Off-Topic Forum

This is an honest question and I would like some insight from those who knowthe facts, not so much those who have an opinion based on experience (though your experience is still appreciated).

I have a trade that was mailed to me with tracking, from the USA to Canada.  It was mailed on May 4 and the tracking # shows as "In Transit". It has been like this since May 8. The other individual tried to launch an investigation with USPS but they claim that the class of mail he used does not qualify for an investigation. As well being international doesn't help.

I have had another package that went missing and that time, the other member was able to have it tracked to a warehouse in Atlanta where all "undeliverable" mail ends up for auction.  He got the package back and was able to resend it at no charge which it then made it to me.

My question: why tracking if when a package goes missing, no one will look into locating it?  Isn't that why we have tracking? And why can't an investigation be launched to find the missing package?  My understanding is that every time the package moves location, the number is scanned so that the tracking site is updated.

Thanks in advance,

I just had a package being sent to me get lost and the last update was that it made it to my local post office.  I went over there to see if they could find it.  The person at the counter said the sender would have to file a claim, there is nothing they can do.  I asked since it was last updated there couldn't they take a look around for it.  She said no.  I asked so if it was sitting right next your feet you wouldn't look down and see if it was there?  She never broke eye contact with me and said No.  

I've had one that has stated "Arriving Late" since the start of April.

Bru, I can confirm the exact message given by USPS on the first class intentional postage i use when you and I trade. I tried checking on one of my contest mailings that hadn't arrived at around the same time as others I'd mailed and was given the response that they aren't able to track with that level mailing. Not sure why have a tracking number then. 

Thanks for this.  Laughing is supposed to be good for our health!

Here's the message I received online. 

Actual recent po interaction:

Me: how much is it to send this package with tracking?

Po clerk: 2 day maybe is $32, 4 day maybe is $4.20

Me: 4 day maybe?,?

Po clerk: maybe it will or maybe it wont

Owww, fun post office exchanges. Here's my best one.

Had a package coming from Germany with Deutsche Post/NZ Post. Got to New Zealand then just sat here for approx 2 weeks doing nothing. As it was over the Christmas/New Year period I was not too worried but once it got to the second week of January with no movement I decided to follow up.

Spoke to a very nice and helpful customer services rep at NZ Post who told me all about the package and chased it up. She even called my back to get further details and again to update me on what she found (this is more than I can get from the courier and freight companies I use for our business who we spend 10s of thousands of dollars with a year).

Our final conversation went like this:

NZ Post: We have located your package and it is in problem mail as the address is incorrect.

Me: Can you tell me what the address on the package is?

NZ Post: No.

Me: Why not? I can then tell you if it is correct or not.

NZ Post: We can only tell the sender that. It is confidential.

Me: But you have told me everything else about the package and never once asked for who I am. I can provide ID to match the name on the package if you want.

NZ Post: No. We can transfer you to Deutsche Post if you want.

Me: Will they speak English?

NZ Post: No.

Me: I don't speak German. How would that help me?

NZ Post: You could learn German...

Anyway, I asked them to hold the package while I sorted out the address with the sender. He told me the correct address and I took that back to NZ Post 24 hours later who told me the package was already going back to Germany. Arggg.

Turns out when he got the package back the label he printed lists street address as Devon Rd, 10 — as opposed to 10 Devon Rd. NZ Post was looking for and failing to find RD10 (rural delivery).

This was moronic on so many levels because:

1)  the address was clearly as I typed above: capital R, little d, comma, space, 10 — not RD10.

2) Perhaps more importantly there is no Rural Delivery 10 anywhere in New Zealand — RD numbers do not go that high!

3) If they had bothered to look at the next line down it read Hamilton (which is a city) with the postcode which is right in the middle of said city... (so not rural).

Anyway, he printed out exactly the same ticket, wrote "not rural" on it shipped it again and it arrived just fine. So stupid.

Just learn german for one converstation. Sounds like what should be done for everything to intemidate them. 

Is that the one I sent you rawensray?  I can do that when I get back from vacation