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Carrier Rants

Empath

Flashaholic
Joined
Nov 11, 2001
Messages
8,508
Location
Oregon
Originally a part of the CPFMarketplace; it has been transposed here.

Quite some time back, it was noted that some sort of feedback regarding the commerce conducted with our hobby and interest could prove invaluable to our members. We noted places like eBay had a feedback system that was used by their members in evaluating whether or not to conduct business with another. We also noted that the nature of our board, compared to the nature of some other sites that conducted business between members, was different; even potentially lacking in such ability.

We did devise a feedback system anyway. We called it Cheers 'N' Jeers. It would be basically a text based system, rather than a mathematical point based system. Being a message board, a text based system just seemed the more practical to implement. Without going into any advantages and disadvantages of a text based system, let's just say that a text based system dealing with ideas, accusations, efforts to defend oneself, commentary on other's feedback, reputations and such matters dictated the need for established rules and guidelines. Rules and guidelines were established, hopefully that encourage the proper use and making obvious the reason for Cheers 'N' Jeers.

At times, the utility of a forum supersedes it's intended purpose, and its used for additional matters that can obscure the real purpose in the forum. One such aberration of course would be rants. While to an extent, 'rants' that serve no objective goal have been permitted, and probably will continue to a certain extent. It's been said before that if our rules were strictly enforced, very few threads in the Jeers portion of Cheers 'N' Jeers would survive. I'd say our effort has more or less been that of holding us to the rules, without being such a stickler that it breaks the spirit of the group.

It's time to address a particular form of those non-objective rants. Those particular rants are rants against carriers. They're completely non-objective, and don't satisfy the objective nor the rules and guidelines outlined for the Jeers forum.

We've had rants against USPS, Fed-Ex, UPS, DHL, and likely some others I can't remember. While I can't say we've a proper forum for such rants, I'd also hate to see the Cafe cluttered with them. Perhaps the Jeers forum is the better place. However, their inclusion in the Jeers forum must be recognized as a special situation and not a definitive use of the forum. Carrier rants have become so extensive here that it's obscuring the purpose of the Jeers forum. We're going to make a special exemption for carrier jeers.

The rants that exist for the various carriers will be closed, as will any new ones created. Rants, even if you wish to call them jeers, against carriers may be stated "in this thread". This will still give you a place to voice such rants, even though the focus offered by a dedicated thread may be lost. Perhaps the primary focus of the Jeers forum will not be so overshadowed.

Please post any rants against carriers, that you feel must be stated, here.... in this thread.
 

mfunnell

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Jan 12, 2017
Messages
22
Location
Sydney, Australia
Originally entitled "Jeers to Australia Post and Cheers(+++) to Amazon Customer Service"

I ordered a battery charger, some AAA Eneloops and a couple of novels from Amazon at the end of January and followed their progress across the Pacific, through customs and to the Australia Post centre in Chullora, where they arrived on the 13th of February (estimated delivery to my place on the 14th). Where, apparently, the parcel has sat ever since having not further seen the light of day. One can only hope the bonus cheque for the outgoing head of Australia Post (the highest-paid postman in the world) was in the same shipment. I doubt that, though.

I left it sit there for some time, occasionally checking the tracking in the rather futile hope someone would stumble upon it and send it on its way. No luck, of course. So I raised a customer service request with Amazon, saying that I'm unable to query my package location and asking that Amazon raise the query on my behalf. (Aussie Post regards the sender as their customer, not the recipient, so refused to accept any correspondence from me. Which, come to think of it, seems exactly their style.)

Here's Amazon's response (slightly redacted):

Rule 12 violation removed by admin. Feel free to paraphrase if you wish - Empath

Now, that is exemplary customer service! Not only did they vastly exceed the bounds of my request, they went far beyond any reasonable expectations I might have had for problem resolution. (Note: the shipping they are promising to waive is international shipping, which is not cheap.)

You can take it as read that my feedback was positive (to put it mildly). I also said I would let others know about this. And so I am...

...Mike
 
Last edited by a moderator:

mfunnell

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Jan 12, 2017
Messages
22
Location
Sydney, Australia
It is nice to know my experience with a postal carrier was
completely non-objective
I assume I did, objectively, receive my parcel despite a purely subjective belief that I did not and most definitely despite evidence (also purely subjective, one assumes) available from the carrier:

https://auspost.com.au/parcels-mail/track.html#/track?id=7BJ0425523

It is also nice to know that my snide comment about "the highest paid postman in the world" was also non-objective, despite apparently (though seemingly non-objectively) credible news sources also forming similar views of this:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-02-...ry-not-reasonable-international-peers/8251028

Further, it would appear, my comment about being unable to query the carrier myself might also be non-objective, perhaps because of subjective misinterpretation of this statement
all queries regarding lost or missing items must be made by the sender of the item.
published on this web page:

https://auspost.com.au/parcels-mail/missing-mail-items

...by the carrier themselves.

Thank you so much for correcting my complete lack of objectivity in this matter.

