topic Re: Finding a "lost" parcel? in Community Spirit

Finding a "lost" parcel?

lurker172602 — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 00:09:49 GMT

THIS IS NOT ABOUT AN EBAY PURCHASE

When we were away we posted a parcel home to ourselves which has not yet turned up (just over 2 weeks now, from France). I'm hoping it is just caught up in customs somewhere, but how do I go about finding out?
Does anyone know where I should start looking for it? Or have other suggestions about what to do?

Re: Finding a "lost" parcel?

the*scarlet*pimpernel — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 00:13:53 GMT

Sorry, I don't know.

Stuff I get from OS often takes 3 weeks to get here.

I don't suppose you have a receipt or anything from when you posted it?

Re: Finding a "lost" parcel?

freddie*rooster — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 00:14:40 GMT

Lurker, do you have a consignment receipt with the details on it?

Re: Finding a "lost" parcel?

lurker172602 — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 00:17:47 GMT

No, nothing unfortunately. We had enough trouble trying to understand the French instructions as it was without being able to ask for a receipt.
And there is not return address or anything, because we were the sender.

Re: Finding a "lost" parcel?

the*scarlet*pimpernel — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 00:39:09 GMT

maybe the lack of return address is the problem and they think it is a stolen priceless artwork. They are probably checking all the Stolen Art files, before releasing it.

Just kidding.

It'll probably show up early next week. Is it in a frame or rolled up? You could go to the local post office and ask, and they might be able to ring the nearest Mail sorting centre. I had a flatscreen monitor lost once. I knew it had been sent, but no-one could find it. It had been placed in the wrong area of the sorting facility so the bloke that picked up the parcels never saw it.

Re: Finding a "lost" parcel?

lurker172602 — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 00:49:15 GMT

We did joke at the time about it reappearing the next day in the same shop 🙂

It was rolled into a posting tube. I know the woman at the post office quite well, I'll ask her when I go up the street later.
As is usually the way with these things, I'm sure as soon as I start actively looking for it, it will turn up 🙂

Re: Finding a "lost" parcel?

the*scarlet*pimpernel — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 00:57:53 GMT

You could ask over on the buying boards how long mail from fance is.

If it gets sent by boat (do they still do that) it could take months.

Re: Finding a "lost" parcel?

amber-eyed-girl — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 01:14:38 GMT

If you did not pay very much for the postage, it might be surface mail, two or more months.

Re: Finding a "lost" parcel?

lurker172602 — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 01:41:13 GMT

Ahh, good point. I think it was only about 15euros. We might be in for a long wait then. Maybe it will be a Xmas surprise!

Re: Finding a "lost" parcel?

purple_haize — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 01:52:58 GMT

Will probably turn up, you have to remember that all the Xmas mail is being sent from o/seas as well as this time of the yr, and some items take longerf than normal to show up.

You could check your local parcel distribution place (Aust. Post), or customs.

Re: Finding a "lost" parcel?

katydidthat — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 02:16:25 GMT

Hmmmmmmmmmm, Lurker, you know that Par Avion means By Pigeon?

Re: Finding a "lost" parcel?

amber-eyed-girl — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 02:19:45 GMT

http://about-france.com/postal-rates.htm

Found the rates here. Have a look at what your type of parcel was. Also, it says there is no longer a slow service from France.

"While the existence of a "priority" rate supposes the existence of another non-priority rate, this is no longer the case. There is no longer any eco or slow international parcel rate from France."

So hopefully you should be getting it soon.

(Duplicate post in your other thread 🙂 )

Re: Finding a "lost" parcel?

amber-eyed-girl — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 02:29:02 GMT

Airmail from France looks like about ten days at normal times i.e. Not Christmas.

Re: Finding a "lost" parcel?

lurker172602 — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 02:51:56 GMT

Thanks for that amber. It looks, from the price, like we may have sent it PAQUET PRIO INTERNATIONAL 1-2kg. That sounds about right.

If it is at Customs is there any way of finding out? We didn't have to fill in any customs declaration form or anything like that.

It was quite a traumatic experience given our very limited french 🙂

Re: Finding a "lost" parcel?

amber-eyed-girl — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 04:01:18 GMT

Australia Post would need at least the customs number to look at whether it has been scanned as arriving here. At least when I had to do a search for an unregistered parcel addressed to me. Customs may be able to help if it has been scanned, and if they held your address for some reason. Like for import dues. Hmmmmmm...all you can really do here is give them a call.

Customs general enquiries

1300 363 263

Once I sent a parcel home from Warsaw. My Polish was limited to phrases needed for shopping, like the words for chicken, lemons, etc. It was at Christmas, there were lines twenty people long, and I needed to buy a box. Between us, the lass at the counter and I figured it out 🙂

do not worry just yet.

Re: Finding a "lost" parcel?

amber-eyed-girl — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 04:06:06 GMT

What worries me a bit here, though, is that you did not fill out a customs declaration. I thought all cross-border parcels needed to have one stating contents, value etc. and be signed. That might mean it may well be being held in customs here, or in France. With no return address to send it back to if incorrectly mailed. I would give customs a call and ask about that, what happens with no customs declaration. They could have it.

Re: Finding a "lost" parcel?

amber-eyed-girl — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 04:19:12 GMT

"If you were sending parcels from or to outside of the EU then you would need either a CN22 or CN23 customs declaration form (dependant on the parcel’s value) or a commercial invoice detailing the parcel’s contents, value and origin." Yes, you do need one. That could be an issue, hope it will be OK.

From http://www.parcel2go.com/parcel-delivery-profile/france#customs that deals with parcels in and out of France

Re: Finding a "lost" parcel?

lurker172602 — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 04:28:57 GMT

I just spoke to a really helpful and friendly young woman at Customs (thanks for that number amber) who could look it up for me just by addressee name and postcode and she said it is not there. She told me if they were holding it for whatever reason they would send us a letter about it. She was a bit surprised about the no documentation thing but didn't really know the french requirements were so couldn't comment on that.

So it's back to wait and see. Or I could go back to Paris and get another - that's a great idea 🙂

I give it another month or so and if it hasn't turned up by then I'll ask my french friend (in Paris) to make some more enquiries for me.

Thanks for your help and assurances 🙂

Re: Finding a "lost" parcel?

amber-eyed-girl — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 04:45:45 GMT

OK, that's some news anyway, good luck, hope it just naturally turns up 🙂

Re: Finding a "lost" parcel?

fourandsixpants — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 05:40:22 GMT

http://www.chronopost.fr/transport-express/livraison-colis

this link is equivalent to Aus Post tracking - but the French one.......and yes, sorry...in French.

I guess could be translated into English by helpful suggestions from tech savvy C&S poster?!

Seems you would require a tracking number though to get any useful info fed back.