Advice?
12-01-2007, 05:38 AM
#1
Advice?
I'm looking to get a little advice from other members here on a deal that I am involved with.
Last week I agreed to purchase a new in the box R/C sedan kit from a seller here on RCTech. I paid his asking price of $150 USD plus an additional $25 USD to ship through the USPS mail. PayPal was sent Nov26/07 and I was given a tracking number. The next day I received a second tracking number for the same item. To date neither of the two tracking numbers work when used with the USPS online tracking. The system gives me the following message when I try to track;
The first tracking number gives a November 26, 2007 date while the second tracking number gives November 27, 2007 date. I have telephoned the USPS customer support line and talked with two different people and both have told me that neither tracking number is valid and that they have no record of any such packages in their system. The seller did fax me a copy of the postage paid online form which was nice.
It's coming up on a week since I paid and I am quite concerned. $175 USD is a substantial amount of money and as things stand today I have no assurances that the package was sent and that I'll actually receive anything.
I've considered initiating a PayPal complaint but the seller has all positive feedback and I don't want to over react. Any thoughts on what to do next?
Last week I agreed to purchase a new in the box R/C sedan kit from a seller here on RCTech. I paid his asking price of $150 USD plus an additional $25 USD to ship through the USPS mail. PayPal was sent Nov26/07 and I was given a tracking number. The next day I received a second tracking number for the same item. To date neither of the two tracking numbers work when used with the USPS online tracking. The system gives me the following message when I try to track;
The U.S. Postal Service was electronically notified by the shipper on November 27, 2007 to expect your package for mailing. This does not indicate receipt by the USPS or the actual mailing date.
It's coming up on a week since I paid and I am quite concerned. $175 USD is a substantial amount of money and as things stand today I have no assurances that the package was sent and that I'll actually receive anything.
I've considered initiating a PayPal complaint but the seller has all positive feedback and I don't want to over react. Any thoughts on what to do next?
12-01-2007, 05:52 AM
#2
It may have been a week since you paid him but as far as shipping it's only been 3 or 4 days and unless you paid extra for next day delievery it's going to take a little longer. Also keep in mind we just came off Thanksgiving here in the US so that slows things down also..In my experiance with USPS, I would guess that your looking at Mon or Tues minimum..
12-01-2007, 05:56 AM
#3
The "tracking" with USPS is about as worthless as a diet crouton.
What you REALLY want, since it's a cross-border deal, is the customs form number which, as it has turned out, really can serve as a tracking number since it gets scanned in at customs so you have a record at SOME point in transit. The "tracking numbers" USPS gives only show when the label is printed online (as you've received), when it is accepted at the PO for shipment and when it's been delivered. No intermediate steps. I'm pretty darn sure it will have a customs form attached as any parcel out of the country requires one.
The notice you've received is the auto-generated notice that goes out when a shipping label is created online. As the dealio says when you try to plug it in, printing the label is NOT shipping the package. It will say "package accepted at, date" when the package is actually scanned in at the PO.
Were I you I'd ask for a copy of the customs form or at least the number off of that. That may actually be what is scanned in at the PO rather than the pre-printedlabel number.
What you REALLY want, since it's a cross-border deal, is the customs form number which, as it has turned out, really can serve as a tracking number since it gets scanned in at customs so you have a record at SOME point in transit. The "tracking numbers" USPS gives only show when the label is printed online (as you've received), when it is accepted at the PO for shipment and when it's been delivered. No intermediate steps. I'm pretty darn sure it will have a customs form attached as any parcel out of the country requires one.
The notice you've received is the auto-generated notice that goes out when a shipping label is created online. As the dealio says when you try to plug it in, printing the label is NOT shipping the package. It will say "package accepted at, date" when the package is actually scanned in at the PO.
Were I you I'd ask for a copy of the customs form or at least the number off of that. That may actually be what is scanned in at the PO rather than the pre-printedlabel number.
12-01-2007, 06:06 AM
#4
Tech Master
iTrader: (49)
the past three US to Canada shipments ive made of RC stuff have been held up in Canadian customs for an average of two weeks each time. Takes around a week for them to reach canadian customs and then two weeks in customs and about a week from customs to where its supposed to end up.
12-01-2007, 06:38 AM
#5
Thank guys. I'm not expecting fast delivery, just a valid tracking number so that I know the package has been shipped.
I did contact the seller several times and was faxed a copy of the "Customs Declaration Dispatch Note - CP 72" which has one of the two tracking numbers that were provided.
