startrack lost my item....very bad customer service

[onekiwi0]

don't bother using startrack couriers ( I see a previous poster had a bad experience with a tv).

given its christmas I'd cut anyone some slack - however we all have priorities and orders to fill/presents we've bought etc.

supposed to be delivered wed.

I get the no apologies, we've however many 5,000 or 50,000 tonnes arrived in late to sort excuse - not that thats my problem..........and you'll get it tommorrow.

tommorrow comes no package.

today being friday I call for like a 4th time of holding for 25 mins to be told that one of my two packages may arrive today which it didn't - they don't deliver weekends so its going to be at least 4 days late AND one of my parcels is missing.

finally when I get someone who will help I get asked the question did you insure it?  I pay approx $17 for them to get from A to B and they lose it.  I actually paid for 3 of these 5kg satchels, one late, one missing, one in transit. 

so I qualitfy for $50 re-imbursement - perhaps...when inside is several $100s worth of vintage content- which is actually not replaceable.  I'd rather have the goods not the monetary value.  I used courier because they're supposed to be quicker and better quality service than Aust Post.

- this was a vent, I'm the recipient not the account holder.  but have been in touch with the account holder several times as well as their courier acc management.  Any comments?  other than you should have insured - can't change that now. what are my rights (too stronger word ) for very late delivery and lost delivery?

[onekiwi0]

I don't care who brings it to my door, but its got somewhat out of control, one very late and promised tomorrow...which never comes, one officially lost and one in transit...

[lyndal1838]

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@attic-case wrote:

Well said am*3,  and where does Australia Post's  Contract Delivery arm called Messanger Post, fit into this scheme ?

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attic, Messenger Post is now badged as StarTrack as they are both owned by Australia post.  The change over signage is still being rolled out but when it is finished you will see all the StarTrack vehicles with the AP logo in blue instead of red.   The courier arm of AP will be called Blue Post.

[lyndal1838]

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@am*3 wrote:

Friday -  A very nice Startrack driver delivers my parcel. He said he came to my house Thursday and was told after that not to deliver to my house Thursday.  He also said that the driver on Monday was a contract driver.. and the Startrack driver said he (himself) would have made more effort to find out if someone home and may have tried a neighbour to accept it (which would be fine by me).

The  issues are:

1. Startrack use contract drivers, they don't seem to be able to track their deliveries.

2. My parcel after the first failed delivery attempt was left in a Aust Post hub (not returned to a Startrack depot). Once it is returned to a hub  it can't be checked out again for  2 days .With my  failed Monday delivery.. that would mean not able to be delivered again till Thursday at the earliest. So why were they telling me it would be there on Tues, then Wed?

When I said I can't sit at home for 5 days 9am-5pm waiting for a parcel they said nobody said you have too. (signature on delivery so it won't be left at door)

Their answer was for me to drive 40mins to the city and pick it up from the hub.... I paid to get it delivered to my house....

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Am, just to clarify.....all courier companies use contractors.  Most of the big companies insist on their contractors being registered companies in their own right.   The correct term for couriers is Self Employed Subcontractors.  We are not employees of StarTrack but we do have a signed Contract of Carriage with them and each driver has an allocated run/area that they do every day.

The driver who delivered the parcel to you would have been the contracted driver for your area.  When he is away for any reason that run would be covered by another driver, often a driver from another company entirely...they are called outside hire drivers.  There are companies who specialise in providing outside hire for the large companies and do not have many customers of their own.

It is when outside hire drivers are used that the problems begin.  They are not really familiar with the scanners or systems in use with all the companies that they may have to work for.

I have no idea why that driver would have left your parcel at an AP hub.  If parcels cannot be delivered they should be carded and then left at your LOCAL PO where you can pick it up any time the PO is open..  StarTrack is the only courier company that can do this, purely because they are owned by AP.

The only time a parcel should go back to the StarTrack depot is if the PO is not open....drivers deliver from 6am to 5-6pm so the PO would not be open outside the hours of 9am to 5pm.

Other companies have to pay a hefty fee to AP if they want to deliver to AP Parcel Lockers...most of them refuse.  Last I heard it was something like $11 and I doubt that any customers would be willing to pay that sort of surcharge.

[i-love-my-sheep]

There's a chance they could be delivered on the weekend. Parcels around here get delivered on weekends in the weeks leading up to Christmas. I got 2 last Sunday and last year I had several deliveries late on Saturday afternoon. It's the only way they can clear the backlog from Christmas, especially as a lot don't work between Christmas and New Year.

Good luck with it all!

[cq_tech]

Coupla months ago Startrack lost a $1400 55'' TV of mine for a whole week. Turns out that the driver didn't scan the thing back into the depot after he'd attempted delivery when I wasn't home. They eventually found it a week later and it was delivered by a completely different driver, because apparently the one who stuffed up was summarily dismissed for his incompetence.

[aps1080]

Star Track seem to have lost a fair bit recently, not just ebay items.

I do wonder if it is because of like the above, the driver forgot to scan something back in or in and so it never leaves.

One thing that got lost was 2 Huge Archery targets so not something that can slip down and get hidden. And they wouldn't know they were archery targets so it's not like a TV someone might steal.

[lyndal1838]

It is very difficult to steal anything let alone a large TV especially here in Sydney.

There are guards on the gates and every driver has to show his ID going in and going out.

When they leave in the morning with their deliveries they have to stop at the gate and show how many items have been scanned in and the guard counts them. 

When they arrive back at night they have to account for the number of parcels in the van...both pickups and returns.  After scanning these items back in to the base the vans are again searched as the drivers leave.  If there is anything left in the van even inadvertently it means instant dismissal.

There was a driver dismissed just recently for stealing prepaid satchels....his wife is an ebay seller so she was sending all her parcels per courtesy of StarTrack.

[onekiwi0]

sounds like startrack deal with dishonest employees promptly.

I have news that the late parcel is onboard with driver today sat as sheep and lyndal said to catch up with christmas....- yay.  thank you all for your input, there is no news of my lost parcel - will wait till monday to see if anything comes back to the investigator. not looking hopeful.

I guess all courier companies have their issues as does AP, however as this is the second time I've had bad service (first time the supervisor hung up on me, told me my questions were too broad (ok so  I didn't speak the jargon) I wouldnt recommend startrack.

[lyndal1838]

That's OK...there are a lot of companies I wouldn't recommend either and I have worked for a few of them.

[polly.the.cat]

Thank you lyndal, very informative information, will look for the new colours as Star Track go past my house. attic.