Compensation and high risk items

Make sure you're covered before sending that postal or courier item

New Zealand Post offers a wide variety of letter, parcel and courier delivery services for sending items within New Zealand and around the world. When choosing a service, consideration should be given to the delivery targets and compensation limits applying to each service.

New Zealand Post makes every effort to ensure your postal or courier item arrives on time and in good condition. But unfortunately sometimes things go wrong. This webpage has important information on:

• General inquiries
• What am I covered for?
  • Compensation limits for sending within New Zealand
  • Compensations limits for sending internationally
• High risk items
• Prohibited items
• Making a claim
• Consumer Guarantees Act
• Standard terms for our products and services
• Further information

General inquiries

Please contact us if you have any questions concerning our products/services, procedures, packaging, missing items, delayed delivery or damaged items.

Please view our full contact details if you wish to contact us by email or in writing.

What am I covered for?

Where compensation is payable for loss of, or damage to, a postal or courier item compensation will be paid (up to the compensation limit for that service and subject to any exclusions) for the lesser of:

• the value or declared value of the item; or
• an indemnity value as determined by us; or
• the cost of repairing the damage.

Compensation Limits for sending within New Zealand

Our compensation payments (including GST) for loss of, or damage to, postal or courier items sent within New Zealand, are limited to the amounts shown in Table A below (plus reimbursement of postage if the item was lost). These standard compensation limits are subject to a number of important limitations and exclusions, in particular in relation to high risk and prohibited items. For details please refer to high risk and prohibited items.

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Table A - Standard compensation limits for items sent within New Zealand

Notes on Table A

• Under the Postal Services Act 1998, we have no liability to you for loss or damage to letters with postage of $0.80 or less (including GST).
• Letters with postage of more than 80 cents (including GST), parcels and Registered Post items are carried on the basis of declared value risk under the Carriage of Goods Act 1979. Our liability (if any) for loss of, or damage to, these items is limited to a maximum amount of NZ$250, plus reimbursement of postage if the item was lost.
• Items valued over NZ$250 cannot be sent by post in New Zealand (but may be sent by CourierPost - see next bullet point). We do not pay compensation for loss of, or damage to, items valued over NZ$250.
• CourierPost items are carried on the basis of limited carrier's risk under the Carriage of Goods Act 1979. Our liability (if any) for loss of, or damage to, CourierPost items is limited to a maximum of $1,500.
• Items valued over $1,500 may be sent by CourierPost. However, the maximum compensation payable is NZ$1,500.
• Additional compensation cover is not available for postal or courier items sent within New Zealand.

Compensation Limits for sending internationally

Our compensation payments (including GST) for loss of, or damage to, postal or courier items sent internationally are limited to the amounts shown in Table B (plus reimbursement of postage if the item was lost). These standard compensation limits are subject to a number of important limitations and exclusions, in particular in relation to high risk and prohibited items. For details please refer to high risk and prohibited items.

Table B - Standard compensation limits for items sent internationally

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(1) See 'High Risk Items' below or contact us (call 0800 501 501 toll-free within New Zealand) for further information.

Notes on Table B

• Our liability (if any) for loss of, or damage to, international postal items is limited to a maximum amount of $250, plus reimbursement of postage if the item was lost.
• Our liability (if any) for loss of, or damage to, international courier items is limited to a maximum amount of $2,000, plus reimbursement of postage if the item was lost.
• Items valued at more than the compensation limit for a particular international service must either:
  • be sent using a service with a higher compensation limit; or
  • if it is available, you must purchase additional compensation cover.
• If you have purchased additional compensation cover, compensation payments will be made in accordance with that cover up to the limit of cover purchased.
• If you purchase additional compensation cover, we will either provide that cover ourselves or we will arrange cover with a third party insurer (in which case we may retain an administration fee).
• For information on how to purchase additional compensation cover, please ask at your local PostShop or New Zealand Post retail outlet or call our Customer Service Centre on 0800 501 501.

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High risk items

• There are some items that New Zealand Post will only agree to carry if you comply with the conditions of carriage set out in Table C below.
• Where noted in Table C, you must purchase additional compensation cover for the full value of the item you are sending.
• Additional compensation cover is available as follows:
  • International Express Courier - up to a limit of NZ$50,000.
  • International Economy Courier - up to a limit of NZ$5,000.
  • International Air and International Economy (parcels only) - up to a limit of NZ$1,500.
• Items or consignments valued at more than our additional compensation limits for each service are prohibited items and must not be sent.
• If the item you want to send cannot be sent using any of our services or you have not fully complied with the conditions of carriage for your item:
  • you must not give us that item for delivery;
  • we are not liable to pay compensation if you give us the item for delivery and it is lost or damaged.
• We may, in special circumstances, agree different conditions for the carriage of high risk items with individual business customers. Any variations to the conditions set out in the table below will only be valid if they are included in the written contract you have with us or if you have written confirmation of the agreed variation from an authorised New Zealand Post representative.

