Stuck in customs or lost in space ??? packet from ameraica

[Tmlaj]

Hey guys, just having a browse through this thread and unfortunately I find myself in a similar situation...

Bought a pair of trainers from the US (to be sent to East London), it was shipped via USPS International service and says it has left Chicago IL distribution network, it's been 6 weeks and i'm starting to worry they're never gonna turn up. The royal mail tracking info just says 'Item received at USA' and then a day later just states 'Sender preparing item', however when I call up their tracking phone service they say they have the item (automated voice). The seller can't really do anything but says it could be stuck in customs, if anyone has had their item turn up after 6 weeks and/or finds the tracking info similar to what they experienced please let me know!

This is what the tracking info looks like (bottom to top):

In Transit to Next Facility -> Your package is moving within the USPS network and is on track to be delivered to its final destination. It is currently in transit to the next facility.

2020-05-09 07:13
CHICAGO IL INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER, Departed USPS Regional Facility

2020-05-09 07:13
CHICAGO IL INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER, Arrived at Regional Facility

2020-04-16 18:39
CHICAGO IL INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER, Arrived at USPS Regional Facility

2020-04-16 17:54
ELK GROVE VILLAGE IL DISTRIBUTION CENTER, Departed USPS Regional Facility

2020-04-16 03:34
ELK GROVE VILLAGE IL DISTRIBUTION CENTER, Arrived at USPS Regional Facility

2020-04-15 17:39
ELMHURST, IL 60126, USPS in possession of item

I'm in the same boat. Tracking on USPS shows as:
"Your item departed a transfer airport in HEATHROW, LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM on May 7, 2020 at 10:11 am. The item is currently in transit to the destination."

But the Royal Mail tracking says:
"This item is now leaving the originating country. More information will be available when it arrives in the UK." with no more updates since 6th May.

Anyone else had similar issues, and had parcels turn up eventually?

That's normal I've been told that usps do that strangely and annoyingly even though still in transit to the UK, it's only physically here when it's updated on RM or PF website, I hate how they say arrived in UK when in fact it hasn't, it should show on the website here in next few working days.

[mcourtman]

Hi,

I'm facing the same issue, I have two parcels which haven't arrived from the US.

The status on one is that it departed Heathrow:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
May 28, 2020, 4:47 pm
Departed
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
Your item departed a transfer airport in HEATHROW, LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM on May 28, 2020 at 4:47 pm. The item is currently in transit to the destination.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The status on the second is that it departed Chicago:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
May 12, 2020
In Transit to Next Facility
Your package is moving within the USPS network and is on track to be delivered to its final destination. It is currently in transit to the next facility.

May 8, 2020, 2:48 pm
Departed USPS Regional Facility
CHICAGO IL INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Both are due to be picked up by by ParcelForce here in the UK, but on the ParcelForce tracking website it doesn't even acknowledge that they have left the US.

Am I being inpatient, or is there someone I should contact to follow these up?

Best wishes,

Matt

[Tmlaj]

Hi,

I'm facing the same issue, I have two parcels which haven't arrived from the US.

The status on one is that it departed Heathrow:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
May 28, 2020, 4:47 pm
Departed
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
Your item departed a transfer airport in HEATHROW, LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM on May 28, 2020 at 4:47 pm. The item is currently in transit to the destination.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The status on the second is that it departed Chicago:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
May 12, 2020
In Transit to Next Facility
Your package is moving within the USPS network and is on track to be delivered to its final destination. It is currently in transit to the next facility.

May 8, 2020, 2:48 pm
Departed USPS Regional Facility
CHICAGO IL INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Both are due to be picked up by by ParcelForce here in the UK, but on the ParcelForce tracking website it doesn't even acknowledge that they have left the US.

Am I being inpatient, or is there someone I should contact to follow these up?

