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smdogs Jul 20, 2011

Hi all,

    I am wondering if anyone here in the US is having problems with your bears going overseas? I have a very understanding customer that has not yet received her elephant yet. I mailed him First class Mail International Parcel on June 10, 2011 to Germany and as of today he still has not arrived. I mail most of my Bears this way and it has never taken this long for them to arrive.

I have also mailed another bear to Germany about a week to a week in a half before the elephant and I have not heard back from my other customer yet. I do not have any idea if she received her bear.

WHAT IS GOING ON??????????????????????????????

Any ideas????????????????Any help????????????????????

Sheryl

cobblestonecreations Jul 20, 2011

I shipped one of my mice to Germany on June 21st (1st Class International) which arrived July 6th.

Hope your little ones arrive at their new homes safely!

puca bears Jul 21, 2011

Sheryl......I live in Germany, and have to say that the Customs here are  - well...........they can sit on parcels for weeks!  Some things arrive from the USA within a week or so - others can take 6 weeks or more!  So don't give up hope yet.  Do you have a tracking number for the parcel???????
hugs
Maria

Conni Jul 21, 2011

I agree to Maria. I dispatch as a registered letter. The duration is different and certainly lies with the duty.
I also worry to myself always. :hug:

rowarrior Jul 21, 2011

My money's on customs too.  UK customs can be just as bad, holding onto things for weeks.  The critical point here appears to be around the value, and therefore if we're going to be hit with import duty + VAT + handling fees.  There is a threshold here (whose value temporarily eludes me, I think £20-£30 odd) below which they don't bother charging the duty/VAT/fees, however over that we do get charged. (unless, as sometimes wonderfully happens, they don't read the value on the customs label right    )  The charging totally delays things, obviously it takes them a while to round up enough fingers and toes to do the counting on...  I think this is an EU wide policy, and maybe the Germans are embracing the counting every penny too!

2 users like this: puca bears, rkr4cds

puca bears Jul 23, 2011

And just to prove a point...........still waiting for a t-shirt from Zazzle , USA.......which was shipped 3 weeks ago. Last time I ordered one it took less than a week to arrive...sigh 

smdogs Jul 24, 2011

That you!

I was really starting to get nervous. I do not have a so called tracking number due to the fact it went first class parcel. I have tried talking to customer service here in the states and they were not very helpful at all. As for the value on the package I did not put anything on it I left it blank, like a normally do. I know sometimes the post office just fills in a amount or sometimes they ask me when I mail it.

I just feel so bad for my customer. She wanted this little guy and now has to wait who knows how long to get him.

Thanks again for your replies.

Maria I hope you get your T-shirt soon!!!!

I will keep you posted when she receives her Elephant.

Sheryl

rowarrior Jul 24, 2011

Sheryl, you legally must put the value information on a customs form, that's probably one of the reasons it's got so held up, sorry!

dangerbears Jul 24, 2011

Sheryl, It does sound as if your local post office dropped the ball by not having you fill out the customs form completely. Put that in the live and learn category.

I hope the bear is released to its new mom soon.

Becky

smdogs Jul 24, 2011

Hey there,

  First class international parcels does not have a tracking number according to the US post office and will not be trackable after it leaves the United States. If you mail it via Priority Mail international that has a tracking number and it does cost a bit more per country, but it can be tracked. I sent a bear to Russia this way and it also was over a month before it got there. It was sitting in customs again.
Most of the time I do remember to put the value on the paper work but this time I forgot.
I have never had any problems in the past mailing anything overseas, now for some reason it is getting crazy.

I do have my website international prices so if someone wants there item with a trackable number they will have to pay more for it to be mailed. I guess I will now have to add it may take forever to get there as well.

I really do not want to have to stop sending any of my bears overseas, but if this is what is going to happen everytime it is not going to be good for me as a seller or for my poor customers who have to wait forever to get there bears.

What are your thoughts?????

Sheryl

dangerbears Jul 24, 2011

if someone wants there item with a trackable number they will have to pay more for it

Indeed - almost twice as much, most of the time. I recently used First Class International instead and had great luck in both cases (about 10 days total - one to France and one to Australia). On the other hand, not having tracking when something goes wrong is very problematic.

