I had a customer in my newsagency yesterday wanting to pay their Optus bill. It was $4.99 (yes, four dollars and ninety nine cents). At Australia Post, opposite my shop they wanted to charge a 50 cent handling fee. 10% for pushing some buttons on the computer. 10% after making the customer wait in line for almost ten minutes. The customer came to my shop, paid the account and was out in just over a minute. No 10% surcharge. No long line. Plenty more smiles.
This surcharge by Australia Post on Optus bills is appalling as is the long customer wait times. If I were Optus I’d cancel the contract altogether as the surcharge reflects on them as much as Australia Post.
The government has no business owning and operating the Australia Post retail network.