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Does Canada Post delivery couriers attempt to make delivery to apartments?

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  • Dec 17th, 2012 1:54 am
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Banned
Dec 22, 2009
40 posts

Does Canada Post delivery couriers attempt to make delivery to apartments?

A couple of days ago, I went downstairs in my building and saw a Canada Post delivery courier in the lobby attaching the "pick up at this location" note for two different apartments. The delivery wasn't even attempted... shouldn't they come up and knock on the apartment door and deliver it? ISN'T THAT THEIR JOB?
42 replies
Member
User avatar
Dec 25, 2005
384 posts
8 upvotes
Toronto
in the past, no. But ever since i complained to canadapost, I have never received another delivery pickup notice. In fact, I got a parcel delivered to my apartment today :)
Deal Addict
Aug 29, 2006
3130 posts
655 upvotes
Mississauga
Technically, they are supposed to at least buzz you in your building providing your sender has specified special instructions such as your buzzer code; otherwise they leave a notice.

Packages I've had send which specified this information were usually dropped off to me at my door where packages without saw a pick-up notice left behind.
Deal Guru
Dec 20, 2003
11537 posts
1041 upvotes
Ottawa
For mine, they attempt to buzz up first - if your ringer number is on the package, or if your name is unique and easily identified on the tenant listing - and if you're available, you can come down and pickup your package as they drop off others.

If you're not there, for my building they drop it at the front office, and our office leaves a note in our mailbox that there is a package available. That way I can pick it up downstairs when I get home from work, instead of having to bus to some random place!

In my previous building, they had a policy of "we do not accept or sign for packages", causing me to endlessly take local buses to the nearest pickup location. I think it depends on your apartment policy, as well as how comfortable Canada Post feels about them ;)
- Absolute
Deal Addict
Nov 16, 2006
1078 posts
663 upvotes
Somewhere between Mi…
They don't attempt to deliver to our condo complex. They drop it off at the post office and I get a delivery notice in the mail box a day or so later.
Newbie
Dec 24, 2006
6 posts
I bought a condo 4 years ago and they have not attempted a single package. I usually get a couple Xpresspost envelopes per week and it's really annoying having to wait to get them...

I've complained to Canada Post 20 or more times and every time they say that they will talk to the courier and it won't happen again.

I cringe when people send me documents via Canada Post. The Purolator, FedEx and UPS guys always buzz me and deliver everything right to my door.
Deal Guru
User avatar
Mar 12, 2005
11677 posts
3489 upvotes
Victoria
90 percent of the time they attempt to buzz. That being said when I fill out my address for online orders, I put the buzzer # in brackets beside the apt number. eg. Apt. 101 (Buzzer #060) or something like that (not thats not my info).

Before I did that, they never tried to buzz. They don't really arrange the info board in my building that well, and I can understand why they don't spend all day trying to find it. Once I started adding the buzzer # to my addressed, they tried.

I can tell too, because my apartment sets up your actual home number (or cell i suppose) to the buzzer board, so anyone that calls it, it dials out the the programmed number. Which means it shows up on the call display as the name of my apartment building.

I still get the odd one that they don't try, but most times they do. Usually they come from a courier different then the mail courier, which I'm guessing means they don't have a key.
Deal Expert
Aug 26, 2002
15719 posts
7445 upvotes
Toronto, ON
This is not limited to only apartments. I live in a house in Markham and I never get even the doorbell rung. My delivery notice gets put straight into the community mailboxes (aka supermailboxes).
Deal Addict
User avatar
Jan 26, 2007
3146 posts
1489 upvotes
No. it's not the postal delivery person's job to bring the parcel directly to your apartment: if anything, they can buzz you and you come down and get it: there is rarely (I know of 1 complex in downtown T.O that is old enough that there IS door-to-door (mail slot) mail delivery), but most apartments have a mail box area. Some rental apartments have staff that can sign for the packages, but for rentals, I think that is rare, also.

In my condominium, we were made to sign a form if we want the concierge staff to sign for parcels on our behalf, which I have done... but sometimes Canada Post parcel delivery guys are dinks and leave the pick-up form instead of letting the concierge sign for it. I don't know why, it is more work for the carrier to fill out the form than it is to drop the stuff in the hands of the concierge, I think.

...but I have a persecution complex and think the concierge hates me and has actively told the postal carrier to not drop of packages for me.
There is no god. But it still feels good to be kind to people, animals, and the environment, so keep doing that.
Jr. Member
Jan 3, 2010
120 posts
15 upvotes
It does depend on your route/carrier. Keep in mind that smaller packages are usually handled by your carrier, whereas larger ones come on a different truck.

Generally, to echo other's statements, my carrier will attempt to buzz the tenants if he has a package. He'll buzz from the lobby to see if you are there - once he's buzzed everyone, he comes around to the apartments who answered. If you're not listed in the directory, or not alphabetical, he won't bother. I'm not listed, so if the buzzer number isn't on the package, I leave a note in the lobby for the courier or Canada Post with my buzzer number.

Our office does sign for packages - but that isn't always the best way. I check in when I expect something, but there are times that the tracking says delivered, and I check the signature of the office manager, but a week later they still haven't let me know, or they can't find it in the mountain of packages in the office. From what I understand as well, a lot of tenants abuse the situation and end up buzzing the super after hours (at 10 p.m., or 8 a.m. on a Saturday) to open the office so they can get their package. It would be no surprise to me if the office stopped signing, simply because the idiots in the building like to ruin it for everyone.

