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The Oz Round Table boards => The Round Table => Topic started by: *CountessA* on November 01, 2010, 11:19:40 AM

Title: Australia Post "lost" my parcel!
Post by: *CountessA* on November 01, 2010, 11:19:40 AM
It's a bit of a saga, so let me explain in bits and pieces what's been happening.

1. In August, I contacted a German seller and asked them if they'd send a book which I'd been asked to get (very, very, very rare) to Australia. (The seller listed postage only within German.) Alternatively, I suggested, I could supply a UK address (vPost) which would forward the parcel on to me.

2. Seller replied; she agreed to send to the UK address.

3. I bought the book, forwarded the invoice and shipping information to vPost Europe. Arrival was estimated at 9th September.

4. Finally the item arrived (mid-late September); they matched it up to the shipping information, etc., etc., and issued me with the invoice.

5. I paid the same day.

6. I waited.

7. I waited.

8. I... waited...

9. Finally two weeks ago I tried to track and trace the parcel. Following its convoluted path, it seemed to be held by Customs.

10. I called Customs; they referred me to AP. I called AP and quoted the parcel number and so on. None of us could work out why a book would be held back like this since 3rd October. The man to whom I spoke promised he'd contact Customs and give the details I'd given him, and ask them to hurry it up.

11. In the meantime, I received an email from vPost (USA), telling me there was an item waiting for me from the seller XXXX (same seller), but I'd not sent them shipping info and invoice and so on...

12. I thought - "What? What is going on?"

13. I contacted the seller, asking if she'd sent a second parcel to me.

14. Seller replied; "No."

15. I checked the "new item" information on the vPost site; all the dimensions, weight, etc., were exactly the same as the item being held by Customs. I thought vPost must have inadvertently sent me an invoice for an item already sent.

16. I emailed vPost pointing out this identical information.

17. Today I received a letter from AP, thanking me for my inquiry about compensation, and advising me the parcel was lost. (I didn't inquire about compensation... but ... the "lost" parcel is this little 300 gram parcel with the German book in it. It's gone.) AP added that I won't receive any compensation but that the sender must sort out the problem - inquire with the overseas parcel service.

18. AAAARGH! I now realise that when Customs held back the parcel, they must have sent it back to vPost (only to the USA warehouse, not the Europe one. I can't even BEGIN to explain why).

19. I have passed on this information to vPost, in the hope that something can be salvaged from this comedy of errors. Where's my parcel? I'm getting regular phone calls from the women on whose behalf I bought it. I've paid for its delivery, but it's gone astray like a lost little lamb... and I feel like taking a Customs Officer by the shirt collar and shouting, "Why? Why? Why?"

There you have it. The long saga of the Lost Parcel.
Title: Re: Australia Post "lost" my parcel!
Post by: bnwt on November 01, 2010, 01:13:15 PM
I sent a parcel to Texas on the 3rd of May

when I check the USPS website it is still being held by US Customs

needless to say the buyer never received it .... I have called her and explained the situation and walked her through using the USPS website so she could see for herself

I had not option but to give her a refund and Australia Post thankfully treated it as a 'lost' parcel and gave me compensation


bloody customs !!!!
Title: Re: Australia Post "lost" my parcel!
Post by: lacey on November 01, 2010, 01:55:20 PM
but why would customs keep either of them?  why not just pass them through after they have checked them?  Seems so stupid to me.
Title: Re: Australia Post "lost" my parcel!
Post by: *CountessA* on November 04, 2010, 10:09:35 PM
I don't know. This is very worrying - no one knows where the parcel is. I don't know what's going on. Apparently AP take no responsibility for it, although the last record of the parcel was that it had arrived and that Customs had it.

Has anyone got any advice? I don't know what to do... and another parcel of mine has still not turned up. (New thread for that, because I want to complain.)
Title: Re: Australia Post "lost" my parcel!
Post by: tellomon on November 04, 2010, 10:42:05 PM
You "GO" Girl!!!

:fencing:
Title: Re: Australia Post "lost" my parcel!
Post by: *Brum6y* on November 05, 2010, 12:25:27 AM
If it was up in Sydney, I know where the customs clearing centre for Australia Post is ... and it's only a 10 minute drive away.

I could walk in and ask.

Because I was so close, I did that for a friend in regards to some DVDs they had purchased overseas that were being held. It turned out that the form letter Customs sent gave the impression that the DVDs might be able to be cleared if certain conditions were achieved - but this was, quite plainly, impossible and they were always destined to be destroyed.  The guy I spoke to understood my inquiry and explained the situation.  Also, he wasn't positive in his opinion about the wording of that letter.


