My EMS Nightmare: What Not to Do When Sending a Package

Hello everyone!

I'm sharing my story about how Russian Post's EMS service left me in a bind. My experience might not be unique, but I hope my advice will help you avoid similar issues.

✔️ WHY EMS IN PARTICULAR:

I've had no complaints about Russian Post itself. Even a letter that took five months to arrive somehow showed up at the right time.

I send small packages at least once a year and always choose 1-class mail. But this time I needed to send an original painting of an unusual size, 40x60 cm. It's a pretty big size, and I was worried about shipping it.

On the Russian Post website, I checked the maximum size for shipping, and it was fine. For EMS, however, my size was almost the maximum. Here's the screenshot for sending EMS.

I was shipping the package from another city, not from my hometown.When I showed the package to the operator, they immediately suggested I switch to EMS instead of 1-class mail, saying it would be faster and cheaper.

I didn't know how much it would cost, and I was willing to pay up to 2,000 rubles. I wanted to make sure it arrived intact at the recipient's place.

One of the perks of EMS is the free packaging. They wrapped the package in a bag and asked me to fill in my and the recipient's details.

I asked: Can I specify the address of the post office instead of my own address and include the recipient's phone number? They said yes. I won't go into details why I did it that way, but you can do the same.

You need to specify your address in case of a return. I had a conflict with the recipient, and I was worried the package might be returned.

When filling in the recipient's address, I left out the phone number! At the time, I didn't know how EMS delivery worked and thought it was the same as Russian Post. I've sent packages many times without a phone number, and the recipient would get the delivery notice in their mailbox whenever it was convenient. I thought the point of EMS was to get the package delivered faster.

The operator didn't mention that the phone number is required, or else the package won't be delivered!

Another thing I immediately asked: How long can the recipient keep the package at the post office? I was told 30 days! The recipient wasn't in town at the time, and they were supposed to return. I understood that things can take time, and 30 days is a good timeframe.

I left the package, paid 800 rubles, and headed home to track its movement.

Tracking is done on the Russian Post website in the corresponding window.

✔️ PACKAGE MOVEMENT:

I sent the package on August 28th and it arrived in the recipient's city on September 2nd or 3rd. On the same day, I saw that it had been handed over to a courier, and just five minutes later, I got a notification that the delivery attempt had failed.

I didn't think much of it at the time, since the recipient wasn't in the city yet. They only arrived a week later. Since it had been a month, I wrote to them a couple of days later, saying that the package had arrived in the city, and could they please pick it up. But it turned out that they hadn't even brought the delivery notice to the mailbox yet. That already had me worried.

The recipient themselves called the number listed on the website a few days later, arranged for delivery the next day, gave their phone number for follow-up, and then completely forgot about it.

I went back to the website a week later and saw the same notifications: handed over to a courier, failed delivery attempt.

The exchange with the recipient clarified that no one had even called to let them know about the package, and it had simply been forgotten due to their busy schedule.

The recipient themselves went to the post office on September 17th, which was completely different from what I was used to, to pick up the package. They were told that it had actually flown back! It had been in the post office for 14 days, instead of the 30 days I had been assured of.

I was shocked – not just because of the package's journey, but also because of the operator's mistake. They should have told me that the phone number is required for delivery.

Let's move on to the point of what to do if your package is sent back to you.

✔️ STEPS TO TAKE WHEN YOUR PACKAGE IS SENT BACK TO THE SENDER:

1. Both the recipient and I immediately started calling the EMS hotline phone number:

88002005055

The recipient filed a complaint with EMS about the unjustified return of the package and was told to wait 30 days for a decision.

I was told to wait for the recipient's application to be reviewed so that I could get my money back for the unprovided service.

I asked why it had happened and why the package had been sent back in just 15 days, not 30, as the operator had assured me. I was told that it was an error on the part of the staff, since the storage period is 30 days.

