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One Toronto woman learned the hard way that you cannot skimp on shipping insurance, after she lost her phone due to Canada Post’s disrupted service.
Late last month, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers began a series of rotating strikes, which affected postal businesses in four cities, over worker health conditions and forced overtime. Although recently passed legislation has ordered postal workers back to work, the strikes have already resulted in a month-long delivery backlog for Canada Post.
That backlog resulted in the loss of a $1,100 smartphone for Amanda Birch.
Birch purchased a Huawei Mate 20 Pro in later October through a two-year plan with Rogers. Due to family plan restrictions, she had to have her new phone delivered to her mother’s address in Ontario. From there, Birch’s mother would then mail her phone through Canada Post.
“I was just really excited to have a new phone because my other one just wasn’t working as well,” Birch told CBC News.
She paid $14 for Xpresspost shipping, with the package guaranteed to arrive in two days. However, she has yet to receive that package; Birch was later informed that the parcel had been declared lost.
“My Canada Post tracking record ... was the longest one they’ve ever seen,” she commented.
Although Canada Post offers insurance for loss incidents, Birch and her family apparently did not purchase enough cover for the full cost of the phone.
Birch was only paid partially for the loss: $114.
Canada Post did not respond to requests for comment on the loss issue.
According to a tracking log, Birch’s package was listed “out for delivery” in Toronto on November 05.
After CBC News reported the incident, a representative from Huawei offered to provide Birch a complimentary phone of the same model she lost.
