International deliveries and PayPal claims

[nsavage]

I was reading some comments on another thread and given the situation I have with a couple of items coming from overseas I thought I would pose the question, at what point does one consider filing a PayPal claim?

Most items I have purchased form overseas have still managed to arrive in a timely manner. Unfortunately a few items have seemingly not moved for weeks.

A brush from @Gifts&Care.com which did not move for two weeks and then showed as "The item is on transport to the country of destination" which was two and a half weeks ago now.
An item which shipped via USPS on the 21/07 and scanned as "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." on the 26/07 and has not updated since.
An item from the UK coming via Royal Mail which scanned as "Item Leaving the UK " three and a half weeks ago.

The first two items I have contacted the sellers about but they come across as very nonchalant and dismissive. I have not contacted the seller of the final item as I have experienced delays with Royal Mail before but I will be following up with them now as it has reached a point where I would expect it to appear on the Australia Post website tracking and it does not.

Maybe I am expecting too much at the moment?

 

[SpeedyPC]

Did you check the tracking number via Royal Mail website?? IF still in there system before Australia Post received the data from Royal Mail

 

[nsavage]

Did you check the tracking number via Royal Mail website??

That is where the tracking information I have has come from. The tracking also suggests that the item was handed to GLS as a "delivery partner" however it does not track on their site. I have emailed hte seller for this item as well now.

 

[Mark1966]

International shipping is all over the place at the moment, although I think I STILL hold the record (Item postmarked February 19, 2013 arrived May 16, 2014) for the longest shipment, as air travel is down so much there are simply not the planes to carry cargo - unless you are using a company with its own dedicated global network and aircraft like FedEx or UPS.

I make sure that I know the cut off for PayPal claims and don't get too concerned until close to that time personally.

 

[Razor Burn]

I feel your frustration @nsavage as I just received an email from a seller in Europe advising that the local postage has denied service to Australia due to Covid-19 and asked if I was prepared to wait things out or go for full refund. Thats great customer service so I'm happy to wait knowing the item is unavailable elsewhere and will happily go back in the future.

What frustrates me is the lack luster customer service as we're all facing delays and uncertainty with supplies, deliveries and as reliable as tracking is its not a certainty as my recent razor delivery from Ukraine arrived out of the blue with no updates to tracking...?

Past experience buying from the UK has been mixed as its expensive and can normally take 4-8 weeks with limited tracking. The US is also a mixed bag with some suppliers like Maggard taking 2-4 weeks and others like PAA taking over 2 months as a package went to Sweden instead of Sydney but eventually came and as it was USPS I was advised the need to wait 6 weeks before the seller could investigate...?

If you're not as desperate for the item then I suggest count your losses and open a dispute with paypal to get your money back as it appears the seller is giving you the run around...??? I'm limiting my purchases to sellers that ship using DHL or FedEx as its safer and reliable during this Covid mess! Goodluck

 

[nsavage]

I feel your frustration @nsavage as I just received an email from a seller in Europe advising that the local postage has denied service to Australia due to Covid-19 and asked if I was prepared to wait things out or go for full refund. Thats great customer service so I'm happy to wait knowing the item is unavailable elsewhere and will happily go back in the future.

What frustrates me is the lack luster customer service as we're all facing delays and uncertainty with supplies, deliveries and as reliable as tracking is its not a certainty as my recent razor delivery from Ukraine arrived out of the blue with no updates to tracking...?

Past experience buying from the UK has been mixed as its expensive and can normally take 4-8 weeks with limited tracking. The US is also a mixed bag with some suppliers like Maggard taking 2-4 weeks and others like PAA taking over 2 months as a package went to Sweden instead of Sydney but eventually came and as it was USPS I was advised the need to wait 6 weeks before the seller could investigate...?

If you're not as desperate for the item then I suggest count your losses and open a dispute with paypal to get your money back as it appears the seller is giving you the run around...??? I'm limiting my purchases to sellers that ship using DHL or FedEx as its safer and reliable during this Covid mess! Goodluck

I have bought from the UK seller numerous times and had no issues. The last item I bought form therm (which was purchased after the item that is not tracking) they upgraded to DHL and it was reasonably fast.

@Gifts&Care.com I have had no issues with previously either, understand this is not their fault as such but when I first asked them to follow (two weeks or so ago) up they said they would and never got back to me. When I followed up yesterday they simply came back to me with the information that they were given when they first followed it up.

The US seller is another story altogether. I contacted them and asked them to upgrade the shipping and invoice me. Within hours I had a tracking number to say a "shipping label had been created" and an hour or so after that they emailed me and said "sorry, too late, bad luck" so that was a very poor start. Unfortunately they are the only place I know of where I can get the part that I require so I am a bit limited in that regard. When I emailed them because the tracking had not updated they were extremely dismissive of the situation.

 

[Razor Burn]

I have bought from the UK seller numerous times and had no issues. The last item I bought form therm (which was purchased after the item that is not tracking) they upgraded to DHL and it was reasonably fast.