And then things got even more interesting. I was offered to pick up the package that was being returned, despite the fact that the rules of Russian Post specify that I would have to pay the full cost of re-sending it again. And then if I wanted to send the package to the recipient after all, I would have to pay for the re-sending again!

I've never seen such blatant cheek!

2. We need to write a written and electronic complaint about the unjustified return.

I wrote a written complaint to the head of the department from which I sent it, saying that the department had violated the storage period for the package, and therefore I was demanding that it be sent back for free. The complaint was in two copies, with the date and signature on my copy, as we might need it for a court case, if necessary.

I also filed a complaint on the Russian Post website for the recipient's side.

I also wrote a complaint in the book of complaints at the post office, keeping the information to a minimum.

3. Filing complaints on the websites of controlling authorities: Rospotrebnadzor, Roskomnadzor, and the Prosecutor's Office.

I was really disappointed with the rude behavior, over the course of a week, I wrote letters and talked on the phone not once did they apologize for this situation.

So, I wasn't about to feel sorry for them.

The letters to these structures eventually gave me a letter that informed me that exactly which part of the Russian Postal Service had violated the rules.

4. A letter to the administration of the President of the Russian Federation.

Some people think it's pointless to write there, but I got the fastest response to this particular complaint.

Of course, most of the responses were just dismissals, but one letter did confirm that the Russian Postal Service had indeed broken the rules for providing postal services and they even got fined with an administrative penalty on the recipient's side.

5. I kept track of the package's movement the whole time.

EMS packages are delivered to special post offices, not to the ones assigned to the sender's address. So, my package was delivered to a place I had to call and ask them to bring it back to the sender's address. And from there, I didn't pick it up.

After almost 1.5 weeks, I saw a note saying the address had been corrected and the package was sent back. But I hadn't made any corrections.

Anyway, to cut to the chase: the package arrived at the recipient's address in early October! That's what I call fast delivery with EMS.

Do I even need to say that the edges of the painting were creased? I'm really disappointed since I spent around 3,000 rubles creating this piece, which was meant to be a gift.

All four sides were creased. It's only natural that a package that traveled such a long way in one direction would look better than one that's been sent back and forth three times!✔️ LEGAL ASPECTS OF THIS SITUATION:So, to put it briefly, I found out that EMS packages are treated differently from other packages, which, according to the federal law, are stored in post offices for 15 days, not 30.

This change, which was introduced relatively recently in 2017, seems to have caused a lot of discontent. The service costs a lot more, and the package's safety is significantly lower. So, the Russian Postal Service made an internal decision to increase the storage time for EMS packages to 30 days, but it's not documented anywhere.

This information is provided to customers when you call the Russian Postal Service or EMS. However, these rules don't apply to all regions, which allows the Russian Postal Service to manipulate the system.

The sender has to pay the full cost of the return, according to the Rules for Providing Postal Services. I think that's correct.

I'll list the relevant laws and regulations that I cited when I asked them to send the package back, hoping it might be useful to someone:

1. The Law on Consumer Protection.

2. The Rules for Providing Postal Services (No. 234, dated July 31, 2014).

3. The Federal Postal Law of July 17, 1999, No. 176-FZ.

4. The Order of June 29, 2018, No. 412/1-r, for postal delivery times and its appendix 1.

Looking back, my package was delivered for free, but it took almost a month after the recipient had planned to pick it up.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

I wouldn't dare send a package in such a shoddy state. I gathered my documents and filed a lawsuit in late December, but the court rejected my claim due to lack of jurisdiction. By then, I was in the middle of exams, and the holidays started. After New Year's, I just lost interest in pursuing compensation for emotional and material damages.

Russia Post, of course, refused to refund my money.

The main thing I achieved was getting my package delivered, and to be honest, that's all I needed. But I did want an apology. And I finally got one – a month after my initial complaint, in a letter. So, I'll continue using Russia Post's services, but I'll never choose EMS again.

Thanks for sticking with me till the end.