DX forges signatures on registered mail

[billyb8]

The Royal Mail is being delivered in New Zealand by a contractor - but the switch to private enterprise has not been without teething problems.

A New Plymouth man has caught the contractor taking short cuts with deliveries from Britain.

Paul Peters says a New Plymouth courier has been forging recipient signatures on registered mail sent from the United Kingdom.

Mr Peters initially believed New Zealand Post was to blame but, once he began investigating, discovered that DX Mail has the contract to handle all mail sent to this country from the UK.

"I later learned from DX Mail that they hired local contractors to deliver registered mail, while DX concentrated on ordinary mail," Mr Peters said.

In Taranaki, DX Mail took over what was Pete's Post in September last year. DX Mail is part of the nationwide Freightways group.

A number of registered packages delivered to Mr Peter's home recently were simply left in his letterbox.

Once he questioned the company about the lack of signature, DX e-mailed copies of a signature the courier deliverer had passed off as the customer's - Mr Peters.

He is worried that other registered mail from the UK could be getting delivered locally in a similar way.

Freightways managing director Dean Bracewell, Auckland, said the courier's actions were unacceptable.

"It's not part of the company policy and he's leaving the company very shortly. The company we use down there, which is New Zealand Couriers, has made alternative delivery arrangements to ensure all future items are signed for correctly," he said.

DX Mail also had some customers complain about slow delivery of ordinary airmail from Britain, but Mr Bracewell says it can take some time for mail to get to New Zealand, before his firm deliver it to the final destinations.

"But there is always room for improvements for sure. We have made a mistake here, we're responsible for it and now we'll sort it out."

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/dailynews/ ... a6554.html