Online shopping can be hard enough without having to retrieve the delivery from the roof of your house.

So imagine the surprise one Sydney mother received when she returned home to find a package from Australia Post tucked away in her front gutter.

Merryl Lloyd told 7NEWS.com.au she and her friend were just about to walk through the front door of her Castle Hill home when they noticed the delivery note.

Camera Icon The postman left some solid advice for the Merryl Lloyd Credit: Supplied/ 7news.com.au

What happened next had them both in stitches.

“We got home from shopping and the little card was sitting in the screen door,” she said.

“The message said that the parcel was on the roof.

“We both looked at each other, then we stepped back and looked up and just burst out laughing.

“I’m five foot one, how am I supposed to get that down?”

Camera Icon Jackson and Merryl Lloyd Credit: Supplied/ 7news.com.au

Lucky for Merryl, the postie offered his professional opinion on how she should go about that.

“I accidentally threw your parcel on top of the roof, my apologies,” the delivery note read.

“Maybe use a broom to get it down.”

Unlike his aim, his suggestion wasn’t far off the mark.

Grabbing her trusty extendable mop, Merryl managed to retrieve the online order.

Fortunately for all involved, the package only contained a jacket and nothing fragile.

So next time you feel like online delivery is taking longer than usual, Merryl says it might be worthwhile checking your roof.

Originally published as ‘Use a broom’: Australia Post's ruthless suggestion after tossing delivery on roof’.