Who do tracking numbers protect & from whom?

A recent experience with postal tracking has got me to thinking. Who do tracking numbers protect and from whom?

In the past 4 months, I have received about 30 packages from China and 2 refunds for batteries that ended up in Asian postal limbo (one without asking & the other past Paypal time limit). All good experiences with Chinese sellers, only 3 or 4 taking more than the expected 15-25 days to receive.

I placed an order for 3 pocket knives with Fasttech on Sept 1, tracking not found until Malaysia Post Sept 8, arrived west coast Canada Sept 12, to Canada Customs Sept 14, cleared Canada Customs Sept 19, arrived my city Montreal Sept 23 - sent to Undeliverable Mail, arrived Toronto Undeliverable Mail Office Sept 29.

First I told my local Postman making another China package delivery Sept 24 giving him my Tracking no and info hoping to catch it in Montreal Undeliverable Mail. He passed info to his supervisor. Very friendly although my French is poor as was his English.

I now tried to contact Canada Post on the internet to tell them about my lost package but I cannot create a ticket with them, they will not give me an email address but will correspond only via their twitter account —@canadapostcares—. I send them several twitters requesting an email address, sending attachment photos of addressed package from my Fasttech account along with pictures of the items in the package. I told them Fasttech always includes packing slip with recipient address in package. I offer to email a copy of my shipment notice with tracking number and detail of package items. They tell me that only the sender can initiate an investigation. So I have opened a ticket with Fasttech for them to initiate the investigation with Canada Post. I suspect that Canada Customs tore the address label and lost the packing slip making the package undeliverable? But it did get sent 2000 miles from BC Customs to Montreal?

Previously I used to think that tracking numbers were to protect the customer. I now realize that tracking numbers are to protect the seller from the local Customs/Postal service in your own country. If there is no tracking then the seller is responsible if your local postal service pilfers. The seller gives free tracking above a specified value because then once a package reaches your local postal system, then the local Post are responsible in case of non-delivery.

I have had untracked packages fromChina that never arrived. I now suspect they were pilfered by my country’s customs/postal workers. I suspect my undelivered package has been partially pilfered and sent to Undeliverable Mail Office in hopes that I would forget about it. This is the 2nd time I have had to ask China seller to initiate action in my country’s postal service.

I have the patience to deal with long delivery times to realize savings & value from Chinese sellers. I am very cautious in checking the reputation of Chinese sellers, more on how much they value their own reputation than on the hot-headed rants of impatient buyers who failed to do due diligence. I have not been disappointed in China seller service meeting expectation.

My suspicion is that customs/postal workers in all countries think that China is stealing jobs from their country and do not feel the same consistent moral obligation towards packages from China as to packages from their own country. It’s very disappointing. When you name yourself —@canadapostcares— I was expecting more willingness to help or at least look at the info I could provide to prove that the package was coming to me. I will let you know how it goes over the next week or more.

What are your thoughts on who tracking numbers protect. Have you had similar experiences with your country’s handing of packages from China?

Tracking numbers protect no one. The only protection is signature confirmation. End of story, its the only thing you can use to PROVE something was delivered. There is something you can buy to certify it was sent but its useless if someone claims it never arrived.

I like mine to have tracking numbers. At least it chronicles the journey of my parcel, for without it I feel just like floating in the air. But then, it depends on the carrier. DHL and UPS has almost real-time changes in the parcel’s journey from one hub/activity to the next. With parcels from China (free-shipping and the usual free tracking depending on minimum amount), the tracking information’s progress can be vastly different. Since most parcels leaves the post office after several days, sometimes weeks, the tracking information can lay stagnant for those so many days too.

So for me, a tracking number can give some kind protection or leverage when too-late or in some cases none-arrival of the parcel happens, whether from the shipper or the post service used.

In the US you used to be able to track items sent overseas for free by using the customs form number. No more… you have to send it registered mail ($15 more) or use express mail ($90). And registered mail usually increases delivery time by three weeks…

Tracking numbers are for tracking. That's all. If I want to try to make sure that an item gets to it's destination, then I would A.- insure it for full value and B.- have signature confirmation. Tracking is a convienence to the buyer and seller, to know where the package is, but it is no guarantee of delivery. Insurance for full value is at least a guarantee of not loosing the original funds, but again, it does not mean the package will get there. Signature confirmation will at least make sure that the buyer has to sign for the package and that is for the benefit of the seller, but again, that does not guarantee delivery.