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Table Ca – Summary of Conditions of Carriage for High Risk items (Domestic Services)

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Table Cb – Summary of Conditions of Carriage for High Risk items (International Services)

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(1) If your fragile item is also one of the other types of items listed in the table above, you must also comply with the other conditions of carriage that apply to that item.

Prohibited items

We are not liable for, and will not pay compensation for loss of, or damage to, items we carry if the item is a prohibited item or contains a prohibited item.

Prohibited items include (but are not limited to) the following categories:

• Any item that is prohibited by law, whether in New Zealand or any destination country;
• Any item that is capable, as packed, of causing injury to people or damage to property;
• Any item that is classed as 'high risk' under our terms and conditions (unless we have specifically agreed in writing to carry these items and you have complied with any other conditions for the carriage of these items);
• Cash, currency or bullion;
• Live animals;
• Perishable items;
• Any item or consignment valued in excess of NZ$50,000;
• Any item that is inadequately packaged.

For information visit Prohibited Items.

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Exclusions

We are not liable for and will not pay compensation for loss of, or damage to, items we carry if:

• The item is a prohibited item or contains a prohibited item. For information visit Prohibited items;
• The item is perishable;
• The item is a high risk item or contains a high risk item (unless we have specifically agreed in writing to carry these items and you have complied with any other conditions for the carriage of these items). For information on the carriage of high risk items please see High Risk Items;
• The item is not adequately packaged or is incorrectly addressed (packaging and addressing are the sender's responsibility and acceptance of any item by us does not free the sender of this responsibility);
• The item is a letter posted for 80 cents or less including GST (including direct and indirect loss);
• The item is unlawfully sent;
• The item is seized by Customs or any other government agency;
• Any required documentation was not fully and correctly completed by the sender;
• No proof of posting is provided;
• Loss or damage is because of any neglect on the part of the sender;
• The item is sent to a country where no postal or courier service exists;
• The loss or damage is the result of an event beyond our reasonable control;
• The loss or damage occurs after delivery;
• You have bought our services for the purpose of a business and:
  • the loss is consequential or indirect loss or damage, loss of profits or economic loss (for example as a result of delay); or
  • you make a claim for loss or damage more than 7 days after delivery of the item; or
  • you make a claim for non-delivery, more than 14 days after the item was sent using a domestic service or international courier service or more than 90 days after the item was sent using International Air or International Economy.

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Making a claim

How to initiate a claim

• To make a claim for compensation either:
  • Complete an Online Customer Inquiry Form
  • Complete a Customer Inquiry Form (.pdf - 113kb) and post to the FreePost address on the form or hand it in at your nearest PostShop or New Zealand Post retail outlet; or
  • Call our Customer Service Centre on 0800 501 501 or the CourierPost Customer Service Centre on 0800 268 7437.
• When making a claim for compensation for loss of, or damage to, a postal or courier item you must give us the following information:
  • Time, date and place of posting;
  • Sender and addressee details;
  • Proof of posting (receipts or invoices);
  • Evidence of the value of the item (cost or replacement price (see below), receipts or valuation notice). We require independent proof of the value of the item and we may not pay you the compensation if you don’t provide this;
  • Tracking  number (where applicable);
  • Sender's copy of the consignment note or Customs declaration (where applicable);
  • GST number (where applicable).
• If the item is damaged or some of the contents have been lost you must take the damaged article and its packaging (as near as possible in the same condition as when they were delivered) to your nearest PostShop. We may keep the damaged item while we make enquiries. In the case of damage to an item sent overseas, the addressee should take the item to the postal authority in their country.
• We individually investigate each compensation claim.
• We usually pay compensation to the sender, but the sender can waive this right in favour of the addressee. An addressee will receive the same amount of compensation as we would have paid to the sender if the sender had made the claim themselves.
• Compensation payments to business customers are based on the cost price of the item to the sender, not the retail price of the item.
• Rather than pay you compensation we may replace or reinstate the item.
• If compensation for damage to an item has been paid in full, then we may dispose of the damaged item as we choose.
• If we pay you compensation in full for a lost item and the item later turns up, the item will be our property. If you want to have the item returned to you, you must refund the compensation payment you receive in full.

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Consumer Guarantees Act

You agree that, where you acquire goods or services from us for the purpose of your business, the provisions of the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 which would otherwise apply to the supply by us of any of our goods or services to you, do not apply.

Standard terms for our products and services

The standard terms relating to the products and services offered by New Zealand Post Limited, including information on the extent of our liability, are set out in the Public Contract and the Postal Users' Guide.

For important information check out our:

• Public Contract
• Postal Users' Guide 
• Standard Terms and Conditions for business customers (.pdf - 183kb)
• Prohibited items

Further information

If you have any further questions regarding information on this webpage, please:

• Download our Making sure you're covered brochure (.pdf - 801kb);
• Visit your nearest PostShop or New Zealand Post retail outlet (excluding stamp resellers); or
• Contact us by telephone (call 0800 501 501 toll-free within New Zealand), by email or in writing.

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