Sluggish USPS Delivery Times

[Anorak Bob]

How is anyone else faring? I've been waiting in vain by the looks of it for a pair of circlip pliers I paid for six weeks ago. USPS tracking shows them being "in transit" since the 18th of June.

BT

[snowyskiesau]

I've found USPS tracking to be unreliable at best.
Last package I received still showed as in transit a week after I'd received it.
Actual delivery times have been the claimed 5 to 10 working days.

[Anorak Bob]

Sounds then like in transit translates to lost in my case. I really wanted those pliers.:no:

[Big Shed]

Bob, I wouldn't give up hope yet, I have had a couple of parcels take more than 4 weeks and in both cases they were held up in Oz customs.

Maybe a query to USPS might get things moving?

Funnily enough on Monday I received a parcel from China, it was posted on 4/6/12 and the Ebay seller refunded my money in mid July. It arrived on the same day as a replacement one I ordered! I now have 2 and the original supplier doesn't want me to reverse his refund!

[Ueee]

I have always found usps and ups to be both pricey and slow. To top it off customs can basically hold any parcel to check at random so it can be really bad. Despite all the jokes about royal mail (3 million years? thats about average for second class post..:D) I have found it very quick and cheaper than the US services.
I sea freight sword steel from the US, it takes about 3 months and the price is as much as the steel is worth, to top it off i once had it delivered to the wrong house- right number but different street. When i called Aus post they couldn't care less.

[Arry]

The last time I used them, the exact same thing happened to me, keep showing as IN TRANSIT.

I emailed them and they wrote back and said it was lost so they would look into it.

Couple of days later they wrote and said that they had found it, it had fallen of the conveyer belt.

I have no idea if what they told me was true, but in the end I received the package.

Cheers

[morrisman]

How is anyone else faring? I've been waiting in vain by the looks of it for a pair of circlip pliers I paid for six weeks ago. USPS tracking shows them being "in transit" since the 18th of June.

BT

I've been buying used books from the USA recently, machining books . Most are ex library books . The transit time is hit an miss , sometimes they get here in good time, but other times it takes many weeks . I cant explain it :((

Today I got a 1941 "New Encyclopedea of Machining Practice" 560 pages . Its great , no photos but line drawings of everything . Must have been skilled artists back then as the drawings are very good . I think there was a trade known as "Commercial Artist"

[AUSSIE TD-40]

can take up to 12 weeks! most take 6 to 8 weeks unless it gos by air

Jake

[BobL]

All my USPS experiences have been good.

About 10 years ago I had about 10 kg of books sent and the parcel must have disintegrated somewhere in the US as the books arrived in a USPS mail bag which I still have and uses as a general tote bag.

ANother time I ordered 36" long pieces of tool steel and the steel punctured the side of the parcel and it had been taped up by someone in the US because the puncture was repaired with multiple layers of US newspaper.

Most of the stuff has been 6-8 weeks. Longest I've had was 14 weeks.

[Anorak Bob]

All my USPS experiences have been good.

About 10 years ago I had about 10 kg of books sent and the parcel must have disintegrated somewhere in the US as the books arrived in a USPS mail bag which I still have and uses as a general tote bag.

ANother time I ordered 36" long pieces of tool steel and the steel punctured the side of the parcel and it had been taped up by someone in the US because the puncture was repaired with multiple layers of US newspaper.

Most of the stuff has been 6-8 weeks. Longest I've had was 14 weeks.

I've seldom had to wait that long for mail from the States Bob. I 'd say the norm would have been 2 to 3 weeks.

I'm currently waiting for some Swiss goodies winging their way here via Dutch Post. The package is trackable. Since the initial arrival date which was Monday, the website changes the arrival date to each current day. I'm just hoping that one of these days it will arrive. Fingers crossed.

BT

[BobL]

I've seldom had to wait that long for mail from the States Bob. I 'd say the norm would have been 2 to 3 weeks.


Maybe it's because most of the stuff has been large, chainsaw bars, tool steel etc. The stuff that took 14 weeks was timber and that was almost certainly held up in quarantine.

I have received some small packages here in 2-3 weeks. One time it only took 5 days for some tool steel to arrive but that was sent accidentally by Enco by priority air (cost was around $100!) but they only charged me for surface mail.

