Australia Post have stuffed up big time! :(

[cq_tech]

I've been incredibly fortunate in that I've not had a single misdelivery or item of lost mail in several years. Until today, that is, and it couldn't have been at a worse time if they'd actually tried. I sent a 500g Express Post parcel to Lot 13 Collins Promenade in Ingleburn, NSW yesterday, and about an hour ago decided to check and make sure it had been delivered.

Yes, it certainly was, at 1225 today, except that the bloody morons delivered it to an address in Thomastown, Victoria! I've just got off the phone from AP and they can't do anything now until next Monday, when they'll speak with the postman responsible, but I'm absolutely furious as there's not even a Collins Promenade in Thomastown. There is a Collins Street, but it only goes up to number 8, so I'm buggered if I know where my parcel is, but as I told the fellow at AP, I don't trust the recipient to return it, even though it's not eBay related.

Sadly, it was a surprise Xmas present for a close friend of mine, and the fact that it would have been completely unexpected makes no bloody difference in my eyes. I told him that I'll be taking the matter to the Postal Ombudsman, and also made sure that there is a discretionary insurance payout available of up to $50 plus the cost of the express post satchel (another $10.55), which will cover the value of the item I sent, but that's not the point.

I'm currently very angry and also quite upset as it was the only Xmas present I sent this year and I was so looking forward to imagining the look on the recipient's face as it was opened, and now I've been robbed of that one and only pleasure I'd been looking forward to this Xmas, and I'm extremely pi$sed about the whole rotten business.

Because there's no similar addres, I can't even write a letter to the person who received it, so all I can do is hope that they're honest, although my experiences lately tell me that people these days are generally quite the opposite. I have just seven words for Australia Post right now... F#ck you and have a lousy Christmas! 😞

[padi*0409]

Move to WA chooks all our posties have uni degrees (in something..............)

Spoiler

Hi to the sheep from B and J.......................

Spoiler

p.s. those tsfe's are rampant ATM..................sigh..................

[aztonline]

You are fortunate that Australia Post has been delivering your items properly. I have just started using them for 3 months and they have misplaced 3 of my items. I thought it was the the norms and they lose atleast 1 a month.

The christmas sales have been good, but 2 items have not been updated in tracking for a week now. I hope its only the tracking isn't updated and the item was delivered.

[cq_tech]

That's a very high loss rate. I've always maintained that anything in excess of around a 0.5% loss rate (or 1 in 500 items) is due more to dodgy buyers than anything else, especially now that almost everything other than large letters is automatically tracked. My current issue aside, I still trust AP a hell of a lot more than I do most buyers, that's for sure.

[aztonline]

Yeah. Seems the loss rate is high. I looked at other options, but AP seems to be best bet for now. It seems I have been plain unlucky with the deliveries.

Regards

Thalha

[nattyratty222]

Hi cq-tech

Am so sorry about what happened to you, that really sux

I'm so frustrated and mad with Australia Post too.

I had a parcel from the states  arrive on the 23rd of Novmber in Sydney.

It was processed throught the sort facility on 25th, and hasn't been delivered to me yet.

It has a tracking number but because it hasn't been updated since the 25th Australia Post can't help me. 

It's not with Customs as it was passed so I don't where it is.

I know it was busy over Christmas but gee whiz.

Cindy

[millyminder]

I was at a PO the other day & it had a sign on the counter stating that parcels returned to sender would be charged for at standard postal charges so the chances of a wrongly delivered parcel being taken to the PO & returned would be pretty slight. Anyone know more about this.?

[cq_tech]

That's a bit rough, Cindy. To be missing for over a month now, I don't like your chances that your parcel will turn up any time soon. Are you still within the INR cut-off period (or was it posted after November 1) because it looks like you're going to have to lodge a claim with Paypal and try to get your money back. Fortunately it doesn't happen very often, but when it does, it really sucks.

[nattyratty222]

Hi Cq!

Thanks for your reply

It was posted on the 17th of November.

I wasn't sure whether I should lodge a claim as it wouldn't be fair to the seller as he didn't do anything wrong.

It arrived here in Australia it just wasn't delivered by Australia Post.

Ah well looks like its bit the dust, its such a shame as it was an antique and I would have loved to receive it.

HAVE A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bye for now

Best wishes to you always

Cindy

[cq_tech]

Cindy, while your unwillingness to penalise the seller is highly commendable, by the same token why should you be out of pocket? Neither of you are to blame, but that's how it is in most INR cases anyway, and it's why you have buyer protection and your seller has seller protection.

You really can't just wipe your hands of the issue and hope your item eventually turns up (as it very possibly might). It is your absolute right to lodge a claim with Paypal, bearing in mind that you still don't need to escalate it for a further 20 days, but if you miss the initial 45-day cut-off, you'll have lost any chance of a resolution to your issue.

If the seller has sent the item in accordance with Paypal's requirements, they will be covered by Seller Protection anyway and it may ultimately cost them nothing even if you do lodge a claim. They may also have sent it via the GSP which has different claim requirements, although Paypal generally sort that out from their end.

It doesn't make any difference if it arrived in AU and went missing afterwards, either. You paid to have it delivered to your front door and unless that happens, you are definitely covered by Paypal's Buyer Protection. The fact that it's AP who appear to have lost your item is completely irrelevant.

Please don't take this the wrong way, but if you're not prepared to make use of the available Buyer Protection which is your absolute right, then you really shouldn't be buying anything via mail order, whether it's via eBay, or anywhere else for that matter.

It's quite possible that if your item has permanently gone astray, the only ones who will ultimately be out of pocket will be Paypal themselves, so please don't feel guilty about doing so, just lodge your Paypal claim and await the outcome. Make sure you lodge your claim on or before December 31, and if there's been no resolution within the next 19 days, be sure to escalate your claim to a full dispute on or before January 19, 2015.

If your missing item happens to turn up at any time between now and January 19 next year, you can simply close your claim and there'll be no harm done, but if it doesn't turn up, at least you'll be reimbursed your full purchase price plus postage.

Thank you for your very kind wishes, Cindy, and I hope that you also have a really wonderful New year. 🙂

Bill

[nattyratty222]

Hi BilL

THANK YOU SO MUCH for your help. I really appreciate it.

I just opened a Paypal case on it and hope in the meantime it might turn up.

I understand what you siad about making use of Paypal protetion.

I just didn't want the sller whos been so helpful to penailised for Australia's Post mistake.

THANKS for your KIND WISHES

Cindy