How long generally does first class mail take to arrive?

lorihmatthews

lorihmatthews

A taste for the arts
O.G.
Oct 7, 2006
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11,198
#1
I bought a $100+ item from a seller in GA. I'm in CA. She says she shipped it on the 12th. I don't think she used any kind of tracking because I asked her for a tracking number and she didn't respond. Since it's the 17th today and the item hasn't arrived yet, in your experience how long does it take for first class mail to get across the country?

I'm really hoping it doesn't get lost, I'd rather have the item than open a dispute, but I seriously can't understand how ANY seller would mail anything without proof of mailing and/or tracking.
 
#2
Well I mailed a bag MI-CA with priority and it took 6 days, so I could imagine first class taking some time as well. Give it until the 10 days Paypal requires then file non-receipt.
 
#3
lorihmatthews said:
I'm really hoping it doesn't get lost, I'd rather have the item than open a dispute, but I seriously can't understand how ANY seller would mail anything without proof of mailing and/or tracking.
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Maybe the seller is a newbie and did not know about the tracking for the package.

I've been really lucky with First Class parcels taking 3-4 days on average but a few did took more than 2 weeks to get to me. It's not the distance either because two of those late packages came from the state next to mine.
 
#4
It shouldn't take too long, I send a lot of stuff via First Class mail and it usually takes about 3-4 days as well, even cross country. I find that it's even faster than Priority in some cases.
 
#5
it depends on where you live. I find that first-class mail to/from Los Angeles is ridiculously slow for some odd reason. My sister in law in Texas once sent us a POSTCARD that took 3 WEEKS to arrive to us in LA! (it was an invitation to a party, and we rec'd it after the date of party had passed, lol) Also, once we mailed a check from LA to the caterer of our wedding (in another state), and it took four weeks to arrive (again this was just an envelope!) it was all very bizarre... i have lived in several cities and never had this problem. THe issue is never with fedex, ups, or EMS or any of the "accelerated" mail types, only with first-class USPS mail. :confused1:

anyway, 5 days for something that is going across the country is not that long IMO. especially now with all the hurricanes, storms etc in Houston area, there may be delays due to that. I'd give it 10 days before getting worried.
 
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#6
The seller isn't a newbie, she has 889 FB with 100% positive. So I'm baffled as to why there's no tracking.

I keep on forgetting about those darn hurricanes, I'm sure that's going to slow down deliveries. I'm just too impatient, I want my stuff NOW! :P
 
#7
^i hear ya! i'm currently waiting for something from ebay as well, and mine was shipped on the 10th, and i'm getting so impatient now! :hysteric: LOL though mine is coming from Canada so thats the main reason why it's taking so long...i have tracking on mine but it's USPS/Canada Post so its not updated very often
 
#10
pursewatch said:
Me three. :smile: I'm waiting for a dress and a pair of shoes, I want them now darn it.
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LOL! Just call me Veruca Salt -- "But Daddy, I want it NOW!"

verucasalt.jpg
 
#12
First Class is Priority without the weight factor (over 13 oz) and should take the same amount of days to arrive to it's destination.

The USPS Distribution Center in Bellflower, CA is the black hole. Anything coming through there can take extra timethere is never an explanation either. Could be your package is stuck there for awhile.

Your seller should be forthcoming as to whether she purchased Delivery Confirmation for your package.
 
#13
UPDATE: I received the item today.

Good news: the item arrived safely in one piece.

Bad news: the seller sent the item parcel post, not first class as her auction clearly stated (and what I paid for). And I'm missing a small item that was notated in the auction description.

Does anyone think this constitutes a SNAD claim or do I just let it go? I already emailed the seller about the postage and the missing item and I'm waiting to hear back from her.
 
#15
I would ask for a partial refund for shipping since she went the cheap route. What item are you missing?

I bought from a seller recently who said she would ship Fed-Ex, she made a big deal about this in her listing so I allowed for a higher shipping fee than I would normally pay. Turns out she ended up shipping USPS and I overpaid shipping, I was not happy but didn't think it was worth filing a claim over. Thinking back I wish I had stood up for myself and pushed for a partial refund. I'm getting tired of sellers that do not ship as advertised or that charge for insurance and then fail to take it out on the package. I know most often it's only a few dollars but it's the principal of the thing.

Linda
 
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