I have quite a heavy package (20kg) that should have been delivered to me by the online store. I understood that delivery is operated by Swiss Post, but I did not receive any SMS/phone/e-mail notifications from the post about the delivery time. Instead, I found some small piece of paper written in German in my mailbox. The post website now says "Arrival at pick-up/delivery point".

Does it mean that I know have to carry this heavy package for more than a kilometer from the post office? Can I do something to actually make them deliver it to my home as advertised by the store?

They only try once, if you're not there they leave a note and you have one week to go pick it up.

Tom

And how could I know when they are going to try? As I said, I did not get any notifications from them. Was I supposed to stay at home for couple days waiting for them?

Yeah, you have to go pick it from the Post office. Can you just get one of those little wheelie "dolly" things and wheel it home? The Top Tip store sells them for quite cheap. Anyways, 20 kgs. really isn't THAT heavy.

Side note: I find it interesting that shippers like DHL and FedEx will leave something at the Post Office here if the recipient isn't home.

The post office never gives notification of delivery. I think ( but am not 100% sure) that you can arrange to have it redeliverd. Have a look what it says on the back of the yellow slip.

You ought to be able to call the number on your slip and arrange for another delivery. They'll deliver in 2 business days, i think.

They generally come by the same time every day.

They don't give notification.

Yes, this is how the post works.

Tom

But I will end up in the same situations, right? I will then have to stay at home for two days instead of going to work...

It would have been up to the seller to provide you with a tracking number, not the Post Office. But tracking numbers aren't always available, especially with the Post Office (versus DHL or FedEx).

But even if you had a tracking #, you still wouldn't be able to find out the exact time that it was going to be delivered to your home.

I live in Greifensee. Our normal mail and small packages that can fit inside our mailbox always comes around 9:30 in the morning. But larger packages are delivered later, usually around 1:30 pm. They come on a bigger truck (whereas regular mail is delivered by someone on a motorcycle-ish type of thing).

Well, what did you think was going to happen? That they'd ring/text you up to arrange delivery? Post, DHL, UPS, etc, don't operate that way. They tried to deliver it, but you weren't home. So it's waiting at the Post Office for you to collect. See if you can re-arrange for them to deliver it or go to the office and collect it.

varepsilon, is there anyone who has a car who could run you down to the post office to collect it and bring you back? Oh, and keep this in mind when ordering things in future. If it can't fit in your mailbox you're going to be visiting the post office on a fairly regular basis.

CarrieF, I wouldn't want to carry 20kg for a kilometer either and yes, it is heavy over that distance.

True, but that's why I suggested getting on of those wheelie things. Or rent a mobility car.

"Where there's a will, there's a way."

I don't know. You need to talk to them and see what your options are. Maybe they will leave it without a signature.

Do you have neighbours?

I sign for my neighbours' parcels and they sign for mine.

It works for us.

1) You may give the Post permission to leave the package at your doorstep.
2) You may send it to a Pick Post station at a more convenient place.
3) You may have to use a courier service in the future.
4) You may finally introduce yourself to your neighbors and get on good terms with them.

More information about option 1) and 2).
More information about option 3)
More information about option 4).

As others have said, that's the way it's done here. It's not the 'online store' that delivers things, it's the post-office (or a private delivery service, depending on how it was sent) that attempts to deliver it.
After that it's up to you to either collect it at the Post Office or try to arrange re-delivery. Note that for larger parcels the collection point might be a depot rather than your local post office counter; it should say on the paper slip.

For future reference; larger parcels are often delivered by a different service to the general mail, so you can't rely on the timing of your usual delivery, and if you've ordered something that has customs tax due on it the postman will want paying on the spot, otherwise he'll take it away again and you'll have to pay when collecting it from the counter.

If you think this is going to become a regular problem you might consider asking a neighbour to accept things for you, or, as Carrie F says, get a small trolley!

Thanks everyone for the replies. I think I will ask a friend to pick me up with a car.

I will certainly take these strange rules into account in the future. I had tracking number from the beginning, but I could not infer the delivery time from it.

Personally, I find it very strange of them to bring the package to you just to bring it back afterwards.

It's also very strange that the 'small piece of paper in your mailbox was written in German'. One wouldn't expect that...

One of those 'welcome to Switzerland' moments.
Don't worry, there'll be plenty more!

Just as a matter of interest. What do you think should have happened with your package once it was at your door but no-one was at home? (Or beforehand?).

1) I do not blame anyone of German-only letters. I just don't speak this language well enough and would prefer having documents in all the official languages of Switzerland (I do understand French).

2) Before bringing the package to my home and wasting money on the delivery, they should have send me a message about estimated arrival time. I could have wait them for 2-3 hours without big problems. Or, in the worst case, I will tell them not to deliver the package to me and bring it straight to the pick-up point.