Delivery times and tracking
Before you think about what to do if Russian Post has lost your parcel, you need to familiarize yourself with the delivery times for items.
Depending on the origin and pickup locations they can be decent. This company is not in a big hurry with delivery. If a lot of time has passed and there is still no news, look, maybe the due date has not yet passed. The information is located on the Post website; you need to select the parcels section. There are internal regulations regarding how long items must “stand idle” at intermediate points. As a result, information was taken to the maximum and delivery times between different cities of the country were published.
The information is freely available in table form. It shows that shipment between some regions can take 10-20 days. Therefore, it is not a fact that the parcel was lost at the Post Office, maybe it just takes a long time. But if more than the allotted time has passed, you can start to worry and act.
Track numbers are available to track postal items. They are communicated to the sender, who can pass the information on to the recipient. Next, you can use online resources for tracking, for example, the track24 website. Enter the track code, the system gives a complete breakdown of the “journey” of the parcel. You can see where and when she was, at what stage the traces were lost. It also happens that a parcel is lost at the sorting center.
Terms for consideration of claims
Dispatches may vary. And the timing of the search depends on how remote the sending was. The following periods for consideration of claims are regulated:
- a claim to search for an international postal item will be considered for a minimum of 30 and a maximum of 90 days;
- if the shipment was carried out within one locality, the investigation will be quick, according to the regulations only 5 days;
- a claim to search for mail within Russia, that is, between different cities and regions, is considered within 30 days.
The further the recipient is from the sender, the more steps the package had to go through, the longer it will take to be searched for. There will be many transfer points to check. So, if you lost your package in the mail, things won't be done quickly.
Possible reasons for lost parcels at Russian Post
Despite the state status of the postal institution, it enjoys a bad reputation among customers. There are many reviews on the Internet about the work of the Russian Post, and most of them say that parcels of any size and value can get lost. Such unpleasant moments occur for several reasons:
- low company tariffs and, as a consequence, the actions of ordinary employees lead to negligence in their duties;
- poor logistics processes;
- there has been a theft from a box or package.
Most often, parcels are stolen, although the Russian Post does not officially acknowledge this and insists that the post office simply lost the parcel. As a rule, theft usually occurs in relation to poorly marked or unvalued goods, which are unlikely to be searched for later.
In what cases is the post office not responsible?
If the post office lost the package or it arrived damaged, this does not mean that you will be able to get justice. Responsibility from the organization is relieved in the following cases:
- Delays in delivery, loss or damage to the shipment occurred due to reasons beyond the organization’s control, for example, as a result of a natural disaster.
- The parcel was seized by authorities ensuring security and preventing violations of various types.
- The shipment was damaged or lost due to the sender's fault, for example, due to improper packaging.
Why is this common?
At the moment, Russian Post is the most widespread postal service in Russia, since its state status allows it to develop and be located almost throughout the country. Low tariffs do not allow staff to be paid adequately, and workers are not only negligent in their duties, but also steal packages.
In addition, despite a large number of precedents and evidence, the company’s management does not recognize the problem of theft and in most situations talks about loss in transit. Even with the ability to track most shipments, as well as insurance and inventory services, packages continue to get lost and stolen.
Steps the recipient needs to take
To begin with, if the package does not arrive for a long time, you can try to find its last location using the track number, because actually losing it is quite difficult. It can be found in the payment receipt if the sender is ready to provide it, or in correspondence from the online store if the parcel contains goods. When the required code is available, you need to go to the Russian Post website and enter it into the search form on the main page, results will appear in a few seconds.
If the parcel is really lost at Russian Post, that is, its tracking status does not change, the deadline for the shipment to arrive has long expired, or the track number is not found at all, you need to take action. But before that, you can call your branch and ask if there is a shipment for you; in some cases, they have been in the mail for a long time.
If not, you need to act radically; to do this, fill out a search application, which can be filled out online, or in person at the post office. In the first case, you need to have an account on the State Services portal; if you have one, you can go to the Russian Post website in the search section and select the type of item you are looking for.
