Australia Post

[Haranguer]

When I was ion college I learned a useful mnemonic to remember the layers of the OSI model.

The mnemonic: Australia Post S*cks.  They Never Deliver Packages.

Not only a good mnemonic - a warning that should never be ignored.

Earlier this year, I ordered a Turbo Chameleon 64 fromn AmigaKit.  After a few weeks, it turned up.  I was at work, so the postman took it back to the post office, and I had to pick it up the next day - a Saturday.  The clerk couldn't find it at first because he didn't know that his post office delivered mail to my suburb, despite the fact that I live about a 5 minute walk away from the post office.

He finally found it, and I took it to my friend's place to show it off.  Unwrapping it, I was disappointed to find it had a broken button, so I had to send it back.

I had to wait till lthe next weekend to send it back, because I was at work all week.  I took it to the post office, and requested tracking so I could we notified of the location of the package at every step.

The clerk (a girl this time) sold me Registered Mail.  For the following 2 weeks, every time I entered the number into Australia Post's online tracking tool, I got the result "No reports found".

After 2 weeks, I got tired of this and sent a query to Australia Post.  Within an hour the message I got when I entered the number changed: now it said "Not a Valid Tracking Number"!!

So I made several more complaints to Australia Post.  Finally, today, I got an email in which they finally admitted the truth - Registered Mail is not trackable for an overseas package.

Tomorrow, I'm going to the post office to demand a full refund.

Currently, I have no idea whatsoever where the Chameleon is, and I am furiously angry.

[Haranguer]

BTW how do you know it was Australia Post that did the damage? I think compared to FedFX Australia Post is pretty good.

I didn't say they caused the damage.  My problem with them is that I asked for tracking on an overseas package, and the product they sold me doesn't allow tracking on an overseas product.

They sold me the wrong product.

It doesn't matter what it says on their website either - I wasn't at my computer when I mailed it.  I was in the post office, and I asked for tracking, and I was charged extra but didn't get it.

By the way, good news.  I just got an email from AmigaKit - the Chameleon has arrived.

I'm so looking forward to getting it back with a working button.  I'll have to get some SD cards and a copy of Amiga OS 3.9 ...

[Haranguer]

In reply to my complaint to Australia Post they (eventually) admitted that the product they should have sold me is Express Courier International.

[Haranguer]

Not sure how you can get a refund.  Unless you were specifically told registered post would give you global tracking. In which case get a refund of the difference for normal international post for sure.

The clerk did not say that Registered Mail provided tracking on an overseas pruduct, but ...

 ...I was sending a package overseas, and requested tracking, and paid extra for it.

She wasn't explicit about it, but I certainly was.

They should give me a refund.  And an apology. If they don't,  I'll be contacting the Ombudsman.

BTW this isn't the first time they've fouled up.  A couple of years ago I bought an electric bike kit, and had to get replacement parts.  The vendor sent the package by Australia Post - I had him address it to a friend's house.

Australia Post put it aside for an address check.  For 2 months.

The address was correct.

The delay caused a lot of friction between myself and the vendor, to the point where the vendor stated that he would not honour his warranty.

The only other things I've had delivered by Australia Post are bills and advertising (despite the sing on my letterbox refusing advertising material).  They never seem to lose those.