Can a Australian Customs Declaration Number be tracked?

[wizardstargazer]

I was wondering if an Australian Customs  Declaration Number be tracked?

That's the only proof I have of an item been posted to a scammer in Canada who claims not to have recieved item.

He has scammed others, he specifically request and insists you send your item namely gold or silver bullion by regular standard post and then claims not to have recieved the item(s).

I got in touch with 2 others who have sold to him also only to find he's used this method of scam on them also, then opes up a paypal dispute where your account gets frozen and without a tracking number they genarally rule in the favour of the buyer.

So for all would be scammers, there's the loophole you've loking for to scam unsuspecting sellers like myself, which I dont condone in anyway by the way.

I need to prove somehow that my item probably left Australia and even better that it made it through Canada Customs and even to Canada Post somehow, if anyone has an ideas, please let me know ASAP.

[tstore]

Why on earth would you send something over $1,000 not fully insured and not trackeable overseas? 

[wizardstargazer]

To make the sale,and on their request,I know very dumb move, in hindsight I should've just agreed to do so then went with

registered post like I originally insisted.

[tstore]

I don't think that the customs dec is trackeable. Have you tried entering it into http://www.canadapost.ca/cpotools/apps/track/business/findByTrackNumber?execution=e1s1 ? 

[digital*ghost]

You need documentation that the item was sent to the buyer's address, so even if the tracking number could be located and confirmed as article lodged or received etc, without proof that the parcel was addressed to the buyer, there's very little you can do at the PayPal dispute level - do you have any paperwork at all that shows the item was sent to the buyer?

[wizardstargazer]

Yes tstore

I've tried that, and this is what comes up:

Unfortunately, the number you entered is not in our tracking system.

@ digital *ghost

apart from postal reciept and the customs declaration code there's nothing else I have unfortunately.

I'm wondering if I got in touch with either Canada Customs or Post and see if that number was registered when it come

into thier country, think that can work??

[lyndal1838]

Try ringing Australia Post...they can often track packages that cannot be tracked on the postal services website.

I have heard anecdotal evidence in the past that things have been successfully tracked by Customs Declarations details.

[digital*ghost]

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@wizardstargazer wrote:

@ digital *ghost

apart from postal reciept and the customs declaration code there's nothing else I have unfortunately.

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If the receipt has any location information (post/zip code etc), it is worth uploading it to PayPal - it may also help any appeal of PayPal's decision if you wish to make one (if you feel you have legitimate grounds to appeal a PayPal decision, you can file a complaint with the Banking and Financial Services ombudsman). 

I'm not sure how you would go with contacting Canada customs, so can't offer any advice in that regard, but if they are amenable to those kinds of requests, I would be asking them (very nicely) if it's at all possible to provide a scan of the parcel showing the name / adress + customs declaration so that your documentation matches. 

I know this doesn't help now, but I posted something to the US using Pack & Track yesterday which has full tracking etc, but because I processed and paid for it at the post office rather than online, I was not given any documentation other the the receipt (nothing that shows the buyer's name / address as it appeared on the PP notification), so the staff member photocopied the lodgement form that was attached to the parcel, showing the name, address and tracking number for me - a photocopy with an official PO stamp to prove lodgement of a non-tracked parcel should help get a favourable outcome one way or another...for future reference, however I would also recommmend immediately blocking (if possible) any potential buyer who insists on non-registered post for such expensive items, or if it's too late and they have already purchased, a polite decline to post via any other method). 

[wizardstargazer]

I tried that too lyndal,

they couldn't find anything and told me to try Canada Post as sometimes using their tracking method on their website doesnt always show up on the front end and they may be able to use other methods from the back end which I guess is only accesable to them.

But they don't have an email address, just snail mail and telephone, I may just have to stay up late tonight and try ring them if I cant think of any other way.

Australia Post told me if I dont have any luck try calling back in about a month and a halfs time to see if any info has surfaced then, but thats not going to help me now with my paypal dispute.

[wizardstargazer]

Thanks Digital*ghost

I may try that with customs, on postal receipt apart from it stating it was posted to Canada that's all it says

no zip code, no personal details of the buyer just a plain receipt.

What I dont get is I built my case with proof of two others who were stung in a similar manner whom I contacted and asked

if they too were stung in which they replied yes, but paypal doesnt seem to care much about that, thay say its been not, he's been investigated, we're looking into it etc etc, but that's it.

It's up to me to find a way to prove it or I lose $1650.

I will go to the post office in half hours time and ask them on the off chance they have any other record apart from my customs number

that could be of any help to me.