US to UK Delivery - my experience

[ex_directory]

This maybe useful to someone who is ordering using USPS Priority Mail International (6-10 days)

Thursday 20th March - Ordered a bunch of stuff from GGG
Wednesday 26th March - First registered with USPS site
Wednesday 9th April - Found at parcelforce depot!

Total business days from GGG = 14 days

Not sure what US have for Easter, 2 days from above was UK Easter holidays.

I received a USPS tracking number from GGG, go here to track it:

http://www.usps.com/shipping/trackandconfirm.htm?from=global&page=0035trackandconfirm

Once it gets to the UK it then goes to a UK courier, you have to guess which one, in my experience it is one of DHL (sometimes) or Parcelforce (often).

With parcelforce you can track the item using their site:

http://www.parcelforce.com/portal/pw/track?catId=7500082
Tick the international delivery option and then the USPS tracking number will work.

Don't be fooled by USPS tracking notes, the UK bit could be wrong, see red below:

USPS:
 Electronic Shipping Info Received, March 26, 2008
 International Dispatch, March 28, 2008, 10:53 pm, NJI
 Arrived Abroad, April 03, 2008, 10:31 am, GREAT BRITAIN
 Into Foreign Customs, April 03, 2008, 10:55 am, GREAT BRITAIN
 Out of Foreign Customs, April 07, 2008, 10:59 pm, GREAT BRITAIN
Attempted Delivery Abroad, April 09, 2008, 6:21 am, GREAT BRITAIN

ParcelForce (what is really happening):

28-03-2008  22:53  CAPE FOREIGN CENTER JERSEY CITY NJ 099 Left origin country
03-04-2008  10:31  International Hub Arrived in destination country
03-04-2008  10:55  International Hub AWAITING CUSTOMS CHARGES
03-04-2008  10:55  International Hub AWAITING CUSTOMS CHARGING
07-04-2008  22:20  International Hub Released for delivery
07-04-2008  22:22  International Hub RELEASED WITH CHARGES
07-04-2008  22:59  International Hub En route to delivery depot
08-04-2008  13:26  National Hub Sorted in hub
08-04-2008  21:38  Local Depot Arrived at delivery depot
09-04-2008  06:21  Local Depot Awaiting payment of charges

So there was no attempted delivery!

Next step, go pick it up, make payment over the counter (17.5% of goods value + £8 admin fee) to help fund government projects, all yours 

Hope this helps someone. Ex

[Cornchip]

  USPS and global mail in general is my preferred choice of delivery over the more expensive couriers. You think you paid too much to customs this time, UPS can really gouge you with there own charges. Wow.

 Overall, I don't see much wrong with this at all. You ordered too late before a long weekend. That's what really slowed things down. I can't say too much for your own customs either. Goes with the territory I guess.   

 Cornchip.

[Fozzy The Bear]

14 days is not bad when there's a holiday in it!! In any case, this is not my experience of deliveries from GGG. I've had stuff arrive here in the UK in 5 days or less sometimes. Delivered by USPS and Royal Mail.

In any case.... what's the problem.... you're getting goods hideously cheaply at the moment given the exchange rates.

Best Regards,
Julian (Fozzy The Bear)

[ex_directory]

Guys, re-read my post, this is not a complaint, just an experience, more interestingly for the UK people building cabs at the moment (of which I am one) to see how the US postage is working at the moment. I probably saved myself a couple of days by using the tracking so thought this would help others - hence my post.

I am actually really pleased with the speed, this weekend is now reserved for some CP work 

For the record, and I knew exactly what I would be charged from customs, the delivery time was not the best but also not the worst I have experienced from the US and Randy was very helpful.

[protokatie]

You did a US to UK test...

Here is the standard for a Uk to US test:

Order from Ultimarc on Sunday, get package here on tuesday... Seems like the system works better for us getting stuff from your land

Then again it might just be Andy Warne and the fact he uses DHL as his only shipping currier. Or the fact that I live 30 miles from one of DHL's primary import airports

Still nice to order one day and get the thing from the UK only a few days later....

[Franco B]

I had the exact same thing as you ex-directory, including the non existant attempted delivery.

I managed to track the parcel down like you and picked it up.

If you have just got your parcel you will find in a few days you will get a letter saying you have said parcel to pick up.

[ex_directory]

I had the exact same thing as you ex-directory, including the non existant attempted delivery.

I managed to track the parcel down like you and picked it up.

If you have just got your parcel you will find in a few days you will get a letter saying you have said parcel to pick up.

Funny, that is exactly what the guy at parcelforce said! Apparently the way customs works has changed some time ago, they used to send out a charges letter as soon as it cleared customs, but the couriers complained because too many people were turning up at depots for their parcels and it hadn't been sorted yet. So now the courier tells customs when it is received at the local depot and this triggers the letter from customs, which of course is snail mail.

The good thing is you don't need the letter to collect, so at least you don't have to wait for them to get their act together. And one more thing, postman has just been this morning - no customs letter yet!

[Franco B]

Its annoying thought that they dont actually deliver the package as you have to go pay the customs and handling charges. I have had items delivered by DHL before and you pay the customs charge at your door.

No letter today then? Well you should have something for you at work 

[Minwah]

I've had a bit of luck lately and had 4 parcels from the US delivered through my door with no customs charge. Two of them took only days to arrive and I think the longest any of them took way 2 weeks.

[ex_directory]

I get the impression it depends how much you spend as to whether customs bother or not. My experience is anything greater than $100 written on the goods value note has had customs charges. Anything less than $30 has not, can't remember buying anything in the in between bit though! This may be just my luck though

Of course, you can always ask the sender to change the goods value, but that would be illegal 

[Level42]

It's 22 Euro value here. Not sure if that's a European standard.

Have it send as a gift or commercial sample and don't let them include an invoice or company stamps etc....

works every time for me.

[FrizzleFried]

Strange...I've ordered from Andy at Ultimarc abroad and his packages have arrived here in 3 days!!!