Canada_post_sucks_(updated)_

title: Canada Post Sucks (UPDATED) date: 2006-11-25 10:18:15

Update Jan 7, 2007: After sending a snail-mail copy, slightly edited, to Canada Post, I got a letter back from their Customer Service department. It reads in part:

At the outset, I would like to offer our sincere apologies for the service failure. Our delivery personnel are expected to always issue a delivery notice if no one is at the residence to accept an item. Furthermore, a final delivery notice should be mailed from the postal outlet five days later if the item has not been claimed. I am sorry that proper procedures were not followed with your parcel. I have asked the Supervisor at [your local delivery centre] to review this incident with our delivery person. As well, I have brought the failure to issue a final notice to the attention of our Retail Business Manager who oversees the [local retail outlet where the parcel was held]. The [local delivery centre] is the pickup location for all postal items for addresses near you. (You could not find an outlet for the ID 0000268453 because the number belongs to the [local delivery centre]; items are never carded to delivery depots. The message they inputted -- "Item has been transferred tothe Post Office for pick up as a carded item" -- refers to the action they took rather than to their location.) The enclosed information from our website shows how to locate postal outlets, although if proper procedures had been followed, your delivery notice would have informed you of the location. I regret the lack of timely assistance on our part to help locate your parcel and the obvious inconvenience you experienced. If you pre-paid the shipping charges for the returned parcel, please send me the invoice and I will arrange for a refund.

So they did screw up and I got angry; they're sorry and they're making up for it, and I'm satisfied. I don't like deleting old posts, but if I did I'd delete this one. As it is, I'm closing comments. This was an angry post, I'm getting angry comments, and I don't want that. My fault.

The original post follows:

SERVICE, At Mailposte.ca wrote on November 24, 2006:
> Hello Hugh Brown,
> 
> Thank you for your message to Canada Post.
> 
> This message is simply to confirm that our delivery confirmation system now 
> shows this item as being successfully delivered on 11/07/2006.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Julie Pich?
> Customer Service

Thanks very much for your response.  

The web tracking page for this parcel now says that, as of 11:08
(presumably AM, no idea which time zone) on November 24th, "Item was
unclaimed by Receiver and will be returned to Sender".  It also says
that delivery was attempted, not completed, on November 7th.  As
Canada Post's website says that the information available there is the
same as is available to its customer service representatives, I'm
unsure why I'm being told now that delivery has succeeded.

I never received the first notice.  I did not receive any subsequent
notice.  The link on the tracking page that was meant to show me where
I could pick up the item simply said, "No outlets found for outletID:
0000268453".

I will be contacting the shipper to let them know that, when the
parcel finally makes it back to them, they should ship it to me via
courier: FedEx or UPS, but not Canada Post or Purolator.

I am extremely disappointed with Canada Post.  I never received notice
telling me that a parcel was available for pickup; I only found out
that delivery had been attempted by checking the website.  The
location of the retail outlet where my parcel sat could not be found
on Canada Post's website.  After waiting for a second notice to be put
in my mailbox, I contacted Canada Post via the website and asked
specifically about these problems.  The response, which came 7 days
later, had no response to these questions.  The information it
contained was wrong.  I am now told that my package is being returned
to the sender as it is unclaimed.

I will not use Canada Post in the future for any important delivery.
(Exceptions may be made for bill payments, and other items for which I
want plausible deniability.)  I will strongly recommend to friends and
family that Canada Post be avoided for any important deliveries.

Thank you again for your time.

Yours sincerely,
Hugh Brown

> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From:         aardvark@vcn.bc.ca 
> Sent:         November 17, 2006 02:04
> To:           SERVICE, At Mailposte.ca
> Subject:      Delivery Notice Card
;> 
> 11/17/2006
> Name:Hugh Brown
> Comments:According to the tracking number I've been given (9184 1445 5359
> 2002), a notice was left November 7th.  I never received this notice.  It
> is now November 16th and I have not received a second notice.  As well,
> the info on Canada Post's website for this tracking number says that the
> parcel is being held at a New Westminster post office, yet the link that
> is supposed to give directions to this post office says  No outlets found
> for outletID: 0000268453 .  Where should I pick up this parcel?
> Customer #:
> Company Name:
> Mailing Address: [snip]
> City:New Westminster
> Province/State:BC
> Country:Canada
> Postal/Zip Code:V3L 5V8
> Email:aardvark@vcn.bc.ca
> Telephone Number: [snip]
> Fax:
> Issue Type:No card received
> Notice Type Received:No notice
> Notice No.:
> Delivery Agent on Card:
> Name on Card:Hugh Brown
> Is this your regular postal outlet:
> Date Card Received:-1 -1, -1
> Date of Last Pickup Attempt:-1 -1, -1
> Date on Card:-1 -1, -1
> Item Type:
> Item Serial # on Card:
> Item Available:
> How is your mail delivered:Apartment
> Time of Delivery Attempt:
> Name of Postal Outlet on Card:
> Address of Postal Outlet on Card:
> Amount Due:
> Item held at Post Office at request of sender:
> Please specify if there is a mark in the box - Other:
> 
>