ParcelsApp Estimated Delivery Dates

[NickRMCustomer]

Hi everyone,

ParcelsApp often gives estimated delivery dates - I'm sure how these are worked out? Does anyone know? Are they tracking items posted at the same time?

If a mail item is coming into the UK via Royal Mail, and is well past this estimated date, does it suggest it is lost, might have arrived in the UK but is waiting for processing, or stuck in customs?

I wonder how many queries RM get about items that appear missing but are actually stuck in the customs blackhole. Wonder if RM has ever discussed this with customs to cut down on queries, so people know when an item is awaiting customs clearance?

[Snaggletooth]

I wonder how many queries RM get about items that appear missing but are actually stuck in the customs blackhole. Wonder if RM has ever discussed this with customs to cut down on queries, so people know when an item is awaiting customs clearance?

1. Customs are a law enforcement agency, like the police. Basically, RM have to do as customs say.
2. I can't think of any customs agency anywhere in the world that provide information of the type you describe.
3. HM Revenue & Customs also happen to be one of Royal Mail's biggest customers.

[NickRMCustomer]

I think this tracking information makes it clear when the mail item was going through customs, and if RM were to provide this information, people would have an idea what was going on, I've highlighted the scans that RM don't seem to provide:

Saturday, 21 October
1:44 PM
Delivered
XXX, GB
10:44 AM
Out for delivery
XXX, GB
3:39 AM
Package arrived at the final delivery station
XXX, GB
1:16 AM
Package departed an Amazon facility
B98 9AY, Redditch, United Kingdom GB
Friday, 20 October
8:24 PM
Package arrived at an Amazon facility
B98 9AY, Redditch, United Kingdom GB
7:00 PM
Package departed an Amazon facility
De74 2Sa, Castle Donington, United Kingdom GB
3:03 PM
Package arrived at an Amazon facility
De74 2Sa, Castle Donington, United Kingdom GB
2:41 PM
Initiated customs clearance process
Derby, GB
1:50 PM
Package departed an Amazon facility
04435, Schkeuditz, Saxony, Leipzig, Germany DE
7:36 AM
Package arrived at an Amazon facility
04435, Schkeuditz, Saxony, Leipzig, Germany DE
4:57 AM
Completed customs clearance at country of origin.
Schkeuditz,
4:26 AM
Initiated customs clearance process
Schkeuditz,
Carrier picked up the package.

It's completely obvious to me, when this was moving through customs checking and clearance - I never see this with RM...

[NickRMCustomer]

Do large companies like amazon manage to deliver internationally within a day because they've entered into agreements with HMRC, or their own procedures are HMRC audited so they can reduce the weeks of items being stuck at Langley with no information - where it's not clear if they are lost or in Customs?

[Snaggletooth]

It's completely obvious to me, when this was moving through customs checking and clearance - I never see this with RM...

RM can't provide the data unless it exists. Each country's postal administration is responsible for an item until it enters customs in the destination country. The vast majority of postal administrations do not scan items off the plane (honourable mention to USPS, who actually do), and no customs administrations scan the items. So there is basically no data for RM to provide and no way for them to collect it.

There are actually much bigger holes in the system, including some foreign postal administrations that basically don't scan items at any stage. And again, there is nothing that RM can do about it.

[Snaggletooth]

Do large companies like amazon manage to deliver internationally within a day because they've entered into agreements with HMRC, or their own procedures are HMRC audited so they can reduce the weeks of items being stuck at Langley with no information - where it's not clear if they are lost or in Customs?

Some of the carriers pay extra to expedite customs. These should be pretty obvious from the large step up in price versus RM services.

But for the Amazon example, they are probably dispatching the item from a warehouse in the same country as the recipient. Why go through the expense and hassle of international shipping if you have one in stock just down the road from where it needs to be?