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International Delivery Delays

Old 04-29-22, 05:35 AM
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jad3675
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International Delivery Delays

Anyone else have issues with packages stuck in customs at ISC Chicago? I ordered a crankset from Rotor UK on April 10th, paid for DHL shipping but they used Royal Mail to send it over. It's been sitting at ISC Chicago for 10 days. I talked to my local PO and they said USPS can't do anything. Rotor UK says 'Hope you get it soon!'
The intertubes says trying to contact customs about this is a fool's errand.
Any ideas other than waiting?

John
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Old 04-29-22, 06:58 AM
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Hopefully you paid with a credit card. If you haven't gotten your package within 30 days, save your documentation (shipping notice, response from vendor, etc) and contest the charge due to non-delivery. Then let the vendor chase down the shipper to get his item/money back.
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Old 04-29-22, 07:24 AM
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Originally Posted by Bald Paul
Hopefully you paid with a credit card. If you haven't gotten your package within 30 days, save your documentation (shipping notice, response from vendor, etc) and contest the charge due to non-delivery. Then let the vendor chase down the shipper to get his item/money back.
Who doesn't use a credit card? /s
I can actually dispute it right now - they state delivery within 5 days on their website. I'll probably wait the 30 days though.

John
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Old 04-29-22, 08:46 AM
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It's one of the hazards of international shipping. You just have to wait it out. My last shipment took a long time to leave the port of entry.

It wouldn't be a bad idea to contact the seller and see how long they suggest you wait or any other suggestion they might have. If they've been doing international shipments for a while, they've probably seen and heard a lot of things about such by now. But be nice, it's likely not their fault it's delayed.

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Old 04-29-22, 08:57 AM
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Originally Posted by Iride01
It's one of the hazards of international shipping. You just have to wait it out. My last shipment took a long time to leave the port of entry.

It wouldn't be a bad idea to contact the seller and see how long they suggest you wait or any other suggestion they might have. If they've been doing international shipments for a while, they've probably seen and heard a lot of things about such by now. But be nice, it's likely not their fault it's delayed.
It's partially their fault - I paid for DHL (which would have arrived already) and they shipped Royal Mail which I was trying to avoid because of recent USPS issues.

I did talk to my post office - they said they're seen packages take 8(!) months to clear ISC in Chicago. He suggested I contact the seller and have them open an inquiry with Royal Mail to see if they can get it moving or get it cleared through customs. USPS doesn't have possession of it yet.

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Old 04-29-22, 09:15 AM
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Originally Posted by jad3675
It's partially their fault - I paid for DHL (which would have arrived already) and they shipped Royal Mail which I was trying to avoid because of recent USPS issues.

I did talk to my post office - they said they're seen packages take 8(!) months to clear ISC in Chicago. He suggested I contact the seller and have them open an inquiry with Royal Mail to see if they can get it moving or get it cleared through customs. USPS doesn't have possession of it yet.

John
Maybe. But maybe you didn't read all the if's and's and but's in their shipping terms. Many times when you pay for a particular shipper like DHL, then that is actually for when it leaves the port of departure from that country, or for when it leaves the port of entry for your country.

And lately, I don't even trust what the scans show for shipments I'm getting whether domestic or international. I've received things that still show days away.
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Old 04-29-22, 09:40 AM
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Originally Posted by Iride01
Maybe. But maybe you didn't read all the if's and's and but's in their shipping terms. Many times when you pay for a particular shipper like DHL, then that is actually for when it leaves the port of departure from that country, or for when it leaves the port of entry for your country.

And lately, I don't even trust what the scans show for shipments I'm getting whether domestic or international. I've received things that still show days away.
No, it was one of two options - DHL or Royal Mail. I live a stone's throw from the DHL hub at CVG. DHL from Sigma Sports gets me a delivery in 3 days. I had a full bike shipped from Israel via DHL earlier in the month and it showed up within a week.

This shipment went Royal Mail all the way - 6 days to get to the US and now the purgatory that is ISC Chicago.

But really, waiting it out is really the only option at this point.

