Sending something worth more than $100 through Australia Post without checking your cover leaves a real gap — and even paying for Extra Cover doesn't guarantee a payout if your evidence or packaging falls short.
What's Included, and What You Have to Add
Sending directly through Australia Post (rather than as part of a retail purchase covered separately by the ACL), your item is generally suitable for compensation up to $100 for loss or damage, included at no extra charge on most services, along with a refund of postage. For anything worth more, Extra Cover is available for a fee, covering the item's specified value up to $5,000 (up to $500 for certain international economy services specifically) — the first $100 of cover is free, with additional cover charged per $100 increment above that.
The Three Reasons Claims Actually Get Rejected
- Missing proof of value: Australia Post requires a genuine purchase invoice, receipt, or documented replacement cost — an estimated market value with no supporting document generally isn't accepted.
- Inadequate packaging: claims for damage are commonly rejected if the internal packaging didn't provide sufficient cushioning to withstand normal automated handling — this is one of the most frequent rejection reasons, and it's entirely within your control before you send anything.
- Prohibited or excluded items: cash, precious stones, and extremely fragile items not properly declared are excluded from standard cover regardless of value.
Compensation Is Separate From Your ACL Rights
If you bought the item from a retailer who then chose to ship via Australia Post, Australia Post's own compensation scheme is separate from, and doesn't replace, your rights against the retailer under the Australian Consumer Law. Australia Post's terms explicitly note that neither included compensation nor Extra Cover limits any rights or remedies you may separately have under the ACL — the retailer remains on the hook for their own delivery obligation regardless of what Australia Post's own claim process determines.
Protecting Your Claim Before You Send
- If your item is worth more than $100, purchase Extra Cover for the full value before sending, not after a problem arises.
- Keep your original purchase invoice or receipt — this is your proof of value if a claim becomes necessary.
- Package items with genuinely adequate internal cushioning, not just a single layer of bubble wrap for something fragile.
- Check whether your specific item falls under any excluded category before assuming standard cover or Extra Cover applies.
- If you bought the item as a retail purchase rather than sending it yourself, remember your ACL rights against the retailer exist independently of Australia Post's own claims process.
Related Kibbo Tools
Sources
- Australia Post — Compensation. auspost.com.au
- Australia Post — Domestic features and optional extras (Extra Cover). auspost.com.au