Auspost troubles

[Mark G]

Hello all,

This is just a cathartic post hopefully to garner some advice and perhaps be of some help. I recently completed a custom 10 string lapsteel for a Melbourne musician. I was very pleased with the final result and sent it off to the new owner on Tuesday 26th August expecting it to arrive by the end of the week and.....no it didn't arrive, nor did it arrive the following week, nor has it arrived yet after several enquiries and complaints-nothing. I have had an email reply to my query but nothing more. The parcel was sent with some insurance, tracking and signature on delivery but none of this is really of any use if it has actually been lost. How you lose a massive guitar size box going from Sydney to Melbourne is frustratingly beyond me. At present I am still hoping it surfaces but having to contemplate redoing the whole job so the customer doesn't lose out. I do this for a hobby- this one took the best part of 7-8 months of scattered weekends and nights. Having to give up the same amount of time means a bunch of other things have to get pushed back. Very frustrating indeed. Have never had anything go missing before and the first time I send something significant in value and time and look what happens. Here ends the rant.

[kiwigeo]

Cant offer you much in the way of assistance sorry Mark but I do up that guitar turns up. As for AussiePost.....I've never been overly impressed with their parcel service. On more than one occasion I've had signature required items simply dumped on my doorstep and on one occasion a registered item was similarly dumped.

[Mark G]

Thanks Martin. I'm very fortunate that the customer is being exceedingly patient and very understanding about the whole debarcle. Will just have to use a courier service next time.

[Ormsby Guitars]

I sway between 'pack n send' and auspost for national deliveries. It amazes me that it takes twice the length of time to get a guitar from perth to melbourne, as it does perth to USA (and they both go on the same domestic flights). You want two day delivery? Same price as sending it 2-3 day delivery to the USA...

Pack n send will have more options for the service they use, and can sometimes be cheaper for a faster service. If you get to know your local guy they will cut you a deal on the insurance too. They will prefer to view the actual instrument though, prior to sending (or just take photos with dates included).

Auspost tracking is terrible. The customer service call centre isnt much better.

I had a $5000 guitar go missing early this year for six weeks. It was sent to the USA, and rather than go through NY customs, it was rerouted due to snow storms. Ended up in cleveland, and they were so backed up with the deliveries it got lost for the six weeks. Nothing you can do but stress, really.

[peter.coombe]

Firstly, what does the Aussie Post tracking system say when you track the parcel on their web site?

Second, get an insurance claim form from the post office, fill it out and lodge it. As a minimum you should be able to recover the insured cost if they lost the parcel. Once faced with an insurance claim they are likely to try hard to find it because it is going to cost them money if they don't. I had either Aussie Post or NZ Post damage a mandolin early this year. About the only way the damage could of happened is if they dropped the parcel from some height upside down, so when packing bear that in mind. Fortunately I had a photograph of the instrument taken before I sent, and they paid the claim in full, although it did take quite some time mainly because two postal services were involved. Apart from that, everything I have sent domestically via Aussie Post has arrived safely and undamaged, although they can be slow.

[Steve.Toscano]

Hope it turns up for you.

You think auspost are bad. Star Track left a brand new Vox AC30 (hand wired) sent via registered signature on delivery on my door step on a Friday while i was away. Rained all weekend, got home the Monday and found a very drenched $3000 amp sitting there.
After 4 and a half months i finally got my $$ back, the supplier wouldn't pay me until Star Track had finished their investigation and paid their insurance claim. Turned out the delivery guy was too lazy to drag the heavy amp down the stairs and back to his truck so he just put a false signature on the docket and left it in full view of the street and in the weather.

[kiwigeo]

Firstly, what does the Aussie Post tracking system say when you track the parcel on their web site?

Just about every item Ive had sent to me with AussiePost tracking has shown the item still at the Post Office it was sent from even after Ive received the item a week or more later.