[Mr Brush]

I've only had small items shipped from the states by USPS, but over the past 12 months or so their prices have gone up and service has definitely gone downhill. Now very hit and miss IMHO. Could be due to them finally working out that they were losing money hand over fist.....?

Meanwhile, that old dark horse UK Royal Mail ("What's A Few Days Between Friends?") seems to be doing a better job. Postage from the UK is very reasonable, and I've experienced very rapid and reliable delivery on several shipments. For smaller woodworking handtools (e.g. chisels) I'll generally check a few UK suppliers in preference to the USA outlets, as they are often very competitive when shipping is taken into account.

[barkersegg]

Been watching this thread with interest as I had also noted an increased time delay recently in stuff I ordered ex US sent via USPS............Interestingly, way back in mid May I ordered parts from the US....I paid for them and the merchant posted them air freight on May 24th......a receipt was sent to me with the tracking number..normally only takes a few weeks...anyway, I waited until their expected delivery mid June and nothing happened, tracking still showed it was in the US - so I got onto the merchant and he immediately credited my account no questions asked and I purchased elsewhere - didn't give it another thought...

Lo and behold Australia post delivered the package today just over 10 weeks later...:oo: I didn't accept delivery but on examination of the package with the Aus Post bloke it showed that the AWB was cut in the US on 28/7/12 for QF94 to Australia.......all the other labels had been removed so we were not able to tell when it was originally posted but I have no doubts the merchant posted when he said and it's been sitting in some depot ever since.....

I sent the merchant the details today and his reply being it wasn't out of the norm with USPS this year........:?......which I thought rather disconcerting coming from a pretty large US supplier.....just makes me more wary now.........FWIW.............Lee

[malb]

On thing that I have noticed with USPS deliveries of late is that the supplier can do the paperwork online and get a tracking number to forward to you, then order the goods and pack them once they arrive in their inwards store, call USPS and have them collected to ship to the customer.

I have had stuff recorded as collected from the supplier three weeks after the supplier has advised me that it has been shipped and provided the tracking number.

Also USPS offers some categories of tracked postage where the category does not comply with international tracking standards and the tracking stops once the package leaves the last US airport.

Used to deliver for Aust Post parcels, and we were in deep poo if we scanned parcels in that category for delivery.

[ian]

All my USPS experiences have been good.

About 10 years ago I had about 10 kg of books sent and the parcel must have disintegrated somewhere in the US as the books arrived in a USPS mail bag which I still have and uses as a general tote bag.the mail bag might have been the original packaging.
USPS used to have a special rate for books called IIRC "book bag"
a friend with a relative in the US used to regularly receive "bags" of books

[Anorak Bob]

Also USPS offers some categories of tracked postage where the category does not comply with international tracking standards and the tracking stops once the package leaves the last US airport.



Exactly the plight of my 7 dollar circlip pliers. The seller willingly refunded my money on Friday. I said that if it did materialise I'd let him know and ask for another invoice. Only fair.

BT

[krisfarm]

It not just USA that is slow, I just received today a small air mail parcel (plastic end caps for RHS tubing) from UK that was posted on 19th June, around 58 days. Its poor service especially when the postage costs are double the cost of the goods.

[petersemple]

Wow. I just got a camera from the UK in 6 days. Guess it's pretty inconsistent

[MarkEF]

I think it just must be hit and miss, I ordered a few bits and pieces from the states 7 days ago, they said 2 to 3 weeks delivery time with USPS. I was very surprised when it arrived 2 days ago considering it was a 15kg package.

[malb]

It not just USA that is slow, I just received today a small air mail parcel (plastic end caps for RHS tubing) from UK that was posted on 19th June, around 58 days. Its poor service especially when the postage costs are double the cost of the goods.

Strange UK is normally pretty good. Ordered and paid for a car mirror on Friday night (local) a month ago and it was here the next Wednesday. Thats about normal for my UK experiences.


I think it just must be hit and miss, I ordered a few bits and pieces from the states 7 days ago, they said 2 to 3 weeks delivery time with USPS. I was very surprised when it arrived 2 days ago considering it was a 15kg package.

One of the issues with USPS is that they have contracts for X number of airfreight containers per day to OS destinations and smaller packages sometimes end up on hold to fill the gaps in the next days shipments, then don't make that shipment. Larger/heavier packages seem to get first dibs on the space available, and smaller stuff fills out whatever waste space is left.

