What is the deal with the postal service in the UK?

Bruce Wayne · Post by **Bruce Wayne** » Mon Nov 01, 2010 5:03 pm

I sent a package containing my horse hide Last Crusade jacket to Wested for some alterations. According to the customs code I have, they were unable to deliver it on October 30th because it was 2:14 AM!

Any suggestions?

Thanx!!!
Charlie

Bruce Wayne · Post by **Bruce Wayne** » Mon Nov 01, 2010 5:10 pm

Something that I just thought of. The info that I have is via US Customs. So in theory, the attempted package delivery time of 2:14 AM Chicago time could actually be 8:14 Kent time. do you guys think that this theory holds water?

Thanx!!!
Charlie

Kt Templar · Post by **Kt Templar** » Mon Nov 01, 2010 5:15 pm

or... the postie wrote AM instead of PM....

Wested close up at 1pm on Saturdays.

All he had to do is walk to the house opposite, but Royal Mail tend to not try very hard.

Bruce Wayne · Post by **Bruce Wayne** » Mon Nov 01, 2010 5:36 pm

Kt Templar wrote:or... the postie wrote AM instead of PM....

Wested close up at 1pm on Saturdays.

All he had to do is walk to the house opposite, but Royal Mail tend to not try very hard.

Thanx!!! I was hoping you of all people would reply!!!

Kt Templar · Post by **Kt Templar** » Mon Nov 01, 2010 7:14 pm

Doctor_Jones · Post by **Doctor_Jones** » Mon Nov 01, 2010 8:29 pm

They would probably have left a note at wested for them to pick it up at the postal office theirself.

Indiana Dymond · Post by **Indiana Dymond** » Tue Nov 02, 2010 4:58 am

Doctor-Jones is right,the standard operating procedure of the Royal Mail is to make YOU do all the work by collecting all your parcels from them

.

I have been told by a postman that sometimes when they are realy busy that they just put a card through the door saying 'we called when you were out'your parcel can be collected from the postoffice',when they never even tried to deliver it in the first place!!!

Doctor_Jones · Post by **Doctor_Jones** » Tue Nov 02, 2010 8:26 am

Indiana Dymond wrote:Doctor-Jones is right,the standard operating procedure of the Royal Mail is to make YOU do all the work by collecting all your parcels from them .

I have been told by a postman that sometimes when they are realy busy that they just put a card through the door saying 'we called when you were out'your parcel can be collected from the postoffice',when they never even tried to deliver it in the first place!!!

It's not only the Royal Mail, it's also here with the De Post ( Belgian's mail service).

Post by **Michaelson** » Tue Nov 02, 2010 8:30 am

I remember many years ago I sent a jacket back to Peter for repair, and asked my local post master what was the proper procedure to track the package.

In a nutshell, he said it could be tracked from the post office to the point of departure, then tracked to when it landed at Heathrow, and once handed over to the Royal Mail, you prayed.

I'm amazed Peter does as well as he does considering all the items he mails each year that successfully makes it to their destination.

Regards! Michaelson

Indiana Dymond · Post by **Indiana Dymond** » Tue Nov 02, 2010 8:52 am

You do allways get your parcel in the UK,it can just take a little extra time and effort.

The golden rule is never send cash,it sometimes will go missing.

Post by **Michaelson** » Tue Nov 02, 2010 9:18 am

Well, fair is fair. Sometimes jacket coming over here somehow get 'lost' for weeks going through customs. We still surmise a customs agent is just trying the jacket on for size.

Regards! Michaelson

BendingOak · Post by **BendingOak** » Tue Nov 02, 2010 10:09 am

When you go though customs you can not expect the same delivery time each and every time. Some times your package may be inspected other not. Sometimes your package can be held due to something on the packing slip not being right. Most likely this is the case on most packages being held up.

Heck, I had a fedex package held up for almost a month. Should have been in my hand the next day but nearly a month to get it. Welcome to my world. Just be a little patient.

Ian · Post by **Ian** » Tue Nov 02, 2010 12:24 pm

Gollum works there and like to keep the precious things..

Ian

Bruce Wayne · Post by **Bruce Wayne** » Tue Nov 02, 2010 3:39 pm

Thanx for all the responses guys! I will have to see if I can dig it up, but I remember seeing parcel tracking on a fail bloag type site of a package that was only going a couple of states over & it ended up traveling all over to world in a matter of weeks & still not getting to its destination.

Bruce Wayne · Post by **Bruce Wayne** » Tue Nov 02, 2010 3:44 pm

Here you guys & gals go:

Post by **Michaelson** » Tue Nov 02, 2010 4:18 pm

Sounds like that vest you mailed to me a couple years ago, Indy!

