Bureaucracy gone mad or someone's bad hair day?

I am not sure if Australia Post is being stupid, bloody-minded or if I simply spoke to someone who was having a bad hair day.

 

I am trying to trace a parcel from USA (a return trip for the one which was  returned to sender) and it is taking its time getting back to me.  According to the USPS tracking, it was loaded onto a plane at Kingsford Smith Airport in New South Wales on 12^th May, eleven days ago and since then it has been in transit to its destination.  I know that things take ages to come from the Eastern States but is the plane still taxiing or has it fallen out of the sky somewhere on the Nullabor Plain?

 

Anyway, our local Post Office gave me a phone number to call, saying that they will be able to sort out and locate the parcel.  I phoned and explained my problem and was told that they could not help me unless the parcel had an Australian Tracking Number and that I was to contact the sender to get one.  If this was not possible then I would be transferred to someone who would be able to help me further.

 

I suggested that to save time, trouble and hassles perhaps I could be transferred straight to this magical person and was firmly told that I would have to ask the sender to acquire an Australian Tracking Number, have her fail to get one and then and only then could I be put in contact with the person who just might be able to help.

 

It is a mad, mad system …

 

However, after my enquiry the USPS added another entry to their parcel tracking to say that my parcel was being sorted at an Australian Sorting Facility.  Hopefully it is in Western Australia and hopefully my parcel is finally on its way to me.