Next, the addressee fills out the claim form, indicating the reason for the request, in our case it is an unarrived shipment. In case of personal submission, you need to contact the branch for a form or download it from the company’s website to fill it out manually. You need to submit the application at the post office, but a check is attached to it, so you must first contact the sender, since he has the right to report the search.
Perhaps there is simply no information in the system
It happens that information simply disappears from the system. The shipment is not tracked in whole or in part, there is no information, no notification is received. In this case, you must first check the availability of the parcel at the post office.
Take your passport and shipment tracking number. Perhaps what you sent has been waiting for you for a long time, there is simply no information about it in the system. The operator will check. If the parcel is lying, he will hand over a notice to fill out on the spot and issue it as required.
Parcels are stored for 30 days, please take these deadlines into account. Small packages - 6 months. They are then sent back to the sender.
How to find out at what stage the parcel was lost
Before contacting the postal operator with a complaint and trying to call its management, it is worthwhile to figure out which post office lost the package from AliExpress. To do this, you need to figure out at which stage of the parcel’s journey to the recipient it got lost. Finding the current location of a parcel is very easy.
To do this, you just need to find out its track number and use the free service for tracking postal items on the official website of the Russian Post - pochat.ru, which is located in the section of the website of this postal operator called “Tracking”. Using this technology, you can literally find out in two clicks of the mouse information about the current address of the parcel and the time of its arrival at the sorting point or post office.
To track the parcel, the tracking number assigned to them is used, which can be found on the shipping receipt. If we are talking about the recipient’s desire to find out the route of the parcel and the territory where it is located, then he can obtain the track number by personally contacting the seller or the technical support staff of the online trading platform where he purchased the goods.
According to experienced users, before you start complaining about the seller and the postal service or apply to start tracking your order, you should wait until 10 days have passed so that the postal database has time to update. Sometimes international parcels can be stuck in sorting centers for up to a month, but this does not mean that they are lost.
You need to understand that the Russian Post, as well as the sender, cannot influence the acceleration of the parcel’s arrival at the addressee’s office, so you often just have to wait to eventually receive the shipment.
Filing a search application
In case of loss of a parcel, the first thing you need to do is write a search claim. Algorithm of actions:
- The application can be submitted at the post office or done online on the website of this organization. The Internet service can be used by citizens who have an account with State Services. Then you can track information about the situation there. It's better to do it via the Internet.
- To consider the application, you must have a shipping receipt; you can just have a copy. When applying online, it is attached to the application. When visiting a post office, be sure to have a paper copy of your receipt and your own passport with you. A search is underway. If it does not produce results, you can count on compensation.
A search application can be submitted by both the sender and the recipient.
How to find a missing parcel from Aliexpress
Russian Post delivers parcels only within the territory of the Russian Federation, so it does not bear any responsibility for situations where items are lost on the way to Russia. Thus, if the parcel was lost outside the Russian Federation, it will be useless to demand money from the Russian Post as compensation for the lost goods. In any case, it is important to find out what to do if a package is lost at the post office, and what actions should be taken to initiate its search or receive financial compensation.
Sometimes tracking makes it possible to establish that the parcel has already arrived at the department, but for some reason the addressee does not receive notification of its arrival. In this case, in order to receive it, you will need to fill out the notice yourself on the Russian Post website, print it out and go get your parcel.
If the shipment is lost and cannot be tracked, then you should also go to the post office, taking your passport with you. Ask a Russian Post employee to try to find the parcel by the track number or the recipient's last name. Sometimes it turns out that the item was not lost, and in fact it is already in the department. If the postal operator’s employee refuses the client’s request, then you can try to motivate them by calling the Russian Post customer support line: 8-800-100-0000.
If the shipment is not tracked via the Internet and all deadlines for its arrival have long expired, then the package that was lost can be put on the wanted list.
You can write an application to search for a lost parcel, if it is lost, directly at the post office, where you can find a sample of such an application.
