Peter Schwartz posted 11 envelopes containing cheques for charities around the country, and none arrived. Photo / 123rf
Dunedin postboxes have given the term "snail mail" a fresh emphasis.
New Zealand Post is investigating how it failed to collect mail from two central city locations in February — resulting in a buildup of 1700 undelivered items.
Disgruntled customers said yesterday articles included donations, invoices and a scholarship application.
Peter Schwartz, an associate professor of medicine at the University of Otago, had posted 11 separate envelopes containing cheques for payments to different charities around the country.
However, when after two and a-half weeks he had not received any donation receipts, he contacted one of the local charities.
It was then he discovered not a single cheque had been received by the intended recipients.
"I then contacted NZ Post, who set up an investigation, and I provided all the details of what was sent, to whom, and where and when all the envelopes were all posted."
"I went to post the letter and felt a solid mass of mail inside... and I wondered how long it had been like this."
NZ Post regional service delivery manager Murray Rei apologised for the error and confirmed the boxes "were not cleared properly for the month of February".
"We are investigating why this has happened and to make sure this does not happen again, but we do know this is an isolated incident.
"There are electronic records available indicating that the boxes had been cleared that will be taken into account in the investigation."
NZ Post is contacting some of the senders, he said.
"The mail boxes have now been cleared, and the approximately 1700 items inside will now be delivered."