Regards! Michaelson

Bruce Wayne · Post by **Bruce Wayne** » Wed Nov 03, 2010 7:15 pm

Gat an email from Gemma today that they still haven't recieved it. I marked the box saying I want it back if it is undeliverable. If I get it back I am going to be livid having to spend another $40 to get it over there.

Bruce Wayne · Post by **Bruce Wayne** » Wed Nov 10, 2010 7:36 pm

I fear my jacket is lost. The delivery info has not been updated since October 30th. I am going to send an email to Gemma & Peter both to see if it has arrived. Whether they get it or I do, I hope it turns up.

Doctor_Jones · Post by **Doctor_Jones** » Wed Nov 10, 2010 8:43 pm

i hope this story will get a happy end. Fingers crossed!

BendingOak · Post by **BendingOak** » Wed Nov 10, 2010 8:56 pm

Did you send it by fedex or USPS?

Bruce Wayne · Post by **Bruce Wayne** » Thu Nov 11, 2010 8:12 am

BendingOak wrote:Did you send it by fedex or USPS?

Post Office

Ian · Post by **Ian** » Thu Nov 11, 2010 8:37 am

Has anyone signed for it ?

Bruce Wayne · Post by **Bruce Wayne** » Thu Nov 11, 2010 11:38 am

Ian wrote:Has anyone signed for it ?

Not as far as I know.

Gemmas replied this morning & it still has not been recieved.

Texan Scott · Post by **Texan Scott** » Thu Nov 11, 2010 2:16 pm

Bruce Wayne wrote:
BendingOak wrote:Did you send it by fedex or USPS?
Post Office

It's my understanding that they had rather receive it USPS, then they do not have to pay import fees.

BendingOak · Post by **BendingOak** » Thu Nov 11, 2010 2:22 pm

If you sent it USPS. Why is the tracking for a FEDEX form?

Post by **Michaelson** » Thu Nov 11, 2010 2:49 pm

I believe it was a joke, Oak. I don't think his jacket weighed 41.2 pounds either, unless part of the horse was still attached to the hide.

Regards! Michaelson

Kt Templar · Post by **Kt Templar** » Thu Nov 11, 2010 2:50 pm

Texan Scott wrote:
Bruce Wayne wrote:
BendingOak wrote:Did you send it by fedex or USPS?
Post Office
It's my understanding that they had rather receive it USPS, then they do not have to pay import fees.

Shouldn't have to pay import fees, if it is a return to base for repair should it?

ALWAYS insure. It is russian roulette otherwise.

Post by **Michaelson** » Thu Nov 11, 2010 3:29 pm

Well, there's the rub, KT.

USPS won't insure when ia package is sent international, as once it leaves their control and turned over the Royal Mail service, all bets are off.

Regards! Michaelson

Kt Templar · Post by **Kt Templar** » Thu Nov 11, 2010 4:29 pm

That's really interesting then it has to be sent one of the couriers I suppose.

IIRC we can insure for a pretty nominal extra when sending from the post office here.

Edit: 'International signed for':

http://www.royalmail.com/portal/rm/cont ... tId=400035

USPS doesn't have an equivalent service?

Perhaps this?: http://www.usps.com/international/intls ... ces.htm#H3

Post by **Michaelson** » Thu Nov 11, 2010 4:46 pm

Unfortunately, no, they don't.

I looked into this when I had to send one back to Peter a couple years ago for repair, and I was pretty much told 'no way!'

Once it leaves their hands, they have no intention of insuring anything they don't control all the way to the addressee, and this was in particular with anything headed to the UK.

Regards! Michaelson

Texan Scott · Post by **Texan Scott** » Thu Nov 11, 2010 4:57 pm

Knock on wood, I've never been burned by usps. One time I did try to send some important documents via usps to Brazil, only to have them accidentally sent to Bulgaria or something. Fortunately, I had made copies, and sent the copies via Fed-Ex. Got there in 3 days! That's when Fed-Ex made a believer out of me. Three weeks later, the original documents sent by usps finally arrived to their 'original' destination. I did have some problems sending a headpiece via usps to Kredops, but he eventually received it. Don't go batty, Bruce! er....POSTAL, I meant! Hold out hope!

