TromboneChat

My last order from Doug Elliott was on March 26th. It took just under 2 weeks (priority mail) which suprised us both! No customs charge either.

As the virus was kicking off around then, it took another 2 weeks for me to send Doug's piece within the UK, such was the demand on the Royal Mail.

I recently had a couple of mpcs mailed to Canada. This involves giving the mpc to the USPS, handing it off to the Canada Customs, and handing it off again to Canada Post. Both got here pretty much on time.

My last 2 Amazon orders on the other hand..,

Basbasun wrote: ↑Tue Jun 09, 2020 1:05 pm I don´t hate USPS, but they oviously have som problems. My mpc was sent from WI May 04, tracked May 12,2020 at 12,43 pm processe trough regions facility chicago IL internation distribution center.
After that nothing. I tried to contact usps for hours, impossible. I tried the Nordpost and the custom in Sweden with no luck. Well I do have mouthpieces.....

As German Trombone said;
But what is a bit more annoying: I have not yet find a way to inquire towards USPS on international packages. The case/ticketing system and phone contacts that they offer seem to work only for shipments within the US.
Does anyone have any idea on this?

Like has been mentioned in this thread. It's likely not lost... it's just going to take 2 months to get to you. If it takes longer than 2 months and you still don't see it after three then there is cause for concern.

USPS for whatever reason doesn't provide tracking for international packages unless you specifically purchase a service that provides it... such as registered mail or you send it via one of the expedited services. Slow boat mail drops off the face of the earth the second it gets to the airport to go overseas.

If the item I'm sending international is of any value I always try and send it via Registered mail or FedEx to make sure I have tracking. I had a Mount Vernon 2G a few years back take over 3 months to get to the U.K and there was zero tracking! Terrifying! I thought it was a goner. Not doing that again.

PhilE wrote: ↑Sat Jun 06, 2020 5:16 am

PhilE wrote: ↑Tue Apr 28, 2020 7:48 pm I ordered some bits and pieces from NJ, USA on 26 March, to be shipped to Australia.

According to the USPS tracking they have been sitting in the Jamaica NY International Distribution Centre since 31 March.

The tracking service usually loses track of the goods after landing in Australia but advises when they have landed.

Australia Post has its own challenges as well at the moment.

There's been no change to this one. The item location is still NY according to the tracker.

I purchased another item from a forum member which was shipped USPS through Chicago 4th May. It hasn't turned up either but I guess it's early days really.

It's very difficult to make contact with USPS from outside the US.

The items shipped 31 March arrived yesterday - about 10 weeks

None of them do a good job. I tried paying the significant extra for FedEx once and it still got stuck in customs. Might as well let USPS do it cheaper and just wait.

I understand that DHL has a better record with customs shipments. When I spent a couple of weeks working in France, the Purchasing Manager told me that was his experience. Never tried to send something through them, though.

BGuttman wrote: ↑Thu Jun 11, 2020 1:02 pm I understand that DHL has a better record with customs shipments. When I spent a couple of weeks working in France, the Purchasing Manager told me that was his experience. Never tried to send something through them, though.

I can attest to that. Fossil sent me a horn from the U.K via DHL and it got to me in like a week and a half. It was insanely fast!

FedEx can be pretty fast too sometimes but obviously right now isn't the best time haha.

My item left Line Audio and hit Stockholm. It's been sitting there since 2 june. Is it just that there aren't any boats or flights for it to be put into?

After 2 months and 2 days a mouthpiece that I had sent from the US to the UK finally arrived. I had emailed the post office and recalled them repeatedly to get the same answer if it’s in processing and there’s nothing we can do. So just be on the look out for that answer. Also it got stuck in Chicago for a long time!

harrisonreed wrote: ↑Tue Jun 09, 2020 5:50 am I ordered some microphones from Sweden near the end of May. Used PostNord as the shipping service. It made it to Stockholm, but has been not updated since. Anyone in Scandinavia know if PostNord is having issues? I'm patient, but it would be cool to know if anyone has had a similar experience.

