Parcel stuck at Heathrow Langley HWDC

[Snaggletooth]

It's quite unlikely that your item was held up at Langley, delays there in the outward direction are very rare. It's much more likely that they are held up in the Cypriot equivalent of our HMRC awaiting examination, this is a problem in many countries in the world including the UK (just look back down this thread).

The Cypriot tracking side says they are in Langley HWDC. Also, my Cypriot colleagues contacted the Cypriot postal service who also said it's still in the UK....

As you said in your previous post, you received contradictory information from the two postal services. My experience of the postal system tells me that it's 99% likely to be stuck at the Cypriot end. This is what happens most of the time, and most postal operators don't mark items as having entered the country until it has cleared customs. I don't think HMRC do any checks on outward mail, but the CAA/RM do check all items briefly before they go on the plane *and this is done at the same site where HMRC check inbound mail*.

[Jaz49]

I posted a letter from Cyprus to a UK address on Monday . I just used the Royal Mail tracking service and got this message .

Latest update: It's on its way
Your item, posted on 11/08/16 with reference ........ has been received at our international mail centre and is being made ready for despatch overseas .

So god knows where it will end up if they are sending it overseas .

[Snaggletooth]

We had a post from another customer this week who had received that message in error - the item was later shown moving through the UK as it should have been. It appears to be a recurrence of an old glitch in RM's tracking system, so no cause for concern.

[Jaz49]

Thanks ST , panic over , it has now been updated , so looking good .

Latest update: Delivered
Your item, posted on 11/08/16 with reference ........ was delivered in NORTH WEST MIDLANDS MC on 12/08/16.
Thank you for using our International Signed service.

[martamm]

Hi,
I know you guys are not official RM but wonder if there is anyone who can tell me what to do, as I am in unusual circumstances...
Letter with documents was send from Poland on 12.08.16, delivered to UK and stuck in HWDC from 15.08.16. While this should be delivered withing 4/5 days from Poland it's 22.08 and I am still waiting... and I am moving away from UK to Australia on 31st this month!!!! I called RM, we called Polish Mail, I tried cal HM Revenue and Custom and I am now close to cry... I need those official documents to apply for visa and have no idea where to look for help...
Anyone can give me any advice?

[Snaggletooth]

There is unfortunately no way to speed up the customs process. The good news is that items that are obviously documents seem less likely to get stuck for weeks like parcels with goods in, so it is likely to be on the move in the next couple of days.

[martamm]

Thanks for answear... One question, I know I can complain polish Mail but who to actually complain in UK? No about speeding up Mail but just to complain about holding letters that should be delivered faster? Is there any contact address? Is there anyone responsible for customs in Heathrow?!

[Snaggletooth]

HMRC do not have any kind of customer service section for this, you need to complain to your MP.

[Ricky86]

Hi I haven't recieved my parcel it was shipped to the uk on 17 August and it's been 14 days I don't know what's going on the reference number is rs117246805lv

[Ricky86]

Hi my parcel arrived in the uk on 17 August and I haven't recieved it yet tracking number is rs117246805lv please tell me when I will receive it by

[Snaggletooth]

We aren't able to tell you when your parcel will arrive, both because we aren't Royal Mail (we are an independent website) and also because you have used a service without a guaranteed delivery time.

Looking at your tracking, your item seems to have gone into customs 2 weeks ago, and it is generally taking 2-4 weeks for customs to pass items on to Royal Mail at the moment.

[dfbarroca]

hello,

i've sent a registered mail to the UK from Portugal.

by the tracking information i can see that package is in LANGLEY HWDC since day 12 /10 / 2016 and i dont know whats going on. i have no more info about my package. can you please help me? the tracking number is RD881267666pt

[Snaggletooth]

As with all the things in this thread, a few days or a few weeks stuck in customs is common. Letters do get stuck sometimes, probably because they are in a sack with a load of parcels and the sack gets chosen for extra checks.

[DecentlySatisfied]

As with all the things in this thread, a few days or a few weeks stuck in customs is common. Letters do get stuck sometimes, probably because they are in a sack with a load of parcels and the sack gets chosen for extra checks.

@Snaggletooth - I created an account just to say that this thread (and others like it on RoyalMailChat) had me overly concerned, when a package I ordered from the UK showed Heathrow Worldwide WDC as its last location and the US Postal Service website showed that it did not have possession of the package (still at "LANGLEY HWDC"), for a period of several days.

Like most people I scanned through first couple of pages of each thread and wound up concerned that the workers at Langley were fully incompetent and lazy, and would throw my package away rather than sort it, etc.

Maybe there can be a new thread called "Langley Heathrow WDC international outbound: after a few days, success"? That way, it would visibly show up in a google search right away, and people like me wouldn't get overly concerned during that gap period for those 3-5 days?

By the way, here's my tracking info:

Royal Mail:

Date Time Status Track point
13/10/16 AM ON ITS WAY TOSAN FRANCISCO UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
13/10/16 05:2[x] ARRIVED (MDN) AT HEATHROW WORLDWIDE DC
12/10/16 18:5[x] ON ITS WAY TOHEATHROW WORLDWIDE DC LEEDS MAIL CENTRE
12/10/16 18:5[x] ITEM COLLECTED LEEDS MAIL CENTRE


US Postal Service:

Updated Delivery Day: Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Product & Tracking Information
Postal Product:

Features:

Registered Mail™

Date & Time

Status of Item

Location

October 19, 2016 , 8:[xx] am


Arrived at Unit



[city], CA 9[zip]

Your item arrived at the Post Office at 8:29 am on October 19, 2016 in NORTHRIDGE, CA 91324.

October 19, 2016 , 4:[xx] am


Departed USPS Facility


[city], CA 9[zip]

October 19, 2016 , 2:[xx] am


Arrived at USPS Facility


[city], CA 9[zip]

October 17, 2016 , 9:[xx] pm


Arrived at USPS Facility


OAKLAND, CA 94615



Origin Post is Preparing Shipment


October 13, 2016 , 7:[xx] am


Processed Through Facility


LANGLEY HWDC, UNITED KINGDOM

October 12, 2016 , 6:[xx] pm


Acceptance


UNITED KINGDOM

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Good idea - thread title changed as suggested.