Advice - Australia Post

[oddsandendsoz]

Hi all,

I hope sales are going well for you all.

In October last year I had 4 parcels all go missing after handing them over to my local Australia Post office. The parcels never received another scan after 'received by Australia Post'. Fortunately I insure all my parcels and so despite a lengthy wait process due to AP's "'expected delivery times' being extended significantly due to COVID backlogs AP did pay out the insurance which on the 4 items was over $4000. I guess I expected that AP would investigate this internally to see how 4 parcels came to be lost, who knows if they ever did. Fast forward to last Wednesday 27th April and I lodged 4 parcels again, two for one eBay account and two for another eBay account. Tracking is now showing 2 parcels have moved in the system and 2 parcels have again as above and in October "received by Australia Post' but have not moved. Both the two parcels that have not moved are the same account that the previous 4 items 'disappeared' on. I sell alcohol and (yes I have a valid liquor licence) on this main account and I also sell my pwn personal items on my other account like used books etc. I am starting to feel that someone is targeting my business and is stealing my items. I stopped going to the previous AP LPO as I was not sure if it was the PO staff or the drivers that may have 'mislaid'my 4 parcels in October, but as I say last week another 2 (both alcohol) have again been 'mislaid'whilst the other two items lodged the same day (no alcohol) are moving. It would be easy for someone to shake the parcels to listen to see if they contain alcohol or not as despite packing really well you cannot hide liquid noises. I spoke to AP yesterday on the phone and outlined my concerns. I guess I want AP to fully investigate this as I believe there is someone stealing my parcels. The fact that I lodged 4 parcels and 2 are moving and the 2 that happen to be alcohol are not moving shows more than coincidence, especially given the 4 parcels lodged in October. I am wondering what expectations I should have on AP to investigate this? I outlined that if these do indeed go 'missing'then I would probably stop using AP because it does feel that I am dealing with a driver who knows my items and is stealing them. Given that AP admitted to me that they have cameras in their PO's and that 2 parcels moved and 2 did not, then it should in theory be easy for them to know which driver took the 2 parcels that moved which I believe were all placed in the same red tubs they use to place the parcels when lodged. 

I guess I am looking for any helpful advice? 

[papermoon.lady]

I cannot tell you for sure if you can enforce an investigation. Maybe you can ask the postal ombudsman. As AusPost compensated you, I don't know if the ombudsman can help in any other way but provide you with some info concerning your rights for an answer and an investigation, but they should definitely be able to tell you if AusPost has to start an investigation as requested by you. 

I have also heard of people who went to the police when something expensive mysteriously disappeared from the PO or even while on board for delivery (I think they had not been compensated yet though).

I think you are right, 6 parcels going missing is definitely not normal. And you want more than compensation of course. You need peace of mind when you send a box with alcohol, and you want the problem of the disappearing parcels solved.

[oddsandendsoz]

Thank you Papermoon!!

I agree, 6 parcels to me says there is an issue. I have been sending parcels with AP for around 8 years now and in all that time I believe I have had maybe 3 or 4 go missing, not even one per year. I also had to go overseas for 6 weeks in January and sales have been down the last 6 or so months so 6 out of less parcels is a very high percentage rate of losses compared to previous years.

Thanks for the suggestion of the Ombudsman, I will follow that up. I was wondering like you if the Police would be able to do anything. I feel very strongly that this should be looked into because to me at least there is a very worrying pattern here that is statistically well above what should be expected on lost parcel rates. I also feel that AP should take responsibility investigating this as we have all seen (albeit not often thankfully) stories about Postal workers or couriers being found with $1000's of parcels and goods in their homes. I am trying to protect myself and my business here, but also others because I doubt I am the only one suffering at this person or persons hands. 