...Mike
 

MikeSalt

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jan 10, 2007
Messages
1,948
Location
Stoke On Trent, Staffordshire, UK
Jeers to Royal Mail on changing the way imports are handled. It used to be that if there was a fee to pay, they would hold it at your local sorting office and you could go there to pay the handling fee, VAT and import duty and have your package released immediately. No, now it gets held at Coventry, so you receive your letter that there's a fee to pay then you have to wait for it to be delivered from Coventry, having had them sit on it for 5 days already. Grrrrr.
 

MikeSalt

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jan 10, 2007
Messages
1,948
Location
Stoke On Trent, Staffordshire, UK
My apologies, my jeer is actually with Parcel Force. It appears that incoming packages arrive to either Royal Mail or Parcelforce depending on the sender's carrier. If it was Royal Mail, I would be collecting it from the depot, however, because it is Parcelforce, I will receive an invoice the it will be delivered the next day. However, the International hub at Coventry is notoriously slow.
 

MikeSalt

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jan 10, 2007
Messages
1,948
Location
Stoke On Trent, Staffordshire, UK
So from the sender perspective....

Can you tell us which carrier to start with to ensure Royal gets it? If we know that perhaps we can lessen your Grrr some. lol.

That's the trouble, I thought that anything coming into the country except FedEx ended up in the Royal Mail. This is the first I've learned that Parcelforce is a possibility. Presumably a list exists somewhere.
 

MikeSalt

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jan 10, 2007
Messages
1,948
Location
Stoke On Trent, Staffordshire, UK
Thanks for the response.
I'm partial to usps, which I presumed would go to royal at the customs point.

This was USPS. The package had now cleared customs and so I need to wait for the customs fees invoice. The other trouble with Parcelforce is they charge £11.25 for customs handling, not the £8.00 of Royal Mail. And now, the Parcelforce tracking system has failed, so I know not where my package is.
 

MikeSalt

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jan 10, 2007
Messages
1,948
Location
Stoke On Trent, Staffordshire, UK
Tracking failed for four whole days due to a core IT failure, which is unheard of these days. However, the package is now sat at my local depot, I have my customs letter and I am about to go there this evening to collect.
 

karlthev

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Nov 19, 2004
Messages
5,206
Location
Pennsylvania
Stolen Omicron

I had ordered an Omicron in Ti from the builder and had it sent directly to a case maker. Unfortunately, the box was opened in transit in United States Postal Service and the contents removed. I received an opened box with no contents stamped "Received Unsealed", "Received Damaged""Received without contents"---all US Postal stamps. I am trying to determine where the box was opened illegally and the contents--a Ti Omicron and a custom leather case-- stolen. I have also sent a PM to the builder of the light and, the case builder. You see one for sale, let me know. Thanks.:mad:


Karl
 

nbp

Flashaholic
Joined
Dec 16, 2007
Messages
10,970
Location
Wisconsin
Re: Stolen Omicron

Sorry for your loss friend. 🙁

This is not the correct subforum for this. Where would you like it moved? Is it a general Rant, where the Cafe might fit or is it a Want To Buy ad?
 

the0dore3524

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Nov 22, 2015
Messages
1,323
Location
California (Bay Area)
Re: Stolen Omicron

That's a bummer dude, I'm sorry. I know I'd be heartbroken if I lost mine. In fact, I've forgotten it several times at the gym and had to drive back just to recover it.

I don't think your average person who breaks into packages would understand the value and craftsmanship of the Omicron. Doesn't hurt to be on the lookout though! [emoji20]
 

karlthev

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Nov 19, 2004
Messages
5,206
Location
Pennsylvania
Re: Stolen Omicron

Sorry for your loss friend. 🙁

This is not the correct subforum for this. Where would you like it moved? Is it a general Rant, where the Cafe might fit or is it a Want To Buy ad?

I dunno...Lost and Found? Seriously, I'm not blaming the light or the holster builders..more so the US Postal whom I believe should have stopped the package when damage was discovered and notified the sender, or me. The responsible stop of the package should have been at the point of damage, certainly not at my door, placed in my mailbox. The stamping of "Received Damaged" and the other stampingas were redundant if you ask me, considering the fact that the box had half of the back torn off--presumably so that the contents could be removed!

How's about Want to Buy? I can request whomever removed the light and the case to "sell" it back to me?:shakehead

Karl
 

mikekoz

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 19, 2007
Messages
1,281
Re: Stolen Omicron

Sorry to hear this happened! Were the items shipped insured?
 

markr6

Flashaholic
Joined
Jul 16, 2012
Messages
9,258
More of the usual tricks from USPS.

I had two packages arriving yesterday December 3. One arrived in my city at 5:53am. The other left Detroit at midnight, so it would have arrived even earlier (2hrs away). Both typically would have been delivered that day as usual. But they stopped services December 4 for a day of mourning since former president Bush passed. That's fine, but at least FINISH YOUR DAY OF WORK!! They basically took 2 days off here. Useless.
 

markr6

Flashaholic
Joined
Jul 16, 2012
Messages
9,258
And ANOTHER!

2:00 PM-Package delayed in transit

Same exact message as the last one, which will finally show up today after 5 days (140mi trip)
 
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