They also only add containers beyond their contact volume once there is sufficient backlog to fill the extra container completely. They pay ad hoc rates if they need to add extra containers, which might be 3 times the rate of contract containers.

[Ropetangler]

It may interest you to know that there are some unexpected results of all the economic turmoil that the whole world seems to be undergoing. I subscribe to several American magazines at a considerable saving to the newsagents prices. Home Shop Machinist and Machinists Workshop, both published by Village Press, and also Fine WoodWorking, published by Taunton Press. They are all now postmarked Zurich - Swiss Post. Obviously the American publishers have found that they can air freight a few pallet loads of magazines to Switzerland, together with a mailing list, and still have cheaper delivery charges than they would have just posting locally. There does not seem to be much delay with this process.
On a local note, I also purchase The Age Newspaper on a Thursday mainly for the "Green Guide." For those unfamiliar with the GG ,it is the radio and TV guide for the week and also has interesting (to me) sections on computers and cameras. They charge extra above the cover price on the paper for The Age, $2.50 as against $2.00. This was originally bought in for the week-end editions of The Age and also The Sydney Morning Herald, because of their large classified advertising sections on the weekends, and the effect on "air freight". But get this, they now impose the impost on all days, and The Age at least is now published in Launceston, Tasmania for the local market.:( To top it all off, from time to time they leave the 'Green Guide' because of technical issues with the files, usually they publish the next day, but in the past they have decided not to publish at all. :(( Talk about being remote from their readership.
Rob.

[Big Shed]

As the Green Guide is now only a shadow of its' former self, hardly any computer stuff at all now, I no longer buy any issue of The Age, previously it was down to Thursday only.

I subscribe to Fine Woodworking online, much cheaper and you have access to all the back issues as well.

Switzerland seems to have special postage rates for thes sorts of things. I buy quite a few books fro the Book Depository-UK and a fair precentage seem to be posted from Switzerland.

The world is really shrinking.

Usually the cost of the book including postage is less than it would cost to post the same book form Bendigo to Melbourne via AusPost, go figure:doh:

[Ropetangler]

As the Green Guide is now only a shadow of its' former self, hardly any computer stuff at all now, I no longer buy any issue of The Age, previously it was down to Thursday only.

I subscribe to Fine Woodworking online, much cheaper and you have access to all the back issues as well.

Switzerland seems to have special postage rates for these sorts of things. I buy quite a few books fro the Book Depository-UK and a fair percentage seem to be posted from Switzerland.

The world is really shrinking.

Usually the cost of the book including postage is less than it would cost to post the same book form Bendigo to Melbourne via AusPost, go figure:doh:

I know what you mean Fred re content in any of the papers I think, it gets less and less while the advertorial goes up. (I only get the Thursday edition too.)
I hadn't realised that Book Depository also frequently posted from Switzerland too, I sometime get stuff from them as well thanks to a recommendation from you a couple of years or so ago. I can get any workshop practice series books I might want for just over half the price, and weeks earlier than I could if I had to wait for an order placed in a local bookshop. It worries me though, what will become of the local shops, with high overheads, and dwindling sales because of the competition. Then you walk into the local library to find half the books that used to be there, (the reference section seems gutted) - but heaps of computer terminals taking their place.:C

[ian]

It may interest you to know that there are some unexpected results of all the economic turmoil that the whole world seems to be undergoing. I subscribe to several American magazines at a considerable saving to the newsagents prices. Home Shop Machinist and Machinists Workshop, both published by Village Press, and also Fine WoodWorking, published by Taunton Press. They are all now postmarked Zurich - Swiss Post. Obviously the American publishers have found that they can air freight a few pallet loads of magazines to Switzerland, together with a mailing list, and still have cheaper delivery charges than they would have just posting locally. There does not seem to be much delay with this process.hi Rob

this has been going on for at least 30 years, so I don't think it has much if anything to do with the current economical turmoil
In 1974 I took out a subscription to Scientific American. the magazine always came via Europe.
either Yankie publishers send all foreign subscriptions (except those in Canada) to Europe for despatch, or their software thinks Australia is that country which borders Germany

[barkersegg]

Well I never knew this Forum had so much International clout ........I actually received a parcel yesterday which was posted in New York on 4th Aug and sent via USPS so they must be following this thread and lifted their game just for us..:D......the merchant advised me that it's really hit and miss with USPS....can't agree more...I am still waiting for a similar size parcel sent from a supplier just out of Houston Texas, 10 weeks ago.....the tracking system confirmed the postage date and tells me it's still sitting in the US...

