The USPS changed their international shipping on May 14th. All the rates went up (almost DOUBLE!!!) and what was once called GLOBAL PRIORITY MAIL is now INTERNATIONAL PRIORITY MAIL INTERNATIONAL.
Priority Mail International, unless it's the flat rate package, is supposed to be trackable from the point it arrives locally and in transit until destination.
now of several people who have shipped this way and the numbers came up as invalid.
I just received an item in Canada from the U.S. via Priority Mail International and it took 5 business days - one day quicker than the 6 - 10 days quoted. I was able to view door-to-door tracking online on both the USPS and Canada Post websites. I do find that the websites look like nothing is happening for a few days and, then on the day it is out for delivery, all the tracking gets updated.
yes, i did ask my seller to send it with global express and fully insured. she told me that usps refused to send it with global express due to the size/weight of the package. maybe the usps clerk was wrong?
Yes, there are certain services that are not available due to weight and size, go here on USPS.com -
http://pe.usps.gov/text/imm/welcome.htm
Look on the left side you'll see a number of light blue tabs. Click on 'Index of Countries and Localities'. There you can look up the country name alphabetically and you'll see the rates for various international mailling services, weight limits, what is prohibited etc. For instance, here is Germany -
http://pe.usps.gov/text/imm/fh_011.htm
And to add to that - not every office can send Global Express - at our office we do not although we can use Express Mail International.
Linda