Shipping Australia Post - Problems with Delivery times and tracking numbers

Maybe it's local. I've been sending out a lot of parcels lately as my husband's liquidating his train collection and everything's gone smoothly. I've been using express post. The tracking numbers don't do a lot really, until they show up as delivered.
That's scary about the ems though, you'd think clearly labelled parcels would be easy to deliver.......

 

I know EMS tracking was down this weekend just past. It doesn't help that Auspost's tracking is horrible to start off with, to not get any updates in the system for almost 72 hours sucks big time. I have noticed horrendous delays with deliveries that were only supposed to take 2-3 days (they are blowing out to 7-10 easily). So no, you aren't going nuts, Auspost is dropping the ball horribly with Queensland outgoing/incoming mail.
Edit: All of my mail is going through the Toowong Business hub

 

I'm in Adelaide and I haven't noticed any problems. Aussie Post is on the ball here.

 

I've used http://www.couriersplease.com.a at work. they have a system where you buy a book of stickers that work out to about $10 each. One sticker per item for your local area. Then another book of link stickers (about $3 each) that you add depending on how far afield you're going. Very simple on line booking system.
I don't know if they are in your neck of the woods, but they might be worth checking. Cheaper and more reliable than ipec.

 

It seems to be Queensland. I'm having major problems with my local EMS courier service. Parcels from Korea used to go through Sydney Airport and get transferred to Brisbane and end up with my local Australia Post delivery guy who is wonderful. Really helpful and even if the parcel was incorrectly addressed, would be able to deliver it from name alone. BUT...... If the parcel gets delivered to Brisbane Airport and this year there appear to be a new lot of flights directly from Korea to Brisbane, then I have a 50% chance of weird and wonderful things appearing on my tracking. I get "unknown addressee" or "unable to deliver incorrect address" on the tracking. When the parcel arrives, the address is incorrect. Either the company is supporting dyslexic workers (a noble cause but not the best employment decision for the post office) or they get too busy to run the parcel to its destination so fill out a "gosh don't we look busy" message on the computer so Australia Post can't turn around and grumble that they've left the parcel sitting at the depot for 4 days. I've got an ems no EM926630745KR if you want a fun read of how they can run around a package for 3 days. The package was committed for delivery on 25th May - actual delivery 28th May. This was after 2 days of phone calls to get them moving. I was slack and thought they'd deliver it the following day and didn't chase them up when meant another day of waiting. How long the package would have sat there if I hadn't phoned, I don't know. It may be interesting to find out one day but I don't trust them enough to do it. Today I was due to get a parcel delivered, Brisbane Post strikes again and the addressee wasn't there? OK. Now I have had 4 other packages from Soom, they haven't made a mistake with my address so far. I'm pretty sure they print them out electronically. I am so tired of the courier service basically giving rubbish reasons why they don't deliver the dolls. If they can't handle the workload, palm it off onto the normal Australia Post delivery guys who will do it promptly.

Re the Registered Mail packages going missing. I know of a few people who have had things vanishing from Australia Post at present. I've had relatives and friends sending cards with scratchies etc go missing. I'm wondering if because times are tough, people are looking for things they can sell on ebay or can use as presents for friends. I won't be sending anything that isn't fully insured.

 

On average 1/3 of my mail never arrives, registered, express, regular...makes no difference. I've given up these days.

 

I've been having issues with Aus Post a lot lately, both locally and internationally. I'm currently waiting on a registered post package to arrive which should have arrived yesterday, but god knows when it will arrive. That was after the original package was accidentally addressed to a non existant address, and aus post claims it was definitely delivered instead of being sent back to the sender. Delivered to where?!

EMS has been terribly slow, and regular airmail is taking over the two weeks max, some things taking three weeks and other things not arriving at all. I know that with xmas coming up things are just going to get worse, so I think I'll be holding off selling things for a few months to curb the issue of lost packages.

