Current delivery issues of parcels to Australia and New Zealand

Discussion in 'Marketplace Discussions' started by giantleech, Oct 3, 2021.

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  1. giantleech

    giantleech Lord of all fevers and plagues Thread Starter

    So from what I have heard and have been led to understand, the USPS is NOT currently accepting parcels (except for maybe "Priority Mail Express Service" tier mailings, and maybe not even that) bound for either Australia or New Zealand. This is because of personnel shortages or some other blasted present policy over there that is having incoming parcels pile up in their customs departments, left either in limbo or, according to one customer of mine in OZ, possibly even being sent back to their initial address of the sender.

    I don't use the USPS direct for international mailing but instead use Pirate Ship (who use Asendia for their international mailings.) International mailings are sent first through the USPS to one of Asendia's mail processing centers in the US and then Asendia contracts with various international courier services (sometimes the USPS) to get mail delivered to the mail/customs departments of the country that the parcel is destined for.

    With the USPS presently out of taking/sending parcels to AUS and NZ, Asendia, I believe, would most likely use DAI or some other contract service to get parcels to AUS and NZ customs department. The problem is that there is no telling (at least not to my present knowledge) as to when parcels will actually begin to be delivered to addresses in AUS and NZ again.

    Now, one could just "block sales" to AUS and NZ on the vendor sites one uses but, speaking for myself, I would find that option to be either too complicated or irritating to initiate. I still want to take orders from AUS and NZ (and I presently have current orders from AUS via both Discogs and eBay ready and waiting to be packaged up and, ostensibly, sent.)

    With Discogs orders I could probably contact my AUS customer(s) and let them know that their order is paid for, packed up and ON HOLD TO BE POSTED/SENT when the "go ahead" is given for normal delivery service to resume (I'm sure most people still presently ordering items from overseas are aware that there are currently "issues" with delivery of inbound mailings.)

    With eBay, however, it will be a pain in the *** (or ****, for you citizens of the Dominion) to hold off on mailing out items because eBay will keep hammering at you about the order being overdue for posting on time, thus probably effecting the seller's "seller rating" or standing or whatever. Even thought the AUS or NZ customer ordering on eBay would probably understand their order being delayed in sending by the seller, eBay would still likely make things irritatingly difficult.

    Part of me just wants to throw caution to the wind, ship out my parcels (as normal) via Pirate Ship/Asendia, and see where the chips actually fall in this endeavor (with the worst possible outcome being that my parcels get either sent back to me from AUS or NZ or they wind up getting piled up in a customs department and then "lost" (i.e. "stolen") or get unceremoniously chucked into some landfill.)

    How are you guys presently dealing with incoming orders from AUS and NZ? Anyone here from Australia and New Zealand who can provide perspective and prognostication on what may be yet to come (or how long all this might last?)

    PS: I plan to contact Asendia directly this coming Monday to get further clarification on Asendia's current methods of transporting parcels to AUS and NZ's customs departments and what they may know about those country's delays and how long they may be expected to last.
     
    Last edited: Oct 3, 2021
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  2. quicksrt

    quicksrt Senior Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles
  3. John Buchanan

    John Buchanan I'm just a headphone kind of fellow. Stax Sigma

    My parcels, mostly from the USA, still continue to arrive, despite being slower than normal.
     
  4. quicksrt

    quicksrt Senior Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    My outgoing packages to Aust are being rejected at the post office for acceptance. I think that the most expensive International Priority rate is available, but it's too expensive.
     
  5. giantleech

    giantleech Lord of all fevers and plagues Thread Starter

    Pirate Ship uses the shipping broker Asendia to handle courier contracts/delivery of international parcels, bypassing the USPS (though still sometimes contracting through the USPS for some international deliveries.)

    Still, that doesn't mean that Asendia isn't having problems with dealing with the Australian and New Zealand customs departments. I'm waiting to get further clarification today from Asendia to find out "what the scoop is."
     
  6. giantleech

    giantleech Lord of all fevers and plagues Thread Starter

    Maybe that's for parcels that got into Australia under the deadline/cut-off date before the new (alleged) delivery/handling/customs strictures hit? I have heard about parcels being (allegedly) sent back to address of initial purchase. That would be a disaster, so I am holding off on sending items until I get better clarification on this whole matter.

    This is how I feel about this debacle and the blockade of parcel delivery to AUS and NZ...

     
  7. giantleech

    giantleech Lord of all fevers and plagues Thread Starter

    I just got off the phone with an Asendia rep (Pirate Ship, my online postage service, contracts with Asendia for "Simple Export Rate" qualifying parcels to international addresses) and he said that everything is a go, meaning that Asendia is still able to continue delivery of parcels to both Australia and New Zealand (Asendia's services bypasses the USPS in this case and under these current circumstances, even though Asendia also uses USPS as an option when the USPS services are available under what previously were "normal" circumstances.

