eBay

velvetfinch · ‎10-31-2015

I mailed out a whole ton of items on Oct 3 and 4th. Due to the obvious expense of tracking I opt to use discount postage stamps to save money - I've done this for years with seldom an issue.

Well this lot of shipments in early October, almost all of them have mysteriously disappeared, not shown up, a few have shown up very late. I don't know what the heck is going on??? I'm thinking a Canada Post plane or truck went up in flames or someone at the Post Office stole the whole lot (unlikely)

Has anyone else experienced an unusual amount of lost packages lately? I guess there is nothing I can do, I have no proof of postage purchase as I used stamps. Is there even any point of contacting CP about this?

I just feel sick about it.

velvetfinch · ‎11-21-2015

I just sent you a personal message, viper.

theviper316 · ‎11-21-2015

I have sent you one as well with my cell number.

momcqueen · ‎11-21-2015

As much as it dismays me to learn you are both having problems like this from the same part of town, I am certainly very happy to see that you have connected.

Like I said from the onset, this situation stinks of something, and it needs to be exposed to the light.

Best of luck to you both. Please keep us apprised.

theviper316 · ‎11-22-2015

We have found out the exact mailbox we both deposited items into at the exact same place. We have emailed Canada Post, I have opened an incident with them, we have called the supervisor of the store the mailboxes are outside of. The escalation team is calling me back on Monday. If we can't get a resolution to this the next step will be a police report. Thank you everyone for your help and suggestions. I will keep updating this thread with new info.

I just hope any bad feedback I get because of this can be looked at by ebay once we have a resolution.

momcqueen · ‎11-22-2015

I was thinking about this overnight and wondered if you might find a way to reach out to more ebay sellers in your area to see if they too are affected. More voices means a stronger case. I don't think ebay can officially help as there would be privacy/security concerns with releasing data pertaining to members selling within certain postal codes but if you picked common items and then did an Advance Search on your own postal code(s) with 'within fifteen (or whatever) km' maybe you could find other people in your area that use that mailbox. Or others along the same route. Or something. All this missing mail simply cannot be a coincidence.

And then just because I am like a dog with a bone, I might consider talking to the buyers who did, in fact receive their packages.... late. To discern whether they thought it looked like their envelope or parcel had been 'inspected' and resealed before continuing on its journey. Customs will always leave a note to indicate they have been there. Nosy Parkers will not.

There absolutely must be an explanation for this situation, and Canada Post must get to the bottom of it.

As to how ebay might protect you from unhappy buyers (and rightfully so as they did buy something and didn't receive it) when there is a potential for this to become an official postal investigation, that is an excellent question. I'd like to see it posed at Board Hour on Wednesdays. Last week, the chat session was cancelled but this week I would expect it to proceed as usual.

velvetfinch · ‎11-22-2015

mjwl2006, as usual your suggestions have been wonderful! I will do just that and do a search for sellers in this area and see if they are having the same problem. I honestly would have never thought of that - super good suggestion. I am feeling so much better about this situation that we are going to get to the bottom of it. I will also check with a selection of buyers to see if they noticed any tampering with the mail they did receive.

I have also heard that ebay will remove feedback/defects for item not received when there is a police report number. Fortunately this morning a buyer who left negative feedback for item not received very graciously offered to revise that feedback without me even asking them.

Will keep everyone updated with findings.

momcqueen · ‎11-22-2015

You are very welcome! In my early life, I was a professional pain-in-the-rear. That is, a reporter, and then a police reporter, and then a courts reporter before I left that world for political- and corporate-public relations and communications. It's too deeply ingrained for me to be able to help but give every scenario the stink eye.

I wish you'll the best of luck with this. Tenacity will win the day yet, I am sure of it.

velvetfinch · ‎11-22-2015

Wow! That is quite the career you have had. I for one, am very glad that you are as you call it "a professional pain in the rear". LOL!

momcqueen · ‎11-22-2015

Heheh, thanks again. I'm not certain the staff at ebay appreciate it quite as much.

theviper316 · ‎12-01-2015

Just an update, we have filed police reports and a postal inspector is now looking into the missing packages after many emails and phone calls to Canada Post and thier supervisors.

lucitabby · ‎12-01-2015

Bravo for keeping after them and I hope they find the culprit or problem

momcqueen · ‎12-02-2015

@theviper316 wrote:
Just an update, we have filed police reports and a postal inspector is now looking into the missing packages after many emails and phone calls to Canada Post and thier supervisors.

Good! Good job to you both. Your concerns cannot be ignored now. Parcels don't simply vanish into thin air.