@Gifts&Care.com I have had no issues with previously either, understand this is not their fault as such but when I first asked them to follow (two weeks or so ago) up they said they would and never got back to me. When I followed up yesterday they simply came back to me with the information that they were given when they first followed it up.

The US seller is another story altogether. I contacted them and asked them to upgrade the shipping and invoice me. Within hours I had a tracking number to say a "shipping label had been created" and an hour or so after that they emailed me and said "sorry, too late, bad luck" so that was a very poor start. Unfortunately they are the only place I know of where I can get the part that I require so I am a bit limited in that regard. When I emailed them because the tracking had not updated they were extremely dismissive of the situation.

I sympathies with your frustrations as it appears the UK seller is reliable but not willing to do the hard yards to either investigate or assure you that their looking into it and will advise of next steps. I'd wait 2 more weeks and look to get my money back but YMMV...

Now the US seller is a tricky one as they're care factor seems low and from what I can gather they've aware that you need the item so no rush to assist you or at least appear as if they've investigated the hold up...? There's nothing worse than dealing with difficult sellers but then again Yanks tend to be lazy so not sure what I'd do if I was in your position as shipping from the US is a real mess during these difficult times...? Probably wait it out a bit longer as its something you need... Goodluck!

 

[nsavage]

I sympathies with your frustrations as it appears the UK seller is reliable but not willing to do the hard yards to either investigate or assure you that their looking into it and will advise of next steps. I'd wait 2 more weeks and look to get my money back but YMMV...

Now the US seller is a tricky one as they're care factor seems low and from what I can gather they've aware that you need the item so no rush to assist you or at least appear as if they've investigated the hold up...? There's nothing worse than dealing with difficult sellers but then again Yanks tend to be lazy so not sure what I'd do if I was in your position as shipping from the US is a real mess during these difficult times...? Probably wait it out a bit longer as its something you need... Goodluck!

The UK seller I have only just sent an enquiry to. @Gifts&Care.com are the seller that appears unwilling to put any real effort in.

Totally agree with what you are saying about the US seller and yes he would very well know that he is the only person selling the part I have purchased. They showed no intention of following it up at all. I'll probably wait 2-3 weeks on that one before lodging a claim.

 

[Razor Burn]

The UK seller I have only just sent an enquiry to. @Gifts&Care.com are the seller that appears unwilling to put any real effort in.

Totally agree with what you are saying about the US seller and yes he would very well know that he is the only person selling the part I have purchased. They showed no intention of following it up at all. I'll probably wait 2-3 weeks on that one before lodging a claim.

Ah my apologies for mixing them around Either way its unfortunate as its a known and "reliable" seller so they really should know better! Saying that I don't envy the situation any retailer currently faces and will continue to support those business/individual's who have demonstrated excellence in dealing with this terrible situation.
Either way it appears you're covered for any financial loss and hopefully this little interaction on P&C awakens the Karma God's and progress gets made as it sucks having to send endless emails after you've made a transaction!

 

[alfredus]

I believe these days you have ~180 days with PP? Things take long these days - AusFarce adds a lot to that as well...your package might well be in Oz already sitting in customs waiting to be cleared...as some president said...it is what it is

I am sure you are not the only one with having issues getting stuff from Spain, so they are being hammered with requests. Usually their customer service is pretty good, so maybe cut them some slack?

 

[nsavage]

I believe these days you have ~180 days with PP? Things take long these days - AusFarce adds a lot to that as well...your package might well be in Oz already sitting in customs waiting to be cleared...as some president said...it is what it is

I am sure you are not the only one with having issues getting stuff from Spain, so they are being hammered with requests. Usually their customer service is pretty good, so maybe cut them some slack?

I totally appreciate the situation and understand that there are circumstances outside of their control but I would at least expect them to follow it up with the shipping company and let me know what is happening. It is the nonchalant responses you get when you enquire that bothers me the most. Anyway the question is more around how long do you wait until you assume the item sash got lost etc. The G&C order and the order form the UK have both taken significantly longer than anything else I have ordered in recent months and tracking has just stopped so it is a bit concerning. Typically when things reach Australia they at least scan as arrived at customs within about a week (even with the present situation).

 

[rhodes96]

I was reading some comments on another thread and given the situation I have with a couple of items coming from overseas I thought I would pose the question, at what point does one consider filing a PayPal claim?

Most items I have purchased form overseas have still managed to arrive in a timely manner. Unfortunately a few items have seemingly not moved for weeks.

A brush from @Gifts&Care.com which did not move for two weeks and then showed as "The item is on transport to the country of destination" which was two and a half weeks ago now.
An item which shipped via USPS on the 21/07 and scanned as "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." on the 26/07 and has not updated since.
An item from the UK coming via Royal Mail which scanned as "Item Leaving the UK " three and a half weeks ago.

The first two items I have contacted the sellers about but they come across as very nonchalant and dismissive. I have not contacted the seller of the final item as I have experienced delays with Royal Mail before but I will be following up with them now as it has reached a point where I would expect it to appear on the Australia Post website tracking and it does not.

Maybe I am expecting too much at the moment?

