An Post returning packages from outside the EU-See 1st post

How short? If they can retain it at all, no reason that they couldn't retain it while electronic label crap is sorted. Charge a fee for longer stays if they want. A gift horse ignored.

If you look at it from a slightly dispassionate perspective the fault belongs to the sending company.

Almost 60% of what they sent failed to get through.

You would think they might look at their postage process?

Bring it on. A private contract to deliver postal services would never be mandated to just dump packets in a return sack. They would implement a suitable system for holding, querying, and release for a fee IF the blame lay with your supplier. If you could show the labels/ electronic data were correct and the error was theirs, they'd just have to release it. The current system let's them hide their operational errors with no accountability.

How are people faring with low value orders from Aliexpress? They seem to be set up for VAT and all that, so I risked a small order of €40.

Yeah this has been my experience of ordering stuff from China in the last few months. Some places that used to offer Ireland ePacket as a shipping option have removed it now. Most will strongly recommend or only offer PostNL as a shipping option so it lands in Netherlands/Belgium first. Ireland ePacket used to be great value and sometimes delivery as quick as 10 days. PostNL takes longer but it's stress free.

I'm not even angry about the whole thing anymore, just resigned to the fact An Post management clearly prioritise profits over customer service, it's crazy for a state owned body to be doing that but not dissimilar to the semi-state DAA really.

It's worded as if the postman couldn't get an answer at your door to hand you the packet, no indication that it has documentation problems. The failure to engage with customers to resolve the delivery of international post goes against every historical principle of world postal services. Treating private post like it was some sort of industrial process, with flawed attempts resulting in the particular post being binned to all intents and purposes, like a dented cream egg on a production line. The problem is it's not their property. They shouldn't have the right to act in this manner. Critical Legal documents and medical products are treated with the same contempt as a dodgy boyzone tee shirt. We need legislation on this, asserting the ownership of post regardless of alleged documentary shortcomings (you never get to see the reason for return). Force them to operate an examination of the goods, over a counter preferably, and at a reasonable cost. If no valid problems, no charge. This is a job for the politicos to sort.

They're trying to figure if it is a commercial art commission, then add that value to the 70 bucks postage and send you a bill for 23% of this amount. Even if valueless, it's considered to be 'worth' what it cost to send it.

not sure which part you are questioning but VAT is due on the total value including shipping. Even if they deem the painting to be worth €1 vat will be due on the €70 shipping fee.

I sent something with tracking to the UK took 9 days recently, so I imagine standard post is even shower