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A lovely collector of mine purchased a bear recently, and I packaged him up all safe and sound and sent him off via registered mail to an address here in a city in Australia. Registered Post here means that you pay a little extra, but the person at the other end has to sign for the package. If they are not home, a card is left for them to collect the package at the post office. The package is never just "left" on the doorstep.
My collector wasn't at home when the package was delivered, and so the next day she took the card into the designated Post Office. The Post Office told her that they were very sorry that her package was not at the Post Office as they had a new contract delivery driver, and apparently he couldn't be bothered to bring the packages that weren't delivery back into the post office, and so he dumped them into a drain! Can you believe it. All the Post Office could do was to tell her to fill out a claim form. Meanwhile poor Finley the bear is just dumped like a piece of rubbish.
About 8 pieces of postage had been dumped. A man who was expecting an expensive book to be delivered decided to drive around the suburbs trying to see if he could see anything. Miraculously, he found the dumped postage off the side of a road. His book was completely destroyed, but one box was still in tact and he kindly took it back to the Post Office.
Guess who the package was......dear Finley. He had been saved. My collector was called and she dashed to the Post Office and she opened the box there and then, and she says that Finley was actually fine, but that he was quite shaken up after his adventure. Imagine if this wonderful chap hadn't gone looking, and my dear little bear would have just perished away, left in a drain.
I am so mad as I paid extra for Registered Post to ensure my collector received her bear, and I didn't expect it to be delivered into a drain.
My collector is wonderful and she said she took Finley home, gave him some cuddles and put him with some other bears of mine to calm him down. Isn't she a sweetie.
Australia Post will be getting a rather colourful letter from me.
It really pays to package your bears really well, even if they are only going within your own Country, and you never know what adventures they will be getting up to.
Sophie Z'OursOh my God!!!!!!!
I cannot believe some supposed postmen could even think about abandonning parcels in a drain!!! This guy could have at least kept all the parcels for himself :crackup: :crackup: :crackup: !!!! I am not sure that man has a brain... What was the point of abandonning these parcels????
Now how did this postal service get to employ such a brainless guy???? 
One thing is sure, Finley deserves a second name, which is Lucky! And you, Christine, were very wise to pack him so well.
I wonder if this guy will still claim his salary. If he does it, his employer should tell him he abandonned the check into a drain!!!! :crackup: :crackup: :crackup:
I am thinking about this poor and clever guy who went to search the parcels and whose book got destroyed... He really did not deserve it.
Beary hugs,
Sophie.
New YorkOh my goodness, I can't imagine poor Finley sitting in a drain like that! 
Your beautiful artistry sitting like that dumped by the side of the road. What a nice gentleman to go looking for these packages. :clap: It's a shame his was destroyed.
Woodbury Park BearsThats awful Christine I am horrified reading your post I would lodge an official complaint and hope that guy gets the sack How many people didn't get their mail makes me think this guy has done it more than once . I am glad your collector got her beautiful bear that poor man and his book! Our mail guy is fabulous he see's my husband in the street and stops and tells him if there is anything for us now that is service and he is a subby for Australia Post.
hugs
Raewyn
Past Time Bears What a rotten thing for that postal carrier to do!! I hope he gets his punishment for such a stupid stunt. Thank goodness for the kind man who went looking for his book . . . sorry it was destroyed . . . but hooray for Finley! :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:
OMG!!! Here in the US that would be a felony.
Dances With Teddy BearsFinley is a lucky soul, to have survived such an ordeal. :doh:
So glad he made it out of that drain!!! 
Newcastle, OntarioOh Christine, I'm so glad your bear got to his new owner!! What a terrible thing for the postman to do.
hugs,
Brenda
Custom TeddysThis, to me, is just another one of those wonderful little teddy bear stories.... the kind people used to tell me when they would come to my teddy bear shop. Miracles happen in teddy bear world... Finley is an example of that.
P.S. Perhaps the postman could use a miracle of his own. Hugs, Vicki
What an absolute nightmare thing to happen. I worry about this happening as we hear in the news about postmen dumping mail as they are under pressure to post quickly and get back so some are dumping mail. That is so out of order. So glad you got the bear back and it all turned out well in the end.
Pauline
Jellybelly BearsOh my gosh that is terrible Christine!!! Who would have thought anyone who is paid by the post office would consider doing something like that! goodness grief!!!!!! luckily he was found before this rain hit!
Waggle BearsThat is unbelievable! If it's not a felony in Australia, it ought to be. I just can't imagine someone being so lazy or so stupid. I hope the post office was not taking it as lightly as you made it sound by just saying he is a new hire. Surely, this guy went through some sort of orientation.
You need to contact your t.v. stations and newspaper and share your story. That would really bring attention to this practice of dumping mail. Makes you wonder how many people have lost their mail this way.
Let us know what happens after your letter.
oh my gosh Christine, thats just unbelievable! Wouldn't you think that if he had admitted to doing this (he must have how else would they have known) that they would have found out off him just *where* he had dumped the stuff specially if it was registered??? Unbelievable!
Benson BearsDon't think that would have happened in the "good ol' days" before the PO was privatised, and the delivery guys were actually PO employees not contractors. It's a disgrace, so make sure you're heard loud and clear Christine and your collector too!!!!
That is so awful Christine and I hope that the delivery guy gets the sack - how could he!
so glad that the story has a happy ending and poor old Finley got to find his happy home and what a lovely Christmas present for
his owner.
Hugs
Carolyn
