Lost/Damaged USPS & missing incoming international package

Understood, and I'm sorry you ended up with a rude postal person, you should know they're not all like that (unfortunately, I have that experience due to dealing with a ton of postal people on past horrible package experences).

She's right, they don't care about you as the recipient, you need to ping the person who shipped the package to you. Let them know that while there was obviously a US problem, they need to start an inquiry, because our custom wouldn't typically hold something up for so long. They should be able to get that ball rolling on their side and set someone to tracking the package down. It's the longer way 'round, but it's the system.

And honestly? USPS is awful for scanning things properly. One of the reasons the person you talked to is so grumpy is because your mere inquiry is hours of work that they will have to do behind the scenes because they aren't willing to put in a little effort scanning things up-front, but it's nothing to take out on you.

Be prepared to wait some more, and be prepared to have to talk to more unpleasant people. Also don't be surprised if it just shows up out of the blue.... Which I hope is what happens. Good luck!

.hlp

 

Yes, I have experienced the same thing with a package from the Netherlands to the USA, send with registered airmail. It's destination was also New York (coincidence?) It went missing and I refunded the buyer. After a month (busy school period) I decided to file an investigation to at least get the insurance money back. Guess what? The package eventually arrived, 2 months too late. >_<

I thought it was the investigation that pushed the package through, but I got a letter yesterday saying that there was too little information for a proper investigation. So, it was just timing that the package arrived after the filing. I have no idea what went wrong and how/why it was delivered after all. But I'm glad it did.

Also, at the post office, when I was filing the investigation, they said I shouldn't get my hopes too high since packages to the USA often go missing. And it was only insured up to &#8364;48 instad of &#8364;500 as the site claimes. @3@

I don't know if it's a mistake on TNT's side or on that of UPS, but it is very annoying. I woul recommend asking the buyer to file an investiogation; it gives an option to send the package back to either the sender or the receiver if it's found.

 

If you're friendly with your local post office if it's a smaller one, you can also try to stop in there and see if you get someone friendlier who might be willing to help you track it and see what is really going on. I happen to mail out a lot of packages so my area POs know me and are usually willing to try to help when I ask.

I too live near NYC and most of the time my packages from abroad have come no problem but a couple times I've had things take an inordinate amount of time to reach me. They always have gotten here, but it takes 2 months instead of the usual 1 week.

 

I'm starting to think that USPS just had a total shut down on the 17th. I sent a priority envelope from PA to Oregon on the 17th..it should have been there, end of the week...But it's MIA. And I had a package sent from Singapore to me one the 16th or so I believe..on the Singapore tacking it shows that it was sent to the US..tracking never updated on the US side. Never got scanned in, never shown that it was in customs..nothing. I just had to play it by ear and it got here...eventually.

 

I'm starting to think the same thing, that the USPS is really backed up at the moment. I haven't been waiting quite as long as others, but my package from Canada should have been here by now. But it seems to have fallen right off the radar as soon as it entered the US; no status update, no package. I really hope to see some movement soon.

But I can vouch that the US is rather quirky when it comes to scanning packages. Currently the USPS website states that the package is still sitting at the main office where it was accepted, and hasn't been sent off yet. It's Canada's tracking site that's telling me it's in the US.

And as terrible as it sounds, I'm slightly relieved to hear it's not just me having issues ^^ (I know, that's bad, I'm sorry!). But because there are so many MIAs, I really think there is some sort of delay/hold-up happening right now, so hopefully things will turn around soon. Maybe once the Thanksgiving weekend is finally over.. *keeping fingers crossed*

 

Ok, I'm not thrilled to say this, but I'm also glad I'm not the only one with this issue. I mailed a package to US by Registered Airmail (that is considered Priority here) on November 17th, it was shipped out of the country on 19th, arrived to NY on 20th and since then - no updates. And the inbond international arrival update (dated 20th) only showed up on USPS tracking on November 24th! (Talk about "Information, if available, is updated periodically throughout the day." Yeah, right....). I mailed a package to Thailand also on 19th, by same shipping method, and it got there already a week ago! So I'm sitting hoping that there's really some hold-up there at NY customs/sorting center.