I have a second car that I bought from a different seller and was provided a tracking number but one that actually works.
Looks like the best advice for now is to sit tight and wait. Thanks.
I did contact the seller several times and was faxed a copy of the "Customs Declaration Dispatch Note - CP 72" which has one of the two tracking numbers that were provided.
I have a second car that I bought from a different seller and was provided a tracking number but one that actually works.
Looks like the best advice for now is to sit tight and wait. Thanks.
12-01-2007, 12:17 PM
#6
Here is one thing that I see a lot.
When sending something through the USPS there is tracking available on:
Domestic Express Mail
Intl Priority Mail
Intl Express Mail
The tracking that is provided by the USPS works just fine if you send it in a way that provides tracking.
Delivery confirmation is not tracking. As said before, it will give some info, but it is not tracking. If you want to be able to track something it needs to be sent in a way that it can be tracked.
When sending something through the USPS there is tracking available on:
Domestic Express Mail
Intl Priority Mail
Intl Express Mail
The tracking that is provided by the USPS works just fine if you send it in a way that provides tracking.
Delivery confirmation is not tracking. As said before, it will give some info, but it is not tracking. If you want to be able to track something it needs to be sent in a way that it can be tracked.
12-01-2007, 01:55 PM
#7
Here is one thing that I see a lot.
When sending something through the USPS there is tracking available on:
Domestic Express Mail
Intl Priority Mail
Intl Express Mail
The tracking that is provided by the USPS works just fine if you send it in a way that provides tracking.
Delivery confirmation is not tracking. As said before, it will give some info, but it is not tracking. If you want to be able to track something it needs to be sent in a way that it can be tracked.
When sending something through the USPS there is tracking available on:
Domestic Express Mail
Intl Priority Mail
Intl Express Mail
The tracking that is provided by the USPS works just fine if you send it in a way that provides tracking.
Delivery confirmation is not tracking. As said before, it will give some info, but it is not tracking. If you want to be able to track something it needs to be sent in a way that it can be tracked.
The tracking provided by UPS, FedEx Ground and DHL ALL work as well or better than the BEST tracking available via USPS AND it comes with even the LOWEST level of service provided by any of these carriers. I use USPS most because it's more convenient...but I don't for a minute believe it's a better value. And their "tracking" sucks.
12-01-2007, 07:01 PM
#8
OK--you got me. Send it overnight (Express) just how much tracking is needed? It gets mailed one day, delivered the next. ANY Int'l can be as accurately tracked via the Customs form and NONE of it works once the package leaves the US.
The tracking provided by UPS, FedEx Ground and DHL ALL work as well or better than the BEST tracking available via USPS AND it comes with even the LOWEST level of service provided by any of these carriers. I use USPS most because it's more convenient...but I don't for a minute believe it's a better value. And their "tracking" sucks.
The tracking provided by UPS, FedEx Ground and DHL ALL work as well or better than the BEST tracking available via USPS AND it comes with even the LOWEST level of service provided by any of these carriers. I use USPS most because it's more convenient...but I don't for a minute believe it's a better value. And their "tracking" sucks.
12-03-2007, 03:22 AM
#9
USPS Official Response
Copied below is the reply I received from the USPS customer support to the email I ad sent last week. Looks like the package wasn't sent with tracking at all as the shipper used Priority Mail International. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you for contacting us about the status of your Priority Mail International item with label number, CVXXXXXXXXXUS, that was sent on Nov. 27, 2007.
I do apologize that we have no further information regarding this item.
Priority Mail International® and First Class Mail International® are not guaranteed services and tracking information is not available. The only international mail service that offers tracking is Express Mail® service (including Global Express Guaranteed® and Express Mail International®).
The estimated delivery standard for Priority Mail International is 6-10 Postal business days, and the estimated delivery standard for First Class Mail International varies.
If I can be of assistance to you in the future, please don't hesitate to contact me.
Thank you for choosing the United States Postal Service®.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you for contacting us about the status of your Priority Mail International item with label number, CVXXXXXXXXXUS, that was sent on Nov. 27, 2007.
I do apologize that we have no further information regarding this item.
Priority Mail International® and First Class Mail International® are not guaranteed services and tracking information is not available. The only international mail service that offers tracking is Express Mail® service (including Global Express Guaranteed® and Express Mail International®).
The estimated delivery standard for Priority Mail International is 6-10 Postal business days, and the estimated delivery standard for First Class Mail International varies.
If I can be of assistance to you in the future, please don't hesitate to contact me.
Thank you for choosing the United States Postal Service®.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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