PostNord is a Danish company that handles all post in both Denmark and Sweden. They have had problems, a lot of delay, a lot of complaints. They have problems with costs and has to cut their expenses. The problem is people do not send as much post as they used to, especially not the Danish population. We Swedes are the ones who still use the post and finance the company. Because of us Swedes both the Swedish and the Danish distributions still work. In the future I guess the PostNord will be bankrupt. I would not be to worried at the moment though because the government will not let that happen. The company will deliver eventually. To bad the Swedish post is no more.

/Tom

Well after starting this thread asking about the US Postal Service & I now need to start one about the UK....the pipe has been sitting in the post office since 10th June & the expected customs charge release letter hasn't appeared yet! It's like they know I've been talking about it so are drawing it out a little bit more.

I once got a tuba from somebody in Canada (to the US) and I needed to work through somebody called an "Expediter" who dealt with Customs. I didn't think it would translate down to something small, but you never know. My guess is that there may have been something wrong or odd in the Customs Declaration resulting in some kind of question from HM Customs and bureaucracy being what it is the impoundment is quick but the resolution is slow. Maybe the declaration was set at $0 for sale goods?

It's come from Noah at BrassArk so I very much doubt it's an issue on his side. My other item arrived on Friday with no issues. I've waited this long so what's another few days, it's not as if I'm going anywhere!

A package I mailed Priority Mail to Sweden on March 23 just arrived today, July 8.

I'm currently waiting on a mouthpiece which got posted on 15th June from Oregon & the last update is 19th June at San Francisco but I reckon it'll be about the 8 week mark again.

Maybe the West Coast is affected more than the East?

Replacement driver's license for my wife got lost. Yay.

I just traded mouthpieces with a TC member in the U.K.
• He sent his via Royal Mail (with tracking) on June 17; arrived in California June 26. {9 days}
• I sent mine via USPS (no tracking) on June 17; arrived in England July 4. {17 days}
(No Customs delay because we each gave the other a gift.)

Sweden's PostNord is pretty bad. A package stayed stuck in Stockholm for over a month. It finally arrived at an airport in the US and was handed over to USPS a few days ago, so it should arrive here in just a few days.

I ordered these microphones ages ago. I don't blame the company selling them, but I would have paid more for DHL or something that actually works.

harrisonreed wrote: ↑Wed Jul 08, 2020 4:54 pm Sweden's PostNord is pretty bad. A package stayed stuck in Stockholm for over a month. It finally arrived at an airport in the US and was handed over to USPS a few days ago, so it should arrive here in just a few days.

I ordered these microphones ages ago. I don't blame the company selling them, but I would have paid more for DHL or something that actually works.

PostNord is actually a Danish company. Handles all post in Denmark and Sweden. We are not pleased with them. The Swedish post is no more, unfortunately.

/Tom

imsevimse wrote: ↑Wed Jul 08, 2020 5:54 pm

harrisonreed wrote: ↑Wed Jul 08, 2020 4:54 pm Sweden's PostNord is pretty bad. A package stayed stuck in Stockholm for over a month. It finally arrived at an airport in the US and was handed over to USPS a few days ago, so it should arrive here in just a few days.

I ordered these microphones ages ago. I don't blame the company selling them, but I would have paid more for DHL or something that actually works.

PostNord is actually a Danish company. Handles all post in Denmark and Sweden. We are not pleased with them. The Swedish post is no more, unfortunately.

/Tom

I remember one of the staff (might have been Christian's wife or daughter) sent me some of the scores I ordered from their Edition Tarrodi company with the Sverige stamp wrapped in kraft paper. No issues. I haven't ordered anything from Sweden in years, but yeah, I remember that it was better.

I bought a Denis Wick travel mute for my trombone from Florida, I'm in Texas. Somewhere along the line the shipment has been routed TWICE back to a USPS Regional facility in Seminole, Florida, after each time supposedly being on its way to the next facility for 2 days. It was shipped from the seller on June 29th, was supposed to arrive on July 3rd. Probably won't get it till next week.

I use USPS, and very rarely the others (UPS, FEDEX, DHL)
International shipments from the UK to Texas that I have received have taken at least 2 weeks to get to me, routed through USPS.

