Making a complaint

Before contacting the PIO with your complaint, we ask that you pursue the matter as far as possible with the postal operator.

Before you complain to the Postal Industry Ombudsman you should give the postal operator sufficient time to resolve your complaint. We generally consider that 10 working days is a reasonable time for a postal operator to respond to a complaint - less if the matter is urgent. Complaints about items sent overseas can take more than 60 days to resolve if a foreign postal operator has to be contacted. If you are not satisfied with the outcome of your approach to the operator or the way it has been handled, you can then contact the PIO.

The PIO is impartial and does not represent either the complainant or the postal operator. Your complaint will be investigated if required so that we can reach an independent conclusion about the complaint.

Complaints can be made by the person with the problem or by a person authorised to represent them. If you are making a complaint on someone's behalf, we may ask you for a written authority from the complainant.

You can make a complaint to the PIO in a number of ways:

  • completing our online complaint form
  • by phoning 1300 362 072 (Not a toll-free number. Calls from mobile phones are charged at mobile phone rates.)
  • in writing (mail, fax or email)
  • in person at any of the Commonwealth Ombudsman offices around Australia.

If the PIO cannot investigate your complaint because the postal operator is not a registered PPO, we may suggest you contact the department or agency in your State or Territory that handles matters relating to fair trading and consumer affairs.

  • ACT Office of Fair Trading
  • NSW Office of Fair Trading
  • NT Department of Justice Consumer and Business Affairs
  • QLD Office of Fair Trading
  • SA Office of Consumer and Business Affairs
  • Consumer Affairs and Fair Trading Tasmania
  • Consumer Affairs Victoria
  • WA Department of Consumer and Employment Protection

Our service charter sets out the standards of service you can expect from us, and what you can do if those standards are not met.