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greeneyes

Lifer
Jun 5, 2018
2,125
12,189
I've even had a package scheduled for delivery yesterday according to USPS tracking, and the mail carrier just drove by my mailbox while I was sitting in the front yard. The status was updated to out for delivery - package arrived late.
The mailman didn't even set foot in my neighborhood yesterday. Tracking number statuses aren't updating.

UPS seems to be running though.
 
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pappymac

Lifer
Feb 26, 2015
3,270
4,262
The mailman didn't even set foot in my neighborhood yesterday. Tracking number statuses aren't updating.

UPS seems to be running though.
We've been living in the same house for 31 years. For the last 10 years, we had the same regular mail carrier until she retired last year. Now it's really hit or miss with the carrier. I've had mail coming to me get delivered to other houses down the street while I've had mail placed in my box for the street behind us.

The sad part is USPS just doesn't care.
 
Jul 28, 2016
7,564
36,059
Finland-Scandinavia-EU
I'm waiting for two packages from U.S two months as of now, both of these have been sent via UPS Super Saver which usually gets re-routed & relabeled in Switzerland, were these shipped by USPS they'd have already been received, another package from France is about to come, the third week on the road,yet our international mail sorting facilities are super slow in their operations right now
 
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greeneyes

Lifer
Jun 5, 2018
2,125
12,189
We've been living in the same house for 31 years. For the last 10 years, we had the same regular mail carrier until she retired last year. Now it's really hit or miss with the carrier. I've had mail coming to me get delivered to other houses down the street while I've had mail placed in my box for the street behind us.

The sad part is USPS just doesn't care.
When this happens I hand-deliver the mail to the correct address. My neighbor upstairs just scribbles "wrong address" on it and leaves it in the mailbox. When you think about it the USPS is truly "hit or miss."
 
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peteguy

Lifer
Jan 19, 2012
1,530
906
I just had a package from Michigan that was shipped on April 24th arrive yesterday and it was a priority mail package. Michigan must be hit hard by covid.
 
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Rockyrepose

Lifer
Oct 16, 2019
1,324
13,238
Wyoming USA
I placed an order with SP on April 4. Last USPS tracking had it in the Columbia SC processing center. I have a missing mail ticket with images of the items included in the order. SP (and myself) have deemed it missing and they credited my account.

At least the things in my order were in stock so I have a replacement order on the way. I have imagined the service is just getting hammered right now. Everything worked out for me as SP is second to none in customer service. I'm used to extra shipping time and delays, I live in Wyoming. This is unfortunately probably another new normal we may have to endure for a time. I write it off as services and companies suffering from the events of current pandemic times and also the driver behind the "get back to normal" movement whether in favor of that or not.
 

Ahi Ka

Lurker
Feb 25, 2020
6,518
31,465
Aotearoa (New Zealand)
via UPS Super Saver which usually gets re-routed & relabeled in Switzerland, were these shipped by USPS they'd have already been received,
I have been waiting for over 2months for some stuff on the super saver shipping too...and the one item I did pay for first class shipping hasn’t had a tracking update since 29th March.
 

paulfg

Lifer
Feb 21, 2016
1,565
2,929
Corfu Greece
I think its the same world wide,the virus is slowing things down.
I sent a parcel to Italy from Greece (almost next door to each other).It left Athens on 2 April and didnt show up on Italian tracking until 29 April,
My guess it was in Customs awaiting scanning either her or Italy.Even though there is no import duties between the Countries they still check for illegal packages
 

BROBS

Lifer
Nov 13, 2019
11,765
40,026
IA
I’ve actually had things get here faster than normal and arrive places faster too. Then I’ve had other areas that seem to take longer. So I think it really depends on your local USPS and how many people are off work there etc.
 

timelord

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 30, 2017
949
1,966
Gallifrey
I think its the same world wide,the virus is slowing things down.
I sent a parcel to Italy from Greece (almost next door to each other).It left Athens on 2 April and didnt show up on Italian tracking until 29 April,
My guess it was in Customs awaiting scanning either her or Italy.Even though there is no import duties between the Countries they still check for illegal packages
Perhaps they're rowing parcels across the Adriatic in boats given lack of flights?

