Canada Post Super Sucks

[darkchilde794 5]

So after almost 24 hours of living in nightmare limbo, my passport/visa has arrived.

No thanks to the imbeciles at Canada Post too.

At 12:40 pm yesterday, Canada Post reports a "receiver address error". I dont know what they are talking about. My hand writing was so legible, my mother would have been proud.

I was on the phone every hour until 6 pm last night and managed to get a case number out correctly. Thankfully, the first guy I spoke with realized how crucial this package was/is to me and cleared it for top priority mailing. I also managed to speak with a supervisor who basically had their trace person call me this morning.

Anyway at exactly 8:00 am today, Im calling Canada Post again, demanding that they find my parcel. Their system "claims" that the parcel was shipped out today and an hour later, their trace person calls me. He assures me that the parcel will come at noon.

So of course, I wait by the clock and at 12:30pm come to the concierge. No package. I was in tears (AGAIN) and call Canada Post. They shuffle me from one person to another and finally I got ahold of another supervisor, to whom I demanded a direct line to in case I need to call someone else, and he said he'll find the trace guy and just be patient.

Well I have used up my patience pool for 2010 waiting for this damn package.

So I decided Ill be calm, whine to Peachey on gchat and my phone rings. My concierge tells me my parcel's downstairs!!! I zooom down 21 flights of stairs and get the package. The first thing I do was check the addressing part and ask Harry (the concierge) "Do you understand my hand writing". And he goes, "I dont know why they think your hand writing is wrong, its so clear that its M2 not M1".

So I come upstairs and inspect my parcel. They had ripped it open. Thankgod my passport/birth certificate and the big yellow DO NOT OPEN envelope were all okay. There is a tiny little rip at the bottom of the yellow envelope, but I will just explain to the customs person what happened. Anyway some douchebag tapes it shut and stamps M2N on it.

In extreme concern, my fiance emailed the consulate last night asking what happens to us if CP did lose the parcel, but thankfully that didnt happen. Of course now Im worried the Consulate will cancel the visa so I emailed them that its all been resolved (for now).

You would think that this step would be the least stressful of the process, but it is far most, the most horrific part of my visa journey. I literally cried the entire afternoon yesterday. And last night, all I dreamt about was the Xpresspost envelope. I am never mailing with Canada Post again, ever. And yes I am demanding my money back.

[Varba 0]

*hugs*

I am glad it worked out for you. Peachey said she gave you my aim, I'm also open for misc complaints and talking. =)

[Malrothien 6]

I hate Canada Post, truly. I am so sorry you had to deal with that, Dark. Glad it came in!

[Lenie7 0]

There have been so many bad experiences with Canada Post! I'm glad everything worked out.

[SapphireDreams 71]

I'm glad it was resolved. Sorry you had to go through that! How nerve-wracking!

[Rhiannercakes 14]

You know what?

My do not open envelope has a tiny rip on the bottom corner too.

I'm unsure if I'm going to demand my money back, since their website totally contradicts itself.

I'm SO glad you got it though.

[Hugglebuggles 60]

Glad everything worked out!

[trailmix 77]

Wonder if Canada post is reading these threads

[darkchilde794 5]

Thanks everyone! I am soooo glad it's arrived to.

I wrote to the embassy earlier telling them that I have received the visa and that perhaps they can consider other shipping/courrier services like FedEX and UPS. My fiance and I would have moved heaven and earth to get my passport back to me and we would have paid $$$ for it to have been FedEx'd or so.

Rhian: I think you should get your money back. You bought a service that should have guaranteed next day delivery and should have arrived at that time. If they made a mistake and mixed your package with other Xpresspost envelopes, that was their fault. If we don't complain and demand compensation for their ill actions, we are just telling them "its ok for you to do this because at least I got my stuff". No. It's not okay.

I hope someone from Canada Post is reading this thread too. Seriously, google Canada Post and "passport", and you would see other horrific stories about CP losing Xpresspost envelopes containing passports and other government issued documents.

[Krikit 1,164]

Canada Post is horrible. They've got nothing on the USPS.

I'm kind of in the dark as to what must have happened prior to you receiving your package (so that part was a bit confusing lol), but I'm glad you received it darkchilde.

[darkchilde794 5]

Oh yeah, I should add that I actually wrote my phone number on the address part too. I mean, if someone couldn't figure out what's going on with the parcel, why not call me???

[darkchilde794 5]

Canada Post is horrible. They've got nothing on the USPS.

I'm kind of in the dark as to what must have happened prior to you receiving your package (so that part was a bit confusing lol), but I'm glad you received it darkchilde.

Oh sorry! Hahahaha! Well my postal code is M2N 7H2, and someone in the sorting facility in Mississagua read it as M1N 7H2 and put it in some delivery route in Scarborough. I showed my hand writing to three different people (my mom, concierge and a random dude in the lobby of my building) and they all said, "it's a 2 not a 1". Since CP thought it was a 1, and they could not find an "M1N 7H2" because that postal code DOES NOT EXIST, they sent me an "address error" message and shipped my package back to Scarborough, and then it was shipped back to Mississagua and then back to Scarborough.

Everytime I think about this, I just get angrier

[LeprechaunSean 0]

we should start a timeline from interview to visa in hand-or is there one already?

[LeprechaunSean 0]

I'm trying to find where I read that you should have your visa within 5 business days after the interview. anybody know where this is? I'd like to have something in writing to back up our request to pick up the visa the next day.

[trailmix 77]

I haven't seen the 5 days thing, this is what I have seen:

From the FAQ's in their auto reply to emails:

Q11: Can I pick up the visa the same day?

A: Because of the administrative processing associated with visa issuance, it is extremely difficult to issue visas on the same day of the interview. Instead, most visas, along with the necessary supporting documents, are mailed back to applicants within one week of visa approval, using the 12" x 15" Canada Post Xpresspost envelope supplied by the visa applicant. These envelopes must be mailed to a Canadian address. If you are already a lawful resident of the United States (on a valid work visa, for example), the visa can be picked up the next business day, at noon.

From the instructions to visa applicants supplement:

Due to security clearance processing, approved immigrant visas cannot be issued the day of your interview. link

Because the issued visa must be placed in your passport, we will not be able to return your passport until the visa is ready. Unless you need your passport for travel, you may return to your address in Canada on the day of your interview. We cannot offer any assurance as to the time when approved visas will be available. Accordingly, you must a purchase a 314 mm x 394 mm size prepaid Xpresspost mailer from Canada Post and present it with your documents at your interview so we can mail your completed visa to an address in Canada. Please bring one mailer for every four family members receiving visas.

If you are living in the U.S., in legal status, you may retrieve your visa at the U.S. Consulate Montreal. Although we cannot guarantee a processing time for the return of the visa, most are usually ready for pickup the following business day after the interview.