Advice Please

[oddsandendsoz]

Hi guys,

I hope you are all well. I have just received a message from a buyer stating that they have received a parcel I sent on Tuesday but without the actual item. The lodged weight was 1.8kg and I remember packing this as I have had very few sales this week. The item was certainly in the box as I had 3 of these in stock all lined up next to each other and now I have two next to each other. I take great care in packing my items so I go through a process and remember going through that same process packing this. I also have to weigh every package as they always differ because my items are all different and sometimes I use packing peanuts and others cardboard fill. 

The buyer is claiming that the parcel arrived weighing only 492 grams and sent through images of the box with the packing materials inside. The thing is I know Australia Post have been getting ever more strict recently with measuring and weighing parcels so I am hoping this time they have also weighed this one. I have replied saying that I am sorry they have had this experience and that I may need to lodge a Police report and also lodge an enquiry with Australia Post. I know for certain the item was packed and sent.

Any tips you would suggest? The buyer opened his message with 'Hi. I am impressed by your 100% positive feedback rating. I'm also impressed by the early arrival of my package. I'm not quite sure how you achieved this rating." this raised some flags for me as it suggests I will be scared about the feedback. I know this could just be an upset buyer though. Any ideas on how to proceed?

[jellybirddesigns]

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@oddsandendsoz wrote:

So buyer has responded to my first response to their initial message with the following "Hi (my name deleted), thanks for for prompt reply. I will contact the post office so we can attack with a pincer formation and have also sent a copy of your email to my frends who have taken a deep speculative interest in this event.
Regards, (buyers name deleted)".

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Very strange language to be using.

Since it was Signature on Delivery and has been signed for - surely the buyer would realise right away that the package was too light for alcohol, but accepted it anyway?

Since it has been delivered, the onus does fall onto the buyer, but I'm just wondering if the PO can track the driver who handed it over to ascertain if it was a package that  was in the vicinity of 500g or 1.8kg.

What is the buyer actually wanting at this point, as I'm assuming they have not opened a case?

Also, I often see that the lodged weight is not on my receipts (just the general weight band). However, my lady at the PO always enters the weight, so it could be in the system, just not on the receipt.

[jellybirddesigns]

I doubt they are going to the PO - I think they are going to try and "negotiate" something with you. Partial refund or whatever.

[oddsandendsoz]

Yes, I also find the language strange but I suppose it could be that they genuinely feel they have been wronged and are using subtle threats as a means of getting a good outcome. I have had this happen only one other time but that buyer was a Policeman and he could see the parcel had been tampered with. To be fair to this buyer now, I suppose if he is a frequent online buyer they may not have known which parcel this was until it had been handed over. 

At this point the buyer has not made any demands or nor have they opened a case but perhaps if they are not legit they were hoping we would refund to save our feedback. Sadly when I lodge my parcels they just scan them into the system but I am hoping that they have weighed this at some point in the system. 

[oddsandendsoz]

Checking the tracking details it looks like the buyer has lodged a customer enquiry with AP as of 9:18pm so it looks like they are at least trying to work with us. 

[jellybirddesigns]

I have a feeling that cases lodged with AP this way are actually quote slow to resolve. This time of the year makes it even slower, unfortunately. Doubt the buyer will hear anything before next week, if they're lucky.

Although you never know!

[papermoon.lady]

The buyer seems to express himself in a slightly weird way, but this doesn't necessarily make him a scammer, and he doesn't seem to be angry either. If he has opened a case with AusPost without even telling you, he might be genuine, even if I don't understand why he accepted the parcel if it was obviously too light, but maybe the parcel arrived with other parcels or he just didn't think about it.

I have occasionally received parcels that were not perfectly sealed because the tape was not so sticky any more (maybe due to humidity sometimes?), but luckily they were not empty. 

[sugar249]

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@papermoon.lady wrote:

I don't understand why he accepted the parcel if it was obviously too light, but maybe the parcel arrived with other parcels or he just didn't think about it.

. 

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Most times the delivery person will put the parcel on the front door step,  hand your the scanner to sign,  then wander off,  before you even get to touch the box.  In particular if it is a larger box, while they are waiting for you to come to the door.

Now in COVID times,  they don't even hand you the scanner but will ask your name, and aren't supposed to hand you the box directly, rather place it on the ground.    Totally of topic, but in the case of Domino's they would take a little fold up table to place the pizza on.

Even at the post office you tend to sign before shaking the parcel.

And if like me I could get 3 parcels at a time (we had 7 on the lounge floor last week),  you wouldnt know what should be in each parcel till you actually start opening.  Signature on delivery is just proof of delivery,  not proof of contents.

[curraone]

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@oddsandendsoz wrote:

Unfortunately not. We do all our labels on the Australia Post MyPost website. But we always have to weigh each parcel even if it is the same item because the void fill materials changes and sometimes we wedge the bubble wrapped bottle with cardboard of different thickness and weight to ensure no rattling and movement therefore they weigh different amounts. 

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I understand  you do your own Aust Post labels - but you should also have a receipt from when you lodged them at the PO - all my receipts have the postage  range - maybe you will be lucky and have the actual weight.

[oddsandendsoz]

Recently I have not been getting the lodgement receipt as I have built up so many Australia Post receipts that I started to say no when they asked if I needed the receipt, and given there is the record through My Post Business I thought that may be sufficient. However, I think I need to go back to receiving the receipt. This morning I told the AP PO person what happened with the parcel in question and asked her to confirm the weights with me as she scanned them. I may need to do this from now on to have them sight the weight and keep the receipt. 

[curraone]

Not sure but maybe the new Aust Post policy might work in your favour - if they weigh the package as they say they do during the sorting process, maybe there is some record somewhere of the actual weight?

As a parcel travels through our network, it’s checked by scanners that form part of our automated sortation process. This allows us to measure and record the parcel’s packaging type, dimensions and weight. The equipment that we use has been certified as Legal for Trade by the National Measurement Institute of Australia and enables us to charge you accurately.

The parcel details detected are then compared to what was declared when the label was purchased through MyPost Business. Underpaid postage will apply if there’s a discrepancy