I ordered some tobacco from 4Noggins and due to concern at a) running low and b) postal delays I paid for expedited delivery. No issues with 4Noggings; they processed the order quickly and I got a shipping notification the same day. Shipping though:

31/3 - package ships from Huappage NY
10/4 - package arrives at Jamaica NY
16/4 - package arrives and departs Newark NJ
18/4 - package arrives and departs Houston TX
18/4 - package arrives São Paulo
20/4 - package received by customs São Paulo
5/5 - package finally assessed by customs and request for payment (online)
6/5 - I paid...
7/5 - package released into normal local delivery system

I was somewhat surprised because the expedited post was provided by a subsidiary of SwissPost called Globegistics and from their website the service was described as a premium express service.

Whereas all they seemed to do was bypass USPS (*) to get it from 4Noggins to the airport (and even then they must have used a mule train) and then it was just treated as standard USPS parcel post until arrival in São Paulo and then as part of the standard Correios Brasil mail here.

(*) I'm not even sure as that as both USPS and Globgistics provided tracking from the start - non of which agreed!

Still, lesson learnt, no point in paying for expedited service and next order went in for basic post (the 3-4 week delay at customs in Brazil appears to be 'business as usual' in my experience; only way to avoid that is to use DHL!).
 
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blues4goose

Starting to Get Obsessed
May 15, 2019
243
720
30
Bethlehem, PA
I'm glad I didn't come across this thread sooner. I just bought my fiance a Nintendo Switch and mailed it to her from Bethlehem PA to Phoenix AZ. Not sure why I didn't get it insured, as hard to find & expensive as these things are. Tracking info showed a delay, but much to my relief, they got it sorted out and it actually got there on the day they originally quoted. I have so much appreciation for USPS, and even though I've had plenty of issues with them in the past, they always manage to impress.
 
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Papamique

Part of the Furniture Now
Mar 11, 2020
789
3,953
I mailed a pipe to Michigan recently for repair. It should’ve taken no more than three days. It has now been over two weeks and no sign of package in Michigan. The tracking number doesn’t reveal anything at all about where it is. The post office can’t help me. They tell me I can’t file a complaint until 30 days have passed. I may have lost a really nice Charatan. Fool that I am, I did not even insure it. Someone please beat me about the head and shoulders.
Anybody else out there have post office woes?

Wow! EXACT thing just happened to me. Sent a pipe to walker Pipe Repair in Michigan and it got STUCK half way for about a week. Filled out a missing mail form online and it was finally delivered this past Tuesday.
 

greeneyes

Lifer
Jun 5, 2018
2,125
12,189
I have a package that took two weeks to reach American soil from Denmark. It's been sitting another two weeks at customs.

I sent a "Help Request Form" (as per instructions) and the answer came back:

"Service Request ... Has Been Resolved! Dear XYZ, Thank you for contacting the U.S. Postal Service®. This is in response to your recent inquiry regarding delayed mail. I see that your package has not left customs. It is taking quite a lengthy time to clear customs as of now. As a result of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, Postal ServiceTM Priority Mail® products and First-ClassTM packages may temporarily experience delivery delays due to limited transportation availability...."​
To paraphrase:

ME: My package is stuck at customs
USPS: I noticed your package is stuck at customs. Yeah, it's taking a while. COVID-19.

Anyway according to procedure in another 7 business days it becomes a 'Missing Mail Search Request.' As these things always happen I worry about it incessantly and it simply arrives when it arrives.
 
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pappymac

Lifer
Feb 26, 2015
3,270
4,262
Wow! EXACT thing just happened to me. Sent a pipe to walker Pipe Repair in Michigan and it got STUCK half way for about a week. Filled out a missing mail form online and it was finally delivered this past Tuesday.
I know someone who works for USPS as an "equipment maintenance technician" and I've discussed the problems with tracking with him. He told me that for the tracking to work, each package has to be scanned and in most facilities the scanning is done by hand. Unfortunately, some workers are a little lackadaisical when it comes to scanning packages.
 
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