Best wishes,

Matt

Hi Matt,

You sound like me I'm very impatient lol,

USPS have a weird way of saying things have arrived in the UK and on route to next facility, when in fact they haven't, you will have times if for the PF website to actually state arrival scan, customs scan, cleared customs things like that to truly know it has arrived, I have no idea why USPS do this I get a lot of stuff from USA and Canada and send a lot to both but its only usps that do that, parcel force would have to scan it on arrival not usps so it's weird how they can state stuff like that.

If usps state it's left the USA give it a few days should then show on pf website but allow for customs delays and delays in the network due to covid etc.

[mcourtman]

Hi

Thanks for your reply.

USPS says the parcel departed the US on 27th May and then departed Heathrow on 28th May......
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
May 28, 2020, 4:47 pm
Departed
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
Your item departed a transfer airport in HEATHROW, LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM on May 28, 2020 at 4:47 pm. The item is currently in transit to the destination.

May 27, 2020, 7:35 pm
Departed
SAN FRANCISCO, UNITED STATES
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

But the PF website states...
"Your parcel is being prepared for export and will soon be leaving its origin country. Please see our enhanced help if the final destination is not the UK".

Maybe I just need to wait a bit longer and hope it appears on the PF webiste.

Best wishes, Matt

[mcourtman]

Hi,

Well one parcel has arrived :) but one hasn't had a status update since the 12th May 2020:

May 12, 2020
In Transit to Next Facility
Your package is moving within the USPS network and is on track to be delivered to its final destination. It is currently in transit to the next facility.

May 8, 2020, 2:48 pm
Departed USPS Regional Facility
CHICAGO IL INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER

I'm wondering if jjbender1's trainers ever turned up in the UK?

Best wishes, Matt

[JasonLuxemburg]

Hey guys, just having a browse through this thread and unfortunately I find myself in a similar situation...

Bought a pair of trainers from the US (to be sent to East London), it was shipped via USPS International service and says it has left Chicago IL distribution network, it's been 6 weeks and i'm starting to worry they're never gonna turn up. The royal mail tracking info just says 'Item received at USA' and then a day later just states 'Sender preparing item', however when I call up their tracking phone service they say they have the item (automated voice). The seller can't really do anything but says it could be stuck in customs, if anyone has had their item turn up after 6 weeks and/or finds the tracking info similar to what they experienced please let me know!

This is what the tracking info looks like (bottom to top):

In Transit to Next Facility -> Your package is moving within the USPS network and is on track to be delivered to its final destination. It is currently in transit to the next facility.

2020-05-09 07:13
CHICAGO IL INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER, Departed USPS Regional Facility

2020-05-09 07:13
CHICAGO IL INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER, Arrived at Regional Facility

2020-04-16 18:39
CHICAGO IL INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER, Arrived at USPS Regional Facility

2020-04-16 17:54
ELK GROVE VILLAGE IL DISTRIBUTION CENTER, Departed USPS Regional Facility

2020-04-16 03:34
ELK GROVE VILLAGE IL DISTRIBUTION CENTER, Arrived at USPS Regional Facility

2020-04-15 17:39
ELMHURST, IL 60126, USPS in possession of item

I'm in the same boat. Tracking on USPS shows as:
"Your item departed a transfer airport in HEATHROW, LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM on May 7, 2020 at 10:11 am. The item is currently in transit to the destination."

But the Royal Mail tracking says:
"This item is now leaving the originating country. More information will be available when it arrives in the UK." with no more updates since 6th May.

Anyone else had similar issues, and had parcels turn up eventually?

That's normal I've been told that usps do that strangely and annoyingly even though still in transit to the UK, it's only physically here when it's updated on RM or PF website, I hate how they say arrived in UK when in fact it hasn't, it should show on the website here in next few working days.

I wonder why USPS say it's in the UK when it isn't?

