(probably) "lost": french postal services suck!!

[Jefferson]

Yeah, french postal services suck.

It makes now more than 3 months i'm waiting for my Bali. The craziest thing is Chris sent it from Bali to Belgium without any problem, then it began to screw up. It had to pass through Belgium as Chris couldn't send it to me directly. My mother sent it from Belgium to my place through France, the 14 september.

Something like a month later, when i contacted the postal service, they told me it was sent back to Belgium on the 4 october, without being able to say why. A few calls later nothing really clear about all this until today when i had both belgian and french postal service. The follow-up said that iy was sent back to Belgium because there wasn't the invoice on the box (yep, my mother didn't check, and i forgot to tell her to check...) but they didn't contact my parents to ask for it as they were supposed to do. It's crazy but they told me it wasn't possible to have the proof they did try!!!

Then, always on the follow-up, it's said it was sent back on the 4 october and on the 17 november. During one month and half, nothing, but once again, nobody knows why. The worste is that in Belgium they said they didn't receive anything since 17 november, and in France they couldn't give me a proof it was sent (n° of flight, schedule, etc...Just to check). So, it means the instrument is NOWHERE for them. I guess (with anger i have to say) that a big asshole took this opportunity to make himself a gift he doesn't deserve...

The ice on the cake: if it's lost (i can't understand they could say that, as if it has litterally disappeared), they'll pay me back something like 280 euros...

Just a skewer of incompetent, postal services are totally unsecured...Really frustrating...

[lino]

Oh man what a nightmare... I feel for you. Let's hope it shows up again soon!

Do you have the serial number, or can you get it from Chris?
If it remains "lost" we could list it as stolen here.

[TyGuy]

Sorry to hear about this Jefferson. I can't imagine how scary this is for you.

Best of luck. Let us know how everything works out. Just keep up the persistence, my friend.

[magenta]

I'm sorry, this sounds like hell I know how you feel, because my hang was lost somewhere too, but it returned to me after a long time of beeing "nowhere". I wish you good luck!!!!

[klaïm]

That's happend to me with many other staff, sometine they give more money taht what inside, sometine less
Don't give up i can come back any time, if you know more o less which post office is responsible, you can ask them

For people don't want to lost somethings precieous,you can have insurance like this you're sure they give you back money.
if not they back only 25or 23€ by kilo not enough if you buy a hand pan

Anyway, think it will come back to you and he will come back to you

[Jefferson]

Thanks guys for your messages, maybe it's lost but my hope and determination are not. I'll do all i can...

edit: to share a few things about this nightmare:

- be sure to have the invoice when sending it
- as Klaïm explained, take a good insurance to be payed back not just peanuts
- in case of problem with your handpan, and when you have them on the phone, try to see (yes hard) it as an exercice of equanimity learning

re-edit: @Lino: i didn't ask yet but i will. We never know if one day, a bastard put it on Ebay...

[Jefferson]

Well,

It's definitely considered lost, but actually not by french postal services but belgian ones. It was more than probably stolen by an employee during transfert between Brussels airport and postal services, too many people involved to know who...

I got the number from Chris, in case it appears on ebay: D minor scale, n°189. If you see it, please let me know, though i still don't know what i'm gonna do if it's the case. Any idea?

Thanks for your kind words,

JF

[lino]

JF, have you reported the instrument with its serial number as stolen to your local police? You really need to do that in order to have any leverage in case it reappears anywhere. When you do, ask them who to contact in that case - having a good (if possible personal) police contact is key to getting quick action when needed. If/when you do see it offered e.g. on ebay, let the police deal with it - ebay is far more likely to be cooperative with police than with some random person merely claiming that an auction is stolen goods. The law clearly states that it's yours, even if the seller bought it from someone else in good faith.

I'll start a "lost/stolen handpan" sticky thread.

Good luck!

[kiwidreamer]

Jefferson Did Chris insure it before it left Bali or have you lost all your money?
Is Chris going to make you another one or have you lost your place on the list?

[Jefferson]

Thanks for the advice Lino, i'll do that.

Kiwidreamer, in fact, it doesn't concern directly Chris as the bali arrived in Belgium without any problem. As Chris couldn't send me directly to my place, he had to send it first to my parent's home and then they sent me from Belgium to my place. And the problem was during the shipping between Belgium and my place, so it's all my problem. Now i'll see with Chris if we can find any agreement for another one. I didn't lose all the money but almost as the upper limit of payback is far less than the value of the Bali...