Priority Mail from US - Not moving for days?

[ucumari]

Hello!

I'm usually patient, but even with the Holidays, this worries me a little since it's Priority Mail. I'd like to know if anyone else is experiencing this (if so, this could be due to the Holiday backlog after all).

An item was sent to me from the US via Priority Mail (starts with the letters CF) on Monday. Since then, my tracking has been stuck on:

Dispatched to Sort Facility (December 10, 2012, 6:21 pm - SUFFOLK, VA)

Electronic Shipping Info Received (December 10, 2012)

Acceptance (December 10, 2012, 12:28 pm - SUFFOLK, VA)

I would expect it to slow down at customs, but the thing didn't even get to a sort facility. There has been no movement. Usually Priority moves through the system much faster. I mean, the whole week went by and it's still sitting there. If this was regular First Class mail, it would be normal. I would assume there's too much mail heading to the sort centers, but isn't Priority given, well, priority?

It does not show on Canada Post so it's not because USPS forgot to scan it along the way (still tells they could not find any results). I never had this happened before (not even during the Holidays), so is it normal? Anyone going through this?

Thanks for your time!

[i*m-still-here]

I'm having problems with Priority mail as well.

It's never faster than First Class mail and now it's notably slower.

All my First Class items are all coming on time......... not so the upgraded shipping that sellers so like to push and that I paid $30 for when $3 would have done the job much better.

IMO the service for the more expensive shipping methods is almost always inferior to FCI.

[ucumari]

That's good to know! Thanks!

Usually Priority is quite fast for me while First Class can easily take up to a month. I guess it's going to be the other way around this time.

[i*m-still-here]

Most of my items are shipped by FCI and are here within a week and at most two.

I'm pretty sure that when you have to wait longer the item wasn't shipped very quickly.

[postit4me]

I don't use Priority mail when expedited goes just as fast in Canada with parcels any ways. All scan mail must be handled many times and this is why I believe it takes so long. Watch any of your tracking mail and see sometimes scanned in same place several times. I was told this occurs because there is not enough room on the designated truck to have item move on. So they scan again before it goes on to next point. I had a parcel recently go to Yukon from Ontario and no data until delivery, expedited parcel. I make sure I get a receipt at the postal counter for each scanned item to prove I in fact deposited it there.

Of the Priority mail received from USPS I have never seen a scan once it is in Canada unless it is a parcel. Small packets are never scanned. Does anyone else find this?

[drwho534]

Hi, similar problem with package showing 'accepted' and then 'sent to sorting facillity' at same location, same day Dec.7th and then nothing further reported since. However it has been explained to me on U.S. boards that this is normal since certain shipping methods are only 'tracked' as far as being entered into the system and that's it until it arrives. Seller shipped mine by 'First Class International' which apparently does NOT provide actual tracking but merely an 'initial' scan to show it has entered the system. So it is not actually sitting there, it has entered the system.....but it's present whereabouts does not appear on the USPS tracking page.

[femmefan1946]

Many buyers believe that their parcels are being "tracked" when in fact all that is happening is that they will have Confirmation of Delivery.

And that is all that Paypal and eBay require, confirmation that the parcel has eventually been delivered.

From the point of view of a buyer, Delivery Confirmation and insurance are irrelevant, since the Buyer Protection Policies of PP and eBay take their place.

Basically, if you ordered it since November 30, don't expect it until sometime in the New Year.

[i*m-still-here]

Mine finally got here.  

A $100 item with $30+ for shipping and over $20 for taxes .......... 

That is, about $55 extra and I had to wait longer than usual.

It's hard to feel good about a purchase like that.