From what I have seen, the most dependable form of mail delivery is via next day, or second day express mail, or priority mail. Any time someone pays for fast delivery, it is handled differently than all the billions of regular mail packages and it is usually more reliable. Excessive damage either on purpose, or accidental, will always happen and there will be no cure for that. As far as theft? Sure it is going to happen. No stopping that either, but usually they get caught and "I would assume" the percentage of theft is fairly low. Assume being the key word here.

My registered mail from overseas seems to always take less travel time and always seems to arrive intact. I do not know if that is luck or simply because I have to sign for it. Probably just luck. I have gotten to where I only want to buy from US sellers or resellers, so that I have a much better chance of getting what I want in good condition and promptly.

Wall Street Journal did a test of priority mail vs first class mail… first class mail won. Priority mail is a rip-off.

I believe it and experienced it!!

I have consistently got products sent First class mail from IS[San Jose, Ca] in 2 days to Suburban Phila.

On the other hand,2 day priority also from the West coast[Seattle] and closer proximity in 3 days just as much as 2 days!

First class is more consistent and gets here just as fast and a lot of times faster! :bigsmile:

Its true it proves something was sent, but it might not be the $300 light you ordered… Ive read of scams where people receive beads instead of their order. But you will have signed for it. How many people open packages prior to signing? How many delivery services would let you?

But its true, its proof something was sent.

I’ve never had tracking for Chinese orders, but had it added for orders from USA… And with USPS it sucks. All tracking stops as soon as the package leaves USA. What good is that for anyone?

Except the maximum weight for FC is 13 ounces, so a lot of lights can’t be sent that way.

You can send heavy stuff first class… you have to take it to the counter for postage.

USPS tracking can be hit or miss. It guarantees nothing, not even that it’s actually where it says it is and delivery notices to me are falsified roughly half the time. While that may not be the same experience as others it certainly makes paying extra for it not worthwhile to me.

Go to your post office if you're not sure. They've talked me out of priority mail before because they knew first class would be just as quick, and other times they talked me into priority mail because the cost was the same or less. Priority Mail really shines when you're shipping something heavy that fits in one of their flat rate priority boxes.

Tracking is for convenience and peace of mind. It doesn't provide built in protection, you have to make it protect you. I'll use it next week to know to stop by my house to pick up a package while the house is being fumigated. If you want protection, get registered mail and/or insurance. Be wary of paying the seller for insurance though.

The point was that tracking is of no benefit to the recipient of an international package, particularly if the receiving postal service screws up.

Previously I felt that once tracking showed that an incoming international package reached my country, was inspected by customs and was delivered to my city, that I was home free and that I would get the package. National postal services are usually very reliable and trustworthy for tracked packages. This package arrived in Canada from China over 3 weeks ago and did travel over 2000 miles after Canada Customs inspection in BC to the addressed city-Montreal before becoming undeliverable.

Although in the correct city my package was sent to the Canada Post Undeliverable Mail Office. I have the tracking number and several emails from the vendor proving that the package is properly addressed, has an internal packing slip with address, and was sent to me.

Canada Post has an elaborate online and telephone customer system to report problems except for an incoming international tracked item that goes to the Undeliverable Mail Office. The only contact they allow is twitter. It took multiple twitters to tell my story. I have twittered address info and requested an email address to forward more documentation to them. Their reply was “As per our process any investigations for int’l inbound items must be opened by the sender & originating country’s postal service.”

I contacted the China vendor and their response was “As the package already arrived at your country.Could you please contact with CA post again and confirm the address with them to arrange the delivery? Any further news you get from them,please feel free to let us know. If the parcel will be returned to us,we can either refund you minus the first shipping we paid or send you a replacement adding the second shipping fee.” They did not comment on initiating an international postal investigation?

The Undeliverable Mail Office process is to wait and to return to sender or auction off, at their discretion.

It’s an American-style Catch-22. I have the tracking number and supporting documentation to provide the solution but the process prevents it.

I suspect that some or all of the contents of my package (3 pocket knives) have been pilfered, the address label torn and the packing slip mislaid by Canada Customs/Postal service, preventing neither delivery nor return. The postal process allows this kind of scam.

I was wary of being scammed by foreigners but with due diligence and patience I have found China sellers to be trustworthy. I did expect better treatment from my own national postal service. It’s probably a write-off, but being retired, I can pursue it to at least improve the postal service process and possibly root out petty pilferers. Back to twitter @canadapostcares.

What an ironic name.