Luggage lost during transfer. Advice needed

[ProfessorUnfast]

Hi,
Someone in my group didn’t receive their luggage transfer from Albergue Mirador de Pedrouzo to O KM Albergue in Santiago de Compostela.
The concierge in O Pedrouzo doesn’t know what happened and which company picked it up, but it was collected.

Does anyone have any ideas how to track this down?

 

[Anamiri]

Which company did you use? I would contact them directly. The transfer envelopes in reception will have their contact details.
Mine was once temporarily lost when someone reached into the van and ripped off/stole the envelope. I contacted them, and they delivered my bag. They'd been left with 3 bags minus envelopes.
If that doesn't work, check where you are staying that someone hasn't put them somewhere different.
I have heard of that happening.
I only use bag transport occasionally, and now photograph the envelope in case I need to follow up. If you use it all the time they tend to remember you, but sporadically probably not.

 

[dougfitz]

This is a little puzzling, because I have always assumed that a bag is going to be labelled with its destination, and would normally be delivered there unless there is some confusion where two places have similar names.

I am wondering what the best way to start such a search might be, but it seems you are going to need to be contacting either the many albergues where bags might have been delivered, or perhaps fewer transport companies to find out where they delivered bags on the day in question. If you take the latter approach, you might have fewer albergues or hotels to contact, but I expect that this is what you might have to do anyway. As @Anamiri has suggested, starting with the company you thought was going to pick up the bag would be a good approach.

It may be that companies don't record where deliveries are made, leaving it up to the drivers involved. This would involve the companies contacting the drivers, or letting you contact them, which might complicate things.

You might also find that a place that has an unclaimed bag will investigate that, and if there are sufficient contact details provided on the outside of the bag, attempt to contact you. This would, of course, be preferable to the alternative treatment for a large parcel that arrives and isn't claimed by a guest.

 

[ProfessorUnfast]

Which company did you use? I would contact them directly. The transfer envelopes in reception will have their contact details.
Mine was once temporarily lost when someone reached into the van and ripped off/stole the envelope. I contacted them, and they delivered my bag. They'd been left with 3 bags minus envelopes.
If that doesn't work, check where you are staying that someone hasn't put them somewhere different.
I have heard of that happening.
I only use bag transport occasionally, and now photograph the envelope in case I need to follow up. If you use it all the time they tend to remember you, but sporadically probably not.

Great advice on taking a photo.
We have contacted the company but they didn’t believe us, but said they’d look into it.

Ugh.

 

[ProfessorUnfast]

This is a little puzzling, because I have always assumed that a bag is going to be labelled with its destination, and would normally be delivered there unless there is some confusion where two places have similar names.

I am wondering what the best way to start such a search might be, but it seems you are going to need to be contacting either the many albergues where bags might have been delivered, or perhaps fewer transport companies to find out where they delivered bags on the day in question. If you take the latter approach, you might have fewer albergues or hotels to contact, but I expect that this is what you might have to do anyway. As @Anamiri has suggested, starting with the company you thought was going to pick up the bag would be a good approach.

It may be that companies don't record where deliveries are made, leaving it up to the drivers involved. This would involve the companies contacting the drivers, or letting you contact them, which might complicate things.

You might also find that a place that has an unclaimed bag will investigate that, and if there are sufficient contact details provided on the outside of the bag, attempt to contact you. This would, of course, be preferable to the alternative treatment for a large parcel that arrives and isn't claimed by a guest.

Doug,
We are going through exact what you and Anamiri suggested. Fingers crossed.
Thanks to you both.

 

[Pafayac]

You can ask the guardia civil for help. They are very helpful for pilgrims.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

This highlights the disconnect between the companies that transport luggage and the accommodation providers who have the luggage dumped on them.

There is no substantive contractual agreement or obligations between the two parties.

The accommodation providers nominate a place where luggage is picked up from and dropped off to, nothing more. They do not get, as far as I know, any recompense for dealing with dropped off luggage.

If a bag gets dropped off somewhere and for what ever reason no one picks it up then that bag will likely sit where it was dropped off until someone (whoever) picks it up.

This probably doesn't help the op but it may help them concentrate their efforts on the luggage transport company.

 

[naplesdon]

I am a little baffled by the comment regarding "doesn't know..... which company picked it up." Who made the arrangements for the transport and what tag was filled out to transport the bag? It had to be somebody in the group. It sounds like someone just assumed and maybe assumed a little too much that they were getting some kind of concierge service. Is this one of those packaged tour outfits?

