Tag Archives: postal

fixed : how to link AliExpress Standard Shipping to a generic track&trace-app

Posted on by
Reply

Question :
I use AfterShip.app for tracking & tracing all the packages that are being send to me (or by me). Now I have ordered something from AliExpress that is being shipped to me through AliExpress Standard Shipping. But in AfterShip.app there is no Carrier named AliExpress or something alike…

Can I still track&trace AliExpress Standard Shipping ?


Answer :
Yes you can.
‘AliExpress Standard Shipping’ is a shipping service executed by Cainiao (formerly China Smart Logistics). So just put Cainiao as the Carrier and your shipment will be trace-able.

Thet’s it !
enjoy πŸ˜‰

NOTE :
Amazon’s own shipping in Europe is a shipping service executed by Swiship, so if your track&trace-app doesn’t have Amazon Shipping listed (or when choosing Amazon Shipping it turns out that your track&trace code isn’t recognised), try Swiship as the Carrier.

fixed : convert UK DPD track&trace-code to international track&trace-code

Posted on by
Reply

Question :

I have ordered a package from the UK, but I’m not living in the UK myself. But even though it’s an international shipment, the track&trace-code I got from DPD is a 10-digit code that is for use within the UK only. It does not work on the DPD website, nor in the multiple delivery service tracker-apps I use on my iPhone.

Is there any way to get the international DPD track&trace-code ?


Answer :

You might be able to contact DPD and ask for the international track&trace-code of course, but this DIY is probably more quickly and more convenient :

– the basic DPD track&trace-number consist of 10 digits : e.g. 9876543210
– you can get the international track&trace-code by putting 4 digits in front of the 10-digit basic number : e.g. XXXX9876543210
– if your package is shipped from the UK, you will probably need to replace XXXX by 1550
– if replacing XXXX by 1550 does not work, try replacing XXXX by any off these numbers :
–> 0522
–> 0101
–> 0522
–> 0521
–> 0132
–> 1597
–> 0166
–> 9999
–> 0998
–> 1602
–> 0001
–> 1726
–> 0192
– as DPD does nu publish which code is which, just start out by replacing XXXX by the upper number of the above list and work your way down until it works…

That’s it !

enjoy πŸ˜‰

fixed : best iPhone-app for DHL, UPS and PostNL track-and-trace in The Netherlands

Posted on by
Reply

Question :

I live in The Netherlands and on my iPhone, I want to trace packages that will be delivered to me shortly.

The PostNL.app works perfectly, but it’s for PostNL shipments only…

The UPS.app works perfectly too (despite the privacy agreement is a littleΒ awkward), but it’s for UPS shipments only…

There are various apps in the Apps Store for DHL shipments, but none of them work for The Netherlands…

I’ve tried the iPhone-apps byΒ Deliveries, ParcelTrack and 17track, but even thoughΒ they are advertised as ‘perfect solutions’ in most countries, they fail for at least one of the main delivery services in The Netherlands…

Isn’t there any iOS-app that can track all mayor post & parcel delivery services like PostNL, UPS, DHL, GLS and TNT in The Netherlands ?

 

Answer :

Yes there is… but there’s only one : AfterShip.app [click to download]

…and it’s not perfect yet, it still needs a little more do-it-yourself than advertised :

  • the Auto Detect function doesn’t always select the proper deliveryΒ service, nor does it always include the proper delivery service in it’s short list of options, so (especially for DHL deliveries) you must always double-check the exact delivery service from your shipment confirmation eMail
  • there’s only one Title (or Description) field you can add to your Shipment-entry, so if you want to include both Sender and Content description (as you can in most other Track&Trace apps) you will have to combine those into only one line of info
  • the Edit option only allows you to edit the Title (a.k.a. Description) of your Shipment-entry, so… if you’ve erratically chosen (or guessed) the wrong delivery service, you will not be able to edit or correct it… you will have to delete the entire Shipment-entry and create/add a new, corrected one entirely…

But apart from that… it’s FREE and once you have picked the delivery services correctly, it works as expectedΒ ! (and that’s far better than any other Track&Trace app)

There are a few things to know :

  • TNT-shipments from Amazon UK and Amazon DE to The Netherlands : if your online Amazon account info lists TNT (or “TNT (Netherlands)”) as the delivery service, the actual shipment will be done by PostNL, so you’ll need to choose “PostNL Domestic” as the delivery service ;Β if in the “Verzendbevestiging” you have received through eMail, the fine print says “Je items worden verzondenΒ door Post NL Pakketten.” the actual shipment will expedited be by PostNL Domestic, even if your online Amazon-shipment-info says something else !
  • DHL-shipments from Amazon DE to The Netherlands :Β if your online Amazon DE account info lists DHL (or “DHLNL”) or DHL_CONNECT as the delivery service, this willΒ NOT be DHL Express or DHL Benelux (the ones suggested by AfterShip.app), this will usually be shipped using DHL Parcel NL ; in the “Verzendbevestiging” you have received though eMail, the fine print says “Je items worden verzondenΒ door DHL NL Pakketten.” the actual shipment will be expedited by DHL Parcel NL, even if your online Amazon-shipment-info says something else !
  • DHL-shipments from Dutch resellersΒ to addresses within The Netherlands will be usually expedited by “DHL Benelux” (and NOT by “DHL Express” or any other DHL branch)

enjoy !