John
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Old 05-02-22, 01:54 PM
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...and the package showed up today, along with another package that I ordered from Bikeinn last Thursday. The bikeinn package went through ISC New York. Looks like ISC Chi-town really is Suburgatory.
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Old 05-02-22, 02:23 PM
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Things take time these days, if you haven't figured that out I kind of wish I had that rock as well it would be nice to step away from the craziness for a while. Glad you got your stuff but patience is always a good thing. The anticipation is the best part knowing you have something awesome on the way is a lot of fun.
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Old 05-04-22, 12:34 AM
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Here's my story: My DHL shipment from Germany spent 4 weeks somewhere.*** The last DHL update indicated it had been processed in a German DHL center just a few days after the vendor shipped it, for export to the US, where it would be picked up by USPS. I have no idea if the hang up was in Germany DHL processing or upon entry to the US at the USPS entry facility wherever that is, because the tracking message couldn't discern that. USPS indicated they hadn't received it. But that could have been a backlog checking things in by USPS? I dunnno.

Then, after about 5 weeks, USPS showed it had received it a couple of days ago - May 2 and that I'd receive it by tomorrow (May 4). Unlikely, I wouldn't hold my breath, but progress! Now USPS is showing it is in Customs in Chicago, so I have no idea what additional delay that will cause. Original order was placed March 25, today is May 3.

*** After three weeks of no updates, I contacted the vendor. They contacted DHL and then told me they couldn't get any info from DHL. So they immediately refunded my money back to my credit card! (I did loose a few bucks in the changing exchange rate though!). I ordered another of the same item (wheelset), almost exactly a month after the first order (April 24), because the price was so good and because, other than this, I've always had excellent luck with European shipments from this and a couple of other companies, as well as amazingly fast shipping from DHL in particular.

The new item now is in the same limbo somewhere between DHL export center and USPS in the states as described above, but only for about a week or so to date. In the mean time, shipment #1 is progressing as described above, so it seems likely that I will receive it (for which I've already received a refund) as well as the second shipment later. Being an honest guy, I'll deal reasonably with the vendor. I think there's a good chance that if I indeed receive the second shipment so have both, I'll re-pay the vendor for the first one and sell one of them locally. The price was good enough so I can give a local acquaintance a good price and get my exchange rate "penalty" back.

My opinion is that I expect 7-10 working days from Europe to my home in the US, and that's what I've always gotten. On the other hand, a month wouldn't upset me too much. But now it's pushing 6 weeks with, I expect, another week or two at least.
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Old 05-04-22, 10:26 AM
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The fact that anyone is actually complaining about transit time from anywhere these days shows a complete lack of connection to reality.
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Old 05-04-22, 11:34 AM
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Originally Posted by Psimet2001
The fact that anyone is actually complaining about transit time from anywhere these days shows a complete lack of connection to reality.
Not sure if directed at me; but yes, I am very aware of the how long it takes stuff to get from Point A to Point B. My concern was about the wait time for customs at ISC Chicago. The Post Office has no contact info for customs. You can't call customs up an ask them to hurry up, either. Or email them. Or tweet at them. ISC Chicago appears to be pretty hard hit with these delays too, at least if you go by how quickly my packages got through ISC NY vs ISC Chicago. Heck, USPS did a bag up job with my delivery - it was released on Saturday and I had it in my grubby hands on Monday.
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Old 05-09-22, 07:36 PM
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I guess I could be as an ignorant complainer. I'm not ignorant of the current supply chain issues, including shippers and also bottlenecks caused by personnel issues. It's not necessarily complaining to describe the length of time it's taking. It might be helpful to others who are considering purchases from overseas vendors (whether going east or west). I know when I started seeing my shipment delayed, I searched to see if others were having the same problems.

One of the issues I am complaining about, I guess, is the hard to interpret tracking info that DHL provided, and the lack of any easily accessed point of contact for clarification. But other than that, I don't like it, but it is today's reality.
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Old 05-23-22, 10:55 PM
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I just found this document:

https://www.uspsoig.gov/document/iss...service-center

Around the first of the year I had a set of handlebars sit in customs for over a month... Same build and the rotors I ordered weeks ago are sitting in customs in Chicago. Or maybe they are lost? Who knows...

This is not COVID-19. This is incompetence.
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