damage (7 for a business). NZ Post says Consumer Guarantees Act rights apply alongside these terms, but subject to the Postal Services Act and the carriage rules in the Contract and Commercial Law Act. Those rules limit a carrier's liability for loss or damage to the contract and the rules themselves, unless it caused the loss on purpose (section 244). Government guidance says the same for a carrier you hire yourself, and that the Act can still cover unreasonable delay. A business that sends parcels agrees, as far as the law allows, that the Act does not apply.

Questions about “Parcel delayed”

Why is my NZ Post parcel delayed?

The status line gives no reason. NZ Post says delays can come from misdirection, a hold or possible damage, and that weather and network conditions affect delivery times. Its delivery updates page lists wider problems, but not a single parcel.

How long does NZ Post take to deliver?

NZ Post targets the next working day for Courier in most larger towns and cities, and up to 3 working days for Courier Economy and Economy. These are guides, and rural or remote addresses can take longer. The day it accepts a parcel is day zero.

Does NZ Post deliver on Saturday?

Saturday does not count as a working day in NZ Post's delivery targets. Its public holiday notices say that for delivery before a Monday public holiday, a Courier parcel sent on the Friday needs a Saturday delivery label.

What does 'Missorted' mean on NZ Post?

NZ Post has found a sorting problem and is putting the parcel back on track. It says the scan usually lasts one day and tracking should update within 24 hours. If it still shows after 2 days, file a complaint on Complain.biz and we send it to NZ Post.

Can I get compensation from NZ Post for a late parcel?

NZ Post's terms say no compensation is payable for delay. If you bought from a business that arranged delivery, the Consumer Guarantees Act says you must receive the goods at the agreed time or within a reasonable time, so your rights over a late parcel are against the seller.

Based on

  • NZ Post: What does my tracking status mean? (table of status wordings)
  • NZ Post: Parcel scans using our NZ Post tracking tool, and what they mean (misdirection, held, possible damage)
  • NZ Post: When is my parcel tracking updated? (the Delayed line)
  • NZ Post: My item shows Missorted (one day, 24 hours, two days)
  • NZ Post: Domestic delivery updates (delivery targets, day zero, Saturday delivery label)
  • NZ Post: Postal Users' Guide (delivery targets, working days)
  • NZ Post: Cover for loss or damage (no compensation for delay, when an item may be treated as lost)
  • Consumer Guarantees Act, section 5A (guarantee as to delivery)
  • Consumer Guarantees Act, section 5A (guarantee as to delivery), sections 18, 20, 21 and 23 (rejecting goods, substantial failure, damages, refund or replacement), section 2 (who is a supplier and a consumer)
  • Contract and Commercial Law Act, section 243 (carriage of letters by a postal operator is excluded) and section 244 (a carrier's liability for loss or damage)
  • New Zealand government consumer guidance: Delivery issues (the shop is responsible for delivery until the goods reach you; a carrier you hire yourself; delay)
  • NZ Post: Cover for loss or damage (cover limits, who raises a problem, time limits, no compensation for delay)
  • NZ Post: Public Contract (reasonable care and skill, liability caps, Consumer Guarantees Act rights)
  • NZ Post: Postal Users' Guide (delivery targets, cover limits, Courier includes Courier Economy, time limits, consumer rights subject to other Acts, claim payments usually go to the sender)
  • NZ Post: Collect my parcel Terms and Conditions (NZ Post's contract to deliver your parcel is with the sender)
  • NZ Post: Delivering together (CourierPost became Courier and Courier Economy, Pace became Express)

Parcel still not here?
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