Local delivery taking more than 10 days?

mfelice · Post by **mfelice** » 05 Jul 2016, 22:06

Hello everyone,

I am expecting a parcel from China which, according to http://www.17track.net" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;, arrived in the city 10 days ago but I still have not received.

2016-06-25 20:06 Cambridge,UK, Package arrived at the carrier facility(Track End)
2016-06-23 18:12 UK, Completed customs clearance process
2016-06-22 02:06 UK, Package arrived at destination airport
2016-06-18 02:11 GUANGZHOU,CHINA, Departure from airport to destination country
2016-06-17 16:08 SHENZHEN,CHINA, Package has left the carrier facility
2016-06-17 11:09 SHENZHEN,CHINA, Package received by carrier
2016-06-17 09:11 SHENZHEN,CHINA, Package has left seller facility and is in transit to carrier
2016-06-17 04:14 SHENZHEN,CHINA, Shipping information received

I find it a bit strange that local delivery is taking so long. Tried RM tracking but it says the code is not found. Should I keep waiting or what would you suggest?

Thank you.

Post by **Snaggletooth** » 06 Jul 2016, 08:33

That tracking does not look like it's coming through Royal Mail or Parcelforce. If you want to be sure, post the tracking number on here. You need to get in touch with the sender and ask them what courier they use and make sure they got your address right.

Post by **TrueBlueTerrier** » 06 Jul 2016, 15:35

My thoughts exactly Snaggletooth. For some reason Royal Mail doesn't have a "cleared customs" status, I am guessing its DHL

mfelice · Post by **mfelice** » 06 Jul 2016, 17:09

The tracking number is YT1616990005453332, Yun Express apparently. But I believe this only applies at the origin and some other company delivers it within the UK? I will get in touch with the sender anyway, but seeing it has arrived in the destination country, it seems like a local issue. Thank you.

Post by **Snaggletooth** » 06 Jul 2016, 19:03

That tracking number is nothing like the numbers used by the main postal system, it must be a private operator.

wannabeek · Post by **wannabeek** » 06 Jul 2016, 19:20

Seems unlikely to be a RM delivery but do let us know how it turns out, always useful for future knowledge. Had a courier left a parcel at the primary school in the village today. She was very upset because it was addressed to the village priory. In the next postcode district. These things do happen and they are usually resolved eventually in my experience.

CalumMc · Post by **CalumMc** » 09 Jul 2016, 11:31

I had a delivery very similar to yours from China a few days ago and happened to stumble upon your post.

Carrier was Yun Express, with a similar tracking number and status pretty much identical to yours. Tracking said "Package arrived at the carrier facility" in my town for about a week before it was delivered, seemingly by Royal Mail. Parcel had a barcode on it, containing a standard Singapore tracking number which wasn't recognised anywhere, despite the fact that the Yun Express tracking shows it came from Shenzhen.

Pretty sure it was Royal Mail that delivered it, as most of the other carriers don't have depots in my town. Is it possible that another company delivers these parcels to RM's delivery offices and RM don't really prioritise them as it's mostly cheap stuff from China?

Post by **TrueBlueTerrier** » 09 Jul 2016, 12:26

CalumMc wrote: Is it possible that another company delivers these parcels to RM's delivery offices and RM don't really prioritise them as it's mostly cheap stuff from China?

Not to a delivery office no. Its possible at a Mail Centre and in fact DHL are well known for doing what you describe.

Post by **Snaggletooth** » 09 Jul 2016, 14:09

CalumMc wrote:Carrier was Yun Express, with a similar tracking number and status pretty much identical to yours. Tracking said "Package arrived at the carrier facility" in my town for about a week before it was delivered, seemingly by Royal Mail. Parcel had a barcode on it, containing a standard Singapore tracking number which wasn't recognised anywhere, despite the fact that the Yun Express tracking shows it came from Shenzhen.

Pretty sure it was Royal Mail that delivered it, as most of the other carriers don't have depots in my town. Is it possible that another company delivers these parcels to RM's delivery offices and RM don't really prioritise them as it's mostly cheap stuff from China?

Royal Mail aren't allowed to prioritise mail based on an some assessment of the urgency of the contents, in fact they have sacked posties for doing such things and had the decision confirmed by the employment tribunals (I've had to read the judgements, that's a long story...)

I am guessing that the item you ordered contained a lithium battery, e.g a mobile phone or laptop? China ban these items from the mail, we have heard before of Chinese sellers using distribution points in the UK or third countries to send these items out. I suspect that your item was sent from China to the UK by some private carrier, probably in a large consignment, then repackaged and sent out to customers. The Singapore thing might be where the item is to be returned to in the event of non-delivery, because if it went to China it would get destroyed. But that's a half guess based on the evidence available.

mfelice · Post by **mfelice** » 09 Jul 2016, 17:21

Thanks for all the messages. My parcel should be a simple metallic watch strap, no batteries or questionable stuff. I never had any problems receiving even more insignificant stuff so I don't see why this one in particular wouldn't be delivered locally. I contacted the seller and got no reply. I am starting to assume it got lost and they just don't care, so I'll surely ask for a refund when the time is due.

CalumMc · Post by **CalumMc** » 09 Jul 2016, 17:49

Snaggletooth wrote: Royal Mail aren't allowed to prioritise mail based on an some assessment of the urgency of the contents, in fact they have sacked posties for doing such things and had the decision confirmed by the employment tribunals (I've had to read the judgements, that's a long story...)

I am guessing that the item you ordered contained a lithium battery, e.g a mobile phone or laptop? China ban these items from the mail, we have heard before of Chinese sellers using distribution points in the UK or third countries to send these items out. I suspect that your item was sent from China to the UK by some private carrier, probably in a large consignment, then repackaged and sent out to customers. The Singapore thing might be where the item is to be returned to in the event of non-delivery, because if it went to China it would get destroyed. But that's a half guess based on the evidence available.

It was just some cheap PU wallets, so certainly not economical to do last-mile delivery with a private company. Sounds quite likely that they ship in bulk consignments to the UK, but still doesn't explain why they sat for ages in my post town before being delivered. If it was a private company that deliver to mail centres, the Yun Express tracking shouldn't have been able to know that it had arrived in my town as RM didn't seem to have tracked the package using the barcode on the label. Pretty sure the last track point "Arrived at carrier facility (Track end)" refers to the delivery office, as it would be pretty coincidental if the distribution point just happende to be in my small town.

Post by **TrueBlueTerrier** » 09 Jul 2016, 17:53

The format of the tracking code you posted is not one that would recognised by Royal Mails system which makes it possible that we delivered it but there was no tracking after leaving the shippers centre.

mfelice · Post by **mfelice** » 04 Sep 2016, 00:14

The parcel never reached home. I got a refund but I was left wondering what happened to the parcel, since it was ready for local delivery apparently.
Thanks to everyone for their responses.

iramage · Post by **iramage** » 20 Oct 2017, 15:33

I realise that this is a very old thread but I have some information relevant to this subject. I had exactly the same issue with an item which I had ordered from ebay and which was described as UK stock and clearly wasn't. The tracking number was YT and sixteen numbers. I discovered that this was Yun Express and tracked it from its source in China to Shanghai Airport, to London Heathrow, and to customs, etc. Once it cleared customs it was sent to Princess Royal RDC, which is a Royal Mail Regional Distribution Centre in London. They relabelled it and sent it Royal Mail 48 to my address outside Glasgow. It arrived this morning.

Incidentally, it was only an oven rack which cost £12.99, post free. How can they supply it from China at that price?

Ian.