Postal delivery - food for thought

PocketChalker

PocketChalker

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
For anyone expecting things in a certain amount of time being delivered by the USPS, don't count on it. Especially if it is coming internationally as mail comes in through the East coast.

I know the USPS is stopping Saturday delivery in August and I kind of thought this may be the problem now because of the shake up. I did a little digging and found several reasons for the delays. Here's a couple of them.

The primary one for people receiving packages from overseas is Hurricane Sandy. Here is a list of hundreds of post offices closed or without power on the East Coast. http://goo.gl/NCGPf

Here's another interesting article written in June of 2012 talking about delays. http://goo.gl/ELBAS

I only write this to let everyone know, there's serious trouble brewing in the delivery of mail and packages via USPS. It is so bad, it has gotten me to actually stop selling via eBay or any forums anymore and go strictly wholesale. When my eBay listings expire I won't be re-listing. I personally don't have the time to deal with all the upset customers. I do this as a hobby as by day I'm a full time English teacher and language consultant for some major corporations. I don't need the headache.

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Personal experiences over the last couple of months.....

I've been selling from Poland since 2006 and shipping all over the world, using our local priority postal services. When using the local post it eventually ends up in the destination country's local post, ie. the USPS. This is where things board the slow boat.

This past Christmas was the first time I had ever used any type of tracking. I just felt it wasn't necessary since packages always arrived on time. I've sold and shipped over 1000 packages since 2006 and the worst that had happened was a transposed number and the package was returned to me, otherwise packages were delivered no problem.

Thank God I started using tracking during the holidays, it was the only way I could prove to eBay customers that I had actually shipped their packages on time.

At that time I also discovered that the local postal service tracking doesn't follow the package over the boarder. In either direction. I also purchased something from the US, that was shipped out to me in October. I received it in January. The service, USPS international mail. Tracking, to the boarder.

If you're shipping internationally be prepared for the headaches if you haven't already had them and good luck to those who use the USPS locally. For small packages shipping via a package carrier such as DHL or FedEx or UPS is extremely expensive. As in CRAZY expensive.

Doug
 
I just bought a case from China and it arrived in 4 days. USPS international express. You should never send anything without a tracking number.
 
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Dutch customs are a nightmare, last cue sat there for 9 days before being processed through. Luckily what I CAN do here, is get the USPS tracking number, pass it onto TNT (The delivery partner) and then I get a Dutch tracking number so i can track movements after the USA. Still, after 40 or 50 deals with US sellers, only one cue never reached me, and that was because the sender neglected to put my street number on it doh! It did arrive back with him 6 weeks later though, so no real harm done.

I think international deals get an undeserved rap on here... Just my 2 euro-cents :)
 
That's frickin awesome... I wish I had that option. I get a 'standard' option which literally takes up to 3 months by boat or priority which they say 6-8days but hasn't been that way.. It was all good right after Christmas but then went to crap again.

It sucks...

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
 
I actually purchased something from Poland last week on Wed and package arrived yesterday, no problems.
i also ordered a case from China 3 weeks ago and it arrived in 4 days. No issues as well.
I receive packages from Eastern Europe on regular bases and had no issues what so ever.
I use USPS Intl Express.
 
Grantstew said:
Dutch customs are a nightmare

I think international deals get an undeserved rap on here... Just my 2 euro-cents :)
Click to expand...


I have only done a few international deals but they have been very smooth.
One time I bought an It's George case from a guy in Singapore, and it came so quick I said "if I had known it was this easy I would of had you throw in a fake Rolex"...:)
Sometimes I feel bad for cue buyers / collectors overseas, and I don't have a good feel for what the laws are, when they are enforced, why, and in which country.
For me the best way to do business overseas is to let the individual overseas buyer call the shots on the carrier, valuations, insurance, etc.

Most of the people I know that buy-sell-collect cues appreciate overseas buyers.
There have been some issues with scams coming out of Europe & Asia, but overall business overseas is not that difficult.
When dealing overseas use a little more common sense and rely on the other guy a little more.
It's easier for us here on AZ because we know who you guys are, and we want to work together.
I have never sold anything on Ebay, but overseas selling on Ebay would concern me more than AZ for sure.

Peace
Ted
 
I have done a lot of international sales and have several sets of J/ps Never arrive . Cues have always arrived , sooner than later . Of the packages that I ship that never get delivered , I have yet to ever get one returned . I did get a worm bin , we build get retured rom Colorado , but never a overseas shipment . The buyer says they never get it , but never returned either . GL Jim
 
usps

First sat. delivery is not gone yet and probably wont be .Its a lie the usps is loosing that $ .mar.27 there will be informational pickets to inform americans of the real issues. AZers. pay attention so we can have reasonable and safe delivery of our merchandise.usps has no control of foreign mail regs.
 
Jim Baxter said:
... Cues have always arrived , sooner than later ....
Click to expand...