 

Just updating, that my package did arrive safely and was in transit only for 10 calendar days. USPS however didn't snow any updates, until it was actually picked up from the PO. Then it showed every update that happened between it arriving to NY and delivery, including arrival to unit, note left to pick up. So if anyone there is still waiting and the site doesn't update, I strongly recommend going to your local PO where your packages usually get delivered to, with a tracking number. You may just be missing a note.

 

I have a same problem. Package was shipped from US to NZ on the 24th ans still nothing ;_;....my poor girl.

 

sadly this happens all the time. I had a package shipped WITHIN the US a few months back, it took three weeks for a service they advertise takes 2-3 business days and they TELL you takes 8-10 (notice that difference? back in Aus that is called False Advertising) A month after I got it the site still told me it was in California!

Sadly the way postage works with tracking down a lost parcel is that the parcel is considered the property of the person who sent it until it is received at the other end, that si why the person who sent it must file the claim etc.

Still, things could be worse, I mailed off a commission a week back, and yesterday received it back to me, damaged with some of the items missing! I remade them and repackaged the items up to send again, but I can tell you, I am not going to rest until USPS refunds me the extra $25 shipping that their mistakes cost me, let alone the cost of remaking things *fumes*

 

I've had two "masterpieces" go missing with the USPS (though I secretly think it was the customer trying to get the artwork and a refund) and one plushy that was being sent to me (and we secretly think it was his parents)... But this makes me worry slightly, as I'm recieving a DoD H. Ducan from Canada, and the tracking hasn't updated, at all... She told me he should be here in 6 days, and it's been four days since she shipped him, I thought he would have at least shown up somewhere.... Other than that, all of my packages before have had no issues... Though I have had lots of problems of stuff not getting sent out properly or being returned and making me pay to ship it again (and again and again).

 

I'm afraid, while it might be true for packages sent from US with USPS, it's not the same with packages sent from EU. Here the difference between Priority (as in "Registered Airmail") and EMS is HUGE. EMS is often 2 or 3 times more expensive, while in US it can be only $10 difference for a package containing a doll.

I've been lucky, Registered Airmail packages I've sent to US has never taken more than 2 weeks to arrive, usually less. But not having proper USPS.com tracking is upsetting, but it's already the recipient country to blame for.

 

Just reading this thread, I sent (by International signed for) my Hazy head to the US on the 21st Oct for a new faceup, she arrived in NY on the 24th so no complaints about post at this end but since then she seems to have vanished. A DOA member in NY kindly rang the office for me but they weren't much help, I have filed a complaint with my PO but I had to wait 25 working days before I could and now just waiting to hear anything. Of course she is the limited edition realskin so not much hope of getting another matching head as Elfdoll have been selling the heads separately but only in WS or NS - and I didn't insure her for the full amount as nothing has ever got lost before.

 

Just an update, my Hazy head arrived at its destination address yesterday, box in perfect condition so who knows where she has been for 8 weeks but at least she has arrived.

 

What the PO told me is Priority is only traceable from the US and that once it leaves the US it is not traceable. Now I have tracked packages to other countries despite what they said but I think it just depends on the country it is going to and whether they up date or not. I think the USPS is just trying to protect themselves from liability.
I have only had one package not reach me and that was something I bought from France. It was not expensive so it wasnt that big of a deal and the girl did go buy another to replace it. It was half of what I purchased but that was okay.

 

I had a quick question, and im not sure it belongs here exactly but I will ask anyways, I hope it is okay Ive started buying and selling alot comming into this hobby and I always hear that it is best to get insurance on your packages in case they get lost. You are supposed to insure the items for their worth, right? But then what happens if it gets lost? Even if they refund you do you refund the seller and be out of the item yourself, or should you insure the item for double what its worth that way the both of you will be even? Sorry Im so new to this, I just really have no idea!

 

If the item gets lost, it's the sender who starts a claim with the PO and gets the insurance money, not the recipient. So the seller receives the insurance money and can then refund the money to the buyer. Nobody looses anything, since the seller keeps the original payment (or if the seller is confident in the buyer, the original payment can be refunded first and the seller will then keep the insurance claim money).

I'm quite positive that insuring for the double of the package value would constitute a mail fraud They might need you to provide sales papers, to prove the value too.

 

ohh I see, I knew I was forgetting something! Thank you