Reasonable amount of time to wait for international shipping?

PrettyInPink

PrettyInPink

<3
Jun 24, 2006
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#1
I ordered an item from an international seller on Ebay. She's located in the UK, and I am located in the USA. I am just wondering what a reasonable amount of time is to wait for international shipping? I won the item about 2 weeks ago. Thanks for any help you can give! :tup:

(btw... she hasn't sent me a tracking # or anything either. I just mailed her a message today asking when to expect the item to arrive!)
 
#2
If it is not an express or guaranteed service it could be anywhere from 2-4 weeks. All depends on customs. It is out of your sellers hands so once it hits the 3-3 1/2 weeks I would think about filing
 
#3
I've found that from the US - UK, USPS Priority Mail averages about 11 days before it reaches UK customs. See if you can find out which shipping method the seller used, as transit times vary. (For example, Parcel Force's 'economy' service lists "processing time" as 28 - 30 working days.) Also, even though you won and paid for the item about 2 weeks ago, the seller might not have shipped your item right away. In fact, she might have waited as long as 7 days to ship, which means your item has only been "on the road" for one week - not two.

I would say this: see if you can get some more info from the seller and try to be patient. File a claim if it doesn't show up in the next couple of weeks, though, as AmourCouture suggests. Good luck!
 
#4
BE SURE that you do NOT let this got past 45 days from date of purchase, as PP does have a time limit. These sellers who do not contact their buyers with tracking #'s PI$$ ME OFF. I shipped INTL last week and had a package go missing. Had the buyer and I both not been watching the tracking, we would not have known. The pkg was shipped to Scotland, tracking showed a delivery attempt made in COLORADO! I immediately called for an investigation, and the pkg appears to now be en route to Scotland. But, HAD WE NOT BEEN WATCHING.. who knows??
Message the seller every day and request a tracking #. Explain to them that you are wanting the tracking to make sure it does not get LOST.
I'd file by THURS if seller does not respond. RUDE, just RUDE.
 
#5
^Ellie Mae - great point! I totally forgot about the 45 day time limit for filing a claim with PayP. You'd think I'd know this, given I've only just gone through this situation with my crazy buyer. Ack ... so glad you brought this up!!!

OP - listen to EM and make sure you file within the time limits!!
 
#6
choo_girl123 said:
^Ellie Mae - great point! I totally forgot about the 45 day time limit for filing a claim with PayP. You'd think I'd know this, given I've only just gone through this situation with my crazy buyer. Ack ... so glad you brought this up!!!

OP - listen to EM and make sure you file within the time limits!!
Click to expand...

NP... I an now like the "panic city queen" after having one go MIA! DAMN USPS,, their tracking SUCKS. And my PO said that they are to discontinue online tracking for INTL shipments soon.... FYI.
 
#7
Ellie Mae said:
NP... I an now like the "panic city queen" after having one go MIA! DAMN USPS,, their tracking SUCKS. And my PO said that they are to discontinue online tracking for INTL shipments soon.... FYI.
Click to expand...
What?!?! If you told me they were going to discontinue their current, horrible tracking and replace it with new, improved tracking, I'd be all for it, but they're just discontinuing altogether? What is wrong with everyone??
 
#8
choo_girl123 said:
What?!?! If you told me they were going to discontinue their current, horrible tracking and replace it with new, improved tracking, I'd be all for it, but they're just discontinuing altogether? What is wrong with everyone??
Click to expand...
How about maybe they don't give a damn??
I am DONE w/ INTL shipping, unless the buyer is willing to pay DHL. Not worth the risk. PP REQUIRES tracking. USPS says "ain't gonna provide it".
NOW.. having SAID that, USPS said discontinuing ONLINE tracking. Supposedly for INTL, you can still call the 800#. HOWEVER, I did that this weekend, and it will ask you to provide either the origination OR destination Zip. So, I decided to provide the destination ZIP to see if it could find my freaking pkg. SCOTLAND... ZIP has LETTERS AND NUMBERS. USPS 800# tracking cannot recognize letters.
GOOD DAMN LUCK!:roflmfao:
 
#9
Ellie Mae said:
How about maybe they don't give a damn??
I am DONE w/ INTL shipping, unless the buyer is willing to pay DHL. Not worth the risk. PP REQUIRES tracking. USPS says "ain't gonna provide it".
NOW.. having SAID that, USPS said discontinuing ONLINE tracking. Supposedly for INTL, you can still call the 800#. HOWEVER, I did that this weekend, and it will ask you to provide either the origination OR destination Zip. So, I decided to provide the destination ZIP to see if it could find my freaking pkg. SCOTLAND... ZIP has LETTERS AND NUMBERS. USPS 800# tracking cannot recognize letters.
GOOD DAMN LUCK!:roflmfao:
Click to expand...
Wow. I am utterly speechless, because this is just completely absurd. I really don't know how much longer I'll be shipping internationally. It's simply too stressful.

I've never looked into DHL, but I did consider UPS and FedEx until I found out that FedEx would deliver the package first, then bill the buyer for the customs charges. If the buyer declined to pay, FedEx would charge my credit card for the customs charges. (Some nice, experienced international shippers here in the forum were able to explain to me exactly *why* FedEx does this, and while I completely understand, I'm definitely NOT using them. What's DHL's stance on customs charges if the buyer refuses to pay?
 
#10
choo_girl123 said:
Wow. I am utterly speechless, because this is just completely absurd. I really don't know how much longer I'll be shipping internationally. It's simply too stressful.

I've never looked into DHL, but I did consider UPS and FedEx until I found out that FedEx would deliver the package first, then bill the buyer for the customs charges. If the buyer declined to pay, FedEx would charge my credit card for the customs charges. (Some nice, experienced international shippers here in the forum were able to explain to me exactly *why* FedEx does this, and while I completely understand, I'm definitely NOT using them. What's DHL's stance on customs charges if the buyer refuses to pay?
Click to expand...
Of all the shipments I have sent DHL, ONLY ONE got caught in customs.. and that was in Germany. And they did require that the recepient come pay prior to release of parcel. BUT.. I have no clue what their "policy" is.
I have NEVER had a UK recipient pay customs thru DHL.... one reason that we chose to use them. HOWEVER, this shipping is HIGH... $130-160.
BUT... the DHL guys here will tell me where they can easily get customs thru & where they have issues. The lady here said they have their own customs officials "in some locations" and in those locations, packages clear customs "in minutes". The last package I sent to UK via DHL was in customs less than 2 minutes, per their tracking.... and their tracking ALWAYS works.
I honestly do not know WHAT to do in the future other then NOT ship INTL.
 
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