Missing SAPO Parcels and Letters

S

steve_clarke

New Member
Joined
Aug 6, 2012
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
If you have had parcels or mail go missing in recent months, please email

-discontinued

with your details including area and local SAPO office, the time frame this package was intercepted and as much of the path the mail followed through the chain as you could track.

- Background
Over the past 7 years I have ordered many items from overseas and only ever had 1 item not arrive.
Over the past 2 months i have had more than 5 items go missing in the mail.
They have all been non “signed for” (blue/green slip) items, so the slip is easily intercepted and claimed at the post office. This is still no excuse for them going missing. My concern is that I am reading more and more about Registered items being intercepted or returned without notifying the destined recipient.
I am trying to locate the point in the process at witch the parcels are being intercepted:
International Sorting - Local Post Office - Notice Delivery - Door
If you had items go missing in the mail delivery process, or even if you HAVE been receiving your blue/green slips, please call me.

I've attempted to put up notices, listing the above paragraph, at my local Post Office for people with the same problem to call me but these notices are removed daily. These notices merely state that I am trying to track down the point in the chain where the mail is going missing, yet my local SAPO feels the need to remove them, daily.

I'm not saying the packages are going missing from my local SAPO, but they are in no way assisting in the fight against this problem.

I attempted to lodge a complaint on HelloPeter. I received a message back from SAPO equivalent to the holding message on their telephone lines with just as much effectiveness.
While I appreciate their good wishes, the workflow and absolute anti-useability of HelloPeter whereby the only communication is lodging a formal complaint to an automated response system, is an absolutely ineffectual waste of time.

I would like to start building a database that can be accessed by any media person or organisation willing to take up the cause.

If you have any other information that could aid this cause, please email the address above.
Let's get our Postal Service back.

Thanks for listening
Stephen
 
Last edited:
I have also had some items disappear, but it it usually quite difficult to determine where the problem is.

I have some parcels coming in right now, will try to follow them and provide feedback.
 
I could go on and on about this

I have been running a book and CD mail order business for 14 years. From 2001 to about 2010, the frequency of missing (insured) parcels sent via the Post Office gradually decreased until we now have about 3 every other month, of about 200 parcels sent a month. Of course, Berco Couriers are much better, only delivering late two parcels in 4 years, but it is costly.

What has been getting worse over the past 2-3 years are missing parcels from, China. In partlcular small packets with a value of under $100 seem to go astray quite often. Whereas the delivery via EMS from China used to be 15-18 days, it can sometimes be 8-10 weeks. The Post Office have a very efficient tracking system where you can call an 011- number to see the whereabouts of your incoming parcel from China. Since 1st June we have ordered 22 items from China and only 8 have arrived. The suppliers in China now allow 6 weeks for delivery, or else I should say they won't entertain a claim until 6 weeks have elapsed, then appear to do nothing for 2-3 weeks, hoping it will turn up.

PayPal and Ali-Express are a good safeguard for missing/undelivered items.

For regular mail, the non-delivery is very low, and if there is a return address the letter will be returned free of charge.

I am not saying that there are not problems with the Post Office, in fact the Jhb sorting office still seems the fly in the ointment, but they are much better than they have ever been.
 
I have been ordering stuff for the past 4-6 years off eBay and I've had about 2 items go missing on me out of maybe about 70 items, i did receive refunds or a new item! But generally speaking our local PO in my area are quite good! Plus they know me now!
 
Good luck with that. In my case some two years ago 11 parcels and 3 registered letters went missing within 12 months. Due to the loss of EUR 5000 I filed a case of theft at SAPS and officers actually paid Postnet and SAPO a visit and investigated the loss. Even with SAPO's help I was not able to establish how 3 different registered letters mailed weeks apart disappeared. The chain pretty much broke at SAPO Bryanston and letters disappeared from there without any trace.

Anything of value will just disappear regardless if the parcels are branded or unmarked. To me it seems, that postal workers identify post-boxes which receive high-value items frequently and those will then go missing. I have yet to ever receive a first parcel-/registered letter-notification - in a few cases it is either the 2nd or final notice and in most cases no notification is ever placed in the post box.

I do think that the problem is not just in one place, but spread across the chain of delivery.
 
