Gold Coast man Chris Ingall tries to claim thousands from Australia Post over missing letter
An Elanora man who initially tried to claim $6,835.63 in compensation over a missing letter will be receiving a significantly smaller sum from Australia Post. FULL STORY.
An Elanora man who sought $6,835.63 compensation for a missing letter will instead receive just $7.91.
The Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT) ordered that Chris Ingall receive the modest sum after a leave to appeal application against an initial 2024 decision that deemed his claims “ridiculous”.
On May 1, 2023, Mr Ingall, an Elanora resident at the time, engaged Australia Post to deliver a letter containing a document to the Brisbane police prosecutions office.
The document had to be delivered within approximately two weeks but the letter was lost in the postal process and never arrived.
After protracted inquiries about the letter’s whereabouts, Mr Ingall drove to Brisbane to deliver a replacement document on the eve of the deadline.
In October 2023, Mr Ingall began proceedings against Australia Post, alleging negligence and breach of contract, claiming $6,835.63 in compensation and costs.
This amount was later reduced to $1,696.
Australia Post denied liability but made an ex gratia offer of $100 plus a postage refund per its terms of service.
At the initial hearing on July 17, 2024 the adjudicator said Ingall’s claim was “ridiculous”.
“It’s so inflated it’s not even funny,” the adjudicator said.
The adjudicator was not satisfied negligence occurred merely because Australia Post lost the letter.
“[I accept that] in the context of millions of letters a year, going through airports, going through trucks, going through – all over the country, there is a prospect – it is the nature of postal services that some of them will be lost,” they said.
The initial judgment stated even if breach of contract or negligence was established, almost no compensable loss had been proven.
The adjudicator ordered no compensation, noting the document had no inherent value, was easily replaced, and Ingall provided no evidence of lost work beyond his statement.
Following an application for leave to appeal, much of the original judgment’s decision remained.
On September 2025 QCAT member Dr John Forbes noted the initial judgment said Mr Ingall was entitled to compensation for the cost of the service.
“However, the courts stress that judgments of busy and often overloaded tribunals are not to be subjected to scrutiny appropriate to Supreme Court decisions,” Dr Forbes added.
He said the initial dismissal of the claims of negligent breach of contract and reference to compensation for the cost of service pointed the way to a non-fault solution.
In his judgement, Dr Forbes said Mr Ingall’s only remaining action was to rely upon a total failure of consideration action.
“This action sometimes supports large awards, but in the circumstances of this case, alas, it promises very slim pickings indeed,” he said.
He ordered Australia Post pay Mr Ingalls $7.91 for the cost of service charged but not supplied.
He noted Australia Post’s previous offer of $100, which remained open, was a matter for Mr Ingall to reject or accept.
More Coverage
Originally published as Gold Coast man Chris Ingall tries to claim thousands from Australia Post over missing letter