Basbasun wrote: ↑Tue Jun 09, 2020 1:05 pm I don´t hate USPS, but they oviously have som problems. My mpc was sent from WI May 04, tracked May 12,2020 at 12,43 pm processe trough regions facility chicago IL internation distribution center.
After that nothing. I tried to contact usps for hours, impossible. I tried the Nordpost and the custom in Sweden with no luck. Well I do have mouthpieces.....

As German Trombone said;
But what is a bit more annoying: I have not yet find a way to inquire towards USPS on international packages. The case/ticketing system and phone contacts that they offer seem to work only for shipments within the US.
Does anyone have any idea on this?

I got the mouthpiece to day! Two months and 18 days. Is that any kind of record?
By the way, It is Griego-Taylor 1 1/2. So far I love it! The same rim size as Bach 1 1/2G, a lttle deeper and a bit bigger bore. Great! But I don´t sound like Taylor on it.

USPS is slow these days, but so are most of the others too. It's double the slow service here, because it gets handed off to Canada Post after a vacation at Canada Customs. I had a really bad experience with DHL once - they kept trying to deliver a correctly addressed package to a different address several miles away from the recipient. No amount of phone calls and emails could correct it, and we finally got the recipient to phone them and get them to hold it at their office so he could pick it up. All of this was after I had paid a fairly high cost for 2 day door to door shipping. I can't recommend them.

Jim Scott

USPS has a new pricing policy that had me paying $77 to ship a bell flare last week.

The clerk measured the box, and that somehow "increased" the weight of the package from 6 lbs to 27 lbs. I asked a manager about it, and he gave me some corporate answer that didn't explain anything. I think they're trying to get out of the shipping business or something.

Yes, USPS uses dimensional weight (estimated weight based on size as opposed to actual weight) as do the others, but maybe not quite as much of a mark-up depending on distance. Trombones, despite weighing around 18 lbs packed up and depending on case, always get billed for over 30 lbs due to size.

DaveAshley wrote: ↑Sun Jul 26, 2020 2:51 pm USPS has a new pricing policy that had me paying $77 to ship a bell flare last week.

The clerk measured the box, and that somehow "increased" the weight of the package from 6 lbs to 27 lbs. I asked a manager about it, and he gave me some corporate answer that didn't explain anything. I think they're trying to get out of the shipping business or something.

Yeah USPS has been doing that for a while. At least a year if not longer.

As Klimchack mentioned demensional weight can be a good and a bad thing. For most customer it's actually a really good thing... Imagine you were shipping something heavy like furniture, books or car parts... It's handy to have the weight rounder vs UPS or FedEx.

USPS isn't that bad if you're shipping to a somewhat close state it's if you ship something across the country where the price shoots up. Cross country shipping the price between all of the big three companies is pretty similar.

"
USPS isn't that bad if you're shipping to a somewhat close state it's if you ship something across the country where the price shoots up. Cross country shipping the price between all of the big three companies is pretty similar."

Well, yes you are probably right. But there are othere countries outside US. Then USPS is really bad.

Basbasun wrote: ↑Mon Jul 27, 2020 3:26 am Well, yes you are probably right. But there are othere countries outside US. Then USPS is really bad.

No worse (or better), in my experience, than other countries' carriers shipping to the US.

Is it being affected by recently reported shennanigans in the US postal service?

I've been selling things on eBay for a couple of months. Within the last few weeks, several things I've sent have arrived late. I ordered something on the 9th that arrived at the post office on the 10th. Tracking has shown "The acceptance of your package is pending." since then, and it's now the 13th.

The USPS is deliberately being f____d with, and it's disgusting!

DaveAshley wrote: ↑Thu Aug 13, 2020 12:40 pm The USPS is deliberately being f____d with, and it's disgusting!

How can this be an any way acceptable? Our congress and our courts are impotent tools of the master manipulator.

It’s bizarre to me that there is no attempt whatsoever to hide the fact that this is political interference to suppress the vote. I can’t believe there is no outrage but perhaps we’re all exhausted.

I just had a package take 14 days to get from California to Wisconsin. Tracking was non existent all the way across the country, only showing departure and arrival in Wisconsin. It arrived in fine shape though.

