Canadian PFers: Help Needed!

zerodross

O.G.
Oct 18, 2006
2,523
8
Hi!

I just sold a Dior bag on ebay and had it mailed out to the buyer a little over a week ago. Thankfully the bag comes with tracking and so I've been checking the progress. A few days ago, the buyer sent me an email saying that she hadn't received the bag yet and so I checked the delivery progress online (I've also previously given her the tracking number as well so that she could check it herself) and it said that delivery was attempted but failed because there was no response. This has happened three days in a row now and the buyer is telling me she called her local post office and quoted the tracking number but they haven't got anything like that on their system.

I've told the buyer to perhaps leave a note on her door or to ask her neighbours to keep a lookout for the postman (since on the 3 times that they've tried to deliver it to her, it was always around a certain time in the morning) but she's not replied and has merely insisted that I ring up my local post office to ask them what third party courier they're using in Canada to make the delivery.

So my question is, how many other postal companies are there in Canada (specifically in the Toronto area) which handles packages (internationally)? And is there any other way my buyer can get help from her local post office in Canada?

I honestly don't know what to do because I was always under the impression that usually if the postman can't get you, they'd leave a note in your mailbox or under your door to say that they've been here and that no one was in and the note would have the details of how to go about arranging for a re-delivery or to collect the package from some where. :confused1:

Any help or advice would be much appreciated! :flowers:
 
If the shipping was done thru Canada Post, they always leave a note telling you to pick it up from your local post office.

Either someone took that little note from their door or something else happened? Most times when I have the little note, I have to show ID so they know it is really my package.

I hope everything works out!
 
And yes, Canada Post does contract out package delivery in some communties, although I have no idea what happens in Toronto.

In the small community where I use to live all my packages that were too big for the postman to carry were delivered by a neighbour, an older gentleman who just had the contract with CP to do it.

Although, I can't see how you would get any info on that from the US post office. That would be local to the buyers post office. But you might contact them yourself if you could get their phone number.
 
In my experience, and I shop online a lot, Canada Post will attempt delivery once, then the package will be transfered to the local post office. They do contract out to private delivery people from time to time, but the post office would still keep track of the package and its whereabouts.

She should contact her local post office, and they will tell her where the package is.

It sounds like this person is being unreasonable. You can track the package using your tracking number on the Canada Post website. (canadapost.ca) They also have a number you can call. Check on it yourself for your own peace of mind. Let me know if you need any other information--I'll try to help!
 
Canada Post is the official and only Canadian postal agency. There are many courier companies which also deliver mail/packages in Canada e.g. Fedex, UPS, Purolator etc. Because three attempts were made, I don't think it was Canada Post - I am not aware that they try so many times. This would explain why her post office has no record of the tracking. Perhaps if you check with the shipper you used, they may be able to tell you who they hand it off to in Canada. If you want to PM me some of the tracking information, I'll see if there is a clue as to which carrier has it.
 
^ big thanks to everyone who has offered to help and of course for all the information and advice. I shipped it out from Singapore (where I am) to Canada (where the buyer is). She has left a note on her voicemail and her door for the courier company to contact her with their details so I'm hoping that will work. I would try to contact my post office here to see which third party courier company they're using in Canada but I have a feeling it's not going to be a fruitful trip (the postal service here has a record of being utterly indifferent). Usually (based on my previous experience shipping out), the local postal service here would hand off the packages to whichever major domestic courier service in the country office - i.e. Singpost (singapore) would pass on a package to Royal Mail/Parcel Force (UK) when I ship to the UK. So I was under the assumption that Canada Post would handle it, and since my buyer has yet to receive any notice from Canada Post (and her local post office didn't have anything for her), I'm thinking it's probably an independent/alternative courier company.

My biggest worry now is that after a certain number of attempts, the package will be sent back to me and I'd then be in a bind as to how to handle the entire delivery situation (since international shipping isn't cheap).
 
I always receive my international orders via Canada Post and they always try to deliver ONCE. If I'm not home, they'll leave a paper in my mailbox notifying me that I have a package to pick up at the nearest post office.

From my own experience, they never do a second or third attempt. If I haven't picked up the package after let's say 5 business days, they'll resend me a second notice. If I still fail to pick it up, they'll send a third and FINAL notice. If I still don't pick it up after the final notice, they'll resend the package to the sender. I know this cause my cell phone provider sent me a second phone by mistake and they just told me to not pick up the package so I won't have to pay to ship the phone back. Long story...
 
I always receive my international orders via Canada Post and they always try to deliver ONCE. If I'm not home, they'll leave a paper in my mailbox notifying me that I have a package to pick up at the nearest post office.
Except if its Purolator, which is Canada Post's courier. When someone sends something through USPS and it has tracking, it ends up with Purolator. They attempt to deliver only once and then take it back to the outlet, which is in the middle of nowhere... out in the burbs somewhere far, far away. I kind of hate Purolator.

Anyway, zerodross, it sounds like it has to be Canada Post. And if they pass on to any courier company or Purolator, a note is always left hanging to the door knob or attached to the door in some way. They want people to find out about their missed packages.