Don't guess this Christmas, remember to correctly address!
Wednesday, 23 November 2011
A bowling ball, hair straighteners, blundstone boots and an espresso machine are just some of the thousands of items to be auctioned for charity over the next month in Australia Post's unclaimed mail auctions.
This year's items show just some of the interesting things Australians send through the mail, with previous unclaimed items including wedding dresses, microwaves, bongo drums, plasma televisions, and kitchen sinks.
As well as raising money for The Cancer Council, The World Wildlife Fund and the RSPCA, the unclaimed mail auctions are a reminder for people to correctly address their cards and parcels this Christmas, so their mail does not suffer the same fate.
"In Victoria, more than 4,000 items a day make their way to our Mail Redistribution Centre because the sender has used the incorrect address and forgotten to include a return address on the back of the envelope or parcel," explained Australia Post spokesperson, Sarah Gordon.
"That number increases significantly at Christmas time, especially as more Australians are going online to do their gift shopping, with Australia Post delivering an extra 100,000 parcels every day in December."
Ms Gordon says it is a shame some people might never receive the Christmas presents they are sent because of simple addressing mistakes.
"It's important to include a postcode because many suburb names are duplicated around the country. For example, Victorians know we have a Richmond, but there is also one in Tasmania, New South Wales, South Australia and Queensland. Without the postcode and state in the address, it's difficult to know which one you mean."
Ms Gordon said that the golden rule for posting letters or parcels is to always put your own name and address on the back. "That way, if for some reason we can't locate the recipient or the address is incorrect, we can get the item back to you."
Reassuringly, when mail does arrive at the Mail Redistribution Centre, it's not the end of the story, with approximately 50 per cent of the mail at the centre reunited with the sender or intended recipient.
"Staff at the Mail Redistribution Centre have special authority to open mail that arrives there. If they find a name or address inside the item, they attempt to reunite the item with the sender or recipient," said Ms Gordon.
"If a return address cannot be found after this investigation, items are catalogued and kept for up to 12 months. They are only auctioned for charity if not claimed during this time, so it really is a last resort."
Auction details
| New South Wales | Combined Auctions, 204 Wyndham Street, Alexandria Thursday 24 November, from 9.30am |
| Queensland | Public Trustees Auction, 1/35 Burdett St, Albion Monday 12 December, from 10am |
| Victoria | Abbey's Auctions, 480 - 482A Station Street, Box Hill Sunday 20 November, from 10am |
| Western Australia | Ross' Auctions, 241 Railway Parade Maylands Saturday 26 November, from 9.30am |