Bach5G wrote: ↑Thu Aug 13, 2020 3:25 pm It’s bizarre to me that there is no attempt whatsoever to hide the fact that this is political interference to suppress the vote. I can’t believe there is no outrage but perhaps we’re all exhausted.

There is a lot of outrage right now. Congress is now going to have hearings next week.

I know this is not a forum for politics so I won't get into the merits or demerits of the candidates or political parties or their motivations, but just looking it as a purely practical political matter from that candidate and their political parties' desire to win, it's just really dumb politics to try and destroy the one government agency which has near universal approval at 91%, right before an election, especially when the majority of said responsible parties' constituency relies heavily on the USPS.

Luckily we will still have UPS & FedEx during all of this. They're more expensive... at least FedEx is a little more reliable than the rest.

I received a package shipped from NC across an international border in the usual time.

I had a package posted from the US to the UK on the 19 Jul. The last tracking update before today was on the 24 Jul. That's 3.5 weeks without an update.

Today my package is passing through a distribution centre in Chicago. So it hasn't even left the US yet.

Perhaps everything is being quarantined for 3 weeks?

I had a previous package take 2 months so I'm kinda expecting a similar timeframe for this and 2 more things that are on the way.

USPS is the only real viable option cost wise to the UK.

8/9 weeks seems to be the norm at the moment with radio silence on tracking until suddenly it's landed on our shores!

I ordered a leadpipe from the horn guys which was sent by DHL on the Tuesday and I received it on the Friday AND that shipping cost less than I've paid for USPS.

USPS is pretty iffy, when it's CONUS it's pretty good but anything international it's like they don't know what they're doing. But parcelmonkey has been pretty reliable when it comes to international shipping.

My friend sent me a small package from 45 minute (drive) away via USPS. It took 2 months to get here.

Looks like the plan to gradually destroy USPS is working well!

Service has been like this since the '70s - nothing new here

https://www.latimes.com/california/stor ... id=2396375

Any questions?

Is America great again?

Can we "lose" one particular mail-in ballot from Washington DC to Palm Beach, FL?

I just shipped a horn to a buyer in Texas (shipping from Utah). USPS quoted me $160, which blew my mind...I've shipped a lot of horns. They claim prices haven't gone up, but the last 5 or so horns I've shipped have been much higher in fees than before. I went to UPS, historically much more expensive, and they quoted $87. Sad.

Neo Bri wrote: ↑Thu Aug 20, 2020 5:38 pm I just shipped a horn to a buyer in Texas (shipping from Utah). USPS quoted me $160, which blew my mind...I've shipped a lot of horns. They claim prices haven't gone up, but the last 5 or so horns I've shipped have been much higher in fees than before. I went to UPS, historically much more expensive, and they quoted $87. Sad.

That's nuts! The cost went up even more from when you shipped me a horn just a few months ago.

I hope the USPS can eventually recover from all this but I'm not sure I'll ever ship large parcels with them again.

Puts on "elected official" hat... (Most of you do not know I'm a state legislator in Oklahoma. I'm at the bottom of the totem pole, but at least I have a seat at the table.)

The US Postal Service predates the United States by a year (1775) and is actually a Constitutionally-mandated function of the federal government.

One of the fundamental duties of those we elect is to make government work for for us. That's called governing. We can (and should) have healthy discussions about what we want government to do on behalf of the people. But in the end, it's the job of our representatives to make it work and make it successful.

Somewhere along the way this concept has been forgotten.

<end political rant>

--Andy in OKC
(Mandatory Trombone Content: I played a live gig this past weekend. )

Going to digress slightly...I'm in the process of buying a pipe from a fellow forumite but he/we are struggling to find reasonable shipping that isn't USPS.

So is there anything else out there or is the current snail mail the most cost effective?

RoscoTrombone wrote: ↑Fri Aug 21, 2020 12:57 pm Going to digress slightly...I'm in the process of buying a pipe from a fellow forumite but he/we are struggling to find reasonable shipping that isn't USPS.

So is there anything else out there or is the current snail mail the most cost effective?

A leadpipe? There's no way that's expensive with any of the shipping companies.