To write an application to search for a shipment, you will have to attach a receipt that paid for its delivery. You can try to get a copy of the receipt from the seller.
Go to the branch
Sometimes you simply don't receive a notification about your parcel. It shouldn't happen this way, but it does. If you see by the track number that the parcel is at the post office, fill out the notification form on the Russian Post website, print it out and go there.
If the shipment is untrackable or is located in an unclear location, also go to the department with your passport. Ask that the parcels be searched by address, last name, track code. Sometimes they are found. Postal employees who do not want to do this are encouraged to call the hotline at 8-800-100-00-00.
First actions
Recently, there have been quite a few stories in the media about the loss of parcels due to illegal actions of postal employees.
Every citizen has the right to the provision of quality services, and in case of violations can protect themselves and their property.
But before filing complaints against Russian Post, you should make sure that the cause of the loss is indeed the employees of the postal service department. This is quite easy to do.
If a customer's package is tracked, he can easily find out where it is at a specific point in time.
To do this, you need to know the track number (if the citizen is the recipient, you need to check this information with the sender), which should be entered on one of the parcel tracking services or on the post office website.
If, after entering the code, the user receives the message “Left MMPO,” it means the parcel is in one of the postal service warehouses.
Otherwise, the reason for the loss of the parcel may be:
- Illegal actions of a company that was engaged in delivering parcels to the Russian border.
- Seizure of items at customs (this happens if the parcel contains cargo prohibited for import).
- Sender fraud.
You must wait a few days after departure before checking. If the post office is busy, information may appear with a certain delay. You should also take into account the fact that some postal employees are negligent in their duties and may simply not enter the necessary data. It is precisely because of the last factor that it is recommended to use the services of third-party courier services that work more conscientiously.
Make sure your package is lost
Check delivery times
The subjective feeling that “something has not arrived for a long time” is not enough to be sure that it is missing. Look on the online store’s website to see how long they promised to deliver your order.
List of orders on AliExpress
These numbers don't just happen. As a rule, the estimated delivery time is close to reality. If there is plenty of time left in this period, just wait.
Check where the package is
Parcels have track codes that can be used to determine their location. They are usually present in your personal account in the order card. If the parcel was sent by a private person, ask him for the necessary numbers.
Using the track code, you can find out the path of the cargo and see where it is stuck. It happens that a shipment sits for a long time at customs or in a sorting center, and not necessarily in a Russian one. This usually happens during sales or holidays - employees cannot cope with the increased workload. This is unpleasant, but it is worth understanding and forgiving them.
The service is now provided by many services, here are some of them.
Post office
Parcels sent from a Russian locality are assigned a 14-digit track code. As for international parcels, on the Russian Post website you can find data only on those whose numbers begin with the letters R, C, E, V and L. The rest are considered untraceable.
Where is the parcel
Here you can also trace the path of untraceable shipments - but only to the border with Russia. The service has nowhere to get further information from, since Russian Post does not provide such data.
Track24
There is also a route for untraceable shipments to the Russian border. Sometimes the information continues to be updated, but the website says that you shouldn’t believe it.
Analyze the statistics
On the Track24 website you can enter the tracking code of the parcel and find out how long on average such items are delivered. It may be too early to panic.
Wait for a decision
If Russian Post admits that the item is missing, they will give compensation for it.
For a regular parcel sent from Russia, you will be paid the amount of the declared value. It is determined by the sender. It is indicated on the parcel itself and on the receipt, and is entered into the mail database.
You are also subject to a tariff fee. Its size varies, you can see it on the Russian Post website. Tariffs apply to parcels sent by Russian mail. You can try to find out from him how much they took from a seller from another country.
For international shipments without declared value, compensation is calculated in the artificial payment currency SDR. It is equal to 41.73% of the dollar. In case of loss, the payment will be 40 SDR plus 4.5 SDR for each kilogram of the parcel. If the value is declared, this amount will be refunded.
