Friday, April 16, 2010

International Delays

Hi folks,

I've been hearing from a bunch of folks overseas and in Canada who have ordered stuff in the past month and who are still waiting for it to show up. I think there have been some cutbacks at the post offices and also perhaps customs issues. Just be patient, it will get there.

I have seen it take a month or more for items to show up when shipped via Priority International. Unfortunately there is no real tracking with that form of shipping. I use it because I don't think most people really want to pay $30 for a small tool shipped via Express Mail...although it does have tracking and is guaranteed to get there in 3-5 days. But it seems like an awful lot of money for a $50 item for instance.

Anyhow, for those of you still waiting, just hang on. Hardly anything goes missing forever. For my next sale I may give a third ordering option for Express Mail International for those who don't mind paying the extra.

UPDATE: I have someone checking into it further but no promises that they can do too much else on the tracing because once it hits customs in a foreign country that's it. But it appears that two different days of shipments are affected, one was a Ghost sale and the other was the Raw Bar Superbug sale.

Update 4/19: Just received word that one missing package just showed up in Germany where it had been held up in customs. I suspect this is the case with all the slow ones...And of course, it goes without saying, but anything shipping to Europe this week will no doubt be delayed due the volcano.

17 comments:

Wes said...

For any of the Canadians out there waiting..have no worries and be patient because I have ordered many items from Peter to Ontario, Canada and his stuff has never taken more then a week for me. I had an item show up just a few weeks back in the same time frame as usual.

Pneumothorax said...

Also, if you shipped anything in the last couple days or so, lots of stuff is stuck in transit due to the volcano activity. My company has a DHL shipment stuck in Germany that is supposed to get to Ireland to treat a patient on Monday!! DHL says they think they can get it there...

IB Coffee said...

I have to say, my several Priority Mail orders have ALL arrived cross-country in two days. Bravo, USPS!

IB Coffee said...

Priority Mail has gotten Peter's prompt shipments to me on the second day every time - cross-country. Thanks Peter, and Go USPS!

Steve said...

I know two of my recent USPS packages have been "missent" recently. One from Peter and one from another individual. Took them an extra couple of days to get here, but everything arrived okay.

villlaverde said...

I'm still waiting for the steel S30v Ghosts from 3/30/2010 but a week ago I received the rifle with Knurled Lanslides that was sent on 4/03/2010 :s

Unknown said...

My Ghost showed up in Greece in just 6 days! I think that was fast.

beardy said...

Hey there Peter, How about a separate rate for your Canadian customers?

I know the rates are a heck of a lot cheaper than sending stuff overseas, but more than a ConUS order.

A small flat rate priority box to Canada runs about $11 or so. The tracking usually works ok until it gets to customs, and then gets updated once again on delivery.

With the brokerage fees and taxes that often get added on when parcels come across the border, things can easily rack up: $100 item + $30 shipping + $18 fees ($6 brockerage + 12% tax)= $148!

If there was a $12 shipping option, it would counteract the fees and make a lot of people really happy.

Peter, I know you've been really good about this when I've emailed you directly and I thank you for it. If it was built into your online system, though, it would be a whole lot easier.

All the best,
Ben

Carl said...

Just a thought, would it be possible for Peter to send a single FedEx box to some trusted party/customer in Europe, filled with some dozen or so pre-addressed, sealed, padded envelopes of customer orders, and then have said trusted party (possibly put local postage on) and then drop all those items in the local mail? Thus a single box across the Atlantic via fast/reliable/trackable delivery, then cheap(er), hopefully faster, non-transcontinental delivery on the receiving end. Or would that break some rule? (FWIW, I'm in the US, so not covered by such a thing).

Peter Atwood said...

The way my shopping cart thing works is I have up to three options. To keep things simple I just charge one price for everyone. I'm sorry that the Canadians and Mexicans have to take a $2 hit but that's the way it is unless you email me privately outside of the regular sale.

Fed Ex and UPS suck, they are so friggin complicated to ship with internationally or even domestically. Not to mention expensive...

vegassprky said...

Also UPS is so awful slooowwww! Order from one coast to the other and it takes a week at least! With the Post Office it can do it in 3 days at a much lower coxt!!! My $.02

The Candle Fiend said...

I ship a lot of items back and forth between the US and Canada, at it's inconsistent at best. I've had items reach their destinations in 3 days, or sometimes in 30 days. So for those waiting, sit tight, it will turn up. :)

villlaverde said...

The Ghost has arrived, thanks Peter ;)

enki said...

Hi Peter!

Any news on "Mr.Chubbs" ? a drawing, photo maybe??:)

melman8r said...

Mr.Chubbs-I don't think a picture would do him justice, I'd love to meet him in person.

Pneumothorax said...

As a side commentary on this pocket tool addiction, I feel like you (Peter) havent posted in like months!! And then I open the site and its only been since last Friday! I can feel an announcement coming up soon!

myoho said...

... just got notification my 'ghost' has been sitting in UK customs and is now ready for collection .... wahay!!