Thread: A Heads Up On Mailing Items Overseas From The USA

I start to wonder if it's German customs holding on to parcels just like the Canadians. I send out parcels to Europe on a regular basis and it takes anywhere from 7 to 10 days. I must say the few times I have send stuff to Germany there's always been a delay. But never 6 weeks.

You actually can track Priority shipments. There are two options for customs forms, a small one and a big one. The bigger one, which has a fill in the boxes type layout (one box per letter), has a number on it. That number provides limited tracking ability. I believe when it clears US customs outbound, when it arrives at customs in the destination country, when it clears customs in the destination country, and perhaps when it's delivered. It varies a bit depending on what country you mail to.

For more expensive packages, I request the bigger one for tracking. Otherwise I don't bother because I find it a pain to fill out. IIRC, you can use the larger customs form on any package.

But the insurance part is a PITA due to limits and whatnot.

Originally Posted by holli4pirating

You actually can track Priority shipments.

IME if you send it USPS International priority mail it will cost two to three times as much as flat rate box priority but it does have a working tracking #. If you go flat rate it is $13.65 IIRC and no tracking. As the clerk explained to me, you can sometimes track using the customs # but not always. She said sometimes it works and other times it doesn't. In my case that number continues to say that the package was accepted Feb 12. It was received by the buyer on Feb 22.

When I did some travelling to the UK I sent back two packages of goodies to my home address in Australia. Identical sized parcels posted at the same post office at the same time.

One package arrived 3 weeks before the other ...

I have always been able to track, regardless of how I mail, with the large customs form. I forget the form number... that would probably be helpful. Maybe I just have good luck with it, but I was under the impression that that for always allowed tracking.

JimmyHAD,

I happened to see a poster in my local Post Office here in the UK stating that items sent by air-mail to the US could be re-routed in transit to shiiping by Sea if they were deemed to be a 'Security Risk'.

This was in response to the 'toner cartridge' bomb threat.

The Post-Mistress also said that some letters to the US had been delayed for weeks, whereas other hadn't !

I don't know if the US follows the same line ?

Have fun !

Best regards

Russ

i ship all my razors with insurance. not worth the risk IMO. it cost me about $15 extra. tracking is expensive here, about 50-60$

The last razor I bought from the US came USPS priority with full insurance. I tracked it all the way, which was, if the seller shipped it when he said, three days. Sent Thursday morning, arrived Saturday afternoon.
At the time I bought the razor I was extremely annoyed that I had to pay such a high shipping price, but when I got it I was extremely grateful, and thought it worth every cent. Fast, in great condition, and complete peace of mind.

Just a buyer's perspective.