delay at Heathrow Worldwide DC

[veryconfused]

Hello, Im waiting for an expensive parcel from UK to Norway and when I type in my tracking number RUxxxxxxxxxGB this is what I get.

Date Time Status Track point
13/11/15 03:27 ARRIVED (MDN) AT HEATHROW WORLDWIDE DC
12/11/15 15:42 ON ITS WAY TO HEATHROW WORLDWIDE DC GLASGOW MAIL CENTRE
12/11/15 14:28 ITEM COLLECTED GLASGOW MAIL CENTRE
12/11/15 11:10 SENT AT POST OFFICE 59 Glassford Str G1 1UG

What does this mean?
Does this delay mean that HEATHROW WORLDWIDE DC could have lost the parcel?

I spoke to two Royal Mail and got two different answers. The first one was that it must have left UK and not been scanned. The person said that it will be send with next flight available but not sure if they know for certain that HEATHROW WORLDWIDE DC had the parcel.

Very confused

[Snaggletooth]

It could be either of the things mentioned. But given where it stopped, I think that there may be a problem with the package in some form. There are lots of possibilities, here are a few that spring to mind:

• Lots of people forget that Norway is not in the EU and the sender has forgotten to attach a customs form. Alternatively, you said that the item was "expensive" and items worth more than 270 £ need a different type of customs form (CN23 instead of CN22), this rule is poorly understood even by Post Office counter clerks;
  
  The item contains items which have extra rules imposed on them when sent in the mail, such as lithium ion batteries (i.e. the type of battery in mobile phones and laptop computers). It could be that the sender has failed to package the item correctly so it has gone on the "do not fly" list;
  
  It could be that the item contravenes Norwegian customs rules. The most obvious example is pharmaceuticals, which Norway seem to ban entirely (paracetamol, for example, is confiscated). Although if this is the issue, it's more likely that the item would be stopped on entry to Norway rather than exit from the UK - but if the last scan in the UK got missed you could still end up with the tracking record you posted above. The full, very long list of prohibitions and restrictions for Norway is here - http://www.royalmail.com/norway;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
  
  Something which combines the above two problems is the sending of alcohol. If, for instance, the item was a bottle of rare whisky (I note that the item is "expensive" and posted in Glasgow) then the item could contravene both international air transport rules and Norwegian customs rules.

If you let us know what's inside we could maybe exclude some of the above possibilities.

[SpacePhoenix]

Does the parcel contain any lithium ion batteries, if it does, how is it packed within the parcel?

[fallingforbvb]

I have a similar problem...

I am located in the US and have purchased an expensive hoodie from Gamerabilia, located in the UK and got tracking via Royal Mail. This is what I have gotten so far:

26/01/16 04:35 ARRIVED (MDN) AT HEATHROW WORLDWIDE DC
25/01/16 18:31 ON ITS WAY TOHEATHROW WORLDWIDE DC : TYNESIDE MAIL CENTRE
25/01/16 17:52 ITEM COLLECTED : TYNESIDE MAIL CENTRE

So it has been there since 1/25 and has been stuck like that for some time... how long should it take? Is this normal for it to be this long to dispatch?

[kamiljkamil]

Hey just wondering about a parcel that I have been waiting on for quite sometime. It was sent to me from the UK to Ireland. Sent by International & Tracked. I've seen seen that a lot of people have been experiencing issues with parcel stuck at Heathrow for days. Same has happened to me. On the side note the parcel contains a brand new IPhone in retail packaging. Is there any reason it has been delayed for so long since the 4th of February ?
Track no : RN004661273GB

[Snaggletooth]

Long delays in the outward direction are not common.

On the side note the parcel contains a brand new IPhone in retail packaging.

The obvious answer is that the sender has fallen foul of the many rules on sending lithium batteries in the mail. If by "retail packaging" you mean the original box supplied by Apple then that would be a good start, but if that means a jiffy bag or plastic envelope then you are in trouble. Lack of a return address could also cause problems.

[kamiljkamil]

That could be possible but I had iPhones delivered from there without any delays. And what I mean by retail packaging is that it's still sealed and hasn't been opened. It's straight packaged from the manufacturer. Do you think I'll be waiting long for it or no hope of receiving it? I mean Ireland isn't all that far from UK. I rang Royal Mail and they told me the usual that I have to wait because they have no control over customs anyway. Been a long time though.

[Snaggletooth]

The packaging part sounds OK. It sounds like you bought this over the phone or on a website: might be time to start looking at the terms & conditions and applying for a refund.

[kamiljkamil]

Well it was posted by a seller from eBay with excellent feedback. Bough from him many times. But saying that is it common for mobile phones to be delayed for such a long time? Is it most likely still sitting in Heathrow DC?

[julian.mat]

same situation for me to.i'm waiting for a mobile phone from uk to albania posted 29/12/2015 and still in heathrow. RU741906836GB i'm checking the post every day and the keep saying that have not entered the country yet

[TrueBlueTerrier]

same situation for me to.i'm waiting for a mobile phone from uk to albania posted 29/12/2015 and still in heathrow. RU741906836GB i'm checking the post every day and the keep saying that have not entered the country yet

On an internation tacking site

I am getting this for your tracking number http://www.17track.net/en/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

2015-12-30 13:30 Mbreteria e Bashkuar, Objekti u dergua jashte vendit (EDI-received)

which Google translates to: United Kingdom, target was sent abroad

- Its now well over due so I would put a claim in against RM. It looks like its been lost, or perhaps stolen.

[kamiljkamil]

So finally after 2 weeks my parcel turned up. Stuck at Heathrow all this time. Does anyone here know why it took so long? The parcel had an original packaged IPhone.

16 AM ON ITS WAY TODUBLIN - FOR ONWARD DELIVERY EIRE
19/02/16 AM ON ITS WAY TODUBLIN - FOR ONWARD DELIVERY EIRE
18/02/16 23:33 ARRIVED (MDN) AT HEATHROW WORLDWIDE DC
04/02/16 04:43 ARRIVED (MDN) AT HEATHROW WORLDWIDE DC
03/02/16 20:37 ON ITS WAY TOHEATHROW WORLDWIDE DC MANCHESTER MAIL CENTRE
03/02/16 20:04 ITEM COLLECTED MANCHESTER MAIL CENTRE
03/02/16 14:45 SENT AT POST OFFICE

[julian.mat]

same situation for me to.i'm waiting for a mobile phone from uk to albania posted 29/12/2015 and still in heathrow. RU741906836GB i'm checking the post every day and the keep saying that have not entered the country yet

On an internation tacking site

I am getting this for your tracking number http://www.17track.net/en/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

2015-12-30 13:30 Mbreteria e Bashkuar, Objekti u dergua jashte vendit (EDI-received)

which Google translates to: United Kingdom, target was sent abroad

- Its now well over due so I would put a claim in against RM. It looks like its been lost, or perhaps stolen.

The sender put a claim against royal mail and they said that are investigating it.can you tell how much time do they need?

[Snaggletooth]

The sender put a claim against royal mail and they said that are investigating it.can you tell how much time do they need?

Could be a week, could be a month, it's hard to say. But if you bought this item off somebody then you need to put in a refund claim against them before it is too late.

[julian.mat]

The sender put a claim against royal mail and they said that are investigating it.can you tell how much time do they need?

Could be a week, could be a month, it's hard to say. But if you bought this item off somebody then you need to put in a refund claim against them before it is too late.

I did and ebay put my case on hold because the sender gave them documents that the item is in transit and will arrive soon. in other words he gave them the tracking number that is in transit but it is in transit more than 60 days now.