    Bottom line, if you normally use and interact direct with the USPS and your local USPS post office, you will not be able to purchase delivery service to Australia and New Zealand. If, like me, you use Pirate Ship "Simple Export Rate" service (for parcels weighing up to and not exceeding 4.0 pounds), you will still be able to purchase delivery service to Australia and New Zealand. Capisce?
     
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  8. Chee

    Chee Forum Resident

    Location:
    Denver
    How much is "simple export rate" for one album to Australia? $49? Remember $24 USPS and free tracking through the customs number?
     
  9. PFA

    PFA Forum Resident

    Location:
    Florida
    I shipped a package to Australia by the USPS. I mailed it on September 23rd.
    I was told that Australia would not accept any packages sent by first class airmail or Priority Airmail, and that the only method that would make it through was Express mail.
    So I shipped it by Priority Airmail Express Mail. It cost nearly $100 to do so.

    It made it through.
    It was delivered today.

    FWIW...
     
  10. giantleech

    giantleech Lord of all fevers and plagues Thread Starter

    Pirate Ship "Simple Export Rate" for a parcel between 1.1 to 2.0 pounds (this generally allows for up to 2 regular weight LPs, filler pad(s) and good, solid rectangular shaped LP mailer) from the USA to anywhere else in the world (other than Canada, which has an even lower price point) is $17.49. (The same type of parcel to Canada is $13.49.)

    "Simple Export Rate" has price points (by the pound) for parcels up to 4.0 pounds. At 4.1 pounds and up, a different price rate takes effect, though still remains less expensive than dealing with USPS purchased postage.

    If you go online and set up an account with Pirate Ship (which I recommend, as it is absolutely the least expensive online shipping labeling service that I know of) and want to take advantage of the "Simple Export Rate" service, you have to actually request that that service be applied to your account. There is some sort of "portal" or "chat option" that allows you to initiate that status. It's easy.

    It is absolute (and expensive/money wasting) insanity to use the USPS for purchasing mailing service when Pirate Ship is available.
     
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  11. giantleech

    giantleech Lord of all fevers and plagues Thread Starter

    Assuming that your parcel weighed between 1.1 to 2.0 pounds, you could have mailed it off for $17.49 using Pirate Ship (with their "Simple Export Rate" service applied to your account.)

    It would have only been so many (not much) dollars more if your parcel weighed between 2.1 to 3.0 or 3.1 to 4.0 pounds.

    I'm sorry but either you or your customer (depending upon who had to eat the cost) got unnecessarily hosed for approximately $82.51, which you could have saved if you had used the Pirate Ship service that I have explained here. I recommend that you all use it from this present day forward.
     
  12. PFA

    PFA Forum Resident

    Location:
    Florida
    The parcel weighed just under 4 pounds.

    As for the Pirate Ship service that you are promoting, I have never heard of it and am hesitant to trust any unknown shipping service.
    I always use USPS, UPS or FedEx.
     
  13. giantleech

    giantleech Lord of all fevers and plagues Thread Starter

    (Note: This reply delayed for a few days due to "tardiness.")

    Your parcel being just under 4 pounds would have cost you somewhere around $35.00 or so for shipping had you used Pirate Ship's "Simple Export Rate" service.

    I fully understand your hesitancy to use a new service that is prior unknown to you, but please know that you are being given information here from a person (that being me) who has been selling and shipping out records all over the world going on several decades now. Also, I wouldn't be crowing about this service if it wasn't really a Godsend and the bee's knees to boot. It is. When I first heard about Pirate Ship it was on another music forum. Yes, to me as well, it sounded too good to be true (considering how absolutely gutting the continual and not at all insignificant price increases for international shipping services that the USPS has been inflicting upon us small time vendors exporting goods overseas.) But it's all absolutely the real deal and it has rapidly allowed me to increase my overseas sales back to where they had essentially been years ago.

    I am a totally satisfied user of this service. You should consider using it as well. The savings over normal over-the-counter USPS rates (and UPS rates, too; I just used Pirate Ship to send a sub-4 pound parcel to Canada via UPS for $20.24) is simply too great and good to not take advantage of and use.
     
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  14. cwitt1980

    cwitt1980 Senior Member

    Location:
    Carbondale, IL USA
    Anyone have any experience lately with packages coming from Australia to the US? I just made an order and then realized that it may be an issue.
     
