Anyone else having problem with Canada Post losing parcels lately
Summary: luv4orphans reports ongoing issues with Canada Post, where parcels are not scanned and subsequently go missing, costing him significant refunds to buyers. They express frustration with the lack of scanning at drop-off and the dismissive response from Canada Post. ypdc_dennis suggests contacting Canada Post's headquarters and lamenting the lack of proof without a scan. marnotom! proposes reporting to the ombudsman after dealing with Customer Service, while reallynicestamps speculates possible theft at the rural post office due to a pattern of missing packages in the area. patrant1867 comments about inconsistent delivery practices, and the thread is eventually closed due to its age by kh-phdan, who suggests starting a new discussion if needed.
Is anyone else having problems with parcels not getting scanned and vanishing into thin air right from the post office. This parcel went Expedited and was shipped out to BC on January 5th. Parcel never got scanned at the originating post office and didn't later on that night when it reached Ottawa. After a couple of weeks of no scanning I called Canada Post inquiring about this and they said not to worry, it would surface eventually. It was probably sitting in a warehouse somewhere as they were still backlogged. This was around the time when Covid broke out at the plant in Mississauga.
Fast forward 2 months later this parcel just vanished. Are they still backlogged? I have now had to refund the buyer at a tune of $90 US. Ebay won't own up to it as it never got scanned and neither will Canada Post as it never got scanned.
A couple of clerks in that post office don't seem to think scanning is important that it will get done in Ottawa later on that night. To me its important for a buyer to know that item is on the way and when it was dropped off as I have a 1 day handling time. But that's a bit of a moot point anyways cause sometimes parcels get dropped off in slots if its busy inside.
I have contacted the post office regarding this and getting passed around. Now need to contact the ombudsman. Canada Post do not seem too concerned about parcels disappearing right from their post office. That's my second one that didn't make it. One in late November going to US never made it either. It shipped as Small Parcel but has a UR number on it that gets scanned letting us know its been delivered. All other small parcels that I sent out with a UR number shows when its delivered.
Did I get a receipt they ask me. No I dropped it off never thinking that I would ever need a receipt. Stupid question. Why do things online if you have to go in and get a receipt from them to show that you dropped it off. What about dropping them in the slots if busy. How do I get a receipt if I drop off in a slot.
The parcel was dropped off on the counter at the post office and the clerk nodded to me that she knew it was there. They know me as I drop off parcels on a regular basis. Well it never got scanned and never received and never returned to me. And has never surfaced again. And its my second one in a row.
I know things were late in getting scanned around that time and taking longer to arrive because of the Christmas rush and the backlog due to Covid. But this one just disappeared or grew legs and just walked out the back door at the originating post office it seems like. Short of accusing post office employees not sure what happened to these two parcels and no one owning up. All I know is it was dropped off at the post office.
kh-phdan
·3 years agoHello Everyone,
Due to the age of the thread, it has been closed to further replies. Please feel free to start a new thread if you wish to continue discussing this topic.
Thanks for your understanding!
patrant1867
·3 years agoYES. terrible.why would other employees leave my purchases at the door when I'm not there and other ones (the stupid ones) take it back with them? I bought it online without signature required so just leave it at the front of my door
marnotom!
·5 years agoI'm also wondering what sort of postal retailer we're dealing with here. In my small town, there's a Canada Post corporate office and a Canada Post franchised outlet in a pharmacy staffed by pharmacy employees. I can't say for certain, but the corporate one feels smaller than the outlet, so there's less room for stuff to lie around exposed or opportunities for them to get misplaced. The outlet is also unattended half the time but in fairness I don't think any mail or packages are left out in the open when there's nobody attending at the counter.
I think since @luv4orphans has no scan receipt for the item, an ombudsman report will ultimately have to be the way to go. It will likely be handled as a general concern and added to a file of other reports for the office or outlet of similar incidents, if reports have been made. Any action taken will probably be of a general nature and not specific to her missing item, but it's better than nothing.