PETER · Post by **PETER** » Sat Nov 13, 2010 8:06 am

This has been brought to my attention and I think I should clarify the postage situation.
We do NOT have any problem in receiving returns as we have deliveries and collections daily.
The only time we do not get the delivery is when there is duty or fees to pay. That is when a jacket is sent to us without the relevant declaration of purchase and the item is treated by customs as an import.
I have had one letter from Parcelforce on 15th Oct saying there is a parcel with £24 to be prepaid before delivery. They do not and will not give details of sender or what it is so we have not received it and it will be returned after 28 days. As this is the only one I assume it is your jacket.
So the the question is did your declare it as 'purchased from England being returned for alteration' or better still
'purchased form England returned for refund' and filled in the USPS declaration as such.
Any return must have these details to avoid import duty.
Cheers
Peterhttp://indygear.com/cow/posting.php?mode=reply&f=2&sid=a3a60280f16306ced9eb9717def20fe8&t=49184#

JC1972 · Post by **JC1972** » Sat Nov 13, 2010 9:54 am

For M and KT: Insurance can be purchased for USPS going international but only for Priority Mail, Express Mail and Global Express. Otherwise why would they have it listed as an available option? Its under extra services on the usps.com site under calculate postage for international. Also you can use the customs form number for tracking.

Post by **Michaelson** » Mon Nov 15, 2010 3:53 pm

Like I said, in my case it was what my local post office manager told me....so more than likely she didn't know, and didn't want to try and figure it out, JC.

You run into that a lot with smaller post offices.

As Peter says above, and has preached since he first came on the boards back in 1996, if you don't put that statement on the outside of your package in big, black, bold letters, you're taking your chances with customs on both sides of the big water. He's also said ever since we've known him that anything that comes in the door expecting postage or customs to be paid will be returned to the sender. Can't say that I blame them. (correct me if that's changed, Peter.)

Regards! Michaelson

BendingOak · Post by **BendingOak** » Mon Nov 15, 2010 4:23 pm

JC1972 wrote:For M and KT: Insurance can be purchased for USPS going international but only for Priority Mail, Express Mail and Global Express. Otherwise why would they have it listed as an available option? Its under extra services on the usps.com site under calculate postage for international. Also you can use the customs form number for tracking.

You are correct, I do it all the time. You just won't be able to track it once the USPS hands the package over.

Post by **Michaelson** » Mon Nov 15, 2010 4:26 pm

That IS what our post office manger said too.

Once it's out of their hands, all bets are off....going all way round the barn, which is exactly what I said last Thursday.

Regards! Michaelson

enigmata_wood · Post by **enigmata_wood** » Tue Nov 16, 2010 4:42 am

It's British Royal Mail. You do realise that means Her Majesty has to deliver every package personally? [she gets Christmas Eve off]

Post by **Michaelson** » Tue Nov 16, 2010 8:40 am

No WONDER you keep the Royals around! That explains everything!

Regards! Michaelson

JC1972 · Post by **JC1972** » Tue Nov 16, 2010 12:01 pm

Michaelson wrote:That IS what our post office manger said too.

Once it's out of their hands, all bets are off....going all way round the barn, which is exactly what I said last Thursday.

Regards! Michaelson

Oh, I believe you. In my experience I've found to not believe the post office manager; of course each location is different. I mailed out something recently via media mail (a dvd set) that was returned to me for not being a media mail item. According to 1-800-ASK-USPS and their vague wording on the web site, it was deemed a media mail item and they had to tell the manager to let me ship it out via media mail.

PETER · Post by **PETER** » Wed Nov 24, 2010 5:09 am

Good News! I checked USPS track no with Parcelforce and they had the jacket and were about to return it (hold 30 days) for non payment of customs charges. I have paid the £19 import charge and they are delivering the parcel today.
They have advised me to mark parcels 'RETURN FOR REFUND' regardless of real purpose as that guarantees
no fees.
Cheers
Peter

djd · Post by **djd** » Wed Nov 24, 2010 5:28 am

That's good! International postage can be such a pain these days...

Actually saw my first Indy wested on a member of the 'regular' public yesterday! He said he'd had it for eight years and it was looking pretty good

Bruce Wayne · Post by **Bruce Wayne** » Wed Nov 24, 2010 12:23 pm

Thank you so much, Peter. I cannot begin to tell you how I appreciate this!

BendingOak · Post by **BendingOak** » Wed Nov 24, 2010 3:52 pm

I guess it wasn't the fault of the post office.

Bruce Wayne · Post by **Bruce Wayne** » Wed Nov 24, 2010 7:54 pm

BendingOak wrote:I guess it wasn't the fault of the post office.

I guess you are right.

BendingOak · Post by **BendingOak** » Wed Nov 24, 2010 8:01 pm

We have a saying in the fire department. "Operator error"

If something goes wrong its Most likely it's " operator error"