An Post - Missed delivery - refusing to go out again

Dravokivich

Good evening folks,

Hoping someone may be able to pass on some advice in regards to an issue I've just had with An Post.

I missed a delivery this afternoon and rang the number they had on the docket. The guy in the call centre told me they won't send the package out again as it's only 1 attempt of contact / delivery that's made, stating that my 3 options were to go in collect it, nominate someone to collect it or nominate a neighbour to receive it.

1) I've no way of going to the sorting office to pick it up, let alone bring it back, it's a farely heavy package.
2) I can't get anyone else to take time off at such short notice to be able to bring me up or pick it up for me.
3) I don't really know my neighbours so can't nominate them as a recipient of my delivery.

Aside of that, I had no way of knowing my package was going to be delivered today, I said to them I could be avail all day tomorrow if it's sent back around. Also, if they make an offer to send to a neighbour, surely they can send it to me right?

Has anyone come across something like this before?

I made the order for this package specifically during my time off work so I'd be avail to take it. Just had to pop out for an hour, later then the postman would usually be around too.

dudara

Moved to Online Buying & Auctions. More experience there.

How about a taxi to the sorting office?

Dravokivich

dudara wrote: »

How about a taxi to the sorting office?

Hi Dudura,

The issue is I paid for a delivery, the taxi fair there and back would cost me more then the delivery fair did, I just happened to be unavail at the first time they came down, surely they should be able to re-arrange a delivery when I called them back.

This is usually no problem with DHL who would go out again a second time if they get a callback.

jor el

Dravokivich wrote: »

This is usually no problem with DHL who would go out again a second time if they get a callback.

A private courier is a whole different ball game to a national postal carrier. The simple fact is, An Post will not attempt a 2nd delivery, you must collect it within 3 days, or it will be returned to the sender.

The main problem I have with this is that in many, many cases, an post do not attempt to deliver the item in the first place. There are alot of threads elsewhere about this issue, people home all day and the postman doesn't call at all but instead just leaves the collection docket.

OP, can you ask for it to be delivered to your next door neighbour but keep your eye out and go to the door when the postman attempts to deliver it? It will mean you sitting looking out the window all day though. It seems so silly that they will deliver it to your neighbour but not to you!

Our man in Havana

Many posties simply do not deliver parcels. No room on the bike etc.

sdanseo

The fact that you paid for the delivery is nothing to do with An Post, you would have paid the supplier. If you want the parcel, you're going to HAVE to suck it up and go and get it. Put your ego away, and then take up the issue of the delivery cost with the supplier.

Bottom line: You went out and missed the delivery. Tough.

Dravokivich

sdonn wrote: »

The fact that you paid for the delivery is nothing to do with An Post, you would have paid the supplier. If you want the parcel, you're going to HAVE to suck it up and go and get it. Put your ego away, and then take up the issue of the delivery cost with the supplier.

Bottom line: You went out and missed the delivery. Tough.

It's not a matter of ego as stated here.

They will re-send to a neighbour, as I mentioned on the phone, I don't know my neighbours. I said I'll be home all day tomorrow, but they flat out refuse to re-send to me, even though the option to send it to someone who lives next to me is avail.

Yawns

They shouldn't even send it to the neighbour. They get paid to deliver it once, that's it. It won't be brought by your normal postie on his daily rounds as you said yourself it's too big and heavey.

So into a van and delivered on the van rounds. You went out, too bad. It happens you have to get over it. You paid the supplier a delivery charge of which they paid a portion to an post to deliver. An post showed up, no one home, trip to sorting office.

They also are no longer sending wrongly addressed post with the 1 stamp anymore either apparently. This is good too. If you spell the address wrong tough. New stamp as it's a new delivery. I know this has nothing to do with you but you can get the idea.

The idea of re-delivering or delivering to a neighbour is silly unless appropriate costs are paid. Maybe even a reduced re-delivery charge.

Dravokivich

Yawns wrote: »

They get paid to deliver it once, that's it. It won't be brought by your normal postie on his daily rounds as you said yourself it's too big and heavey.

So into a van and delivered on the van rounds. You went out, too bad. It happens you have to get over it. You paid the supplier a delivery charge of which they paid a portion to an post to deliver. An post showed up, no one home, trip to sorting office.

The idea of re-delivering or delivering to a neighbour is silly unless appropriate costs are paid. Maybe even a reduced re-delivery charge.

A delivery has not been made, only an attempt to deliver.

After going through their website, I've seen nothing that states they are only obliged to make that 1 attempt. Have you seen something stipulating this before?

rubadub

This is why I get all parcels delivered to my workplace, even if it was heavy I could store it there and arrange collection at a time that suits.

Yawns

By all accounts if you were asked to bring something out in the snow as a favour by your boss. You get to destination with big thing and noone there to deliver it. You travelled let's say 60 miles to get there and 60 miles back. Your boss gave you petrol money for the 1 trip.

Would you repeat this trip 10 times having been paid once to do it?

If an-post made 1 more attempt at delivery we'd be having conversations about people who missed both and would be annoyed that an post didn't do a 3rd etc etc etc etc.