From now on where possible, I ask the merchant to send via one of the commercial couriers ...slightly more expensive, but a lot more reliable in scheduled delivery dates.

It's not just the USPS either, must be a sign of the times - I often send normal mail and packages Australia Post from Vic to Katherine in the NT and it always takes on average 8-10 days - sometimes up to 12 days to arrive at their Post Office..............Priority mail isn't much better taking up to 7 days for triple the cost......considering this is within Australia - IMHO, I find it disgusting and totally unacceptable for Australia Post to take so long to deliver within it's own country.......and they can't blame anyone else for that..... .maybe they need to put a motor on the posties bike for the stretch between Cooper Pedy and The Alice.or bigger wheels so his bike doesn't get stuck on the cattle grids as much..:2tsup: ......just my two bobs worth of grizzle for the day...:;.........Lee

[JohnQ]

Still waiting for an anniverary card to arrive, posted 6/8 from Nelson Bay to Guildford/Sydney. That will be 2 weeks on Monday. Surprisingly usually 1-2 day to/from Nelson Bay for registered post, or 5-7 days to our son in Bendigo.

JohnQ

[Ropetangler]

hi Rob

this has been going on for at least 30 years, so I don't think it has much if anything to do with the current economical turmoil
In 1974 I took out a subscription to Scientific American. the magazine always came via Europe.
either Yankie publishers send all foreign subscriptions (except those in Canada) to Europe for despatch, or their software thinks Australia is that country which borders Germany
O.K. Ian, I hadn't realised that it was longstanding behavior that I was seeing. When I first took out these subs, they were posted from home base, but I suppose that postage is on constant watch for the opportunity to cut costs, and the balance has just shifted to the point where overseas postage has again become cheaper even with the bulk airfreight component.
Perhaps our local publishers need to look for alternatives like their overseas counterparts do, because none of the locals offer the kind of attractive deals with subscriptions that the American magazines in particular do on a regular basis. With the Ausies, you would be lucky to get much more than a 5 - 10% saving, while the Americans sometimes give savings over 75% to their local readership and about 50% for overseas readers.
Australia Post is sometimes very expensive and way over the top. Several days ago I took a C5 envelope, (230 X160mm) to the Post Office to post it. In the envelope was 2 lots of anti-biotic medications for my wife. They easily fitted in the envelope, but it made it about 25mm thick. They were to go to Hobart from North West Tasmania, and I was told the cost was $6.50. Initially I thought the Post Mistress was joking, but soon realised that she was serious. It is too thick to go as a letter she said, it is a small package. I then opened the envelope, and removed the sheets of capsules from the boxes, which I then folded flat, and fitted the whole lot, boxes and all back into the envelope, to which the Post Mistress added some tape to secure it. The amount payable dropped to $1.80. Those in charge seem to be the postal systems worst enemies it would seem.:o
Apparently in recent times it has been "streamlined", and the classification small package has gone, and now we pay for 500gm even if you are sending only 100gm, and it is thicker than about 6mm. (not sure of the exact thickness, but it isn't very much, 6 - 10 mm I think).:((

[Auskart]

7kg Package from Swansea to Canley Heights posted 14th received 15th, can't complain.

[Steamwhisperer]

7kg Package from Swansea to Canley Heights posted 14th received 15th, can't complain.

Wow, that must have actually fallen 'onto' the truck:D

Phil

[BobL]

I bought some sneakers on ebay recently and got them the next day and thought wow that was quick. When I checked back on location I saw they were located in Perth :doh:

[Groggy]

I have an item sitting at Chicago International that got there a week ago, USPS's fault? Getting a bit worried it may have been lost internally to a 5 finger Louie.

[Big Shed]

I have an item sitting at Chicago International that got there a week ago, USPS's fault? Getting a bit worried it may have been lost internally to a 5 finger Louie.

Greg, tracking by USPS is "hit and miss" these days and more miss than hit.

The last 2 shipments from the US I experienced the same, got to Chicago and next I knew it was here:doh:

[damian]

As the Green Guide is now only a shadow of its' former self, hardly any computer stuff at all now, I no longer buy any issue of The Age, previously it was down to Thursday only.



I am unfamiliar with the green guide but I can tell you everyone I know used to buy the sunday mail in brisbane solely for the TV guide. One would literally drop the paper in the bin as you walk out of the newsagent. Terrible waste.