If the parcel is lost in Russia
The seller sent the goods and indicated the correct tracking number for the shipment. But when it is checked, traces of the parcel are lost on Russian territory. It happens that the shipment remains at customs. This may be due to the order of goods prohibited for import. Such a package will not be delivered. But if the parcel has already passed customs inspection, was sent to the sorting center, and then disappeared from it, you need to look for it
.
You can do this in two ways:
- put on the wanted list on the Russian Post website;
- submit an application at a Russian Post office.
Let's consider each of the proposed options.
Submitting an application on the Russian Post website
You need to go to the Internet resource. In the “Other services” section, select “Electronic appeals”.
Depending on the type of postal item, select the necessary one from the list of offered services:
- claim to search for postal items in Russia;
- claim to search for international mail.
When choosing an option, the system prompts you to log in to the system using the “Government Services” portal. If the user is not registered in the system, you need to register. This is not difficult to do. The whole procedure takes a few minutes.
After providing all the necessary information, click on submit a claim. The system will indicate the period during which the shipment will be searched. It will be considered lost if not found within 14 days or less. It all depends on the postal regulations.
Submitting an application at a Russian Post office
You can go to the post office where the package should be delivered. Ask the operator for a claim form to search for domestic or international shipments.
The form can be filled out by printing it from the Russian Post website. But you also need to log in or register.
The form indicates:
- Recipient's full name;
- number of departure;
- information about the sender and other necessary data.
Then it is printed and taken to the Russian Post Office.
It is imperative to ensure that after receiving such an appeal, a date and signature are placed on the copy of the document indicating that the claim has been accepted for consideration. The parcel will be searched within 14 days. After this period, it will be considered lost. The recipient is entitled to financial compensation for the cost of the shipment.
But this is provided that the parcel was insured or the value of the items included in it was indicated when sending it. In other cases, compensation is quite difficult to obtain.
We are filing a lawsuit for reimbursement of the cost of the parcel.
Even if the cost of the goods was not indicated on the shipment or the shipment itself was not insured, its loss is the fault of the postal workers. Therefore, the recipient has the right to go to court to obtain reimbursement of the cost of the parcel.
In the statement of claim he states
the date of departure and the approximate date of its delivery. As well as the cost of the product, its name, quantity.
He encloses with the application
:
- purchase receipt (you can print it yourself),
- the post office's decision that the parcel was lost,
- a copy of correspondence with the seller,
- evidence that the parcel was lost on the territory of the Russian Federation.
I would like to say that the post office does not always satisfy claims. But you need to fight to get your money back. Courts, as a rule, make a decision in favor of the plaintiff if he has an impeccable evidence base.
What to do
Initially, you need to make sure that the parcel was actually lost. If the buyer ordered a product on a foreign website, for example, Aliexpress, the delivery time is always set. Upon completion, you can already start looking for the parcel. If a citizen sent a parcel within the country, then its deadlines will be communicated to him immediately at the post office.
Worth considering
:
- Track numbers of parcels sent from foreign stores are not always tracked;
- The movement of parcels within the country can always be checked.
So, if the delivery deadline has passed, you need to look for it
. There are a large number of services for this. But only a few of them are popular:
- official website of Russian Post;
- website "Where is the Parcel";
- Track24 resource.
Let's consider the stages of checking each of them.
Post office
You need to go to the official website.
On the right side of the window there is a special field to fill out. It indicates the track number. It may consist of letters and numbers. Each character must be specified.
After filling out the field, click on the search icon. The system will give the result in a minute. The screen will show a list of points where the parcel was registered. If it was sent from abroad, foreign distribution points and customs will initially be displayed. And if the parcel has already arrived in Russia, it will indicate exactly where it is now or where it was sent from, the time and date of departure.
Service "Where is the Parcel"
You need to go to the service website:
https://gdeposylka.ru/.
In the window that opens there is a field for indicating the departure track. You also need to select a postal service. You can find out from the seller who sent the goods.
