The state of "our" postal system outside of the EU.

[Spankyfart]

Conversation started on the 21th of May, packaged and posted on the 23th.
44 day's later.. (no it's not Danny Boyle new movie) it finally plonked on the doorstep.
Considering you can cycle York - Amsterdam in a good 48 hours and a ferry, well done postal people.

I posted packages to south America, literally near a jungle and it was half that time.
What's your experience, and what is going on?
I asked the post guy and he said the sorting centers are a bloody mess and the more people complain the faster it would be fixed, although I doubt that.

Thanks again @retrobikeguy
It finally arrived.

 

[MuchAlohaNui]

When I was living in Hawaii, the USPS was completely random. Due to the geographical isolation, ground mail rates were flown in with 2-day air mail rates (which when it worked was a huge plus). Some packages took five days from the mainland USA, some three months irrespective of weight or volumetric weight. Germany...I think DHL takes the cake as being the absolute worst to deal with. Run around customer service. Phone numbers that go no where. If the package isn't insured and its something nice or electronics, the package will likely go missing. At one point it was happening around 10% of the time when I was selling on eBay rather regularly. My wife was freaking out about how regularly stuff we bought and sold went missing during shipment.

As an aside, the German customs are demonic lifeless souls who love to ruin your day over 25 euros. They will literally kick you in the nuts over 25 euros. Swiss post office will also literally unbox your item, check against the packing slip, look up your item on the internet for 'like value' then charge you a 'service fee' for being "randomly selected for opening your mail" plus whatever additional VAT they come up with.

Good times.

 

[Spankyfart]

Dutch do the same, it's called "customs clearance" (via translation) and it's a tenner or more.
The random pricetags added to say a White Industries hub is 50 Euro's. Because if it's 400 euro's on Ebay surely it must be the correct price.

 

[Tootyred]

And this is exactly why i no longer buy or sell anything abroad....

My birthday present was opened and argued over by uk customs last year....as they said "it did not constitute a present"....... I'm sorry i wanted a sprocket for my birthday! But i did, it came from my brother, who has the same surname and was consigned as a present or gift! Its a chaotic mess....still...

But hey! its apparently what the majority wanted.....

 

[Imlach]

When I receive things from the UK they arrive within 3 to 7 days consistently, but then sit in customs in the dreaded city of Copenhagen for up to 2 weeks from time to time.

It gets grim when I've received stuff as a gift as they require a lengthy process to prove it is a present. If it has a value declared and is therefor importing commercial goods then it all goes very quick, even from the US.

Sending to the UK is always smooth, never a problem. I do see why people are deterred to do EU/Non EU deals though as there's a lack of consistency and it's a minefield to figure out what goes and what doesn't.

Personally I try not to be deterred from buying in the UK, and the many times I've been able to handle the shipping myself on the behalf of UK sellers I've had zero issues. But as soon as they're let to their own devices it goes to shit.

Must be my magic touch

 

[Spankyfart]

But hey! its apparently what the majority wanted.....

With Brexit it's a real mess, seems like everyone is mad and trying to undermine whatever im-export there is.

I sent a few DX bits to France, the post tracker said it was delivered day x.
Then it wasn't delivered but sent to the nearest postal office, buyer never received a note.
After 14 day's it was lost in Limbo just to turn up 3 weeks later at my doorstep.

Had to post it again, and babysit the route for the person to be home at the right time.
If you are NOT going to be home, let me post it to the nearest post dropoff point.
It makes the margin of error so much smaller.

 

[Woz]

To be fair, the declaration is not appropriate. I'm surprised you got it all. My guess is that it went into the "pile to sort out later", it could have easily been returned back to the sender.

Nuts could also be a food item. It's ambiguous.
Old doesn't say anything meaningful.
Something with zero value would normally go in the bin rather than posted abroad.

It's more appropriate to say "Used Bicycle Part" and a value of say 2 GBP for something like this.

Gift means there is no financial transaction between the Importer and Exporter (for the item and postage / shipping costs).

Customs is not part of any postal or shipping organisation either; usually state owned reporting to the Minister of Finance.

Call me pedantic

 

[Imlach]

To be fair, the declaration is not appropriate. I'm surprised you got it all. My guess is that it went into the "pile to sort out later", it could have easily been returned back to the sender.

Nuts could also be a food item. It's ambiguous.
Old doesn't say anything meaningful.
Something with zero value would normally go in the bin rather than posted abroad.

It's more appropriate to say "Used Bicycle Part" and a value of say 2 GBP for something like this.

Gift means there is no financial transaction between the Importer and Exporter (for the item and postage / shipping costs).

Customs is not part of any postal or shipping organisation either; usually state owned reporting to the Minister of Finance.

Call me pedantic

Pedantic

 

[Imlach]

To be fair, the declaration is not appropriate. I'm surprised you got it all. My guess is that it went into the "pile to sort out later", it could have easily been returned back to the sender.

Nuts could also be a food item. It's ambiguous.
Old doesn't say anything meaningful.
Something with zero value would normally go in the bin rather than posted abroad.

It's more appropriate to say "Used Bicycle Part" and a value of say 2 GBP for something like this.

Gift means there is no financial transaction between the Importer and Exporter (for the item and postage / shipping costs).

Customs is not part of any postal or shipping organisation either; usually state owned reporting to the Minister of Finance.

Call me pedantic

All he needed to do was add 5 quid value and add the right hs code and it'd have been no problem and no extra fees

 

[Spankyfart]

To be fair, the declaration is not appropriate. I'm surprised you got it all.

Since when is someone sending their old nuts not appropriate.