Help/advice pls - Aust Post contractor signed for my item & it's missing

[the3coopers]

We've lost a very expensive item that was delivered from the USA via USPS Express last week. Yet the AP tracking shows that it's been signed for!

Last Sunday we arrived back from an Easter Holiday, and it seems that the AP Contractor had come Tuesday 10th at about 7:38am -  there is a hangup on our home Answering Machine (my home phone number is on the vendor's invoice) at that time. The delivery status says delivered at 7:42am.

I phoned AP customer service and they say there's a scrawled signature with my first name on it. I am unable to get a copy, but I've asked the vendor to request it via USPS. I never sign my name that way, and anyway I can easily verify that I wasn't here on that day. The item should have been carded, not dropped.

Item was paid by Paypal, funded by a ANZ Visa Debit card. Theoretically I cannot claim INR since the item was delivered - and it'd be really unfair to chargeback on the vendor since they certainly did deliver something to us.

AP seemed to be saying "too bad", claim back via the vendor. Yet the only reason it's missing is because the AP employee seems to have either delivered to the wrong address or signed for it themselves and left it sitting on our front porch for nearly a week!

So, how on earth should I handle this? The item cost me almost $1000, so it's not a loss that I can "absorb". I'm wondering if anybody has had similar experiences, especially with making a claim against Australia Post for such a loss.

Thanks heaps for any advice you can give me. 🙂

[primaryaim]

I have no idea what to sugges but I feel your pain Coops. 😞

[primaryaim]

My fingers are not working properly tonight, should be...."I have no idea what to suggest"

[donnashuggy]

Lots of paperwork and phone calls, you need to find out WHO the driver was and report them.

Sometimes USPS deliver to drop off points when you are not home such as the local petrol station (that happened to me twice) even though I was home, they often don't like delivering residential so you need to call them and check. I think their depot is in Mascot, that is how I discovered this.

I would ignore what Australia Post say and do your own investigating.

[onetycoon]

HI there, The aust govt website has something called the "Postal Industry ombudsman" (PIO)  that investigate complaints against australia post and the like. I'd suggest you contact them with all your proof and see where you go from there.

Good Luck.

[freddie*rooster]

http://www.pio.gov.au/

[the3coopers]

Sometimes USPS deliver to drop off points when you are not home such as the local petrol station (that happened to me twice) even though I was home, they often don't like delivering residential so you need to call them and check. I think their depot is in Mascot, that is how I discovered this.

I would ignore what Australia Post say and do your own investigating.

It was definitely Australia Post who delivered it. The parcel tracks through the Chullora AP depot, then to my home.

I'm waiting on the Vendor in the USA to confirm the delivery signature, since AP won't give it me me (only the sender can request it). Then I guess I'm off to get compensation from AP.

[kayza40]

I have had a similar experience in that I had just over $1000 dollars worth of kitchenware items delivered and no one was home so the AP delivery guy signed for it and left the huge boxes sitting on my front verandah and I live beside a very busy main road. 

I would have preferred they were carded as well.  When I rang AP to complain they told me they had my signature, I assured them I wasn't even home, nobody was here at all.  The guy on the phone told me it was a criminal offence and fraud, and there would be reports filed blah blah blah,,,, in the end nothing was ever done about it.

I have been very cautious about getting expensive items delivered since then incase I get into your situation.  Good luck, but I would be seeing where I stand legally with this, as someone has forged your signature. 

[*kazumi*]

Coops, I would be calling the AP customer service back and hopefully you may get somebody more helpful.  Or ask for supervisor.

Make sure that you stress that the reason you have paid expensive postage was that you did not want it to be left on the doorstep.  The delivery person has faked your signature and the item is missing, surely that is criminal offence.  I would be making sure that the customer service person understands you are not letting it go.

Our delivery guy knows I do not want anything left sitting on my doorstep, but if I am expecting something expensive and large (would not fit in my mailbox) I leave sign on my doors when I go out  "please do not leave parcels here, card them".  Just in the case our usual guy is sick.

Some years ago I came home after few days away and found on my doorstep, clearly visible from the street, parcel containing 4 books with total value close to $1000.  So i am bit paranoid 🙂

[lane-ends]

Once you have a copy of your signature then I would be pressursing AP some more even in writing. A report to police even. I am sure management in AP would not ignore the possibility of a contractor doing this as it is likely to cause them repeat problems as it would not be an isolated incident.

But be absolutely sure non of your neighbours have signed for it, or taken it in first and have yet to tell you.

Hopefully whoever signed for it has not seen your signature and hence it wont look remotely like your handwriting