Forum Home
PC World Chat
 
Thread ID: 136532 2014-03-11 04:46:00 NZPost and orientation of address on parcels vs pricing Agent_24 (57) PC World Chat
Post ID Timestamp Content User
1369960 2014-03-11 04:46:00 I was recently told that address labels on parcels had to be oriented a certain way to fit the size guides for certain price ranges, apparently due to the computer which reads the label.

For example, on a non-square item which would come just inside the price of one size if viewed as 'landscape' would be considered outside this size and cost more if the label was printed such that the parcel was in a 'portrait' layout.

Anyone else heard of this before? It sounds like a load of rubbish to me - well, perhaps the machine can't rotate a simple image of text 90 degrees, but surely, HOW can you justify it costing more when the parcel is the same size!

Can't find any mention of it on NZ Post's website.
Agent_24 (57)
1369961 2014-03-11 06:32:00 Sounds like an urban myth to me. CliveM (6007)
1369962 2014-03-11 07:54:00 Well, I was told that story by the nice lady at the post office, so apparently it's true (although it makes no sense) Agent_24 (57)
1369963 2014-03-11 13:20:00 Sounds like an urban myth to me.

Agree. What is more important is that the address is clearly written on the label.
wmoore (6009)
1369964 2014-03-11 19:02:00 I was recently told that address labels on parcels had to be oriented a certain way to fit the size guides for certain price ranges, apparently due to the computer which reads the label.

.

Seeing as most people take the parcel in and the tell you the cost right then and there I doubt it.
pctek (84)
1369965 2014-03-11 19:35:00 Seeing as most people take the parcel in and the tell you the cost right then and there I doubt it.

Not at the post office, the computer at the sorting centre apparently.
Agent_24 (57)
1369966 2014-03-11 20:41:00 Sounds like Rubbish to me, the websites list pricing by volume with maximum dimensions, there is nothing about Orientation.
I've posted a lot of parcels and it's never come up. I do tend to label them in "landscape" mode by default though.

And what if it's a handwritten address the computer can't read?
dugimodo (138)
1369967 2014-03-12 00:43:00 Not at the post office, the computer at the sorting centre apparently.

Yes I got that. But who cares? You pay for your postage at the counter - not once it has passed through the processing stage.
pctek (84)
1369968 2014-03-12 00:55:00 Yes I got that. But who cares? You pay for your postage at the counter - not once it has passed through the processing stage.

That's what I said. But the salesperson insisted that they would have to charge me the higher rate unless I re-wrote the address rotated left through 90 degrees.
Agent_24 (57)
1369969 2014-03-12 01:03:00 NZ Post callcenter says in terms of the cost it shouldn't make any difference because the size is fixed, but that the label should be printed\attached to fit the parcel in 'landscape' to make it easier for the computer\workers - but that ultimately it wouldn't be the end of the world if it wasn't. Agent_24 (57)
1 2