International Signed-For to China with 2 tracking labels

[Worried79]

Hello,
I regularly send parcels to China (approx. 2 per month) using International Signed-For and so far, they have always arrived within 2 weeks, until now.
I have a small business and send packages every day, that's why my post office have given me rolls of signed-for, special delivery labels etc. which I stick on the parcels before I take them to the post office.
I usually go to the same post office every day, but on that day at the end of May I went to a different one. My packages all had tracking labels on, as usual. I had two packages to China. Inexplicably, although she had been scanning the tracking labels on the parcels, once she got to the first of the two parcels to China the woman behind the counter took a fresh label, scanned it and stuck it UNDERNEATH the one that was already on the parcel. I was confused but felt that I didn't want to tell her how to do her job; also, I had my three month old baby with me and was comforting her and therefore slightly distracted. She only did this on that parcel, none of the other ones- I know this because looking at the receipts for the other packages, they all have similar tracking numbers (RUxxxxxxxGB),but this package does not (RJxxxxxxxGB).
7weeks later, this parcel has not arrived (although the other one to China did). No wonder- it has 2 tracking labels! These are the tracking details:

Date Time Status Track point
03/06/13 AM DESPATCHED TOBEIJING CHINA CHINA
30/05/13 20:13 DESPATCHABLE TOHWDC SIGNED FOR ROAD 3 TYNESIDE MAIL CENTRE
30/05/13 20:08 COLLECTED TYNESIDE MAIL CENTRE
30/05/13 15:43 ACCEPTED AT POL (removed address for anonymity)

I have put in a claim with RM but in the meantime I was wondering if anyone here has any experience with packages with 2 tracking labels, and what happens to such packages? Many thanks in advance for any suggestions-I'm really worried at this point and I'm kicking myself because I didn't ask her to remove the unscanned label!

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Do the 2 tracking numbers show the same details exactly.

Also have you tried the ChinaPost tracking system to see if they have different reports. http://www.ems.com.cn/english.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Worried79]

Do the 2 tracking numbers show the same details exactly.

Also have you tried the ChinaPost tracking system to see if they have different reports. http://www.ems.com.cn/english.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks for your reply! Since only one of the labels on the parcel was scanned, i only know one of the tracking numbers...the post office worker never scanned the label I had originally stuck on it, she just ignored it. I don't know why!
Thanks for the link- I tend to use http://intmail.183.com.cn/icc-itemtraceen.jsp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; but there is no record of the parcel. I tried your link, no result either.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Okay what I think has happened is that your customer (or a postal worker) has seen the 2 tracking numbers on the packet, gone on line and tracked both numbers. They've realised one does not have full tracking once in the country, and I suspect the other does. So they've decided to take a punt and see if you would refund them.

I suspect it has been delivered but Royal Mail won't be able to prove it and they should refund you in line with the service you paid for.

[Worried79]

I see...so a parcel with 2 tracking labels would be processed as normal, and not returned to sender? :-(
They would scan both labels? That seems very strange. I would think/hope that once it got to the sorting office, they would spot this and hold the package or send it back to me. :-(
Thanks

[TrueBlueTerrier]

No in the UK - I think most posties would scan both bar codes. But in China who knows.

[adb2aber]

With your roll of labels, can you check through them and identify which label it was? The final number is a checksum so look at the digits before the final number.

I.e. your parcels with your labels on were scanned on that day and shows on the receipt as numbers RUXXXXXX29XGB, RUXXXXXX26XGB, RUXXXXXX27XGB then the one where the other label was scanned was probably RUXXXXXX28XGB. Then knowing the missing label you'll need to work through each potential final number checksum in the track & trace and see if any present a tracking record. So try RUXXXXXX281GB, RUXXXXXX282GB, RUXXXXXX283GB etc.

So long as it has been scanned somewhere in the country it should show up. It's a handy trick to remember if you ever lose the receipt - but the receipt is proof of postage remember, not the scans on track & trace.

[Worried79]

With your roll of labels, can you check through them and identify which label it was? The final number is a checksum so look at the digits before the final number.

I.e. your parcels with your labels on were scanned on that day and shows on the receipt as numbers RUXXXXXX29XGB, RUXXXXXX26XGB, RUXXXXXX27XGB then the one where the other label was scanned was probably RUXXXXXX28XGB. Then knowing the missing label you'll need to work through each potential final number checksum in the track & trace and see if any present a tracking record. So try RUXXXXXX281GB, RUXXXXXX282GB, RUXXXXXX283GB etc.

So long as it has been scanned somewhere in the country it should show up. It's a handy trick to remember if you ever lose the receipt - but the receipt is proof of postage remember, not the scans on track & trace.

Thank you very much for your helpful suggestion.
I followed your instructions and was able to narrow down the likely range of the tracking number. However, there was no record of any tracking for any of the numbers I tried. So it means that the additional label was never scanned, neither here nor in China. This is all very strange indeed!