topic Re: Express post with no tracking in Selling

Express post with no tracking

11coffees — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 00:00:56 GMT

Hi all,

I've just been notified that one of my express parcels has not arrived (sent 10th of dec) and there is no tracking record of it. Yes, i know that i can force them to scan at the post office but i can't make it in their hours and i order everything in bulk.

The buyer is going to ask around at their local PO today but in the event it's not there, what should the next action be? I've been around for a long time but i understand the system has changed!

I have no qualms about refunding if the item never made it and because i don't have a personal receipt for the item AP will do jack squat BUT how do i resolve with no defects? Buyer has been lovely so far so i don't think there will be any problems there.

Thanks everyone!

Re: Express post with no tracking

sueken4812 — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 00:04:52 GMT

If it was me I'd refund, and tell her that if the item does ever arrive, just to keep it with compliments. Little else you can do. Put it down to experience.

Re: Express post with no tracking

11coffees — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 00:08:21 GMT

That's what i'm planning on if it's not at the PO but is there a proper procedure i'm supposed to follow?

Re: Express post with no tracking

phorum_junkie* — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 01:03:37 GMT

I don't have much knowledge of the defect system but I should imagine if you do not try to cancel the sale to get your fvfs back then a defect would not be triggered. Don't take my word for it though, I skimmed through the process when it first came out and decided I would not change the way I do business just to avoid a defect.

Re: Express post with no tracking

cq_tech — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 01:25:02 GMT

If you completely trust your buyer not to lodge an INR, instead of refunding, which will trigger a defect, simply return her money as a gift payment through Paypal. I did it myself last year without any problems and saved myself from a defect.

Re: Express post with no tracking

dazzlingrosettes — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 02:02:35 GMT

this buyer has waited a month to get back to you ?
you should have your tracking no sticker on line if you put it on,or I stick them onto my written book to say who I sent all items too, Don't trust the internet, especially when it goes down. I would be ringing AP, before criticizing them , they can be helpful, I have had nothing on the internet tracking, but when rung it was there in front of AP eyes. and before you refund, too many seller worry about defects, if you are a good seller Ebay take them off sooner than later.
whats her feedback to others like.

Re: Express post with no tracking

11coffees — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 04:45:51 GMT

Thanks everyone! I do have a tracking number but there is no info on it. I called AP and they told me that because it is a WA parcel that express post doesn't apply and it would never have been scanned anyway (???).

I'm just waiting to hear back from the buyer on if they could locate it at the local PO. If not, i'll do a gift refund.

It's more annoying that a beautiful dress is now out and rotting in the ether. Very disappointing!

Thanks again and special thanks to CQ for being a rockstar on these forums.

Re: Express post with no tracking

dazzlingrosettes — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 05:36:11 GMT

Well that was an interesting answer from AP, no express to WA. I must ask at my PO and find out, as it seems a waste of money if they pay that way. I know it might take an extra day or so, hope you have luck with your customer.

Re: Express post with no tracking

abcdidi888 — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 05:55:47 GMT

There is express to WA from the eastern states. But only a small few postcodes in/around Perth CBD qualify for next business day. To everywhere else it's just a bit quicker than standard mail.

Re: Express post with no tracking

11coffees — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 05:58:53 GMT

My thoughts exactly! Wouldn't be a big issue if it took an extra day and could be tracked but i was told that it would be considered regular parcel post. This is to a suburb in Perth that's well within the express post network advertised.

Brings up a whole other set of issues.

Re: Express post with no tracking

11coffees — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 06:01:52 GMT

It was an innercity suburb of Perth and definitely within the guidelines on the express page for next day. It has been over a month anyway but something to consider for the future...

Re: Express post with no tracking

clarry100 — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 06:04:13 GMT

If you did not lodge over the counter then the way I understand it is that the only scan events you will see online is when it's on board with the driver (if they bother to scan as they load up) or when it's actually delivered. Other than that a blank screen unfortunately.

Re: Express post with no tracking

digital*ghost — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 06:20:55 GMT

@11coffees wrote:
I called AP and they told me that because it is a WA parcel that express post doesn't apply and it would never have been scanned anyway (???).