The Canada Post website suggests dealing with Customer Service, though, and I'm not sure from the original post if that's happened.
https://www.canadapost.ca/ombudsman/
luv4orphans
OP5 years agoIts an actual Canada Post outlet. Not in a pharmacy. They know me as I drop off items on a regular basis. But I wouldn't just drop off a parcel on a counter when nobody is attending at the front and just leave. That's asking for trouble. I usually wait for a clerk to come out. This time the clerk was busy with customers ahead of me so I put it on the counter. I made sure that she knew. She acknowledged that and I left. Waiting in line for a parcel that is already paid for to get a receipt. I never felt like I needed to do that.
Yes I reported this to Canada Post Customer Service who then referred me to their Commercial Services Division because that's what I fall under. Both came up with the same answer. No receipt, therefore no compensation. They reimbursed me for the label as they can see package did not arrived. I understand the no compensation to some extent. But the whole point of doing things online was to save time no. Not go in and get a receipt for everything we post and certainly not for trackable packages.
I have been shipping items for years through Canada Post from selling on ebay. They have tracking of this I am sure. They don't seem too concerned that parcels seem to be walking out the back door somehow.
But yes I agree with you. It might not land anywhere but in a report but if a few are made regarding the same post office eventually they might pay attention.
They seem to be hiring a lot of people lately throughout so just wondering because of the need if they are not paying as close attention. I would think you need quite the security clearance to work there but even with that its not foolproof. Do they check surrounding friends and family.
Just odd that parcels are missing in that specific town whether from Amazon or the post office I am not sure.
reallynicestamps
·3 years agoThey seem to be hiring a lot of people lately
FWIW- Those counter clerks don't get hired off the street. They put in their time as carriers or plant workers before writing exams and getting further training for the cushy job of counter clerk.
The changeover may be population demographics. As we Boomers retire, and those with good pensions retire earlier, new younger workers take our places.
Our local PO dropped after Christmas from three clerks and a supervisor, to one clerk working alone. The PO is in a district with many apartment houses and across from a large hospital. The excuse was "lack of business" at an office where over Christmas the letterbox would be so full that it was necessary to bring even a single letter inside.
However, sanity prevailed and Jennifer has been rejoined by another clerk and a supervisor to manage them.
ypdc_dennis
·5 years agoI believe you should report to HQ that 2 of your packages have gone missing after being dropped off. If Canada Post gets enough complaints they do investigate -- but that will not be much help for your loss.
With no scan at dropoff, there is no proof the post office received the package. You might be able to get a refund for the tracked label since it's never been "used"/scanned (but that will depend on where you bought the label).
I always wait (and plan my visits for less busy times) and get scans for all of my bar-coded packages.
Depending on where you are, an alternative would be to have Canada Post pick up your parcels ($3.50 for each daily request).
-..-
luv4orphans
OP5 years agoIt has been reported to ebay and to the post office. After passing the buck I am not told to take it to the ombudsman.
I realize there is no scan that was done at drop off. Wondering why. And wondering if anybody has had any parcels missing lately. I use to trust the post office to do their job properly but not the case anymore.
A lot of packages have gone missing from that area in the last while. A few people were complaining about Amazons package disappearing from people's porch but maybe it wasn't just Amazon packages disappearing off porches. I wasn't paying much attention when I read the thread on FB. It now appears that one that I know of is also missing from the area post office. Strange.
reallynicestamps
·5 years agoIt sounds as if there is a problem with that specific Post Office.
Either poor training /enforcement on normal handling or , much less likely, actual theft.
Because there are rumours of other shipments going missing and the PO is at the core.
I'm not sure where one goes with a complaint after the local PostMaster. Is it a big downtown PO? A postal outlet in back of the pharmacy? A rural PO ?
luv4orphans
OP5 years agoIts a rural post office.
Lots of packages missing in that town in the last 4-5 months. Its been posted to facebook a couple of times now. Where people have gone onto someone's porch and just taken parcels. Some houses are far enough off the road so how does anyone know there's a parcel sitting there when you can't see from the main road. At first I thought it was only Amazon packages missing but now wondering if parcels from the post office have gone missing also. Was not paying enough attention to all the comments to know. I will need to do a post on FB myself and that way I might get some answers to that question at least. The thing didn't grow legs and walk out. Someone has it.
reallynicestamps
·3 years agoLots of packages missing in that town in the last 4-5 months.
Your town or the recipient's town?
Sorry
ZOMBIE THREAD FROM MARCH 2021.
The problem with zombie threads is that the information given is likely to be out of date and no longer useful.