Return to Sender Postage Question

[*tippy*toes*]

I sent a parcel 2 weeks ago to a buyer in Victoria. Last week the My Post app alerted me that it was being returned to sender "receiver not known at this address". I contacted the buyer to let her know what had happened and asked her to confirm the address, which I added to the message. She confirmed the address was correct and it was her work address (which I gathered by the address). I wondered if maybe I'd addressed it wrong.

It arrived back today and sure enough, it was addressed exactly as it should have been. She had earlier asked me to resend it to her home address (I think she was expecting me to pay for the postage). I sent her a photo of the correctly addressed parcel and told her if she wanted it resent, she would have to pay another lot of postage as I had addressed it correctly. I also asked her to check with the mail room to see if anyone could remember rejecting it and to also check if there were new staff there that may not know her. She said it was a small establishment of 6 employees and she took possession of the mail each day.

She had asked her postie if he remembered the parcel and he said no, which makes me wonder if delivery was even attempted. Especially as there was no mention of being onboard with driver, or for delivery today or any of those other things mentioned in tracking.

Which brings me to my question/s. As the parcel is addressed correctly and is quite legible, can I just drop it in the red box given the postage label is for the same parcel at the same address, and it wasn't my fault it wasn't delivered? If I do drop it in the box and it's not the right thing to do, who gets hit up for the postage cost, me or the buyer? I still think the buyer is expecting me to cough up for the postage, even though I told her she would need to repay. I don't see why I should fork out another $7.60 when everything was done correctly on my end, especially for something that only cost $14.

The tracking shows:

Received by Australia Post

11:53am Thu 29 Sep

MY PO NSW

Processed through Australia Post facility

5:32pm Fri 30 Sep

GRANVILLE NSW

Processed through Australia Post facility

3:42pm Sun 2 Oct

SUNSHINE WEST VIC

Processed through Australia Post facility

9:53am Tue 4 Oct

BENTLEIGH EAST VIC

Returning to sender - receiver not known at address

9:54am Tue 4 Oct

BENTLEIGH EAST VIC

Processed through Australia Post facility

9:53am Wed 5 Oct

SUNSHINE WEST VIC

With Australia Post for delivery today

6:38am Today

MY TOWN NSW

Delivered

9:49am

MY TOWN NSW

As you can see by the 2 highlighted times, there is only one minute difference from when it went through the sort facility to when it was being returned to sender. That's what makes me think that delivery wasn't even attempted.

[kopenhagen5]

I think the delivery attempt was made 3rd Oct and 4th Oct process is when it came back in then return to sender.

I also had the same happen because it was to a business building even though addressed correctly.

[*tippy*toes*]

Bentleigh East was the location of the buyer.

What did you do in that situation?

[padi*0409]

Tippy, why don't you run the tracking details and the buyers conformation of their address past your local AP manager and see what he/she reckons you should do? 

i.e. push them hard for another delivery gratis........................

[*tippy*toes*]

I might have to do that I think. Hopefully I can get his wife, she's much easier to deal with.

[padi*0409]

Wanna borrow Batgirl the Brave?    People melt when they see her - they'll probably deliver it personally for you then............hahahaha

[*tippy*toes*]

Yeah, send her over. Now would be a good time as the wind is blowing from the west so she'd gain extra momentum in the trebuchet.

[padi*0409]

Unfortunately the treb isn't big enough for her and her chicken breasts, steak, fish, Smackos and meaty bites, it'll have to be a chartered jet Tippy.

Spoiler

Even a chopper wouldn't cut it.......................

[digital*ghost]

In these kinds of cases I personally resend at my own expense, usually with SOD to the exact address and it's always delivered then. I see it as an Australia Post issue and not the fault of the buyer (same as if the item was lost and not returned ).

Sadly it's happened a few times, most of them with no rhyme or reason, with parcels I've received compensation from AP a couple of times but not with letters.

[black*poppy]

I had this happen recently.  I got confirmation from the buyer that the address was correct and called AP who agreed I should be able to resend it at no cost.  Armed with this information I took it into AP and the staff were fine about it.  They even stuck a different tracking number on it.

I used a proper AP outlet though not an LPO.