Good heavens... They may as well have just said "we consider the services we sell to you both optional and ultimately pointless to provide". 😞

(Just to note, I do understand that express isn't overnight in a lot of cases, but the tracking obviously have nothing to do with how fast a parcel gets somewhere - it isn't part of the express service, it's part of the postage service).

Re: Express post with no tracking

dazzlingrosettes — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 07:26:39 GMT

One thing I do,is take a photo of my parcel, to make sure I have sent it too the right address, as over the years I have made a couple of boo boos.Double check now. and some other sellers i have read on here,do in the post office after the parcel is date stamped, if using normal stamps which I do, as most od mine are letter rate, so no tracking.
so you can double check that you have the right address. That way you can send the customer a photo that you sent it. Just a little hint.

Re: Express post with no tracking

cq_tech — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 08:39:05 GMT

I do that with all of my large letters, but not as protection against addressing errors. I do mine because photographs of postmarked large letters are an acceptable defence against INR claims through Paypal, although it's not so much lost mail that concerns me, but false claims by buyers who think they can get away with it because there's no tracking. What a shock they get when Paypal tells them to bugger off because proof of delivery has been provided. 🙂

Re: Express post with no tracking

cq_tech — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 08:49:30 GMT

@digital*ghost wrote:

(Just to note, I do understand that express isn't overnight in a lot of cases, but the tracking obviously have nothing to do with how fast a parcel gets somewhere - it isn't part of the express service, it's part of the postage service).

D*G, if the Express Post item is both sent from, and addressed to postcodes which are published either on the back of the express post envelope or satchel, or on the AP web site, then it most certainly is a guaranteed overnight service. However, if one or both of the of the parties don't reside within the published Express Post network, then it is clearly no longer an overnight service, and is only guaranteed to go via air where possible or available. Additionally, delivery is prioritised where possible.

Re: Express post with no tracking

digital*ghost — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 09:44:11 GMT

@cq_tech wrote:
@digital*ghost wrote:
(Just to note, I do understand that express isn't overnight in a lot of cases, but the tracking obviously have nothing to do with how fast a parcel gets somewhere - it isn't part of the express service, it's part of the postage service).
D*G, if the Express Post item is both sent from, and addressed to postcodes which are published either on the back of the express post envelope or satchel, or on the AP web site, then it most certainly is a guaranteed overnight service. However, if one or both of the of the parties don't reside within the published Express Post network, then it is clearly no longer an overnight service, and is only guaranteed to go via air where possible or available. Additionally, delivery is prioritised where possible.

I know 😛 I was just making the point that tracking is (or, at the very least, should be) independent of whether the package is travelling within / between express zones.

In other words, an express package that has a tracking number should be tracked regardless of whether the package is going to arrive overnight, because the tracking isn't contingent on the package qualifying for the standard express service, it is simply part of the postage service.

Re: Express post with no tracking

babylonfuture — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 11:46:15 GMT

Hi,

No one else seems to have mentioned it - but have you lodged a claim/complaint about the parcel not showing up? So Australia Post can investigate it.

You should be able to at a minimum get the cost of the bag refunded (or another bag sent to you).

Re: Express post with no tracking

cq_tech — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 13:45:26 GMT

OK, I understand now what you were getting at and I absolutely agree. If AP do their job properly, an express post item which has been posted in a yellow street box should be scanned immediately upon arrival at the DC, then again at the destination end, and finally when it is put on board with the driver for delivery. That's a minimum of at least three scanning events so I'm at a complete loss to explain why the OP's parcel had no events recorded at all.

Even if it had been inadvertantly posted in a red street box, it should still have been scanned upon arrival at the DC, so either somebody didn't do their job properly, or some dishonest employee has removed it from the system prior to its first scanning event.

Re: Express post with no tracking

cq_tech — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 13:47:42 GMT

@babylonfuture wrote:
Hi,

No one else seems to have mentioned it - but have you lodged a claim/complaint about the parcel not showing up? So Australia Post can investigate it.

You should be able to at a minimum get the cost of the bag refunded (or another bag sent to you).

That might be a bit difficult given that it was posted in a street box and never scanned. AP will therefore have no record of its ever having been posted, so even if the OP has kept the peel-off tracking number, AP has nothing with which to match it.