[p9games]

I had a $2,500 parcel 'lost' in the AP system.  It was not insured so I received a compensation of $100 and sent along on my merry way.  Like you, I truly can not comprehend how a parcel can be 'lost'.  I'm not physicist but I'm pretty sure matter does not spontaneously vanish into a parallel universe.  My guess would be theft by an AP employee or it was damaged and thrown away.  This was an inbound parcel so I didnt pack it, I guess it could have been poorly packed and the contents are strewn across the back of some driver's truck.

You would think that AP keep track of how many claims, losses and so on are filed and match those to drivers.  I mean if Driver X has lost numerous items worth a lot of money, and caused AP to pay out insurance claims, you would think they'd sort that out.  I have a neighbour who is a driver for AP and previously worked in the sorting depot, she said security is pretty tight to avoid mail fraud and theft, but who knows?

**bleep**py situation to be in

[eol-products]

Sorting machines tend to eat a few and labels are known to come off as well. Couriers can be worse and I have come across items that had invoices in them from 9 years earlier. Not sure how a pallet got lost for that long but it happens. Another common one is to be sent to the wrong country and then be abandoned there, 

I once thought I lost a large box being sent to me via airmail turn up months latter having ended up in sea mail even though it showed airmail with the correct postage paid. 

[oddsandendsoz]

Thank you! Yes, it is very disturbing and I am sorry you also had a bad experience. I fully agree with your assertion that material things do not just 'disappear' and stated as much to the AP rep on Monday. It is too easy a cop out for AP to claim this and deflects responsibility on them to both look into it and take disciplinary action. Even if something is damaged as I say in theory and in AP's own communication to me, it should be noted on their system and images taken of the damage before destroying. However, I have received broken bottles where the outer box is obviously wet and damaged and I have picked them up from the PO. So I guess if they are not destroyed, they 'should' still be handed over. 

Exactly, it should be noted how many parcels have 'gone missing' from each driver. The reason I believe that it must be a driver is that I cannot see any other way that a parcel is 'lost' because as AP quote (and as your neighbor confirms) each PO has cameras and once it arrives at a depot, they also have numerous cameras. I am going to keep pushing this because I hate injustice. The worst for me is that some of my items are very rare and cannot be replaced, to think that someone has them and is either drinking them with coke, or selling them for $200 when they are worth much more actually hurts. Another thing that is annoying is that one of the items was sold on a rival site to eBay and it is a fairly new account and I had only listed a handful of items there, since October I have had around 8 sales and now 2 of those have disappeared due to AP which may mean suspension of that account. 

Thanks again for your input. 

[oddsandendsoz]

Thanks for your input again mate, I appreciate all of it. 

It is very unlikely that my labels come off as I tape all the label with sticky tape, and so far I don't believe this has ever happened to me. Certainly I would find it hard to believe that of the 6 'missing' parcels more than 1 could have been due to a label issue. I also only ship within Australia so thankfully I avoid a lot of issues others have selling Internationally. 

[eol-products]

I once sent an item to QLD and took over a month due to ending up on a plane to Canada. 

If I sent something of value I will write my address under the label for good measure. 

Are you items leaving a major city or a smaller regional area.

[oddsandendsoz]

Good suggestion on writing my return address under the label just in case, especially for the high value items. 

My items are all sent from what would be known as Sydney Metro, and from memory all 6 of the lost parcels were going to Metropolitan areas, with perhaps one or two going rural. The two last week were both only going within NSW and one only around 20km and the other 180km? 

[etb321]

Last week a WA customer said an expensive item hadn't arrived. The tracking only showed lodgment at my  PO then nothing. Time was slipping by. Turns out they're still not doing signature on delivery due to Covid. 

Try sending without Signature on delivery, eg just regular tracking so  the packages can be safe dropped. 

I wouldn't be quick to suggest theft to explain undelivered parcels.  My thinking would be the missing packages are sitting in a non urgent return to sender bin. 

Tom

[papermoon.lady]

Wouldn't the tracking show that they were unable to deliver if the buyer is not home and the parcel requires a signature? They usually just sign for the buyer (after confirming their name), but the buyer must be home.