Courier Breakages 

Reporter - Hannah Wallis

We've had a few complaints about couriers lately. Several of you told us you had breakable items delivered by courier, you signed the delivery invoice, and then afterwards found the items broken.

Under The Carriage of Goods Act there is cover for up to $1500 per unit - but - in all three cases the delivery companies said - there's no cover. And they were right. The Act states that the
courier/carrier's liability ends the moment the item is delivered. By signing for it - you have agreed that it's been delivered - end of cover.

$1500 may not cover the cost of damage when it's something big. Also, it's the sender who gets re-imbursed by the courier company. So if your package is a trademe or ebay deal, or internet sales - it can be a lot tougher for you to get the money.

Once you've signed for a courier delivery - that's it. Under The Carriage of Goods Act, the courier or carrier stops being liable for your stuff as soon as it's delivered, and you've signed for it.

So first, especially if you've been sent fragile stuff, ask the courier to wait while you check the goods. Yes it's annoying but it's the only way to avoid a fight later, over who's responsible.

If you do need to make a claim - first check out the courier company's terms and conditions - all courier companies are different in terms of how long you've got to make a claim. If for example it's DHL - you've got 30 days. With Fastway - it's 14 days but with Courier Post - you've got just 7 days.