Tracking Insight for everyone [USA to UK]

[MKH1988]

Hi Everyone,
As a newer resident living in London, it's the first time I've purchased something from the U.S. to the UK. As numerous people have felt, I became slightly concerned for my package about potential delays especially during the Customs process upon arriving into the UK.

What I noticed which was is a new introduction to the USPS (United States Postal Service) tracking system is that it appears after 2014, they made the tracking indicators more descriptive but potentially more confusing. For a long time, the normal tracking statuses were described as:

EXAMPLE
"ACCEPTED/Electronic Info Received (USPS expects to receive your item for shipping). Please try again later." > Received at [Post Office location > "Processed Through Sort Facility" > "Departed Facility" > "Arrived at [ISC Chicago/Miami/LA/New York]" > "Processed at ISC [...]". Right after, you won't see anymore updates until your package first arrives in the country of destination where it's first scanned then goes into local customs at the airport.

It was far more straight-forward, right?

Now the descriptions are:

EXAMPLE
"Arrived at Facility" > "Accepted at USPS Origin Facility" > "Processed Through Facility" > "Arrived at Facility" > "Departed USPS Facility" > "Departed Origin Transfer Airport"

My package was a USPS First-Class (small) package with tracking service. However, because it wasn't Priority Mail or Express (which I am familiar with), it went through almost a merry-go-round as it was sent to, went through, left, arrived back and departed the ISC. Eventually, it did make it to final boarding where you get a description saying, "DEPARTED ORIGIN AIRPORT IN ...". You would have never have had this previously. If it was a basic First-Class mail, you would just get basic tracking before leaving the U.S. and "Electronic Info Shipping Received".

I purchased my item on a Sunday, was shipped out on Monday and got it this morning. All up, it took 8 days including the weekend. I know there has been many situations where they have been significant delays. I can only say that please be patient (which is too difficult sometimes) but if the item was correctly labelled with a customs form stuck on the front and declared clearly and valued, with all might, it should be with you sooner than later. Mails can never be "clogged up" - Heathrow DC needs to keep processing and pushing mail through 24/7.

Here was my item's journey. After it departed HEATHROW DC, I tracked the item on Royal Mail's website and although it won't show "It's on its way", a new button will appear which you can click to see tracking points in your area. The day after, I received two "Processed Through Facility" notices meaning it went through HEATHROW DC and left, goes onwards to your area post office and scheduled for delivery to your house the morning after.

USPS Tracking

September 18, 2016 , 2:33 pm
Processed Through Facility
UNITED KINGDOM

September 17, 2016 , 5:25 pm
Processed Through Facility
UNITED KINGDOM

September 16, 2016 , 12:27 pm
Departed
London, UNITED KINGDOM

September 15, 2016 , 6:40 pm
Departed
Los Angeles, UNITED STATES

September 15, 2016 , 11:12 am
Arrived
Los Angeles, UNITED STATES

September 14, 2016 , 10:30 pm
Processed Through Facility
ISC LOS ANGELES CA (USPS)

September 14, 2016 , 6:52 pm
Departed
Los Angeles, UNITED STATES

September 14, 2016 , 10:27 am
Arrived
Los Angeles, UNITED STATES

September 14, 2016 , 3:58 am
Departed USPS Facility
LOS ANGELES, CA 90009

September 14, 2016 , 3:58 am
Arrived at Facility
ISC LOS ANGELES CA (USPS)

September 14, 2016 , 1:18 am
Processed Through Facility
ISC LOS ANGELES CA (USPS)

September 13, 2016 , 4:21 pm
Arrived at USPS Facility
LOS ANGELES, CA 90009

September 13, 2016 , 3:06 pm
Accepted at USPS Origin Facility
CARSON, CA 90746

September 13, 2016 , 5:15 am
Arrived at Facility
ISC LOS ANGELES CA (USPS)

September 12, 2016 , 3:36 pm
Shipment Picked Up
LONG BEACH, CA 90809

Royal Mail Tracking

ARRIVED IN UK (HEATHROW DC) > ON ITS WAY TO PDO [FROM LONDON CENTRAL MAIL CENTRE]> AT DELIVERY OFFICE PDO > ON DELIVERY > DELIVERED


I hope this has been beneficial.

[ntmh72]

This is very helpful, thank you. However, having read that your package took 1 day to move from "Departed Heathrow" to "Processed through Facility", I am now very concerned about my parcel (USPS First Class International Package):


September 25, 2016 , 7:58 pm
Departed
London, UNITED KINGDOM

September 25, 2016 , 7:56 pm
Departed .
London, UNITED KINGDOM

September 25, 2016 , 8:46 am
Departed .
Newark, UNITED STATES

September 24, 2016 , 10:38 pm
Arrived .
Newark, UNITED STATES

September 24, 2016 , 12:30 pm
Processed Through Facility .
ISC NEW YORK NY(USPS)

September 24, 2016 , 11:35 am
Arrived at USPS Facility .
JAMAICA, NY 11430

September 24, 2016 , 11:35 am
Arrived at Facility .
ISC NEW YORK NY(USPS)

September 22, 2016 , 12:20 am
Departed USPS Facility .
FORT MYERS, FL 33913

September 21, 2016 , 11:02 pm
Arrived at USPS Facility .
FORT MYERS, FL 33913

September 21, 2016 , 9:47 pm
Accepted at USPS Origin Facility .
MARCO ISLAND, FL 34145

September 16, 2016 , 6:53 pm
Shipping Label Created, USPS Awaiting Item .
MARCO ISLAND, FL 34145



So apparently it departed Heathrow twice within two minutes on 25/09!!

