SHIPPING AT USPS IS A #@%&show right now.

[mikling]

https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/23/business/usps-delays-chrismas-trnd/index.html
https://www.democratandchronicle.co...staff-sick-quarantine-high-volume/4038989001/
https://www.wgrz.com/article/money/...rvice/71-d41b50df-5312-4a29-a774-8695220292b5
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/12/21/usps-delays-christmas/
https://www.thedailybeast.com/usps-is-totally-overwhelmed-as-christmas-nears

What takes 2-3 days is estimated to be more than 3 weeks now and could get worse over the holidays!
The above article just scratches the surface of what is happening. It is BAD.
Parcels are being delivered and just left there for processing to the first scan that might take weeks. Furthermore the tracking system is all messed up right now where something shows no tracking and it suddenly arrives. Then something is supposed to arrive but doesn't. Or a package shows up in your locale then is diverted to another city and then comes back.
This has been happening since Thanksgiving and never cleared up but increased in severity as the holidays progessed.

Now to understand the system, ever watch how traffic gridlock starts...it doesn't take much before nothing seems to be moving because of increased volume that has built up despite the front of the line continues as normal. When the line in the front slows down a little bit due to sick leave and the volume continues to increase, this is what you get ... couriers who don't want new customers have diverted parcel volume to USPS who don't divert traffic but accepts everything. Even customs processing is taking much longer as well.
COVID is having an effect on everything.

 

[palombian]

This year everyone ordered nearly everything on line.

In Europe, in my experience, despite the exploded volumes and the disease both private and public delivery services continued to function orderly, without or with reasonable delays.

This forum is not the place to discuss where the differences are .

Since the only reliable providers of 3th party ink for my printers are located in - or shipping from - countries considering themselves above the rest of the world, I took my precautions.

I hope these situations will not harm your business too much.

Best wishes.

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

I can report a similar experience over the last weeks - deliveries via postal and parcel services went smooth and w/o much delay - a day or two in a few cases. Aliexpress type orders from Far East were hold for longer periods at customs but I did not occur a significant loss yet.

 

[Artur5]

In fact, the last times I ordered from Ali Express, shipping took no more than two weeks. No more slow-boat-from-China but registered Air mail with a tracking number.

Instead, goods coming from some ‘Exropean’ countries took up to 20-25 days. I read days ago on another forum somebody renaming ‘Royal Mail’ to ‘Royal Snail’.

 

[palombian]

In fact, the last times I ordered from Ali Express, shipping took no more than two weeks. No more slow-boat-from-China but registered Air mail with a tracking number.

Instead, goods coming from some ‘Exropean’ countries took up to 20-25 days. I read days ago on another forum somebody renaming ‘Royal Mail’ to ‘Royal Snail’.

Here in Belgium the delays are also due to BPOST. Average time is 1 month.

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

Shipments/Mailings from the Far East for me typically arrive with 3 - or sometimes 2 - labels on top of each other. There are various shipping modes for the vendors there and service/handling companies in between - e.g. bulk collect and bulk break in the destination country; when I get down to the first label on a box/envelope from there it might not have my name and address printed but some reference numbers which are used to print a 2nd label en route and the 3rd label with yet another registration number in Germany for local delivery. And shipments from Taiwan, Singapore or Hong Kong may use different shipping/mailing modes than a vendor in mainland China without an int'l airport close by.
And there is as well a slow (small) parcel option with the German Bundespost for local mail/shipments delivering typically next week, and not next day, and not tracked - at a budget rate.


Edit:

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

I just got a mailing from China - a few touch panel pens - ordered Nov 22 - and the envelope is covered with 3 shipping labels on top of each other - that indicates quite some interim handling to me - the top label tells me that postage got paid in Kazakhstan and 'if not deliverable please return to Almaty region Pidzhim village terminal No 105' . This is a rather untypical shipping route, such a mailing is probably coming by road or train, I have seen mailings as well via Ukraine or Belarus or even Finland or Egypt or Bahrain - there must be several budget routes available for a shipper.

 

[palombian]

I just got a mailing from China - a few touch panel pens - ordered Nov 22 - and the envelope is covered with 3 shipping labels on top of each other - that indicates quite some interim handling to me - the top label tells me that postage got paid in Kazakhstan and 'if not deliverable please return to Almaty region Pidzhim village terminal No 105' . This is a rather untypical shipping route, such a mailing is probably coming by road or train, I have seen mailings as well via Ukraine or Belarus or even Finland or Egypt or Bahrain - there must be several budget routes available for a shipper.

China lost it's privileged status as development country (free mail delivery in destination country), Kazakhstan probably not yet...

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

China lost it's privileged status as development country

Trump was shooting for that, but I'm not sure it's effective yet and it's a matter of a majority vote in the world postal association - China has quite some supporting countries there which they foster with their investment programs......e.g. in Africa - anyway - those pens took quite a long journey for a subsidized postage rate.