Is Australia Post about to cause this family to lose access to dad's will?
- Replies 16
Losing a loved one is very difficult and heartbreaking, but imagine how much worse it would be if you were unable to access their will because an important document was lost in the mail. For many, a will is a final way to hear from your loved one and honour their wishes.
Sadly, that's the grim reality facing one family whose dad passed away in Vietnam in late August. Because his will was created in Australia, the death certificate had to be posted over from Vietnam so that the family could begin organising his affairs.
You would think that forking out $40 for a registered express post would guarantee a quick and secure delivery of such an important document, but Sean – the man's son who is based in Japan – says he has been left ‘dumbfounded’ after Australia Post lost his dad's death certificate in transit.
Their grieving family’s ordeal began when Sean sent his sister Sarah their dad’s death certificate on September 13 from Japan to Sydney to start proceedings for the departed’s will.
All was well — or so Sean thought.
You see, the certificate’s tracking history with Australia Post said it arrived a week later on the 20th, but Sarah never received a package.
As anyone would do, they inquired about the whereabouts of the package by email.
It was all for nothing, because Sean and Sarah were eventually told that Australia Post had exhausted all options and decided to deem the vital certificate ‘lost in transit’.
The company then offered him a $100 compensation and recommended he submit a claim through Japan Post.
The brother and sister pair were also told in another email that the case would be closed as it was ‘finalised’.
With a lot counting on the document, Sean and Sarah were stunned at Australia Post’s apparent disregard for the problem.
‘I literally did everything correctly, I paid the expensive fee and got it tracked. I’m really disappointed as well because they really tried to give us the runaround,’ Sean said.
It made a difficult time even worse as he had to personally travel to Vietnam to get a copy of the death certificate while grieving his father’s death.
‘[N]ot only did I do it all right, but to have (Australia Post) just be like, “I don’t know, it’s lost”, is really frustrating,’ he added.
On top of everything happening, Sean is also worried about what will happen if they are unable to access his dad's will without the death certificate.
‘We now have to worry about my stepmother not having enough money, and of course, that money would have helped my sister who has two kids and a house.’ he said.
‘Of course, it’s not about the money, but on top of my dad dying, it also feels like “oh, by the way, you’re not going to get your inheritance because AusPost lost something in the mail”.’
He’s also left seething at Australia Post’s failure to do its role.
‘I can’t believe it really. It’s like, you have one job. It’s the express registered post, that’s the whole point of it, and if they lose that, then what are they doing with all your normal post?’ he said.
‘It boggles my mind. I’m just so shocked that it even could occur, and their response – you could tell that they just don’t care at all.’
Aside from anger, all Sean feels now is regret.
‘[T]he reason I sent it in the express post was because I trusted Australia Post, but I guess I was wrong, unfortunately.’
Meanwhile, Australia Post confirmed that they lost the death certificate in question and issued an apology to Sean and his family.
A spokesperson also said they have reached out anew to the grieving family to see what more could be done on Australia Post’s end.
Well, let's hope they can resolve this issue soon.
Speaking of delivery-related frustrations, be sure to check out this story if you’ve ever been a victim of ‘carding’ by AusPost or other couriers’ delivery drivers — you just might be eligible for $3000 in compensation!
So, what is your reaction to this delivery blunder? What would you have done if you were in Sean’s place?
Tell us your thoughts and reactions below!
Source: YouTube/Australia Post
Sadly, that's the grim reality facing one family whose dad passed away in Vietnam in late August. Because his will was created in Australia, the death certificate had to be posted over from Vietnam so that the family could begin organising his affairs.
You would think that forking out $40 for a registered express post would guarantee a quick and secure delivery of such an important document, but Sean – the man's son who is based in Japan – says he has been left ‘dumbfounded’ after Australia Post lost his dad's death certificate in transit.
Their grieving family’s ordeal began when Sean sent his sister Sarah their dad’s death certificate on September 13 from Japan to Sydney to start proceedings for the departed’s will.
All was well — or so Sean thought.
You see, the certificate’s tracking history with Australia Post said it arrived a week later on the 20th, but Sarah never received a package.
As anyone would do, they inquired about the whereabouts of the package by email.
It was all for nothing, because Sean and Sarah were eventually told that Australia Post had exhausted all options and decided to deem the vital certificate ‘lost in transit’.
The company then offered him a $100 compensation and recommended he submit a claim through Japan Post.
The brother and sister pair were also told in another email that the case would be closed as it was ‘finalised’.
With a lot counting on the document, Sean and Sarah were stunned at Australia Post’s apparent disregard for the problem.
‘I literally did everything correctly, I paid the expensive fee and got it tracked. I’m really disappointed as well because they really tried to give us the runaround,’ Sean said.
It made a difficult time even worse as he had to personally travel to Vietnam to get a copy of the death certificate while grieving his father’s death.
‘[N]ot only did I do it all right, but to have (Australia Post) just be like, “I don’t know, it’s lost”, is really frustrating,’ he added.
On top of everything happening, Sean is also worried about what will happen if they are unable to access his dad's will without the death certificate.
‘We now have to worry about my stepmother not having enough money, and of course, that money would have helped my sister who has two kids and a house.’ he said.
‘Of course, it’s not about the money, but on top of my dad dying, it also feels like “oh, by the way, you’re not going to get your inheritance because AusPost lost something in the mail”.’
He’s also left seething at Australia Post’s failure to do its role.
‘I can’t believe it really. It’s like, you have one job. It’s the express registered post, that’s the whole point of it, and if they lose that, then what are they doing with all your normal post?’ he said.
‘It boggles my mind. I’m just so shocked that it even could occur, and their response – you could tell that they just don’t care at all.’
Aside from anger, all Sean feels now is regret.
‘[T]he reason I sent it in the express post was because I trusted Australia Post, but I guess I was wrong, unfortunately.’
Meanwhile, Australia Post confirmed that they lost the death certificate in question and issued an apology to Sean and his family.
A spokesperson also said they have reached out anew to the grieving family to see what more could be done on Australia Post’s end.
Well, let's hope they can resolve this issue soon.
Key Takeaways
- A family may lose access to their dad's will after Australia Post lost his death certificate.
- The family is concerned they will not be able to access the will without the death certificate.
- Australia Post has apologized for losing the certificate and is reaching out to the family to see how they can provide further support.
So, what is your reaction to this delivery blunder? What would you have done if you were in Sean’s place?
Tell us your thoughts and reactions below!
Source: YouTube/Australia Post