  15. InStepWithTheStars

    InStepWithTheStars It's a miracle, let it alter you

    Location:
    North Carolina
    Interested in this as well. I have two incoming. One is DHL, I'm not sure what carrier the other one is but it has a USPS tracking number. The former has apparently arrived in the US as of yesterday (shipped 1/23), but the eBay tracking doesn't have any further information. The latter says "Origin Post is Preparing Shipment" and has for about a week. Despite my issues with DHL, I am optimistic that the former parcel will arrive on time or close to it.

    The sad thing is that in 2020 and 2021, at the height of the pandemic, I had parcels from NSW arrive in my mailbox within six days from the shipment date. There were times that the Australian post office was more effective at getting items halfway across the planet than USPS was at getting them halfway across the state. But it's been a long time since I've bought anything from Australia and this "block" was not in place the most recent time I did so. At any rate, I'll update when they arrive.
     
  16. cwitt1980

    cwitt1980 Senior Member

    Location:
    Carbondale, IL USA
    The person I made an order from said they have mailed a few things from Australia to the US recently without issue (besides how long it takes). They said they send it out as registered mail so there shouldn't be issue. Maybe that helps. Maybe not.
     
  17. ispace

    ispace Senior Member

    Location:
    Sydney Australia
    Australia to the USA is slow but works ok.

    I’m annoyed, being from Australia, that 99% of US sellers on Discogs & eBay won’t ship to me.

    For eBay US to Australia, there are two options:
    1. Global Shipping Program
    2. eBay International Delivery (new)

    #2 uses USPS but actually works for Australia, and it’s cheaper than #1.
     
  18. InStepWithTheStars

    InStepWithTheStars It's a miracle, let it alter you

    Location:
    North Carolina
    Haven't received either of these yet, but the "Origin Post is Preparing Shipment" one is now being processed at the LA USPS facility, while "Arrived in Destination Country" (DHL) has had no update since February 3rd. This is all just tracking, who knows where the item actually is. Both had and still have an estimated delivery date of February 14.
     
  19. InStepWithTheStars

    InStepWithTheStars It's a miracle, let it alter you

    Location:
    North Carolina
    The first of these, the one that landed in LA, arrived on the 15th. The other one, which had no update since February 3rd, STILL has no update. The weirdest thing is that there were two updates on February 3rd: one stating that it arrived in the destination country, and then another several hours later stating that it was in transit to the destination country. And that's the most recent update. I want to call customer service and talk to a human being but I can't find a phone number, and DHL's online contact form is only good as a cruel prank to play on people who want their queries answered. But DHL in the US has always sucked, at least in the seven years that I've used them. I'm sure the pandemic has afforded them plenty of opportunities to suck even worse.
     
  20. chazz101s

    chazz101s Forum Resident

    Yes. DHL is a cringe-inducing shipper, one you want only to survive and, sure, as quickly as possible, which rarely proves to be possible with the dreaded DHL. . . .

    German efficiency ain't what it once was, mates!
     
  21. InStepWithTheStars

    InStepWithTheStars It's a miracle, let it alter you

    Location:
    North Carolina
    DHL is the fastest (or one of the fastest, anyway) at getting parcels from one country to another. The problem is that once it lands in the United States, the orangutans they apparently have in their domestic sorting facility get confused when the two addresses don't match and have to compare three globes to find out if the countries are in the same place on each one. And look at this! Koko's globe has both countries on it, but it's facing the wrong way! Now what!?

    Although, to give credit where it's due, I will say I had a conputer charger shipped via DHL back in December and it only arrived three days after the expected delivery date. But they also once held a parcel (shipped from the US, I should add) hostage for 13 days, then damaged the shipping label and returned it to the vendor. So apparently they only damaged my address. :rolleyes:
     
  22. Chee

    Chee Forum Resident

    Location:
    Denver
    How much is one LP shipped by DHL to Australia? $62?
     
  23. InStepWithTheStars

    InStepWithTheStars It's a miracle, let it alter you

    Location:
    North Carolina
    Mine was a DVD, I paid A$20 which is about $13 US. If it ever arrives I'll see what the shipping label says.
     
  24. Chee

    Chee Forum Resident

    Location:
    Denver
    DHL cheaper than USPS? Impossible.
     
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  25. InStepWithTheStars

    InStepWithTheStars It's a miracle, let it alter you

    Location:
    North Carolina
    I filed a customer service form with DHL a few hours ago, 11 days after the expected delivery. Lo and behold I magically have a tracking update. It's exactly the same as the one I already had, but the date has been changed. Never got contacted about it but at least somebody changed a number. Hopefully that's not where the story ends. :sigh:
     
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