Anyone else experiencing delivery delays to the U.K?

[transtraders]

A buyer opened on request this morning for non delivery. It is yet another customer located in the U.K. This is the 3rd time I have had extreme delays delivering to that part of the world. Just wondering if anyone else is have the same issue?

I usually send my lower value items via Small Packet Air Mail through CanadaPost. There is no tracking # with that service. Tracking costs too much for lower value items through CanadaPost. Nobody will pay $20 for tracking for a $15 dollar item.

I may have to stop shipping internationally if this keeps being an issue.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

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@transtraders wrote:

A buyer opened on request this morning for non delivery. It is yet another customer located in the U.K. This is the 3rd time I have had extreme delays delivering to that part of the world. Just wondering if anyone else is have the same issue?

I usually send my lower value items via Small Packet Air Mail through CanadaPost. There is no tracking # with that service. Tracking costs too much for lower value items through CanadaPost. Nobody will pay $20 for tracking for a $15 dollar item.

I may have to stop shipping internationally if this keeps being an issue.

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I have one Small Packet Intl Air to the UK currently at 35 days without delivery. Customer has stated they will advise if it eventually gets delivered. The delivery window provided by eBay is definitely too short based on the fact that CP no longer provides a specific window for this service.

For my current listings(Calgary) eBay displays the transit time as 6 to 13 business days to the UK and 5 to 10 business days to Sweden. 6 to 12 days for Norway.  Germany shows 8 to 27 business days. 10 to 19 business days to Italy. For Intl Tracked eBay adds an extra day at the beginning. Last day for final delivery time varies with no real pattern. Current eBay suggested time estimates for letter mail(globally) are even more whackadoodle.

-Lotz

[mrdutch1001]

Yes... the last pkg I shipped off to the UK via Small Packet AIRMAIL, took 2 months to arrive at its destination. This was an item I'd sold on another site, not eBay, so it was not a huge pain to deal with, such is often the case here on eBay...

I have since suspended shipping anything outside of North America...

[t_bjarnason · Accepted solution]

Also had the same experience recently with a small CP International Tracked Packet - shipped June 4th, "departed Montreal to destination country" on June 9th and then nothing until July 14th, the day before it was delivered. I had already refunded the buyer for an INR, though fortunately they sent the funds back. 

I've sent other packages to Germany and Austria without issue. Australia seems to be a black hole right now too. 

You might consider sending everything tracked to the UK, or internationally for that matter. Most international buyers know the cost of shipping abroad and that tracked shipping is the norm. There is no rule that says shipping has to be less than the value of the item; item value and cost of shipping have no correlation. It's all just perspective.  

[rainbow*rob]

that's the chance you take shipping overseas with no tracking number , win some , lose some , I ship only with a tracking number overseas , sent a package to the U.K , buyer agreed with tracking number , buyer received package in 5 days

[marnotom!]

My understanding is that the new post-Brexit taxation system for mailed items has triggered a backlog of items in customs as workers sort through items mailed under the old system (VAT and duty charged on delivery) and items mailed under the new system (VAT charged at point of sale).

[transtraders]

Thanks to everyone for the replies! Its good to know its a widespread issue. I am having simillar issues with Australia as well. I guess I will change my listings to Tracked Only shipping outside NA. I really think that will hurt sales though. I wish CanadaPost would stop price gouging us for tracked shipping. Pretty much everything is tracked via USPS at no extra cost it seems.

Anyway, I have refunded to buyer, hopefully they contact me when it does arrive for replayment, but I won't hold my breath.

[transtraders]

Yes, the delivery times ebay displays is diffently an issue as well. Its even worse if you a Canadian selling on ebay.com like I do. Wonder if ebay will ever change this to reflect more reasonable time frames.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

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@rainbow*rob wrote:

that's the chance you take shipping overseas with no tracking number , win some , lose some , I ship only with a tracking number overseas , sent a package to the U.K , buyer agreed with tracking number , buyer received package in 5 days

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It's very hit and miss but if you check the associated local postal service (link attached) some parcels do track with the UR number (Intl small packet air).

Member Countries (upu.int)

To date:

Sweden: Yes

Denmark: Yes: 

Cyprus: Yes

Norway: No

Netherland: No

UK: No

France: No

Slovenia: No

USA - Tracks most of the time (95 % via LAX) but eBay tracking only.

-Lotz

Note: Some international postal sites are flakey. Milage will  vary.

[hlmacdon]

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@transtraders wrote:

 I wish CanadaPost would stop price gouging us for tracked shipping. Pretty much everything is tracked via USPS at no extra cost it seems.

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Unlikely to happen for a few reasons. One being that countries can now decide what to charge each other for international deliveries. The inability to do so previously kept rates down. The second being that international is a cash cow that subsidizes losses on incoming international. USPS has raised their international rates significantly in recent years. Canada has always gouged on Post Expres (Tracked Packet) since it's inception.