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. 🙂

[davewil1964]

So they spell it Braph, not Braff?

[thebraff]

So they spell it Braph, not Braff?

:^O    Something like that.  😉

[the3coopers]

Sorry for the lack of updates. I've been in a mad selling frenzy and haven't had time to even post on the boards!

Alice and the team at AP Customer Service have assisted me in resolving this matter.

I won't go into the full details, but suffice to say that they accepted my explanation and the odd circumstances that surrounded the delivery.

Thanks to Alice for helping. I notice that she posts on other Aussie forums too. Well done.

[debra9275]

That's good news Coops

[***super_nova***]

Excellent!!! 🙂

Will be looking for news that they found somebody from Chullora with garage full of stolen AP goodies.

I cannot believe they are so slack nowadays.

Many years ago I worked for AP and the supervisor caught a postie nicking packet of cigarettes, which in those times was sent as a junk mail to people.  They were small packs (5 or 6 cigarettes) and the people had no idea they were getting one; I do not smoke and one arrived in my post.  This postie ran out of cigarettes and so he took one of these packs he supposed to deliver; he was sacked on the spot.

[iainlouden]

Aust Post contractors would never steal would they....

Bendigo advertiser ..05 Apr, 2011

"TWO Chewton men will face court after being charged with stealing $60,000 of goods from Australia Post.

Following a joint investigation with Australia Post, police executed search warrants at properties in Chewton and Castlemaine last Thursday.

Televisions, computers, clothing, DVDs and war medals are among four trailers’ worth of merchandise seized by police.

A 60-year-old man has been released pending summons and a 53-year-old man has been bailed to appear in court in June.

Both men were contractors for Australia Post and police were yesterday still establishing the time frame for the thefts."

Makes you feel very secure in using Aust Post doesn't it.

[koalablue12]

A very long time ago I read in the newspaper that a postman in the UK (I think) had been putting mail in his bin as he did not have time to deliver all of it. When I say a long time ago, it must have been 8-9 years ago. It all sounded so funny at the time, but this poor (posty) person was so afraid they would lose the job that was no doubt hard to find because they couldn't keep up that they threw it away. I felt so sad for this poor person. Of course (now) on the other hand - I am thinking, someone like Coops may be still waiting waiting waiting! 😄 😞

[kopenhagen5]

Great news, maybe not so much for the monetary aspect, but restoring faith in goodness winning out.

3coopers, many have followed your plight, and if you are able, we would appreciate hearing a suggested path of action should any members experience a similar scenario.

P.S. Always admire your patience and thoroughness with assisting others.

[treasure124]

I would really like to know how to get in contact with this Alice at AP. Everyone I have spoken to at AP says they can't tell me anything due to the privacy requirements between them and store, though the store has nothing to do with the problem that occurred so I am not asking for any info concerning them.

Store customer service has been appalling, and on the same day, within a one hour period, one CS rep advised that AP outcome is that item was "lost in transit", while another advised that the investigation is still ongoing.

I just want to speak directly with AP. I paid for the postage, yet according to AP I do not have the right to request an explanation for how they have ended up with a fraudulent atempt at my signature for a delivery at a time when neither I nor anyone else was at home.

[superscanner4]

I've been following this too and am so glad there is a happy ending.  It's great that many people offered help and advice.  On the whole the postal service is pretty good (especially compared to other countries) but it's rotten if you're the unlucky one who's had a bad experience.