My thoughts, then, are that they kind of have us - we have to pay for Priority Mail in a professional situation such as a sale unless both you and your customer agree to gamble.

Becky

rowarrior Jul 25, 2011

I let the buyer choose how they want it shipped, as they will be paying for it.  I tell them the packaged weight, and the Royal Mail website gives me the options for cost.  International tracked parcels are expensive no matter where you send them from I think (although some people do try and take the proverbial.  Amazon.com wanted £80, or $130 to post me a parcel where the item was only $69!  I didn't go through with that sale in the end funnily enough!)

As long as the buyer understands the risk, and you tell them that you assume no responsibility for the postal system, and emphasise the length of times things can take to post, then you can offer whatever you like.

desertmountainbear Jul 25, 2011

Bears sent Priority are more money to send.  It is worth every penny for the piece of mind.  I insure everything and have found that for just a little more they can go Express and that has a lot of insurance already added to the parcel, so it is very cost effective.  And it only takes about a week to get anywhere. 

Joanne

I also do all my shipping right on USPS.com so all the paper work is filled out and printed before I go to the PO.  It is very easy.

smdogs Aug 1, 2011

Well my little Elephant has finally arrived to his new home and his new Mom is very happy.

Now that I know it took 2 months which is crazy I will have to make some sort of change for my international customers on shipping there items.

Thank you all for your feedback, it has helped me a lot.

Sheryl

Lisa Aug 4, 2011

I sent a bear Express Mail International to Moscow, Russia on July 18th and it still has not been received.  It's been sitting at the Moscow Post Office (they attempted Delivery ONCE) for almost a week now.  For $35 - I feel kind of bad for the buyer!

smdogs Aug 4, 2011

Hey Lisa,
 
  I sent a bear to Russia and it took over a month for it to get to the buyer. It sat in customs for some time.

I feel for our buyers as well. Maybe your buyer is on holiday and was not home at the time of delivery. At least the Post office tried to deliver it. Most of the time I think they just sit on it in customs.

good luck I do hope they get there bear!!!

Sheryl

wubbiebear Aug 5, 2011

I sympathize with you.  A friend of mine from South Africa sent me some fabric and a bear and golly in March and I didn't get the package until May.  It almost makes me afraid to buy or sell bears overseas because of all the hassle.

rkr4cds Aug 12, 2011

Sheryl wrote:

if someone wants there item with a trackable number they will have to pay more for it

First class international parcels does not have a tracking number according to the US post office and will not be trackable after it leaves the United States. If you mail it via Priority Mail international that has a tracking number and it does cost a bit more per country, but it can be tracked.

I hope no one ever counts on that green Customs label/number on our pkgs sent overseas as an ID number and it giving some invincible shield of protection or assurance of delivery or trackability.

I've asked several of our clerks (never trust the first answer you get) at different times, and the answer has always been the same: they close or roll their eyes and do a 'throw the slip over their shoulder movement.'
Legally—they say—they must keep the slip on file for 30 days, but once the pkg leaves our airspace, it's in the delivery service's hands (DHL, usually) and the receiving country's and the pkg and the label/ID # has no more protection than you can give it sitting at home waiting to hear of its delivery. And the number becomes a moot point; if the pkg has gone missing, a slip that's been discarded here by your local PO is not going to help. It is printed on your receipt however, so if it's some comfort to you, hang on to that until the pkg is reported as having been delivered.

Some pkgs never are delivered: in that case, only having paid insurance will recover the $$ value, if having been fully covered.....

wazzabears Aug 17, 2011

I have been waiting on a parcel of fabric from the USA.. was sent on the 18th July.. its been 4 weeks and I am in Australia... It has never taken this long max 2 weeks but this has now been 4... is there something wrong with the US postal service...

wazzabears Aug 17, 2011

HAHAHAHA... and you wont believe it as I was writing this the australian post aprcel man knocked on my door... FUNNY... YAY ITS FINALLY HERE....