This is the full tracking:
May 7, 2020, 10:11 am
Departed
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
Your item departed a transfer airport in HEATHROW, LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM on May 7, 2020 at 10:11 am. The item is currently in transit to the destination.
May 6, 2020, 6:45 pm
Departed
CHICAGO, UNITED STATES
May 6, 2020, 10:04 am
Arrived
CHICAGO, UNITED STATES
May 5, 2020, 8:54 pm
Processed Through Regional Facility
CHICAGO IL INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER
May 1, 2020
In Transit to Next Facility
April 27, 2020, 1:27 pm
Departed USPS Regional Facility
CHICAGO IL INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER
April 27, 2020, 1:27 pm
Arrived at Regional Facility
CHICAGO IL INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER
April 27, 2020, 12:36 pm
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
CHICAGO IL INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER
April 22, 2020, 9:29 pm
Departed USPS Regional Facility
MILAN IL DISTRIBUTION CENTER
April 22, 2020, 7:02 pm
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
MILAN IL DISTRIBUTION CENTER
April 22, 2020, 5:47 pm
Accepted at USPS Origin Facility
CAMANCHE, IA 52730
April 21, 2020, 6:38 pm
Shipping Label Created, USPS Awaiting Item
CAMANCHE, IA 52730

[Snaggletooth]

It lands in the UK and it is physically in the UK. But until it clears customs, it isn’t legally in the UK. Different postal services treat this information differently in their tracking systems.

[JasonLuxemburg]

It lands in the UK and it is physically in the UK. But until it clears customs, it isn’t legally in the UK. Different postal services treat this information differently in their tracking systems.

So it's essentially stuck in the limbo of customs, as USPS have absolved themselves of responsibility and Royal Mail have not yet taken responsibility?

Christ, it's been nearly a month since it landed here.

[Snaggletooth]

It is stuck in customs, who are a law enforcement agency. The postal services have no power over them.

[lucas-real1]

Hi,

So I had this status for about a week or so:

Your item departed a transfer airport in HEATHROW, LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM on May 26, 2020 at 11:48 am. The item is currently in transit to the destination.

Then it changed to : (after 8 days)

07:33pm
Item Received
LANGLEY HWDC, United Kingdom

On the Royal Mail website. I thought it would be lost forever then. It was there for about an hour before it changed to:

08:21pm
Item has left our International Processing Centre
Heathrow Worldwide DC, United Kingdom

Then on the same day it was

04:19am
Item Despatched to (my local) DO
Gatwick MC

It was that day I received a card saying there were customs charges to be paid. I paid online, and they're delivering it in 2 days. Annoying, but could be worse.

[dakuwaqa]

I ordered a package from LA 2 weeks ago now. It says 'Your item departed a transfer airport in INTERNATIONAL, LOS ANGELES, UNITED STATES' for 5 days now.

Is that something to be concerned about?

[Tmlaj]

I ordered a package from LA 2 weeks ago now. It says 'Your item departed a transfer airport in INTERNATIONAL, LOS ANGELES, UNITED STATES' for 5 days now.

Is that something to be concerned about?

Delays will be inevitable at the moment with covid as a factor on staffing levels, it's probably in customs waiting clearance, I wouldn't be concerned just yet, I've had similar happen to parcels from the US and Canada.

[bmlodge]

I ordered a package from LA 2 weeks ago now. It says 'Your item departed a transfer airport in INTERNATIONAL, LOS ANGELES, UNITED STATES' for 5 days now.

Is that something to be concerned about?

I had a package that left LA on May 13th, well it said it had been processed through LA international something or other. It displayed that message until June 13th (a Saturday) where it was processed through HWDC and it was then delivered 15th June. So yeah, exactly a month until the tracking updated. To answer your question no, just be patient.

[dakuwaqa]

Thanks for the reply! Yesterday I received an identical update from 7 days before saying Your item departed a transfer airport in INTERNATIONAL, LOS ANGELES.

No idea what’s going on

[Keshammond]

Hi
Sorry to bother you.
DID YOUR PARCEL EVER TURN UP?
I receive about 3 or 4 parcels from US a month and this never usually happens to me however a valuable package has been showing as departed a transfer airport for 15 days now.
Usually once I get that message my parcel is delivered the next day.
Thank you