I never ever use the Post Office for anything urgent and/or valuable. When I worked for Legal Aid just out of University I once had a matter where a client and 29 others were charged with 555 counts of fraud. These guys were on video opening up mail and throwing anything they did not want into a large bin. They were taking things like Credit Cards, packages with electronics and CASH, Who send cash in the mail anyway? Anyway it took 3 years to get to trial, by which time my "client" was dead along with 6 other of the accused. I don't know what happened after that.
 
sal12344 said:
... opening up mail and throwing anything they did not want into a large bin.
Click to expand...

I also get the impression that this is what happens, as quite random and generally not usable items disappear (eg notebook specific keyboards or chargers, not generally useful).
 
One of my wifi cameras have not arrived, I have a chinese tracking number, the item was on the plane on the 17/06/12 but the item still has not arrived in SA.

The plane must have crashed or took a detour through the Bermuda Triangle...
 
iceman23 said:
One of my wifi cameras have not arrived, I have a chinese tracking number, the item was on the plane on the 17/06/12 but the item still has not arrived in SA.

The plane must have crashed or took a detour through the Bermuda Triangle...
Click to expand...

I have also had this, and then the SAPO claims that it has not arrived in SA :wtf: :mad: :wtf:

In one case, a dSLR, it was tracked into the SAPO EMS Depo at ORT (was assigned a local tracking number), but never left it :wtf:

Nothing happened, no compensation, zilch !
 
ouch, mine was R500. a DSLR must have been a big loss.

I can safely assume it has been "lost".

I wonder if ebay will compensate me in this instance?
 
Thanks for the replies everyone. I just feel like there aren't enough unified people making a loud enough noise.

When confronting my local SAPO person at 6am this morning to find out why she keeps removing the sign I put up, she replied "We're not open.", in true SA fashion.

So i hounded. Eventually 6:45 this morning I received a call from Morgan Maphutha, (i'm assuming, from head office) who said he would deal with the matter.

I forwarded the details on to him and received an email in return saying he's forwarded it to the Investigation Department. This feels like passing the buck, of course, until I receive results.
Now after reading all above, I get the feeling "Investigation" is probably still busy looking for all your stuff.

:(

Okay, they have 2 days. Then I start hounding again.
 
Of topic a bit:

My word, HelloPeter, while I appreciate their cause, is the most badly designed and administrated site I've come across in years.
I have PDFs that are more user friendly.
 
Freaksta said:
I have been ordering stuff for the past 4-6 years off eBay and I've had about 2 items go missing on me out of maybe about 70 items, i did receive refunds or a new item! But generally speaking our local PO in my area are quite good! Plus they know me now!
Click to expand...

Well this is what gets me. I've also ordered about 40 items over the past 4 years with 1 fatality, now almost 7 items in 2 months?! I want someone to own up to the escalation.
 
Well, I can say one thing.

Next to no-one has emailed the address, expect for apparent "hot hympho girls" who are looking for me.

Proves to me, again, how much South Africans will rather sit around a braai and talk about how "kak" this country is, than stand unified and do something about it.
 
You have me all worried now. After 10 days my parcel arrived at ORT. 2 days later released from customs. Called them to get a sapo tracking number. Its been 4 days now its been travelling from Jhb to PE!
 
I have been waiting for a month for a package from Germany. If it doesn't get to me, mark my words, I'm blowing up the entire ****ing SA postal service. :mad:
 
steve_clarke said:
Well, I can say one thing.

Next to no-one has emailed the address, expect for apparent "hot hympho girls" who are looking for me.

Proves to me, again, how much South Africans will rather sit around a braai and talk about how "kak" this country is, than stand unified and do something about it.
Click to expand...

I am planning to email you, but just lazy.
That said, please don't whine
 
eehellfire said:
I am planning to email you, but just lazy.
That said, please don't whine
Click to expand...

Honestly, am I whining?
I have 12 items in the mail "somewhere", was contact by Morgan Maphutha of SAPO who passed my "challenges" on to their "investigation" department a week ago - Nothing.

6 people replied on this post about lost items, none of whom have mailed?

Man, I don't know how to make a bigger noise about this. I'm beyond frustrated.
If i hear nothing this week I'm going to try the media, first local.

What else can I do?
 
Hi! I have a parcel coming via USPS from the USA. Its been in JHB International Parcels Customs since the 5th August according to the Tracking via the USPS website.

I have no idea who to phone about tracing it locally. Anyone know the International or Customs Number, please?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X