 

[jpcnd78]

I’m planning on Air Tags.

 

[naplesdon]

It would be nice if the OP posted a response to how he/she has resolved this issue so others can learn.

 

[buridan]

I’m planning on Air Tags.

I use tiled

 

[OlyCat]

Hi,
Someone in my group didn’t receive their luggage transfer from Albergue Mirador de Pedrouzo to O KM Albergue in Santiago de Compostela.
The concierge in O Pedrouzo doesn’t know what happened and which company picked it up, but it was collected.

Does anyone have any ideas how to track this down?

Check the municipal. Last week my friend put the town on the envelope, but forgot to put the name of the albergue. When the currier doesn’t know where to take a backpack, they drop off at the municipal.

 

[ProfessorUnfast]

We found it!

TL: DR—my group member put the wrong hotel name, and the company did nothing wrong.

I couldn’t post sooner due to no WiFi.

The group member put the wrong hotel name on the ticket. Why? I don’t know. I will just assume she was too tired from the Camino.

We were able to narrow down which delivery company it was. They checked with their driver and found it.

We said we’d take a taxi to pick it up, but by the time we returned from our bus tour, they had already picked it up and delivered to our Albergue.

Thanks to all for your ideas and your concern.

Lessons learned:
1: take a photo of the tag
2: have another group member review the tag to ensure it is correctly addressed.

Thanks again!

 

[grayland]

Geez....surprised more of this nonsense doesn't happen.

 

[naplesdon]

This thread needs to be archived.

 

[naplesdon]

We found it!

TL: DR—my group member put the wrong hotel name, and the company did nothing wrong.

I couldn’t post sooner due to no WiFi.

The group member put the wrong hotel name on the ticket. Why? I don’t know. I will just assume she was too tired from the Camino.

We were able to narrow down which delivery company it was. They checked with their driver and found it.

We said we’d take a taxi to pick it up, but by the time we returned from our bus tour, they had already picked it up and delivered to our Albergue.

Thanks to all for your ideas and your concern.

Lessons learned:
1: take a photo of the tag
2: have another group member review the tag to ensure it is correctly addressed.

Thanks again!

Bus tour says it all!

 

[MikeyC]

A few years back we arrived at our night's destination. The accommodation was a house which had 4 private rooms and no staff as such.
There was a pack in the hallway with a courier's tag and envelope with a date two days prior.
I phoned the pack transfer company who said a pilgrim had been complaining that his pack had gone adrift and they were trying to work out what had happened.
Turned out the pilgrim had filled in the envelope, put his euros inside and assumed his work was done. The slight detail of actually booking the transfer was lost in translation and the pack had sat exactly where it had been placed.
Full marks to the transfer company which promised to collect the next day and fast forward it several stops ahead.

 

[ProfessorUnfast]

Bus tour says it all!

Totes.
Bless your heart. XOXO

 

[OlyCat]

We found it!

TL: DR—my group member put the wrong hotel name, and the company did nothing wrong.

I couldn’t post sooner due to no WiFi.

The group member put the wrong hotel name on the ticket. Why? I don’t know. I will just assume she was too tired from the Camino.

We were able to narrow down which delivery company it was. They checked with their driver and found it.

We said we’d take a taxi to pick it up, but by the time we returned from our bus tour, they had already picked it up and delivered to our Albergue.

Thanks to all for your ideas and your concern.

Lessons learned:
1: take a photo of the tag
2: have another group member review the tag to ensure it is correctly addressed.

Thanks again!

Good advice

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

I’m planning on Air Tags.

There are a couple of forum threads on using Air Tags. In one I suggested using two per pack, one rather obvious and the other hidden, perhaps by being placed under a sewn on patch. If your pack is stolen with some good luck following your bad luck only the obvious tag would be tossed away. As a bonus you could have the obvious tag registered with the iPhone of a friend at home who wants to follow your journey.

 

[MichelleElynHogan]

Anyone travelling, anywhere. Apple Tags, Apple Tags, Apple Tags.

 

[mlabar]

I’m planning on Air Tags.

I just used air tags on everything - even located my sticks when I’d left them behind in a drugstore!! Invaluable little gadgets

 

[Richmond Gardner]

Glad to see Professor Unfast has been reunited with the Untethered luggage