Perhaps you could ring Customs and ask them directly?
Title: Re: Australia Post "lost" my parcel!
Post by: *FluffyDuckee* on November 06, 2010, 01:31:32 AM
I once rang customs over a parcel from the US that they were clearing.  They were quite helpful and were able to tell me when they had cleared and released it.

I think I just did a search for customs on the web and rang the number.  They were able to locate the item for and tell me the status.
Title: Re: Australia Post "lost" my parcel!
Post by: *CountessA* on November 06, 2010, 06:05:32 PM
The status for this parcel is officially LOST.

The AP guy whom I rang yesterday was implying it was my fault somehow... or vPost's for packing the item suspiciously (he'd never heard of vPost). Why - he queried - had TWO of my parcels not been delivered by EMS? It must be something I was doing, or vPost was doing.

Well, pierce my patella and call me Horace; yes, I was BUYING THINGS OVERSEAS, and vPOST was SENDING THINGS TO ME. Obviously that is grossly suspicious behaviour and Customs should keep their eyes on me.
Title: Re: Australia Post "lost" my parcel!
Post by: *smee* on November 06, 2010, 06:06:58 PM
thats it ...you are a known menace to society
Title: Re: Australia Post "lost" my parcel!
Post by: tellomon on November 06, 2010, 06:57:52 PM
She can menace me anytime.....

 :rose:
Title: Re: Australia Post "lost" my parcel!
Post by: *smee* on November 06, 2010, 09:03:07 PM
crawler !
Title: Re: Australia Post "lost" my parcel!
Post by: *CountessA* on December 01, 2010, 01:32:06 PM
UPDATE: (I forgot to post this earlier)

vPost let me know there was another parcel for me. They matched it up to another invoice - WRONG INVOICE, WRONG SENDER - I paid for it not certain for WHAT I was paying, and it arrived here, tattered, battered, but still intact in a simple white lightly padded envelope (partially open).

What was it, you may ask?

Or if you've been following this incredible saga, you'll have guessed.

Yes, it was the missing parcel. The German book. It had been sent back by Australian customs to vPost in AMERICA, although no record of this exists in the "Track my Parcel" facility. According to AP, it's just "missing".

According to Singapore Post, I can't be compensated for this mess because it wasn't insured. In effect, I've paid two lots of postage for the same book, plus been subjected to the agony of "lost parcel syndrome". (And we're not talking about measly postage amounts, either. It was around $57 Singapore Dollars EACH TIME.)

Oh well. The book is here. The lady on whose behalf I was buying it is thrilled. I'm out $57 Singapore Dollars. It could have been worse.
Title: Re: Australia Post "lost" my parcel!
Post by: low-enghooi on December 01, 2010, 01:45:20 PM
Err. Why does it has to go through Singapore Post?
Title: Re: Australia Post "lost" my parcel!
Post by: *CountessA* on December 01, 2010, 02:07:37 PM
vPost send anything that goes to Australia from another country through their headquarters in Singapore.
Title: Re: Australia Post "lost" my parcel!
Post by: HellWest'nCrooked on December 02, 2010, 09:08:02 AM



  Patience is a virtue.............


  So glad it has finally turned up Tessa
Title: Re: Australia Post "lost" my parcel!
Post by: earthmother on December 05, 2010, 05:42:00 PM
maybe this guy was responsible?
http://tamebay.com/2010/05/postman-stole-76000-items-from-mail.html
Title: Re: Australia Post "lost" my parcel!
Post by: *CountessA* on December 05, 2010, 06:47:59 PM
If he had a twin brother in Australia, it's possible!

This whole business of TWO of my parcels going missing is making me paranoid. I have been waiting for more things to arrive, and whereas I'd usually think "This is taking a long time", now my thoughts run along the lines of, "Oh no... not another lost parcel?".
Title: Re: Australia Post "lost" my parcel!
Post by: *smee* on December 05, 2010, 06:50:51 PM
(http://i625.photobucket.com/albums/tt336/smeeagain61/PostalWorker.gif)
Title: Re: Australia Post "lost" my parcel!
Post by: tellomon on December 05, 2010, 07:19:31 PM
^Repost^
Title: Re: Australia Post "lost" my parcel!
Post by: *smee* on December 05, 2010, 07:21:24 PM
^COMPOST^
Title: Re: Australia Post "lost" my parcel!
Post by: tellomon on December 05, 2010, 07:22:52 PM
TROLL!
Title: Re: Australia Post "lost" my parcel!
Post by: *smee* on December 05, 2010, 07:36:47 PM
(http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab142/GlitchNigga/troll3.jpg)
Title: Re: Australia Post "lost" my parcel!
Post by: tellomon on December 05, 2010, 08:12:38 PM
Dog!

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