A post of hope & reassurance

[NickRMCustomer]

How are your parcels coming along @grateful? Any more updates yet?

I have been waiting on one that left the US on 6 May and arrived in the UK on 12 May. The updates had all stopped, and Royal Mail had no record of it being in the UK and told me it was still in the US.

I decided to check the tracking today, and here was a pleasant surprise:

After 14 days, the item is moving through the system again:

USPS TRACKING:

May 25, 2021, 4:13 am
Processed through Facility
UNITED KINGDOM
Your item was processed through a facility in UNITED KINGDOM on May 25, 2021 at 4:13 am. The item is currently in transit to the destination.

May 24, 2021, 10:35 pm
Processed Through Facility
UNITED KINGDOM

May 12, 2021, 8:37 am
Departed
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM

May 11, 2021, 1:53 pm
Arrived
MIAMI, UNITED STATES

ROYAL MAIL TRACKING:

Updated on: Tuesday 25 May
04:13am
Item has left our International Processing Centre
Heathrow Worldwide DC, United Kingdom
Hide earlier journey

Monday 24 May
10:35pm
Item Received
LANGLEY HWDC, United Kingdom

Tuesday 11 May
01:21am
Item Leaving overseas
United States of America

When a parcel leaves the HWDC, is the next stop usually the local sorting office?

Thanks for all sharing your experiences - it helps a lot when you realise you are not the only one waiting for parcels and wondering if they are lost or stuck in a backlog.

[fitzsy]

After 14 days in transit with no acitivty I finally get an update! Looks like there is a long delay in updates and packages just being parked before being transported to the UK.



As you can see..

May 27, 2021, 11:14 am
Departed
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
Your item departed a transfer airport in HEATHROW, LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM on May 27, 2021 at 11:14 am. The item is currently in transit to the destination.
May 15, 2021, 6:42 am
Arrived
SAN FRANCISCO, UNITED STATES
May 14, 2021, 4:12 pm
Processed Through Regional Facility
SAN FRANCISCO CA INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER
May 14, 2021, 4:12 pm
Arrived at Regional Facility
SAN FRANCISCO CA INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER
May 14, 2021, 10:49 am
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
SAN FRANCISCO CA INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER
May 13, 2021, 3:28 pm
USPS in possession of item
PITTSBURG, CA 94565

The update is only via the USPS site. Parcel Force still have no updates. Just shows:

Date Time Location Tracking event
14/5/2021 16:12
Delivery Agent - SAN FRANCISCO…+Delivery Agent - SAN FRANCISCO
Prepared for despatch to the UKView an extended tracking event description
14/5/2021 16:12
Delivery Agent - SAN FRANCISCO…+Delivery Agent - SAN FRANCISCO
Despatched to the UK
13/5/2021 15:28
Delivery Agent - UNITED STATES AMERICA…+Delivery Agent - UNITED STATES AMERICA
Collected

[NickRMCustomer]

Ah, an update for you at last! :)

If it follows my experience, you might wait around 14 to 16 days for the items to get through customs are be recognised as being in the UK by RM, when you see recieved at Langley in the Tracking, but don't give up, it does seem to be moving, just very slowly.

[fitzsy]

Ah, an update for you at last! :)

If it follows my experience, you might wait around 14 to 16 days for the items to get through customs are be recognised as being in the UK by RM, when you see recieved at Langley in the Tracking, but don't give up, it does seem to be moving, just very slowly.

Hi mate,

So there hasn't been an update since yesterday "27 May 2021
11:14
Departed. Your item departed a transfer airport in HEATHROW, LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM on May 27, 2021 at 11:14 am. The item is currently in transit to the destination."

My parcel will be delivered via Parcel Force. Is 14-16 days really a possibility!

[NickRMCustomer]

Ah, an update for you at last! :)

If it follows my experience, you might wait around 14 to 16 days for the items to get through customs are be recognised as being in the UK by RM, when you see recieved at Langley in the Tracking, but don't give up, it does seem to be moving, just very slowly.

Hi mate,

So there hasn't been an update since yesterday "27 May 2021
11:14
Departed. Your item departed a transfer airport in HEATHROW, LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM on May 27, 2021 at 11:14 am. The item is currently in transit to the destination."

