accuracy of Australia Post tracking online

[chezzy]

Am curious about this one. Normally I post items from the Post Office
in my own suburb. Tracking always shows the correct suburb (mine).
But this week I received a package and I noticed the tracking
delivery location as a different suburb (in fact a suburb next to mine).
Why or how would this happen?

If I wanted to be really naughty I could say the item did not arrive
and put in a claim/open a case. If they went to investigate it would
show as delivered but to the next suburb...

Would I "win"? Does the system need tweaking/more accuracy?

[amber-eyed-girl]

My delivery guys are nice...it just seems like if one of them was to leave a parcel somewhere, how would they know who to ask?

would they ask?

or is it then left to me to ask each in turn when I see them? And are they even going to remember?

but I have had a lucky run for a while, no issues.

the staff at my local post office are familiar faces. But they are looking less happy then they used to. guess that might be because of all the staff being let go.

[digital*ghost]

---

@chezzy wrote:

---

If the scenario did happen (item not received but showing as "delivered" to another suburb, or even same suburb/street but different house - I once received an item meant for someone else up the road), does the system actually have more information on where it might have gone, do the vans get "tracked" eg Intellitrac. In a case like this I hope the seller would be willing to supply whatever info possible so that an investigation could be made with Australia Post (or whatever carrier is involved). Because an Item Not Received is an Item Not Received. I would have thought the system has an onus to get the item from A to B. Buyer should not have to suck it up.

---

I won't pretend to fully know why the law is as it is, but this is a general overview of how it sees online sales, to the best of my knowledge (If I'm wrong on any details, I hope there will be someone who can clarify / correct):

A buyer enters into a transaction with the presumed awareness of the risks of distance purchases / having an independent third party involved in delivering their purchase to their nominated address, and purchasing the item is deemed acceptance of those risks. 

The buyer becomes the owner of the item as soon as they pay, it is now their property and people are legally responsible for insuring their own property, so when a buyer chooses not to protect their property with things like registered, insured etc, I'm afraid they do indeed (legally) have to suck it up if there is no recourse available via PayPal, the seller, or AP - and AP will only compensate if they determine the loss was their fault, (and just IMHO, the seller should explore all avenues for compensation / resolution regardless).

The seller may be held responsible for loss if they do not fulfil the buyer's instruction (for example, the buyer requested registered / SOD / insured delivery and the seller failed to send that way. 

PayPal's Item Not Received dispute process is slightly misrepresented, because it's not protection against not receiving an item, it is protection against a seller not fulfilling their contract by sending - it is exactly the same in other countries - it's protection against a seller not fulfilling the contract - except elsewhere they are contractually responsible until delivered (however, that still doesn't mean the buyer has to receive an item before the seller's contractual obligations are fulfilled. If an item is delivered to the correct address and is then stolen from the property or somesuch before the buyer finds it, then it is the buyer who is out of luck). 

PayPal can force a refund from a seller when they did send an item but can't prove it to PayPal's standards, but if the same case went to a court of law, there would be more / different evidence that would be acceptable to defend a claim, including a seller's established track record.

[chezzy]

---

@amber-eyed-girl wrote:

but I have had a lucky run for a while, no issues.

the staff at my local post office are familiar faces. But they are looking less happy then they used to. guess that might be because of all the staff being let go.

---

Each and every time I go into my local (we moved here 6 months ago) I am pleasant, I keep things simple, have everything ready to go but can't say I have ever seen them smile or seem particularly interested and certainly no thankyous from them. I feel like an oxygen thief and have actually wondered if I should just save up all my parcels and post them one day a week on a Saturday morning at a Post Office 20 minutes away where I know I will feel welcome (or should I report the sourpusses to someone?)

[amber-eyed-girl]

OK

I noticed a decline in friendliness and an upping of curtness this year. So about six months.

It might really just be that they are worried.

if they are just a bit surly, but competent, I would keep going in. Don't let it change your business habits or slow down your post times.

if anyone was actively offensive or something, that might be worth a complaint, but anything less could just be stress. Not nice, but understandable.

[chezzy]

---

@amber-eyed-girl wrote:

OK

I noticed a decline in friendliness and an upping of curtness this year. So about six months.

It might really just be that they are worried.

if they are just a bit surly, but competent, I would keep going in. Don't let it change your business habits or slow down your post times.

if anyone was actively offensive or something, that might be worth a complaint, but anything less could just be stress. Not nice, but understandable.

---

Funnily it was the convenience/location of this little PO that sort of prompted me to get back into ebay selling after a rather long absence, so I have started on a casual basis. I was disappointed the first time I went in and they were grumping (it was busy so I put it down to that). They could not have cared less they have a new customer (obviously we aren't helping pay their wages). So I decided I would choose quiet times of the day to go there and I might get a less-cold reception. But no. A couple of times I have taken in "old" Parcel Post Plus satchels (I have some to use up, have been told by AP I can still use them), all ready to go and just have to be scanned. They are obviously irritated and while it might not be anything I am personally doing or have done I am so tempted to ask them "Have I done something wrong? I feel like I am an inconveniece to you?!"  Tempted....

[i-love-my-sheep]

I think when you're in a customer service role, you have to know how to put on the smiling face, even if you are having a bad day. We all have bad days at work. I know I do. However, when a patient is wheeled in, I am all friendly and smiling, trying to make them as comfortable and at ease as possible, but as soon as that anaesthetic goes in, I go back to being Miss Grumpy Pants......until the next one comes in. Some days I just want to kill some of them, but I remain my happy, smiling self. It can be done and is not that hard to do when you have to. 

Everyone at my local PO is always happy and friendly, but some of the staff at the local supermarket are a different story.

[amber-eyed-girl]

I appreciate it when I see a smiley face...it's nice. That is true. There is still the one woman who is really nice at my post office. I do try to end up on that counter 🙂

[chezzy]

I can appreciate what you guys might be saying about putting on a face or stress etc but really is it OK for this to go

on and on when the customer they are serving has done nothing wrong? I am talking 6 months of sour. If there

are customer service awards these ladies won't be in the running. Nor will the ones that tell (not ask) me to move aside

so they can serve the person behind me (different PO - there must be a central grumpy training school).

Might pay a visit to my old PO tomorrow morning and pick their brains.

[amber-eyed-girl]

at least you might see some friendly faces 🙂

[i-love-my-sheep]

---

@chezzy wrote:

I can appreciate what you guys might be saying about putting on a face or stress etc but really is it OK for this to go

on and on when the customer they are serving has done nothing wrong? I am talking 6 months of sour. If there

are customer service awards these ladies won't be in the running. Nor will the ones that tell (not ask) me to move aside

so they can serve the person behind me (different PO - there must be a central grumpy training school).

Might pay a visit to my old PO tomorrow morning and pick their brains.

---

No, it's not OK and that was part of my point in my previous post. Regardless of how your day is going, when you deal with the public, in whatever capacity, you should be able to put on a smiling face and treat them with a bit of courtesy. Leave the grumpy face for when no-one's around and let off a bit of steam then. There is no excuse for being rude to customers.