Our Camino Parcel Saga
Pamplona May 02 2024
We had just walked across the Pyrenees from St Jean Pied de Port, France. Our plan was to walk 800km along the Camino de Santiago. As it would happen I picked up an intestinal bug which slowed us down at Pamplona. We realized some changes were needed.
One, was lighten our backpacks and two, send our main packs by “donkey carrier, actually, “Jaco Transport”, each day but only if we had a forwarding reservation. First we decided what we would mail home, then head across the Plaza to the Pamplona/Iruna Correos office. I found this with the help of a local policeman who led me around the corner of the same building. Here the clerk packaged our baggage and presented a receipt a tracking number. We got so much help along the way, even though the language issue wasn’t difficult, help became a most grateful component from the moment we landed at Charles de Gaul at Paris. So we stepped up to the postal counter, provided passports and shipping details. Here we made a fatal mistake by not thinking clearly how our package would be retrieved at home in Canada. We assumed the parcel would be waiting for us when we got there. Wrong again.
On with our Camino enjoying the trip of a lifetime as noted to Ivar on his Camino Forum. Other details of our trip will have to wait for another episode.
Seven weeks later we arrived home, precisely June 13, to check the mailbox. Yes, there was the post office notice of a waiting parcel. So straight off to the local sub-office. “Sorry folks, your parcel was shipped back to Spain.” We had missed our 15 day, retrieval window. Having lived at the same address for 45 years I could not believe this could happen. Dam, so we immediately went to our main post office and find out more from the Postmaster. After relaying the full story with all the very sympathetic staff listening, he said we would get it back from Spain.
So I waited weeks before checking with Canada Post using their tracking site to learn more. After discovering to use the word ”Agent,” I got past a robot to someone who could help.
Canada Post agents were always helpful so I left this in their capable hands.
So I moved on to try other options. I set up an account with Correos. After many attempts to achieve a connection using their robot, email, and telephone, where language was a constant problem, I went back to our Sechelt Postmaster. He suggested I try the Canada Post Ombudsman as a last resort. But first I sent a letter to Correos at Pamplona which returned weeks later unopened!!!
Frustrated further, I contacted the North Vancouver office of the Spanish Consul, and even got a speedy reply from Canada World Affairs at Barcelona. No real help but a long list of Spanish lawyers to contact.
So back to Canada Post who again consented to checking with Correos and the response was everything now had to handled by Correos. I lodged a complaint on the Correos web and was presented with a tracking number. Finally, I received a public relations reply that my parcel had been returned to Pamplona. I learned this three months previous.
As I mentioned, I subscribe to Ivars Camino Forum and scan it regularly for items of interest. Recently I spotted a couple of Correos email addresses. Thinking I might get lucky, I fired off an email exposing my plight. Well, would you believe one responded immediately. Now full details were in someone’s hands at Correos. Next day a very kind unnamed person emailed me to requesting I forward my correct address with MTCN (money transfer control number). After learning how to send a Western Union payment to a Director at Correos, Pamplona. Our parcel is now enroute home, a second time….. with our clothing just in time for winter !
Some valuable lessons have been learned, the first being don’t give up.
So many thanks to all who helped us retrieve our parcel and a special thank you to Correos who store our parcel safe while waiting for us to contact them. And kudos to Ivar and his Camino Forum for providing the missing link.
Muchos gracias
Eleanor and Al
Canada
Pamplona May 02 2024
We had just walked across the Pyrenees from St Jean Pied de Port, France. Our plan was to walk 800km along the Camino de Santiago. As it would happen I picked up an intestinal bug which slowed us down at Pamplona. We realized some changes were needed.
One, was lighten our backpacks and two, send our main packs by “donkey carrier, actually, “Jaco Transport”, each day but only if we had a forwarding reservation. First we decided what we would mail home, then head across the Plaza to the Pamplona/Iruna Correos office. I found this with the help of a local policeman who led me around the corner of the same building. Here the clerk packaged our baggage and presented a receipt a tracking number. We got so much help along the way, even though the language issue wasn’t difficult, help became a most grateful component from the moment we landed at Charles de Gaul at Paris. So we stepped up to the postal counter, provided passports and shipping details. Here we made a fatal mistake by not thinking clearly how our package would be retrieved at home in Canada. We assumed the parcel would be waiting for us when we got there. Wrong again.
On with our Camino enjoying the trip of a lifetime as noted to Ivar on his Camino Forum. Other details of our trip will have to wait for another episode.
Seven weeks later we arrived home, precisely June 13, to check the mailbox. Yes, there was the post office notice of a waiting parcel. So straight off to the local sub-office. “Sorry folks, your parcel was shipped back to Spain.” We had missed our 15 day, retrieval window. Having lived at the same address for 45 years I could not believe this could happen. Dam, so we immediately went to our main post office and find out more from the Postmaster. After relaying the full story with all the very sympathetic staff listening, he said we would get it back from Spain.
So I waited weeks before checking with Canada Post using their tracking site to learn more. After discovering to use the word ”Agent,” I got past a robot to someone who could help.
Canada Post agents were always helpful so I left this in their capable hands.
So I moved on to try other options. I set up an account with Correos. After many attempts to achieve a connection using their robot, email, and telephone, where language was a constant problem, I went back to our Sechelt Postmaster. He suggested I try the Canada Post Ombudsman as a last resort. But first I sent a letter to Correos at Pamplona which returned weeks later unopened!!!
Frustrated further, I contacted the North Vancouver office of the Spanish Consul, and even got a speedy reply from Canada World Affairs at Barcelona. No real help but a long list of Spanish lawyers to contact.
So back to Canada Post who again consented to checking with Correos and the response was everything now had to handled by Correos. I lodged a complaint on the Correos web and was presented with a tracking number. Finally, I received a public relations reply that my parcel had been returned to Pamplona. I learned this three months previous.
As I mentioned, I subscribe to Ivars Camino Forum and scan it regularly for items of interest. Recently I spotted a couple of Correos email addresses. Thinking I might get lucky, I fired off an email exposing my plight. Well, would you believe one responded immediately. Now full details were in someone’s hands at Correos. Next day a very kind unnamed person emailed me to requesting I forward my correct address with MTCN (money transfer control number). After learning how to send a Western Union payment to a Director at Correos, Pamplona. Our parcel is now enroute home, a second time….. with our clothing just in time for winter !
Some valuable lessons have been learned, the first being don’t give up.
So many thanks to all who helped us retrieve our parcel and a special thank you to Correos who store our parcel safe while waiting for us to contact them. And kudos to Ivar and his Camino Forum for providing the missing link.
Muchos gracias
Eleanor and Al
Canada