Terms and conditions for PO Box and Private Bag services

  1. In these Terms and Conditions, "you" means the PO Box or Private Bag holder(s) named in the Application. "We" means New Zealand Post Limited and our successors, assignees and authorised agents. "Our" and "us" have corresponding meanings.

  2. If you hold a PO Box or Private Bag with us, these Terms and Conditions will apply. When we refer to the Contract, we are referring to these Terms and Conditions and your Application for PO Box/ Private Bag.

  3. The Contract is for the rental period specified in the Application.

  4. You must notify us immediately in writing if any of the information specified in the Application changes, for example, changes to your address or phone number.

  5. The rental fee for this service is payable in advance, is not refundable and, with our written consent, is able to be transferred to another PO Box or Private Bag holder. The rental fee is set out at www.nzpost.co.nz.

  6. We may review the rental fee for this service during the term of the Contract, but any change to the rental fee will only take effect from the first anniversary of the Contract or, if the Contract has been renewed, from the next invoice date.

  7. We may charge you other fees for this service. These fees are set out at www.nzpost.co.nz. We may change the amount of those fees or impose new fees as long as we give you 30 days’ notice in writing. 

  8. For PO Boxes, we will supply you with two keys, which remain our property at all times. All keys must be returned to us if the Contract expires or is terminated, or you must pay us the cost of replacing the lock and keys.

  9. If the PO Box or Private Bag holder is an individual, only the person who signs the Contract will be recognised by us as the contracting party. Where the PO Box or Private Bag holder is an organisation, only that organisation will be recognised by us as the contracting party.

  10. Either of us may terminate the Contract at any time by giving 30 days’ notice in writing.

  11. We may also, by giving you notice in writing, terminate the Contract immediately or on the date specified in that notice:
    1. where we believe on reasonable grounds that the PO Box or Private Bag allocated to you is being used for illegal activities;
    2. if you don’t pay the rental fee, or any other fee or charge payable under the Contract, by the due date;
    3. if you don’t comply with any other obligation under the Contract; or
    4. if there is a dispute between joint PO Box or Private Bag holders and the dispute is not resolved within 30 days of us being given written notice of the dispute.

  12. If you terminate the Contract under clause 10, all mail addressed to your PO Box or Private Bag that we receive after the date of termination will, unless otherwise agreed, immediately be returned to sender. If we are unable to return the mail to the sender, it may be destroyed.

  13. If we terminate the Contract under:
    1. clause 10, 11b or 11c, all mail addressed to your PO Box or Private Bag that we receive after the date of termination will, unless otherwise agreed, be held at the local New Zealand Post outlet for 30 days from the date that the Contract is terminated. If you do not collect your mail during this period, we will return it to the sender. If we are unable to return the mail to the sender, it may be destroyed ; or
    2. clause 11a, all mail addressed to your PO Box or Private Bag that we receive after the date of termination will, unless otherwise agreed, immediately be returned to the sender. If we are unable to return the mail to the sender, it may be destroyed.

  14. If there is a dispute between joint PO Box or Private Bag holders, we may refuse to deliver mail to that PO Box or Private Bag until the dispute is resolved. If we terminate the Contract under clause 11d, we will return all mail to the sender. If we are unable to return the mail to the sender, it may be destroyed. 

  15. If you want to resume a PO Box or Private Bag service after the Contract has expired or been terminated, you will not necessarily be allocated the same PO Box or Private Bag address and will be required to enter into a new contract.

  16. We may change any term of the Contract, including relocating the PO Box or Private Bag and changing the frequency of mail delivery, by giving you 30 days’ notice in writing.

  17. Unless we agree in writing, you must not allow anyone else to use the PO Box or Private Bag allocated to you.

  18. You must promptly return to us any mail that is not addressed to you.

  19. You must collect your mail at least once a month. If you do not, we may return uncollected mail to the sender. If we are unable to return the mail to the sender, it may be destroyed.

  20. It is your responsibility to check your mail for oversized, unpaid, shortpaid and signature required items. These will be available for you to collect during normal box lobby opening hours. You are responsible for paying any outstanding postage and returning to us the signature required receipts from these items. Signature required items that have not been collected after 30 days, unless specified differently on the item, will be returned to the sender. If we are unable to return the mail to the sender, it may be destroyed. 

  21. If the addressed mail you receive, other than parcels, regularly exceeds the capacity of your PO Box, we may require you to apply for a PO Box with a larger capacity or a Private Bag and to pay us the rental fee that applies to that PO Box or Private Bag. 

  22. If you tell a third party your PO Box or Private Bag address, you must ensure that the address you specify meets our addressing standards set out at www.nzpost.co.nz.

  23. Information on our liability to you for loss or damage to, or delay in the delivery of, any item is set out in our Public Contract and Postal Users' Guide. These are available for reference at New Zealand Post outlets and at www.nzpost.co.nz.