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?

[digital*ghost]

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@chezzy wrote:

Would I "win"? 

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Not necessarily - depending on the postage method used, the seller may have other forms of proof of postage. Delivery (that is, whether it was delivered or not, or where it's showing as delivered to) is generally irrelevant when a seller can prove to PayPal's satisfaction that they posted the item to the buyer.

A buyer also reported recently that they lost a PayPal INR claim in similar circumstances (package showed as delivered to another - adjacent - suburb), and when they called PayPal to query the decision, they were told there was a certain radius in which the suburb fell within so the seller's proof of postage was considered acceptable (in other words, 'close enough is good enough' - that is, they accepted the seller posted the article to the buyer, with delivery being irrelevant).

[chezzy]

Perhaps tracking (delivery) needs to include gps coordinates

[digital*ghost]

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@chezzy wrote:

Perhaps tracking (delivery) needs to include gps coordinates

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That might be good for peace of mind, but tracking could include GPS co-ordinates and a google map / satellite photograph endorsed by a judge, a priest and a ... I dunno, cute bunny 😄  every step of the way, proof of postage is still the only thing that's going to matter in an INR claim (at least within Oz). 

(Just in case it comes across the wrong way, I'm not trying to be rude or condescending, it's just that for an INR claim via PayPal, it doesn't matter what happens to the package after the seller hands it over to the carrier, all they need to do is prove that they did that). 

[chezzy]

I had a response but my brain hurts....I also have had very little experience (none?) with INR

[digital*ghost]

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@chezzy wrote:

I had a response but my brain hurts....I also have had very little experience (none?) with INR

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Sorry, I hope it's not 'cos of me. 

An online tracking status of delivered can help establish proof of postage, so it can come into play that way, and there will be some instances where a seller will need to prove delivery rather than postage, but for the majority of domestic transactions, a buyer will lose an INR claim if the seller can prove that they posted the item, even if there is indisputable proof that the buyer never received it. 

It's different overseas and for things like eBay Buyer Protection cases, where laws or policies are a little different and the seller is responsible for an item until delivered (so proof of delivery is required instead), but here in Oz, the law dictates the seller is only responsible to deliver it to the carrier, so (in general) the buyer takes the risk there-on. 

[amber-eyed-girl]

Just to muddy the waters further, I just received a package that was on my worry radar...as I was given a legitimate looking tracking number up front by the seller, then it said not found. Gave it a few days. A week later, still not found, on the AP website.

today, it arrived. Tracking still shows as not found, even though I saw the postie scan it before he handed it to me.

the usual postie, so he knows how to, and I double checked the number from the actual package...

[chezzy]

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@digital*ghost wrote:

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@chezzy wrote:

I had a response but my brain hurts....I also have had very little experience (none?) with INR

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Sorry, I hope it's not 'cos of me. 

An online tracking status of delivered can help establish proof of postage, so it can come into play that way, and there will be some instances where a seller will need to prove delivery rather than postage, but for the majority of domestic transactions, a buyer will lose an INR claim if the seller can prove that they posted the item, even if there is indisputable proof that the buyer never received it. 

It's different overseas and for things like eBay Buyer Protection cases, where laws or policies are a little different and the seller is responsible for an item until delivered (so proof of delivery is required instead), but here in Oz, the law dictates the seller is only responsible to deliver it to the carrier, so (in general) the buyer takes the risk there-on. 

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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.

[amber-eyed-girl]

In my experience, AP will ask the sorting centre, and the driver, about the parcel if scanned as delivered, but buyer says not received.

If they do anything, which isn't always the case.

My AP parcels are delivered by several different independent contractors now, so asking gets even more difficult, as it isn't the one employee, if I am missing a delivery. Which is rare now.

[chezzy]

I don't buy as much as I used to, I feel the gloss has gone off parcel deliveries too. At my old place it was great, had just the one contractor for years (or his wife), would always come to the door and knock, was always early in the morning, always pleasant, always seemed like they actually enjoyed their jobs even though they were obviously busy. A couple of times they found 'interesting' places to safely put my packages and then would slip a card/note under the door out of view so only I knew about the hiding spot.

Not as nice experiences with other employees - items laying in dirt, eaten by snails, left on top of or hanging out of letter box on a busy through road, sour looking counter staff at my local (I always feel like I am an inconvenience to them, yet all they have to do is scan an item or sell me a stamp/registered sticker). Anyone would think some of us are trying to make their lives miserable. Is hard to remain positive at times. OK, sorry for the slight off topic vent...