And then there was a carrier who just didn't bother delivering. His truck was loaded at the depot, and his only stop in the neighbourhood was the post office to drop everything off. Pick up cards got sent out the following day.
Jr. Member
User avatar
Jul 17, 2007
164 posts
192 upvotes
Toronto
Yep! they do deliver to appartments.

4 days ago, I had my new Subwoofer (heavy and big!) from BestBuy delivered right up to my apartment's door by the CdnPost guy!
:)

Interesting tidbit ...
they also deliver on SUNDAYS!!!
Yes! Sunday, Jan 03, there as a delivery attempt that failed for my other sound piece (also big unit) and today I'll have to go to the Post office to lug it home :P
Deal Fanatic
May 5, 2008
6315 posts
3092 upvotes
Manitoba
lorax1284 wrote: No. it's not the postal delivery person's job to bring the parcel directly to your apartment: if anything, they can buzz you and you come down and get it: there is rarely (I know of 1 complex in downtown T.O that is old enough that there IS door-to-door (mail slot) mail delivery), but most apartments have a mail box area. Some rental apartments have staff that can sign for the packages, but for rentals, I think that is rare, also.

In my condominium, we were made to sign a form if we want the concierge staff to sign for parcels on our behalf, which I have done... but sometimes Canada Post parcel delivery guys are dinks and leave the pick-up form instead of letting the concierge sign for it. I don't know why, it is more work for the carrier to fill out the form than it is to drop the stuff in the hands of the concierge, I think.

...but I have a persecution complex and think the concierge hates me and has actively told the postal carrier to not drop of packages for me.

How would the so called dinks know that it is alright for the concierge to sign for your parcel???
Banned
Dec 27, 2009
169 posts
lorax1284 wrote: No. it's not the postal delivery person's job to bring the parcel directly to your apartment:
Yes it is their job to attempt to deliver the parcel directly to the shipping address provided. If there is no one at home or no buzzer number is provided, they are supposed to leave a note. Apparently most couriers don't even attempt to deliver and just leave the note. Maybe because they're working by number of orders and not hours?
Jr. Member
Jul 20, 2005
181 posts
16 upvotes
rvs007 wrote: This is not limited to only apartments. I live in a house in Markham and I never get even the doorbell rung. My delivery notice gets put straight into the community mailboxes (aka supermailboxes).
I used to have the same problem. Every parcel was ending up at the postal outlet whether it would fit in the superbox or not and only the delivery notices were left in the superbox. I was working from home a lot and no attempt was ever made to deliver parcels to my door. I complained to the local post office and was told that it wasn't in the carriers job description to deliver parcels and they just dropped off the notices in the superbox and took the parcels to the postal outlet.

About 6 months ago I received a pickup notice and it took 3 days for the parcel to be dropped off at the postal outlet. I called the local post office to complain again and was fed the same story: we are not a courier company, we don't deliver parcels to the front door. I decided to call Canada Post head office and complain. The next day I got a nasty call from the local post office b**tching at me about calling Canada Post; but, ever since parcels have been delivered directly to my front door.

If you are having this problem, don't complain to the local post office, call Canada Post directly. They should be able to fix the problem.
Deal Expert
User avatar
Dec 23, 2003
18021 posts
7061 upvotes
Toronto
rvs007 wrote: This is not limited to only apartments. I live in a house in Markham and I never get even the doorbell rung. My delivery notice gets put straight into the community mailboxes (aka supermailboxes).
you must have postman Newman on our route. My mail carrier drops off every parcel to my house for the last 16 years!

Call Canada Post and tell them to get rid of this ho fai guy! :D
Deal Expert
Aug 26, 2002
15719 posts
7445 upvotes
Toronto, ON
hightech wrote: you must have postman Newman on our route. My mail carrier drops off every parcel to my house for the last 16 years!

Call Canada Post and tell them to get rid of this ho fai guy! :D
Lol... I know for a fact that it's a chinese lady who delivers our mail. She's probably lazy and doesn't want to deal with parcels since she drives a SUV (she must be a contract worker since she doesn't wear a postal uniform).

Anyway, I've submitted my complaint here:

http://www.canadapost.ca/cpo/mc/persona ... ttempt.jsf
Jr. Member
User avatar
Dec 2, 2007
171 posts
9 upvotes
rvs007 wrote: Lol... I know for a fact that it's a chinese lady who delivers our mail. She's probably lazy and doesn't want to deal with parcels since she drives a SUV (she must be a contract worker since she doesn't wear a postal uniform).

Anyway, I've submitted my complaint here:

http://www.canadapost.ca/cpo/mc/persona ... ttempt.jsf
If a parcel is over a certain weight and dimensional size they are given to Contracted-out courier (who works within Canada Post but not a CP employee) to be delivered.....As far as the apartment thing goes...hey if they buzz and you don't answer what are they supposed to do?? If they leave it...i'm sure someone will complain about that as well....I've never had an issue
Deal Fanatic
May 5, 2008
6315 posts
3092 upvotes
Manitoba
Zoolou wrote: If a parcel is over a certain weight and dimensional size they are given to Contracted-out courier (who works within Canada Post but not a CP employee) to be delivered.....As far as the apartment thing goes...hey if they buzz and you don't answer what are they supposed to do?? If they leave it...i'm sure someone will complain about that as well....I've never had an issue
Everything in the urban center is delivered by Canada post employees. Anything outside the urban center is delivered by RSMC's.

Absolutely no parcels are left out in the hallways of Apartments.
Banned
Dec 27, 2009
169 posts
airmail wrote: Everything in the urban center is delivered by Canada post employees. Anything outside the urban center is delivered by RSMC's.

Absolutely no parcels are left out in the hallways of Apartments.
Who would even think about leaving a parcel in the hallway...

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