Is signature on delivery worth the extra cost????

[*sparklz*]

As a buyer I was shocked to see an item I had delivered was showing on the postage label as Signature on Delivery required (seen after I had the parcel handed to me and postie had left) which had also been highlighted by the seller and I was handed the package and was NOT asked to sign for it.

I contacted the seller and let them know this as well.

As a seller if I paid for signature on delivery no matter if it was at the buyers expense or mine, I want to get what was paid for.

Are any sellers being advised by their buyers that no signature was asked for when it had been paid for?

What is the point in charging or paying for it if it is not going to be done by the postie?

[minimikimusic]

Hi Sparklz,

I was sorry to read this. If a signature on delivery has been purchased, then one should certainly be captured. Please let us know by completing our web form on our website or give us a call.

Alice

I complained about 4-6 weeks ago on the Australia Post website, received an email confirmation to let me know that my complaint had been received but have since not heard back anything. Is Aust. Post supposed to respond to all complaints or not? 

[***super_nova***]

Hi DJV and others, 

There seems to be a little confusion over what the Signature on Delivery service actually offers.

The point is that we seem to get ever increasing number of reports here of  parcels that seller paid for SOD is just left on people's doorsteps.  I do not expect to be notified when parcel is delivered, but if buyer claims they did not receive it unless it was signed for there is no proof they did get it.  In the past registered parcel was insured for up to $100, so if the buyer did not sign for parcel and AP cannot trace it, we were able to claim for the loss.  Now, the $2.95 seems to buy us nothing if the SOD is not done.  AP can happily lose parcels, dishonest contractor can take them home, or the buyer can claim they did not receive, it, and it is just too bad.  I am not surprised sellers are searching for an alternative way to send their goods.

Of-course, I do know that the seller is covered as long as they posted by trackable means to the PP address, BUT that means that PP pays the buyer.  Why should PP pay for something that is AP fault?  Not to mention if the buyer is a scammer just claiming that they did not get the parcel that was dumped on their doorstep.  In any case if PP is going to be forking out more and more money for missing parcels, sooner or later they will be putting their charges up, and that will affect all of us.

[***super_nova***]

I have had more than one person have parcels just left at the door or in plain sight and not sign for parcels that were Signature required.X-( Seems it is just a way for Australia post to get more $.I actually spoke to someone at AP about one such occasion and they asked if the person got the parcel, I said yes. They then said then what is the problem. I said they did not do what I asked and paid for as the signature was not asked for and it was just left at the door. They just said it has been received by the customer, there is no problem and hung up.

I would have called back immediately and lodged an official complaint for hanging up on you against that person who you spoke to, insist on complaint number, and also insist on getting the $2.95 back. 

Although, I do feel for the call centre people, they must be absolutely flooded with complaints in this moment.

[kustomizer99]

OK, so if SOD is paid for and the package is signed for by someone OTHER than the adressee, and that person steals the package..... where does that leave the seller and the buyer?

Is the seller covered for at least trying to do the right thing? Does the buyer get compensation for being robbed, and does the compensation come from PayPal OR AustPost?

Is the now-standard parcel tracking adequate in cases like this, and is the $2.95 for SOD a complete waste of money?

[*new2vintage]

SOD only provides a signature from the recipient who may not be the buyer. You need to pay for Extra Cover as well to receive up to $100.00 insurance cover. You can pay more for more cover. It provides me with no reassurance at all to know that signatures are stored by Aus Post and are available if required for a Paypal dispute. When you pay $2.95 for something you can't even access it if you want to. It would give me peace of mind to be able to see every recipient's signature anytime I want to. If something isn't signed for Aus Post aren't likely to back us up are they ? I believe they should compensate us when things that should be signed for aren't and there's a problem but why would they want to look after their customers ?

[arnl7178]

I complained about 4-6 weeks ago on the Australia Post website, received an email confirmation to let me know that my complaint had been received but have since not heard back anything. Is Aust. Post supposed to respond to all complaints or not?

minimikimusic,

AP are shocking at responding to complains and queries. I too, have waited weeks for responses but finally got fed up with that, so I email every two days asking for an update. Now, they normally have an answer within around 2 weeks. Still dismal IMO but better.

[viewmont1071]

Hi DJV and others, 

There seems to be a little confusion over what the Signature on Delivery service actually offers. Purchasing a signature on delivery means just that. A signature should be captured, either electronically or manually at the time of delivery. 

The signature will be kept in our records and can be accessed if required; if for example, delivery is disputed by the addressee. A hard or soft copy of this signature however will not be sent back to you. This would be Confirmation of Delivery, which is an add-on available with Registered Post Letters, and is not available with parcels, though you can certainly contact us for Proof of Delivery if required.

I hope this information clarifies matters somewhat for you all.

Alice

Can you point me to the terms and conditions/policy that control this feature and define the parameters...

Alice I would like to use the signature I purchased and AP collected for me to defend a chargeback claim..... and would like the signature I purchased and you collected for me

Thanks in adavance Alice

[australiapoststore]

Hi minimikimusic,

I'm sorry to hear that you have not received a response from us for such a long time. That does seem like an unusual amount of time though; generally our email enquiry charter is 48 hours. Can you please let me know what your reference number is so I can take a look at this for you?

Roxy

[australiapoststore]

Hi kustom-65, deja_vu_items and viewmont1071,

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. As Alice has touched on, if a signature on delivery is purchased then a signature should indeed be obtained on delivery to a person at the address, and this does not mean it is necessarily signed for by the person the parcel is specifically named on the parcel.

If the parcel was delivered to an incorrect address, then Australia Post would need to be contacted as soon as possible so an investigation can be put through, and the driver spoken to so we can find out what happened and rectify the situation. If the addressee or you believe that mail has been stolen after delivery then the police would be best to contact so they can follow up.

It is important to keep in mind that if something does not go smoothly with the delivery, for example no signature is obtained or the customer states they have not received the item, then the sender will need to contact us so an enquiry can be put through so we can find out what has happened. In the instance where the article was delivered without a signature when one was purchased or it was delivered incorrectly (or not at all) then we will assess compensation up to the limits of the service used, and any extra cover that was purchased in conjunction with the signature.

If you need to view a copy of a signature that is not a problem at all. Simply contact us on 13 13 18 or via our website here http://auspo.st/17VvD1L so we can source it and get back to you.

I hope this has helped clear some things up.

Roxy

[davewil1964]

No mention of chargebacks there, Roxy, which was viewmont's specific query.

I can see the FOS and/or whatever ombudsman oversees Australia Post going well over budget. Obfuscation will never usually out. And AP are masters of it. Have you ever tried to find something on YOUR OWN website, Roxy? With only half an hour to spare?