"Reasons for a returned package from Spain" Topic

So I sent a few minis to a guy in Spain (the item was sold through pay pal).

I have recived numerous e-mails from this guy complaing that he has not gotten his item. To be honest they are comming in at about 2-3 per day!

I just got back his package. It is maked all over with various dates and one of the stamps when translated says "Expired in List."

Anyone know what this might mean? I checked the adress and it lined up with the one I was given (it was also not confirmed with paypal.

Thanks

Possibly there is a guarantee that the parcel will be delivered within a certain number of days – common with Express and trackable parcels – so rather than destroying the parcel (like Australia Post) they returned it to sender instead of keeping on trying at their end.??

Could you put it in spanish so spanish speakers can check it?

It could be that the package was not delivered but kept at the post office (post people are sometimes vey lazy in spain) and it could even be that the usual procedure of leaving a notice in the addressse's mailbox was not observed. Or maybe they did their job but the addressee did not pay attention to it. That or the guy did not keep the notice, throwing it to the trash, inadvertently.

beowulfdahunter, what Postal Service did you use?

It sounds to me as if you used a private courier such as USPS for instance. The service network of such couriers in Western European countries (or at least in Spain) is not so large as that of public Mail Services, so that in the practice only main cities are covered by them with some degree of effectiveness.

When they're delivered a parcel whose destination lays outside their area, they simply drop a written note into the receiver's mailbox, stating to have failed delivery and requesting the addressee to go in their office to take the parcel. There is a number of chances the note gets lost --or simply, that the addressee has no chance to travel to the courier's office town in the stated time table. Inversely, Public Mail services do have extensive offices networks, extending to small towns too. I bet this is the same in most Western European countries. Certainly it is in France, Italy and Germany, I'd say.

I've always considered private couriers as desproportionately expensive for their low effectiveness and reliability. Such is my untrust toward these companies that I never purchase from an American seller, if he is not using your Federal Mail Service but a private courier instead.

Soldadets, USPS is the United States Postal Service. It isn't a private courier. Perhaps you were thinking of UPS (United Postal Service).

link

It's all in here.

I have had returned /delayed mail to Spain more than once. God knows what they do over there, probably a bullfight and a siesta. :)

Soldadets, USPS is the United States Postal Service. It isn't a private courier. Perhaps you were thinking of UPS (United Postal Service)

You're right danielwheeler, I mistook the acronyms as you suggested.

I have had returned /delayed mail to Spain more than once. God knows what they do over there, probably a bullfight and a siesta. :)

Combatpainter, if this pretended to be a nice joke, have for sure it wasn't.

I do also sell stuff through eBay since 2007 and have been returned a package only a couple of times. In both cases it was an error of mine as sender, no one else's. So I'd strongly reommend you to check every one of your returned packages addresses, for I'd bet there's some hidden error in most of them.

We've seen this as well. I _think_ there can be some sort of system whereby the package is kept at the post office and the recipient sent a message to pick it up. Either they miss the message or it goes wayward, and the package sits there for X amount of time, before being automatically returned.

I _think_.

As Soldadets says.

I have had a similar experience once. A package from USA that was sent by courier. The courier tried to deliver to my home address, but as I wasn't at home (you know, I work!) then they returned the package without as much as wasting two seconds in leave me a notice of failure to delivery.

To make a long story short: the seller re´-send me the package (he was nice enough to propose split the cost of a new shipment, though I assumed the full payment; it wasn't his fault, after all) but this time using ordinary mail service. It worked like a charm and in a couple of weeks I had my package.

God knows what they do over there, probably a bullfight and a siesta.

Not a very funny joke, you know.

Actually pretty lame. You should work harder in your attempts of sarcasm. So far it's only a show of xenophobic bad taste.

I used the USPS, I do not use any other services. I have never had this issue, but I have heard problems with the Spanish system. Funny enough he is trying to blame my post office.

I am just getting sick of constant e-mails from this guy.

I have had parcels returned, turns out despite the postcode sometimes they have been sent to a town with a similar name. Also he could live in a village where the post is delivered to bottom of the hill only and parcels they leave a card to say come and collect it within a couple of days or it goes back.

That said the post lady here brings parcels to the bar if I am not home to receive them so I can not complain to much

@gunnerphil

You get your mailed delivered to the bar? That is so cool.

Beowulfdahunter,
Take some pics of the packgae especially the Spanish markings to show him it went there. I'd refund him the money afterwards and not ship to him again.

I don't understand why Spaniards get so irate when it takes ages for parcels to reach them. It's not like it's your fault. I've had long delivery times before to Spain but IIRC they all got there in the end.

David
kingsfordminiatures.org

Good advice from Sturmpioneer. eMailing photos of the parcel should prove to the seller that this is NOT your fault.

David

I have ordered from you in the past. I am Spanish. I have never complained for long delivery times. The only time I did was a polite question I sent to an Ancients coin dealer for a coin I had bought from him and that took six months to reach me (the dealer had sent it to another client that happened to be called exactly like me, but who lived in Badajoz instead in Madrid!).

So, if you don't mind, DON'T say "why Spaniards get so irate" because ONE Spaniard is pestering the OP with emails about his package.

I had a Dutch guy that sent me five emails in ONE day after he won an auction I had in ebay. Between the purchase and the time he received the shipment (two days later, mind you!) I received 12 emails from that guy. Never occurred to me that all Dutchmen are so 'email-obsessed', though (by the way, he was a very nice and polite guy, just too much 'email-friendly')

Have you never had a Canadian or USA customer that also was a pain in the ass? Lucky you if you haven't!

Hello Basileus,
Don't get me wrong, I sell lots to Spain and for me they are good customers. I also sell lots of miniatures to Italy which are also good customers. There are many retaillers who won't ship at all to either country. I did not mean to say all Spaniards were difficult just that for some their expectations exceed my ability to meet.

I wish I had as many Canadian customers as I do from Spain. :)

David
kingsfordminiatures.org

I have had returned /delayed mail to Spain more than once. God knows what they do over there, probably a bullfight and a siesta. :)

Combatpainter, if this pretended to be a nice joke, have for sure it wasn't.
----------------------------
I know we should all have a sense of humour but sometimes such stereotypes are no more funny than all the old "when the USAF is overhead, everyone ducks" type thing pushed by those with an anti US agenda(or the atypical anti French comments which kind of ignore Formigny etc – since we only get taught Crecy and Agincourt).