There has been no further update to this....any idea why? Is this normal? Should I be worried?

I have spoken to Royal Mail but they can't help as the tracking number is not appearing on their system at all. They are saying it hasn't been handed over to them yet. Why has this process so far taken 5 days?

The package is only small. It includes all relevant customs documentation and has a value of $10 indicated on the packaging according to the sender. Is there any reason why this item would be held up so long? There should be no VAT or import duty to pay. There is no reason for it to be held up.
It took 4 days to travel the length and breadth of the United States, yet it can't even be scanned in anywhere once it gets to the UK after 5 days...is it just me or is that just pathetic?

[Snaggletooth]

As with so many items on here, it is almost certainly stuck in customs. You should probably regard the two scans 2 minutes apart as errors. USPS are unusual in that their items get scanned between landing and customs, so it's almost certainly with HMRC. Depending on the service used, things often don't show up on Royal Mail's tracking until they have left customs.

[sleeper341]

Sorry if I'm hijacking your thread, just looks like the right place to post as opposed to starting a new one. I had a parcel ship from the US via USPS on the 9th Sept. It arrived in the UK on the 18th September. Ever since then it has been showing on tracking as "awaiting customs clearance" - that's 2 weeks and no one seems to be able to tell me where it is. I've spoken with HMRC, Parcelforce Customer services, Parcelforce Resolutions team and Parcelforce International team, none of them can or will give me a straight answer as to where the parcel is, they just blame each other.

How long should I wait before I start getting angry at someone, somewhere, for my parcel not coming to me. I have no issues paying customs fees etc to get the parcel released, I just wish someone would be straight about its location or what the hold up is :(

[Snaggletooth]

It will be stuck in customs: see my answer above. Customs do not have the facility to track parcels, which is why you can't see anything happening. There is nobody at customs who takes these kind of specific complaints: if you have a general complaint about the poor state of HMRC then you need to complain to your MP.

[Barn owl]

I''d like to thank the initial poster for the detailed analysis of tracking both in the USA and UK. I'm reading this over a year on from the original post and it was a great help. I'm currently tracking my first 'import' to the UK from near Boston, Mass. The package landed in the UK two days ago after numerous very descriptive updates from USPS, and then seemed to drop into a black hole. Royal Mail didn't acknowledge that it existed. However I've just now received a 'Processed through facility' update from London and am reassured that the package could be on its way to my local sorting office before too long. eBay had it listed as 'delivered to postal agent' within half a day of entering the UK and that got my hopes up - soon to be dashed when no further updates of any sort arrived over the next 48 hours. Of course, New Year's Day got in the way which could account for the silence. Anyway, thanks again. Getting ready to celebrate the arrival of some rare CDs, with fingers firmly crossed!

[Hepdog02]

I wish that USPS and UK had a joint tracker....my package seems to have evaporated at the 'notorious' NY Jamaica International Sorting Centre.

I normally use DHL pickup collection from USA and forwarding to UK. 3 day delivery, tracking and email notification...all for £26 for a 2 kilo box



Thu 7 May
Tracking details
USPS tracking
6 Apr 2020
10:11am
Processed Through Regional Facility
JAMAICA NY INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER
6 Apr 2020
6:23am
Arrived at Regional Facility
JAMAICA NY INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER
6 Apr 2020
6:23am
Departed USPS Regional Facility
JAMAICA NY INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER
6 Apr 2020
5:23am
Departed USPS Regional Facility
QUEENS NY DISTRIBUTION CENTER
6 Apr 2020
3:31am
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
JAMAICA NY INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER
6 Apr 2020
12:59am
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
QUEENS NY DISTRIBUTION CENTER
5 Apr 2020
2:57pm
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
BROOKLYN NY DISTRIBUTION CENTER
5 Apr 2020
12:00am
In Transit to Next Facility

4 Apr 2020
3:25am
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
MIAMI FL INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER
4 Apr 2020
2:45am
Departed USPS Regional Facility
MIAMI FL DISTRIBUTION CENTER
4 Apr 2020
2:02am
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
MIAMI FL DISTRIBUTION CENTER
3 Apr 2020
6:10pm
Departed USPS Regional Facility
JACKSONVILLE FL NETWORK DISTRIBUTION CENTER
3 Apr 2020
2:55am
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
JACKSONVILLE FL NETWORK DISTRIBUTION CENTER
2 Apr 2020
11:33pm
Departed USPS Regional Facility
TALLAHASSEE FL DISTRIBUTION CENTER
2 Apr 2020
10:47pm
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
TALLAHASSEE FL DISTRIBUTION CENTER
2 Apr 2020
9:32pm
Accepted at USPS Origin Facility
QUITMAN, GA 31643
1 Apr 2020
10:36pm
Tracking number provided