I am happy to hear that you took it to the next stage, and have my hopes up that there will be some resolution for you in the near future.

theviper316 · ‎01-03-2016

Hi Everyone,

Latest update (after opening a police case) is that several different peoples mail have been stolen from that mailbox and the police are still investigating.

triber · ‎01-03-2016

That great, good for you for following this up, i sure hope you get compensation. It is possible that other people who lost packages only lost one, and didn't realize that they had been stolen, just lost.

momcqueen · ‎01-03-2016

I'm glad the matter has been taken seriously by the authorities. Hopefully, the person(s) responsible for the thefts will be found and held accountable.

white359 · ‎12-05-2016

I have almost the same problem....I'm in Canada, I have been buying on Ebay since 2003, have purchased hundreds of items from hundreds of sellers ( almost all of them in China ) and very VERY rarely did I ever get any problems...BUT starting about a year ago now aproximately 1 out of 7 items is never delivered...I have to ask for a refund very often now.....I was wondering if the problem is with Canada post and it even crossed my mind Canada post employees steal the package because they know Ebay customers will get a refund anyway...I know I know...but how else can you explain that suddenly 1 out of 7 items I never receive??? what has changed?.....I do get refunds, I am not complaining about that....but why are my items disapearing??? AND one of my firend told me he has started having the same problem in the last 6 months or so....what is happening??? anyone??? who is stealing our items???

ypdc_dennis · ‎12-05-2016

@white359 wrote:
... I have been buying on Ebay since 2003, ... and very VERY rarely did I ever get any problems. BUT starting about a year ago now aproximately 1 out of 7 items is never delivered. ...what has changed? ...why are my items disapearing??? AND one of my firend told me he has started having the same problem in the last 6 months or so....

When stuff goes missing -- report it to Canada Post. This enables them to see loss patterns and spot problem areas that need investigating.

-..-

i.am.vivian · ‎12-05-2016

ypdc_dennis wrote:

When stuff goes missing -- report it to Canada Post. This enables them to see loss patterns and spot problem areas that need investigating.

Recently my postal clerk told me about how Canada Post discovered a situation in Vancouver where people were following the CP delivery truck and sneaking up to take the parcels from doorsteps. As a result CP stopped leaving parcels on doorsteps there but apparently it caused a huge outcry from people who wanted their things left and not to have to go get it. I can understand that in a way, as others here have said about the whole point of online buying vanishes if you have to get in your car (or on the bus) and travel to get items. But the alternative may be getting nothing because "Delivered" doesn't leave a buyer much in the way of recourse.

These are links swiped from other posts but I thought they were all interesting to watch and a good reminder that this sort of thing really does happen:

http://bc.ctvnews.ca/canada-post-worker-off-the-job-after-alleged-package-theft-1.3175320

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6aIPIsUE5I

and my favorite 🙂

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lM3SRG7D21Y

momcqueen · ‎12-05-2016

ypdc_dennis is right.

Most Canadian sellers will tell you their rate of Items Not Received claims stand at about one per cent or less.

Any more than that and you can be assured that something funny is afoot.

I'm assuming these are untracked items to which you are referring, lettermail or Light- or Small Packets. You need to be calling Canada Post and telling your friend to do the same. Only with reports can CPC catch those who might be responsible.

And every year, someone gets caught somewhere. The most recent comes to mind from down south where over the weekend a former 30-year employee of USPS broke into an office, drunk, to open packages to find stuff he could sell to buy drugs. I'm not saying that is happening (or not happening) here but CPC needs to be made aware. And/or get the police involved. In Winnipeg (where I reside) they also last year caught a carrier stealing birthday cards and envelopes that looked like they might contain gift cards for the cash and cash value inside. He was also a long-standing employee. Another time it was a letter carrier who just took stuff home, piles of mail, because she was overwhelmed by the work. Yet another: some nimrod during rural deliveries north of Winnipeg was stealing big ticket items such as TVs and stuff (that were tracked) from the residents along his route. He was caught PDQ.

I'm certain these are anomalies. Yet, only when patterns emerge do the authorities know where to look.

The link I am supplying below is for reporting lost domestic lettermail. It's not for claims, it's for reports. If your missing lettermail is international in nature, I think you will have to call. If you get some runaround about how you cannot make a report, ask for a supervisor. Remind them it's not a claim, but an incident report of suspected theft. Have all your details at hand.

https://www.canadapost.ca/web/en/kb/details.page?article=how_to_resolve_undel&cattype=kb&cat=receivi...