[56nortondomy]

I've had 2 guitars left on the doorstep of customers in Mackay. They were sent by courier but when they get there Oz post take over and they don't give a shit, both were supposed to be signed for. I've blasted the courier service involved and they've assured me it won't happen again ( we'll see ). I really hope the lapsteel shows up.
Wayne

[Mark G]

I've got the complaint form ready to go- will present it tomorrow. It makes sense that presented with the possibility of having to pay me money they'll work harder to find it so I'll do that ASAP. Thanking all for sharing stories, makes me feel a little more hopeful about the whole drama.

[needsmorecowbel]

Hope it turns up Mark! "Smart Send" aren't too bad either...

Stu

[demonx]

As with plenty others here I can sympathise with your situation, I had a guitar freighted earlier in the the year through Toll express go "missing", apparently it was just sitting in their depot for several weeks as they'd done an attempted delivery, not left a card and then put it aside and forgot about it.

[Mark G]

No luck yet.... In fact the plot thickens. It was marked as delivered on Monday and no they didnt actially deliver it to the new owner at all. After emailing without any response i rang to be told even thought the address was correct it's been likely sent to some business....of course now it's marked as delivered the addresse needed to ring and complain not me, so he did. They couldn't explain who had received or signed for it so they've apparently launched an investigation. What a load of rubbish- some delivery person seems to have been a little light fingered me thinks. Will likely open it up and wonder why it has 10 strings and looks nothing like any guitar they've ever seen. Still hoping that something simple has gone on and that all will come up roses. My formal complaint form has gone in, as has a nicely worded fax to the CEO of Customer Experience. Trying to stay positive.

[kiwigeo]

...of course now it's marked as delivered the addresse needed to ring and complain not me, so he did. They couldn't explain who had received or signed for it so they've apparently launched an investigation.

Horseshit......you're the person who contracted Auspost to deliver the guitar. You paid them to carry out a service and they haven't delivered.

[Nick]

You paid them to carry out a service and they haven't delivered.

Sums up the whole mess in one short sentence..... on more levels than one.

[jeffhigh]

A year or so ago I had a guitar delivered by austpost to a guy 2kms away instead of to me, fortunately he was honest and brought it round to me the next morning (and became a repair client).
I like to think that my complaint cost the delivery driver the renewal on his contract, cause he is gone.
The private couriers have not been any better though.

[Mark G]

Still waiting- I've sent more faxes to the CEO of Customer Experience for auspost.....my experience has been one of feeling ignored and wasting my time perhaps Mr Geoff Sutherland isn't doing his job either. On the other hand I made another online complaint and listed all the emails I'd sent that had gone unreplied- they actually called me and told me none of my emails had been replied to because noone was actually assigned to monitor my case- how good is that, now he'll email his manager and suggest someone does something. My next fax to the CEO might include asking why everyone in customer service is tied up answering complaints, passing the buck and wasting my time and noone apparently has the job of actually doing anything.

[Mark G]

Good news, guitar has been located and delivered safely. New owner is very pleased and we're both very relieved. Auspost is unfortunately no longer on my Christmas card list.

[Allen]

So, is there any explanation as to where it actually was? Who signed for it, and why the hell you had to jump through all those hoops?

[Mark G]

No explanation other than it was incorrectly scanned as delivered. Doesn't explain where it sat for nearly a month and why such a massive parcel would go unnoticed. I wouldn't be surprised if something dodgy went on and they've just covered it up. Either way I am relieved and the owner is very happy. I'll be asking for a refund of the postage considering that it took a month to deliver, not to mention all the time complaining, when it should have taken them 2-3 days. I,ll relax now and get onto the next lot of projects.

[kiwigeo]

Reminds me of the time one of the air freight companies "lost" a logging tool that got despatched to a well I was working on up in the SA desert. The $500,000 tool turned up eventually...the thing had been placed on the floor of the freight terminal at Adelaide Airport and then it had rolled under a desk and there it sat for 6 months until someone noticed it.

[needsmorecowbel]

Good to hear Mark! It's nice when things can go back to normal after a stressful period...

Stu