1 delivery attempt is more than enough. If you had been there it wouldn't have been an attempt, it would have been a successful delivery. If it's too important and you don't have time off to wait all day, organise a delivery to work or pay extra for a courier to deliver at certain times etc. There is options out there.

rubadub

Yawns wrote: »

By all accounts if you were asked to bring something out in the snow as a favour by your boss. You get to destination with big thing and noone there to deliver it. You travelled let's say 60 miles to get there and 60 miles back. Your boss gave you petrol money for the 1 trip.

Would you repeat this trip 10 times having been paid once to do it?

No, but this scenario is VERY different from what the OP is going on about.

• Delivering post/parcels is the postamans/couriers job, it is not a "favour to the boss".
• I expect most postmen/couriers have petrol account cards and are not given a set amount as petty cash for each & every delivery. You are trying to make out like they would have to pay for additional petrol from their own pocket.
• If a real courier/postman was asked to do it 10 times they would be being paid for their time as usual, and their petrol too.

I would hate to see a courier company or postman doing 10 attempted deliveries, it would have to be paid for somewhere -no doubt higher postal/courier costs to people who do not need repeat deliveries.

Yawns

Yawns wrote: »

1 delivery attempt is more than enough.

That's just a ridiculous statement.

BostonB

I don't get stuff delivered at home. An post don't deliver parcels. They just put a note through the door. I stopped a postie doing this one time, and asked him for the parcel, I was at home, he'd never knocked, rang the bell, just put the note through the door. But he didn't have it in the van anyway. Everyone I know has had similar experiences.

I mainly get stuff delivered to work these days. Not an option for everyone.

Mozoltov!

They'll deliver it out to a Neighbour? Just gives your neighbours address and then keep and eye out for the Postman and go out and get your package.

The chap who actually delivers it most likely wont be the same from the other end of the phone.

Hannibal

All houses in the country have a postman, who has a set route based on distance and load. A normal postman going out on a delivery can only bring with him letters/parcels that can fit through a letterbox. Anything thats bigger or heavier than these items is delivered by a van driver. If there's nobody home they put a 'DIB' in the letterbox for the person who wasnt home to go collect it themselves. So the onus in now on the recieptent to go to their local sorting office to retrieve the item as it costs both time and money to bring items out several times.
As for the other question no post driver in the country pays for petrol/diesel out of his own pocket they have a fuel card for official vehicles. If your postman opts to deliver out his car rather than the allocated bicycle thats all on his own head as there's a bicycle provided.
Your best bet is ringing your sorting office early in the morning ie before 9 and ask to talk to the inspector or a team leader about and explain your situation. The van drivers generally start delivering from half 10 and if your sorting office isnt far from your house there's no reason they wont be able to bend the rules just this once

Mr. Presentable

Dravokivich wrote: »

Hi Dudura,

The issue is I paid for a delivery, the taxi fair there and back would cost me more then the delivery fair did, I just happened to be unavail at the first time they came down, surely they should be able to re-arrange a delivery when I called them back.

This is usually no problem with DHL who would go out again a second time if they get a callback.

The trouble is An Post get a small payment to deliver a package and they brought it to your door - this discharges their duty. You weren't there to take it in, but that's not their fault. You need to find another way to collect it.

I concede it is daft they will bring it to your neighbour but not to you. I'd call the local sorting office, be as nice as pie, and try to persuade them to bring it out again. Failing that, take a taxi.

coylemj

I ordered stuff from the UK, a small package that would have weighed less than a pound. I specified that it be delivered to my place of work, a prominent office building in D4 that opens Mon-Fri at 7 a.m. and closes at 9 p.m.

The mail order company (in the UK) told me that the shipping agent failed to make contact and couldn't deliver so they refunded me the cost of the goods but not the shipping costs, the local shipping agent was An Post.

There is a huge problem with industrial relations in An Post, it may stem from the envy the postmen feel at the money that their former Posts and Telegraphs colleagues in Eircom got thanks to the flotation, it may just be bolshie trade unionists but apparently you would not want to be a middle manager there, it is a cauldron of demarcation, petty squabbles and general 'couldn't give a sh1te' attitude.

jor el

coylemj wrote: »

The mail order company (in the UK) told me that the shipping agent failed to make contact and couldn't deliver so they refunded me the cost of the goods but not the shipping costs, the local shipping agent was An Post.

Unless they provided a tracking number, you don't even know if the company even shipped it. If the address becomes damaged in post, then the post office won't know where to deliver it, and it may never have even left the UK.

Dravokivich

Yawns wrote: »

Would you repeat this trip 10 times having been paid once to do it?

Multiple attempts could of been a problem if I had told them to send to someone else on my behalf, who I couldn't garentee would be there all the time for the next 2 days. I could garentee I would be.

Mr. Presentable wrote: »

The trouble is An Post get a small payment to deliver a package and they brought it to your door - this discharges their duty. You weren't there to take it in, but that's not their fault. You need to find another way to collect it.

The amount of times they are obligated to attempt delivery is not stated anywhere within their terms and conditions (here) even though this is where their customer support kept on directing me.

The closest being Section 6 part (iv);

(iv) failure by the addressee to take delivery within a reasonable time;

Under the definitions on Section 1, there was not a defintion stating what a "within a reasonable time" is considered to be.

I callenged them on this, with no proper response.

Mr. Presentable wrote: »

I concede it is daft they will bring it to your neighbour but not to you. I'd call the local sorting office, be as nice as pie, and try to persuade them to bring it out again. Faining that, take a taxi.

In the end I had to ogranise a courier.