Your not expecting too much.
You have an expectation for a product to be delivered in a reasonable time.
A reasonable time for an item posted from the other side of the world is 30 days. Certain mail carriers and vendors will have you believe that Covid is an excuse for items taking 3 months to be delivered. In certain parts of the world government postal services are affected by reduced flights from private and government owned airlines which they had contracts to transport mail.

In the United States there are other issues. Politics and finances are at play. That's not my problem, I just want my mail that I have paid for In a reasonble time. Even if you paypal on 30 days, there is still a process for recovery of funds that can go on for another month, typically the item turns up during this process. If the item turns up after you filed item not received and you have been paid from PayPal, don't feel bad. The vendors have insurance for this !

 

[Mong.]

I assume that the problem at the moment for most of these mobs is the lack of flights to Australia. I've had a saucepan sitting at the Frankfurt Airport for a week now, having allegedly cleared customs but with no way to get it here. I'm a bit disappointed in DHL being unable to find another way to get it here when the shipping fee wasn't far off $50 but those are the times we're living in.

I'm more concerned about things getting crushed in huge piles of packages by AusPost at the moment, pretty much all my boxes are coming in slightly crumpled. Appreciate that there's a huge volume of stuff, but it does seem like only a matter of time before something arrives broken.

 

[nsavage]

I assume that the problem at the moment for most of these mobs is the lack of flights to Australia. I've had a saucepan sitting at the Frankfurt Airport for a week now, having allegedly cleared customs but with no way to get it here. I'm a bit disappointed in DHL being unable to find another way to get it here when the shipping fee wasn't far off $50 but those are the times we're living in.

I'm more concerned about things getting crushed in huge piles of packages by AusPost at the moment, pretty much all my boxes are coming in slightly crumpled. Appreciate that there's a huge volume of stuff, but it does seem like only a matter of time before something arrives broken.

I have had no issues with either DHL or Fedex.

I was just reading on the PostNL website that they are charging extra for international deliveries so that they are able to use alternate transport methods. No mention as to what the methods are but one would have to assume non-commercial airlines (e.g. utilising space on a private shipping company's flight). Doesn't help explain why it is still so slow though.

 

[Razor Burn]

I'm all for cutting vendors/individuals slack and waiting for items to arrive but what drives me mad is the lack of customer service as is the case with the Wizablade guy who is happy to offer an item that they list is currently in stock, free international shipping and take my money but ignore repeated emails asking for clarification as to what is happening with postage. Yes there's language barriers but surely its not difficult to keep customers informed of the situation and look for a happy resolution instead of taking somebody's business and then showing disregard if item is out of stock or delayed shipping...?
Unfortunately as consumers we have short memories and often reward slack business practices thinking it's just a one off thing...? Delays are to be expected as postal carriers struggle with arranging extra flights and customs processing larger than normal volumes of packages but IMO nothing excuses poor customer service!

 

[rhodes96]

I have had no issues with either DHL or Fedex.

I was just reading on the PostNL website that they are charging extra for international deliveries so that they are able to use alternate transport methods. No mention as to what the methods are but one would have to assume non-commercial airlines (e.g. utilising space on a private shipping company's flight). Doesn't help explain why it is still so slow though.

Typically normal international postage is carried by commercial airlines and private carriers.
Due to restrictions certain governments worldwide have SELF imposed apon their citizens, there is less business for commercial airlines to carry passengers. Less passengers = less a proportion of international mail being sent on commercial airlines. Certain governments have alternative arrangements in place so the impact of government imposed travel restrictions on mail services is reduced. The United States, UK, France, Australia are a few off the top of my head. This does not mean there are not other issues causing delays on top of government imposed travel restrictions for those nations.

 

[Razor Burn]

I assume that the problem at the moment for most of these mobs is the lack of flights to Australia. I've had a saucepan sitting at the Frankfurt Airport for a week now, having allegedly cleared customs but with no way to get it here. I'm a bit disappointed in DHL being unable to find another way to get it here when the shipping fee wasn't far off $50 but those are the times we're living in.

I'm more concerned about things getting crushed in huge piles of packages by AusPost at the moment, pretty much all my boxes are coming in slightly crumpled. Appreciate that there's a huge volume of stuff, but it does seem like only a matter of time before something arrives broken.

I had a similar experience with books stuck in Frankfurt and DHL explained the lack of aircraft so expect up to a weeks delay even when using DHL.

 

[Mong.]

I had a similar experience with books stuck in Frankfurt and DHL explained the lack of aircraft so expect up to a weeks delay even when using DHL.

I can dig that, as long as it arrives safe. It's just the first time for me that DHL have not beaten everyone except Japan Post for efficiency.

 

[Razor Burn]

I can dig that, as long as it arrives safe. It's just the first time for me that DHL have not beaten everyone except Japan Post for efficiency.

I have a second order of books coming and specified the seller use DHL as its worth the extra cost knowing its fully tracked and expected to arrive within 1-2 weeks from Europe.

 

[rhodes96]

I had a similar experience with books stuck in Frankfurt and DHL explained the lack of aircraft so expect up to a weeks delay even when using DHL.

DHL express or DHL International Standard ?