 

I've been waiting for three weeks on a parcel from Dolkot. Dolkot said they'd shipped the item 3 weeks ago, so I'm wondering whether it's Australia Post's fault... Blue Moon said he'd look into the postal thingy for me. After reading this I'm rethinking my usual reluctance to use insured post in the future. :/ I wouldn't have thought that Australia Post would be this crappy. Certainly the EMS tracking is crappy, and a few months ago after no updates on a parcel's status I've had to track it down... It was just left sitting in a warehouse. :/

 

Recently Customs seem to be cracking down a little which is delaying parcel times. EMS aren't to blame at all. For example, I've found EMS from Korea to be brilliant in the past until just this past month when waiting for a parcel from Dollmore, which took forevver to leave sydney airport according to EMS online tracking...found out after calling AustPost international tracking in the end that this was a customs issue. It's a combination of the fact that at this time of year nearing Christmas they tend to be a little warier and they also get pretty swamped. My suggestion, if you're not getting the info you want from EMS tracking online then call the Express Post International info number on 1800 007 678
Hope this helps

 

Well my registered package did arrive on the 11th, it's just that they were too lazy to actually knock on my door, and I received a collection card for it two days later :S Kinda frustrating that something sent by regular post would arrive with less hassles than something with tracking.

 

I don't like to grumble about things much but there's a few things about Australia Post that have me annoyed. Now that I've been sending so many parcels out over the last few months (and receiving) I'm really noticing some issues.

1. They still DROP parcels at people's houses even when I put the "Do Not Drop" red stickers on them that Aus Post themselves provide, they are supposed to take the parcels back with them and leave the person a card instead. I mean really, how many of you really want your doll items left on the step of your house etc etc?

2. Aerosols, this one really irks me. I cannot post aerosol cans, that why I have to charge people $9AUD to post in a courier prepaid bag for one can which is a rip off. Here's the thing though, they allow companies to do it if they have an 'account' or special contract with Aus Post. A dangerous item is a dangerous item, one rule for personal and small business and another rule for bigger business?

3. Click and Send Online - what an innovative and way overdue facility in Oz that's pitifully executed. Anyone who uses this online service to generate your postage labels (which incorporate customs decs and insurance) will quickly see it's flaws. At this stage it's for international post only, they provide two services, print out what you need with addresses and so on (wasting 2 pages of your own paper), go to the Post Office, lineup to send/pay, then watch the clerk have to hand write on all the pieces the same information, they see me coming now and actually ask me, joyfully "you don't have one of those click n send's today do you?"

The other service is you still do everything the same and print out the labels but you can pay online ONLY if you elect for the Aust Post courier to come out to you and take the parcel. I can't pay online for the first service and it takes longer for the clerks to process etc etc etc.

This service needs so much work, they could be putting in their time to improving it for the customer and reducing the workload for the clerk, however instead they recently announce that "Click and Send now available on eBay (Posted 8 December 2009) You can now link your eBay and Click and Send accounts to make sending overseas even easier" and also that domestic parcel is coming soon to the service as well!!!

On the plus side
Parcels/package's never seem to go missing (for me) and they aren't mishandled like other countries, I can always tell when my parcels from China arrive, when I see the clerk walking toward the window from the PO Boxes with a box that's almost flattened beyond recognition, I know it's from China!!

We are lucky in many aspects with the postal system . . . . .

Now if only I can get around the current dilemma with customs and my incoming MSC cans.

 

Ahhh, this is wretched indeed.

If you posted in Registered then you have more than just the receipt right, you have your copy of the full registration form?

Have you tried contacted Australia Post to put in a claim? Basically, they can't charge $30 vs $9.10 without some sort of security for the sender. I sent Registered Post regularly for my store without problems but now you've posted I wont send it to France, I'll request EMS. Same with Italy I here right?

Good luck with it.

 

Yeah I have run into this problem before. It turns out that paypal requires an online tracking that they can go into and check whether the parcel has been delivered. The will disregard anything from post offices or courier services if it can't be viewed online independantly by them.
Unfortunately this means that the only way to ship a parcel and have it be covered by ebay is via EMS or TNT or the like. (ie. expensive!)
Also if it is by private courier, (one where you have to log in to check the shipping/tracking details) it won't be covered either.

 

Good Luck whitewings! Sorry to hear about all the hassle you've been having with both paypal and Australia Post.

I've been having issues with them too. They left a package that had clearly labelled 'Do Not Safe Drop' twice plus one that had signature required. And another package which they left in plain sight and out in the open (no cover, nothing). Easily viewed from the street.

I've lodged three complaints with them so far and they're trying to tell me that the signature required one was not signature required despite the sticker on it and the extra money I paid to have it delivered with a signature required. So if any of you get packages left like that, take a photo as evidence. I didn't do that but now I know for next time.

Thanks for the heads up about paypal needing online tracking. I didn't know that actually. It's something to file away and be aware of.