The USPS has never lost a cue on me yet either (knock-on-rosewood :grin-square:). When I get a USPS tracking number I watch it progress to the border on USPS.COM. After it hits the US<>Canadian border I can track the shipment to my door using the same tracking number on CANADAPOST.CA. Works great and it much less expensive than UPS etc.

Jim, the cue is on it's way to Saskatoon after leaving Vancouver BC yesterday .... ideally I will have a delivery notice today :cool:

Dave <-- watching impatiently
 
PocketChalker said:
For anyone expecting things in a certain amount of time being delivered by the USPS, don't count on it. Especially if it is coming internationally as mail comes in through the East coast.

I know the USPS is stopping Saturday delivery in August and I kind of thought this may be the problem now because of the shake up. I did a little digging and found several reasons for the delays. Here's a couple of them.

The primary one for people receiving packages from overseas is Hurricane Sandy. Here is a list of hundreds of post offices closed or without power on the East Coast. http://goo.gl/NCGPf

Here's another interesting article written in June of 2012 talking about delays. http://goo.gl/ELBAS

I only write this to let everyone know, there's serious trouble brewing in the delivery of mail and packages via USPS. It is so bad, it has gotten me to actually stop selling via eBay or any forums anymore and go strictly wholesale. When my eBay listings expire I won't be re-listing. I personally don't have the time to deal with all the upset customers. I do this as a hobby as by day I'm a full time English teacher and language consultant for some major corporations. I don't need the headache.

------------------
Personal experiences over the last couple of months.....

I've been selling from Poland since 2006 and shipping all over the world, using our local priority postal services. When using the local post it eventually ends up in the destination country's local post, ie. the USPS. This is where things board the slow boat.

This past Christmas was the first time I had ever used any type of tracking. I just felt it wasn't necessary since packages always arrived on time. I've sold and shipped over 1000 packages since 2006 and the worst that had happened was a transposed number and the package was returned to me, otherwise packages were delivered no problem.

Thank God I started using tracking during the holidays, it was the only way I could prove to eBay customers that I had actually shipped their packages on time.

At that time I also discovered that the local postal service tracking doesn't follow the package over the boarder. In either direction. I also purchased something from the US, that was shipped out to me in October. I received it in January. The service, USPS international mail. Tracking, to the boarder.

If you're shipping internationally be prepared for the headaches if you haven't already had them and good luck to those who use the USPS locally. For small packages shipping via a package carrier such as DHL or FedEx or UPS is extremely expensive. As in CRAZY expensive.

Doug
Click to expand...

Doug, the amount of wrong info in this post forces me to respond. This is not an attack on you, just trying to help. The USPS will continue to deliver packages on saturdays even if they stop saturday "mail" delivery. 2nd, once packages leave the country they are no longer in USPS control. You shipped thousands of packages without a problem or tracking, but now our postal service doesn't work. You said the USPS is boarding the slow boat, and in the next sentence don't recommend the other shippers due to expense.
Sorry the hurricane botched up your day, but what the hell are you trying to say? By the way, since news seems to get to you slowly as well, the east coast had a deadly snow storm recently. It might slow us down as well. Good luck to your future mailings.
 
POCKETWOLF said:
Doug, the amount of wrong info in this post forces me to respond. This is not an attack on you, just trying to help. .....
Click to expand...

I appreciate the input and I see what your talking abuot when it comes to packages being delivered still on Sat. and the east cost storm etc etc. I should probably admit that this was a bit of a rant. I was merely sharing my recent experiences and trying to make some sense of it.

As for packages vs letters being delivered when I take something to the post office I have 2 ways I can ship it, as a letter up to 2kg or as a package. That "up to 2kg" is put in a bubble envelope which is what I ship. I believe those are still considered letter mail. Not arguing, just saying.

Kot_Bigemot said:
I actually purchased something from Poland last week on Wed and package arrived yesterday, no problems.
Click to expand...

This was always customers experiences also. If I could get it in the mail before 3pm on Thursday they would always have it before the next Friday. That hasn't been my experience since before Christmas.
 
I'm sure the polish postal service does a much better job delivering as much mail in a whole year as the usps delivers in one day to over 300 million addresses 6 days a week!:) Use fedex please!:thumbup:
 
My experience has been decent with international but one thing is for sure if you are going to ship I recommend USPS International Express, it is delivered within 3-5 business days most time and is tracked. USPS International Priority mail is tracked only to the border, usually hangs around customs in that country for awhile. I shipped a package 3 weeks ago and it is still showing that it is stuck in customs in Cali on its way to the Philippines, that is pretty rare and on Monday I have to call and find out what the story is. All the other carriers like UPS, Fed Ex and DHL are very expensive, I like USPS, just pack it good and don't be too cheap, get insurance and go International Express if the item is of value, if not take your chances with Priority.
 
Usps

Never had a problem shipping outside the US. I now have a cue missing, sent from Wisconsin to Texas, twelve days and counting. UPS will be getting all my business from now on. Did finally contact a human to start a case search. Luckily it was insured. We'll see how that works.
 
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