After entering the data, you need to click on the “Track parcel” button. The system will produce the result:
- when the parcel was sent:
- where and when delivered;
- its further movement to the main distribution points.
The system will also show the estimated delivery time of the item.
Track24 service
You need to go to the service website.
In the window that opens there is a special form in which the track number is indicated. Next, click on the “Track parcel” button. The system provides information about when the package was sent, where it is currently located and when it will approximately arrive to the recipient.
If the package is lost outside the Russian Federation
In this case, there is no need to file a claim with Russian Post. The sender must search for the parcel. He submits an application to search for the item to the postal service through which it was sent.
What to do if the package was never delivered
First, check to see if there is still time left for delivery of the item. If the period has expired, you can demand a refund from the seller for the goods. It's easy to do. All foreign sites, such as Aliexpress, monitor the purity of transactions. In case of non-delivery of goods, the buyer may demand compensation from the seller. If the latter refuses to pay it, the company returns the money within a few days.
The site has special “Open a dispute” fields. They are located next to the product description. The buyer needs to click on the button under this name and indicate the reasons for the refund.
Many sellers return money for goods without opening a dispute. Please remember that returns are possible within a few days after the package delivery deadline. The seller may make concessions and send a similar product. In this case, there must be a new track number to track the shipment.
Is compensation due and who pays it?
Once the parcel falls into the hands of postal employees, this organization becomes responsible for its safety.
This responsibility also includes compensation payments in the event that the item being sent is damaged during transportation.
You can receive compensation not only if postal employees damage an item or lose it, but also if there are delays in delivery.
The amount of compensation is:
- 3 percent of the cost of payment for sending services. This amount is charged for each day of delay. Accordingly, if delivery is late by thirty days or more, the post office will be required to reimburse the entire cost of its services.
- An amount covering the cost of items sent in the parcel in case of its loss. If, after searching, the organization’s employees were unable to locate the lost items, the post office is obliged to reimburse the client for their cost.
Compensation for loss is paid no earlier than the end of the search for the parcel. The mail has up to 60 days for this.
If delivery deadlines are missed, or the item is lost due to force majeure, unavoidable circumstances, or incorrect registration, compensation will be refused.
Parcel search
What to do if Russian Post has lost your parcel? First of all, you should try to get the employees of this organization to find it. Such a possibility really exists. You must contact one of the post offices and submit an application to search for the missing parcel. It must include the following information:
- Departure and reception point.
- Type of packaging, its dimensions.
- Contents of the parcel (full list indicating the cost of each item).
- Personal data of the person who sent the message and the recipient.
- Evidence of receipt of the parcel by Russian Post.
The corresponding search application must be submitted within 6 months from the date of dispatch. If the cargo was sent from another country, employees are required to find the loss within 60 days.
If the parcel was sent within one locality - within 5 - 30 days. After these time periods, postal employees are required to reimburse the claimant for the estimated value of the lost items.
The search deadline has been violated - what to do?
If the items were not found within the time period specified above, you must contact your superiors or demand a refund of the cost of the lost items. So it is possible:
- File a complaint on the official website of Russian Post (the same should be done if branch employees refuse to accept applications, are rude, or ignore the client).
- Contact Roskomnadzor (a complaint can be filed remotely using the department’s website).
If these actions do not produce results, you should file an application for compensation. It should be taken into account that the estimated value of lost items may be lower than their actual price. Therefore, it is recommended to make every effort to force postal employees to conduct searches.
As a last resort, you can go to court. However, this action will only be advisable if truly expensive items are lost.
Legal proceedings require a waste of personal funds and time, so it is not always appropriate to initiate it due to the loss of an item worth several hundred rubles.
Call Russian Post accountable
Russian Post does not always meet halfway. If you want justice, you have two options:
- Court. Collect evidence and file a claim. The process will be long. But who looks at this when it comes to justice.
- Roskomnadzor. To complain, you don’t even have to get up from your computer - do it on the department’s website.