Startrack Couriers lost my item!

[cq_tech]

I'm pretty angry at the moment, and this is quite an involved tale of woe, so you might have to bear with me. Last week I bought a $1000 item (a 55" large screen TV) from NSW and on Tuesday, July 1, Startrack Couriers attempted delivery at 1355 but I'd unfortunately stepped out for half an hour at around the same time and missed them, so they left a card in my letterbox. I rang them that afternoon and arranged redelivery for the next day, but although I stayed in all day Wednesday, nobody turned up so I rang them again late in the afternoon.

The operator promised that she'd have somebody call me the next day (Thursday) but I heard nothing, and despite staying in all day yet again, there was still no redelivery, so I once again rang them and they promised that it would be delivered on Friday, and that they would also ring me to let me know roughly what time to expect the courier. You guessed it, yet again nobody rang and nobody had turned up by 3:00pm so I rang them on Friday afternoon and got stuck into the male operator and abused them for not keeping me informed despite their promises, and especially for giving me the runaround re my delivery, as I'd stayed in every day this week even though I had important things to do and items to get off in the post.

After I'd hurled all sorts of abuse at the fellow, I calmed down and told him that it wasn't personal, but I'd had it with Startrack as it looked like I wouldn't get my item until next Monday at the earliest. While I was on the phone with him, he made some enquiries and discovered that the reason that nobody had been in touch was because when the driver got back from his initial run on the Tuesday of the first attempted delivery, he hadn't logged the item off his truck and back into the depot, and it appeared that they had now lost my $1000 item! That's as much as I currently know, as somebody was yet again supposed to call me late Friday afternoon to let me know the current disposition of the investigation into the whereabouts of my item, and needless to say, nobody bothered calling me yet again. I should also point out that on each occasion I rang them, I was on hold for between 18 and 22 minutes every bloody time, something else I complained to them about!

I'm now at a loss to know exactly what to do. Should I lodge an INR dispute with Paypal? And who is ultimately responsible for this debacle, Startrack Couriers or the seller? I'm talking about financial responsibility, as although it's the seller who wears the dispute, the actual responsibility for the loss of my item is Startrack, but I assume it's up to the seller to sort it out with them, and not me, correct? I guess I'm curious to know what others would do given the same circumstances. Of course, the item may well turn up on Monday and eventually be redelivered but I'm thinking if they haven't found it after searching for more than 5 days, it's entirely possible that somebody has walked off with it and it's gone for good. I'd also love to know why the bloody driver didn't log it off his truck the same day he failed to deliver it, as it doesn't look too good for him under the circumstances.

[jensmanchester-australia]

cq  - I have had a few times where full pallettes seems to have disappeared with Startrack. Once my supplier got onto Startrack it didn't take them long to find them. It was always a case of them not being scanned at some point so somebody had to go and locate them in the warehouse. We get a lot delivered by Startrack and so far everything has eventually arrived.

[cq_tech]

Thanks, Jen. It sounds as if their site security may be much better than their logistics if they're forever losing entire pallets of goods, but at least it's promising to hear that despite this, everything eventually arrives at its destination. Let's just hope that this particular occasion is no different.

[*crikey*mate*]

fingers crossed for you CQ

your next issue may be some damage?

I hope not, but I'd be getting the thing checked -pretty casrefully.

It's spent a long time being moved around storage facilities and delivery vans since it left the seller.

I wonder if that becomes tricky though? wonder how blame for the TV could be asigned if it were defective in some way?

[lyndal1838]

I still think it is worth a call to your PO on Monday CQ.  You never know, the system might just have worked as it was supposed to and it is there.

[cq_tech]

Don't worry, Crikey, I've certainly considered the possibility and if there is even the slightest bit of damage to the carton, I will either refuse to take delivery, or perhaps even open the carton in the presence of the driver, before I sign anything.

[cq_tech]

Agreed Lyndal, I have to go to the PO on Monday morning anyway, and had fully intended asking while I was there.

[bright.ton42]

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@cq_tech wrote:
Don't worry, Crikey, I've certainly considered the possibility and if there is even the slightest bit of damage to the carton, I will either refuse to take delivery, or perhaps even open the carton in the presence of the driver, before I sign anything.

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I would definitely be opening the carton while the courier is there.  And if any visible damage take photos as that would

surely help to determine who the damage was caused by. .

But you've got to get it first.    I really sympathise over all the stress this must be causing.   

[grumpy*cat*rocks]

Any updates on your lost item cq?

[amber-eyed-girl]

cq, I hope they locate your TV and it is without damage.

I had a similar situation with Startrack, items worth in total about 600$, disappeared from their system after being lodged with the driver. The items were found, having been left unscanned at return to depot. It did take about a week, with my talking with Startrack, the seller, and the seller was also speaking with Startrack. I know how this story began, too, with your TV...the DSE discount offer thread.

really, really hope they find it for you or you can get a replacement from DSE considering it was a sale. Very frustrating.

[cq_tech]

Well Amber (and grumpy*cat), it appears that Startrack's customer service hasn't improved one bit since this drama began, as they'd promised to call me when they'd found my TV, prior to its being delivered, yet this afternoon at 5:15pm, there's a ring on the doorbell and there's the Startrack driver standing there with my TV!

Not a bloody peep from head office, so it's lucky I was here to take delivery (and yes, I checked it thoroughly prior to signing for it). Without a doubt, they would have to be the most unprofessional courier service I've ever had the misfortune to deal with, and I expected much better from Australia Post. If I ever need a courier in the future, I certainly won't be using Startrack, believe me.