Receiving mail has become commonplace for a huge number of people due to the development of online trading and the emergence of an increasing number of online stores. Each shipped order has its own mail identifier, which allows the recipient to track the movement of their purchase. How and where can this be done? What is an identifier? What to do if the package is lost? You will find the answers to these questions in the article.
Tracking number: what is it?
Postal Identifier - a unique number consisting of letters and numbers or only numbers, assigned to all registered, and in some countries, for example, China, and simple mail.
The bottom line is that in the international system for exchanging mail correspondence, each letter, parcel, parcel or small packet is given a unique identifier that allows you to track their location and route to their destination. At each section of the route, the track number is entered into a single database, this is what allows you to always know where your departure is, as well as clarify the fact of its receipt.
What does the number consist of?
Now that we know what an international mailing identifier is, it’s important to know what it consists of. The track number consists of 13 characters. It has the following form: XX123456789YY. Each group of letters and numbers contains certain information:
- The first two letters (XX) indicate the type of postal item. Each species is assigned its own series of numbers. For example, CA-CZ is a package, small package, or parcel registered in the USPS Priority Mail system.
- The EA-EZ subseries can only be used within one country. A distinctive feature of such parcels is a faster delivery speed.
- The LA-LZ label is placed on parcels, small packets and letters that cannot be tracked on the sites of postal services. In case of loss, it will be impossible to find them.
- RA-RZ is a registered item in the system that does not have insurance coverage. In case of loss or damage to the packaging and / or contents, compensation is either issued in accordance with the tariff or is not refunded at all.
- The next eight digits (12345678) are a unique track number. According to postal rules, these numbers must be assigned so that this number is not reused within the next 12-24 months.
- The ninth digit (9) is a verification code that is calculated using a specific formula. Each of the first eight digits of the track number is multiplied by 8, 6, 4, 2, 3, 5, 9, 7, then the obtained values are added, and the result is divided by 11. This gives the remainder, which is subtracted from 11. The result obtained is verification code, if it is in the range from 1 to 9 inclusive. If the result is 10, then 0 is taken for the verification code, and 5 for the verification code 11.
- The last letters (YY) is the alphabetic abbreviation of the sending country (for example, RU - Russia, US - USA, GB - United Kingdom, etc.).
Identifiers of internal mail items traditionally consist of 13 digits. There is a 14-character number inside Russia.
What can I find out by tracking number?
When tracking items by identifier, you can specify information about the location and condition of the parcel, letter, parcel or small packet.
Russians who are not able to track their parcels by identifier via the Internet or mobile phone applications can call the toll-free number 8-800-2005-888 of the Russian Post.Having informed the operator the postal identifier, they can find out information about the last registered location of the postal item.
The movement of international parcels can be checked using the sites of official services or postal services. For example, Belposhta - the state postal service of Belarus, Royal Mail — state mail of Great Britain, Hongkong Post - state mail of Hong Kong, as well as FedEx, TNT, PonyExpress, DHL, etc.
How to track a parcel with Aliexpress?
Information about sending the order is displayed together with the track number in the account used after the seller ships the goods to the warehouse of the supplier or logistics service.
What is the identifier on Aliexpress website? This same track number, which consists of 13 characters, begins and ends with two letters, where:
- RC indicates that this shipment is registered in the international postal system and its weight is less than 2 kg. This is the so-called small package that you can track.
- CN indicates the country of departure, that is, China.
As a rule, information about the shipment begins to be displayed and updated only 10 days after the shipment of the order. This is due to the workload of postal services and the number of daily departures, which can reach several million.
Sometimes you may find that tracking emails using the identifier provided by the seller is not possible. This may be due to two situations:
- the seller indicated the wrong track number;
- the delivery company assigned the shipment a different number (in this case, the order status changed to “canceled”, you need to contact the seller for a new number);
- the order was not sent for some reason, and the track number received from the seller is only reserved (you need to contact the seller or open a dispute if he does not respond within 1-3 days).
The delivery time for parcels, small packages and parcels from China is from 14 days to 3-4 months.
What to do if a letter, parcel or parcel is missing?
In case of loss of shipment or lack of updating data about it within 14 business days, you need to contact the Russian Post. To do this, you can come to the postal address at the place of residence, call the toll-free number on the hotline or write a support chat that works online. They will check the information through the internal system, in the event that the loss of the parcel or the parcel is confirmed, they will inform you what further actions should be taken.
As a rule, you need to write an application to search for a shipment. Consideration of such a statement can take up to 3 months.
Is the cost of the lost parcel reimbursed?
If the parcel or small package was not found, then in some cases compensation is due. For insured parcels it is equal to the amount of insurance specified in the accompanying documents. For other registered parcels and small packages, the amount of the refund is calculated according to the type of shipment. Private logistics companies use other calculation methods.
In this sad situation, much depends on the mail. Tracking by identifier (as well as the availability of a track number) in itself does not guarantee that your parcel will be delivered and found in case of loss.