My parcel will be delivered via Parcel Force. Is 14-16 days really a possibility!

Oh No! Are you sure it will be a ParcelForce delivery and not a Royal Mail one? I reckon there's a good chance with Royal Mail but I've had a lot of bad experiences with Parcel Force this year - but let's stay optimistic, as it sounds like your item has dodged the dreaded Parcel Force International Hub!

[fitzsy]

27 May 2021
11:14
Departed. Your item departed a transfer airport in HEATHROW, LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM on May 27, 2021 at 11:14 am. The item is currently in transit to the destination.
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM

Still no update when I track via DPD

Parcel Force has no record of it arriving in UK

[TrueBlueTerrier]

27 May 2021
11:14
Departed. Your item departed a transfer airport in HEATHROW, LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM on May 27, 2021 at 11:14 am. The item is currently in transit to the destination.
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM

Still no update when I track via DPD

Parcel Force has no record of it arriving in UK

The highlighted red text above is what happens when USPS pass it to customs, so technically it may still not in the UK, and won't be till customs release it.

[fitzsy]

27 May 2021
11:14
Departed. Your item departed a transfer airport in HEATHROW, LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM on May 27, 2021 at 11:14 am. The item is currently in transit to the destination.
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM

Still no update when I track via DPD

Parcel Force has no record of it arriving in UK

The highlighted red text above is what happens when USPS pass it to customs, so technically it may still not in the UK, and won't be till customs release it.

Thanks, any cause for concern here? It's been a few days with no update.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

No cause for concern, except that sometimes it takes ages for stuff to go through, and sometimes only a few hours. The average wait from posts on here is about a week - but some have taken a month.

It's a bit of a lottery since Brexit.

[gaffzilla]

Try 50 days and counting...

My package came off the plane on the 15th April 2021 and presumably disappeared into the black hole at Langley, they didn’t even bother to swipe it. According to RM it’s not arrived with them. Disgusting.

[Snaggletooth]

My package came off the plane on the 15th April 2021 and presumably disappeared into the black hole at Langley, they didn’t even bother to swipe it. According to RM it’s not arrived with them. Disgusting.

USPS tracked it as it came of the plane, so are you expecting customs to scan it? They don't do that in any country as far as I am aware, I doubt they have the equipment to do it.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

My package came off the plane on the 15th April 2021 and presumably disappeared into the black hole at Langley, they didn’t even bother to swipe it. According to RM it’s not arrived with them. Disgusting.

USPS tracked it as it came of the plane, so are you expecting customs to scan it? They don't do that in any country as far as I am aware, I doubt they have the equipment to do it.

There are also numerous threads showing that since March the scanning by USPS has been unreliable. But apparently its easier to blame customs and Royal Mail, thats the way it ever was.

[gaffzilla]

As far as I’m aware, having read other similar complaints on this forum, when it comes off the plane it is no longer in the care of USPS. if it goes to HWDC Langley, as I understand it, the words ROYAL MAIL is there in 10 foot high letters on the building. Or is the customs facility elsewhere? I’m only trying to understand where my package is and when I might see it - if ever. Older posts say it takes a week in customs but that was pre brexit pre COVID. There is no way to find out what the heck is going on. The Royal Mail are not blameless. Their website offers no assistance and just takes you around in circles until you disappear up your own jacksie. There is literally NO help in this situation.

[gaffzilla]

If RM or Customs or both published a statement saying they are currently overwhelmed and there is currently a xx week backlog there wouldn’t be stupid people like me who don’t know the system asking stupid questions and getting people all upset. Trouble is they haven’t told us what’s going on, but that’s the way it ever was.

[Snaggletooth]

if it goes to HWDC Langley, as I understand it, the words ROYAL MAIL is there in 10 foot high letters on the building. Or is the customs facility elsewhere?

The main customs facility for inbound goods is at Langley. Customs are based inside the building, renting space from Royal Mail. This is a continuation of an old arrangement: 20 years ago the customs facility was inside Royal Mail's Mount Pleasant mail centre, again with HM Revenue & Customs renting space.

HM customs are a law enforcement agency, RM have no power over them. Also, the tax side of HMRC are one of Royal Mail's biggest customers, so RM aren't going to publicly criticise Customs. If you are unhappy with HM Revenue & Customs you should complain to your MP.