I always laugh when jounalists talk about "quality journalism". Haven't seen any in a very long time.

[Big Shed]

I don't really need TV Guide either, like quality journalism, quality TV is non-existent so I basically only watch non-commercial TV news and the odd documentary.

[.RC.]

The USPS tracking on my sine bar says has been dispatched to sort facility at Pleasant Hope MO. August 2nd....

Not sure whether to tell them it is now residing in my shed...

[barkersegg]

Ordered several consignments last week from two different US suppliers on the East Coast of the USA...one sent via FedEx was delivered to me 4 days later, the other sent on the same day with USPS shows it now sitting in a Sort Facility - still on the East Coast US .....admittedly USPS was about 50% cheaper but it really does make you wonder where the cost structures differs for essentially the same service with such differing results.....as Big Shed said..."hit and miss"...... perhaps....???.:(

[Steamwhisperer]

My package has just arrived from us via USPS. 4 days.
I must be one of the lucky ones.

Phil

[Groggy]

I checked the tracking log and the package arrived at Ohare International shipping centre on 09 Aug. According to the tracker it is still there. I am hoping it will mysteriously arrive tomorrow. Please don't burst my bubble anyone. :-

[grunto]

My US friends tell me that Chicago is a renowned choke point for USPS. The story goes that the bulk of the items sent to Canada pass through Chicago (and I am sure there are a lot of them) and this delays the whole process considerably.

You don't seem to get anywhere near the delay for items that go via Los Angeles.

[Toggy]

I just had a technical drawing posted in NY on 14/8 arrive on 23/8.

Ken

[ian]

It may interest you to know that there are some unexpected results of all the economic turmoil that the whole world seems to be undergoing. I subscribe to several American magazines at a considerable saving to the newsagents prices. Home Shop Machinist and Machinists Workshop, both published by Village Press, and also Fine WoodWorking, published by Taunton Press. They are all now postmarked Zurich - Swiss Post. Obviously the American publishers have found that they can air freight a few pallet loads of magazines to Switzerland, together with a mailing list, and still have cheaper delivery charges than they would have just posting locally. There does not seem to be much delay with this process.Curiously, the October issue of Popular Woodworking arrived today
Posted by Pitney Bowes in Melbourne (Braeside to be precise) -- must have been air freighted in bulk to Oz, then posted locally

[Ueee]

My sine bar was sent from the UK by royal mail last Friday, the 24th. It arrived yesterday, Wednesday the 29th! Thats pretty good time! It has even beaten a couple of things ordered at the same time from China.

[Anorak Bob]

My sine bar was sent from the UK by royal mail last Friday, the 24th. It arrived yesterday, Wednesday the 29th! Thats pretty good time! It has even beaten a couple of things ordered at the same time from China.

And where are the Melbournes Ew? Did you end up with a small magnetic version like the one from Placentia?

BT

[Ueee]

Hi Bob,
I posted the ebay sellers Melbourne here http://www.woodworkforums.com/f65/todays-tools-gloat-140510/index26.html#post1539328 I'll take some better ones just for you!

[BobL]

My order from east coast US sent 18th August arrived in Perth on 24th.

[Anorak Bob]

How is anyone else faring? I've been waiting in vain by the looks of it for a pair of circlip pliers I paid for six weeks ago. USPS tracking shows them being "in transit" since the 18th of June.

BT

Well, the seven dollar pliers arrived yesterday after 72 days in transit.

And here's me thinking USPS no longer offered seamail as an option. :no:

BT

[Groggy]

Still waiting...*sigh*

[petersemple]

I am waiting for a drill chuck that was posted in the US on 6 August. Sounds like there might be a while to wait yet.

[Michael G]

Sorry guys. I got some camlock parts from the US today. Posted on the 18th.

Michael

[Machtool]

It must be totally random. I needed a hydraulic pressure switch. Found one on Ebay US for a 1/4 of what I would have bought it for here. Purchased 22/08, arrived here 28/08. 6 days, I think for 17 dollars, flat rate box about the size you could put a VHS tape in.

Delta Power Hydraulic Pressure Electrical Switch PS3000 1/4" NPT 500-3000psi Adj | eBay (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/360456527864?)

Phil.

[Groggy]

It arrived! It is a mouse, they must have made it walk here :roll: