Shipping delays

Scott Kramer

I'm a buyer, and I've bought from sellers in several countries in the past few months (on Hipstamp, as well as other marketplaces). Out of curiosity, I've been tracking the time each shipment takes to arrive.

This is what I've experienced so far. Green have been delivered and red are still on the way.

I'm not trying to criticize any sellers or postal authorities - just presenting the data for the sake of curiosity. No doubt it mirrors what the rest of you are seeing.

(I've excluded my most recent orders.)

Ted Tyszka

What's really going on?
Trump has admitted he is withholding funding to try to prevent mail-in voting, and the new Postmaster General is a big Trump donor who has been taking automated sorting machines offline, removing blue dropboxes from the streets, cutting all mail carrier overtime and telling them to leave undelivered mail for the next day rather than going out to finish the job.
That's what's really going on.

George DeKornfeld

What an excellent business move ! Spew your political garbage from across The Pond and alienate at least 50% of potential customers. Kudos !
Next we'll have another thread by you whining about lack of sales.

Wayne Buza

OH! Is this a political forum? Or are you just venting?

Ron Lenke

Frankly, Tania, I'm a bit surprised and disappointed to read your initial comment and subsequent responses in this forum. I'm hoping this to be a momentary departure from what I've held as your previously posted and regarded contributions. Normally, I might just let the dialogue exchange flow, especially when I have no insightful information to add, but what I'm seeing here comes across as pushing beyond the intended scope and boundaries of our forums - even allowing for a more generalized category of "chatter". Collectively, you appear to disparage our president by attributing to him (granted in your opinion) the potential demise of our postal system, and ascribing political intent and financial gain as his motivation. Not content with such an isolated jab, you further relegate your own leader as being silly and demote Hipstamp to merely a tool to aiding your eBay sales: "I just pay my subscription and use the site as a form of advertising of what I sell on the BIG site." When you rattle a "beehive" here and justify it through free speech, make a retraction of questionable sincerity, as evidenced by dismissive responses to other's replies (ie: attributing George's follow up post as somehow "baiting" - his free speech to be disregarded because it wasn't delivered in time), are you not the provocateur? Hoping for better, more productive dialogue from us all here.

Daniel Van Dyke

It's probably not the sellers. Mail delivery time has been very erratic due to covid. Especially packages and "flats". At one point there were several semi trailers full of packages at one USPS station, and they had been there for at least two months. Some countries have been on-and-off with "no delivery" to or from the USA.

Rene Bravo

Whats interesting is that NO Covid is spread on mail ( no science there ) and there is no epidemic among postal workers en masse , compared to the rest of the population. I fear the “pandemic” is an excuse to just not toil as vigorously as before .

FREDRICK A. MATHIS

But my cable bill & property taxes showed up right on time.

Jeri Stathas

As a seller, my experience has been that orders shipped to Canada following USPS regulations (customs forms, etc) are taking up to 6 weeks for delivery. According to my customers, mail is being held up in Customs - but no other explanation. Canada seems to be the worst for delivery time for me.

Did the seller leave you a tracking #? You can check to see when the order was mailed and if it has left the US. Also, contact your seller and let him know, politely, you have not received your order. I'm sure he will be willing to work with you.

All sellers are doing their best, so everyone PLEASE exhibit some patience during these troubling times.

Tania Radley

I put it all down to your wonderful president "Donald" (Trump that is).

A. Yes I too believe he is trying to wreck the USPS in an attempt to disrupt postal voting in the upcoming election to try and give himself an edge.

B. Some of the delays can be put down to Covid-19? - but not to this extent - mismanaged of the crisis by Trump has made matters worse.

C. If/when he loses the election and the USPS is wrecked? It might be opened up for sale to the markets which would be a prime opportunity for Trump (with his contacts) to step-in and acquire it for his own business portfolio splitting it up keeping the profitable sections for himself?

Sounds a bit "far fetched"? - well that's what we all thought in the UK about Donald Trump ever becoming president of the United States!

Well we now have Boris Johnson (he just silly) - while you have Donald Trump (and he is just damn dangerous!).

Rod Tilyard

Tania, please don't bring your rubbish, ill informed political views to this forum, thanks.

Michael Generali

Well, "Freedom of Speech" relates to one thing: The government "shall not" deny someone their right to free speech. HipStamp is a private entity, not the government.

Private entities can restrict the nature of speech. It is their right. Now, HipStamp basically states that hate and comments abusive to others is not permitted. Some other stamp collecting sites prohibit discussions about politics, religion, etc. The reasoning is that hobby sites are not political in nature. They are venues where people can get away from the shit around them, and relax. There are plenty of sites where political commentary is permitted and wanted.

I am not saying you can't talk politics on HipStamp. Mark has not said anything like that here that I can recall. I am just adding a perspective of what this site is about, and that is collecting stamps, and the fun of the hobby.

Tania Radley

Thanks Ron for your comprehensive reply.

I was merely responding to John M's post (sorry John) which you may or my not be surprised to hear is a view recently and repeatedly spun by the UK media.

Most of what you say is correct - including me putting down our own leader Boris Johnson - which some might find somewhat difficult to understand. Lets just say that it's a British thing? and on the subject of Hipstamp I have to admit to taking my eye off the ball as I have not been monitoring sales properly and they have been far better than just enough to pay for a few months advertising of my items synchronized over from ebay. I'm on other internet selling platforms which take up plenty of my time in the pursuit of earning a living. Nevertheless I'm going to review those Hipstamp figures tonight.

I've already apologized and doing so again would be counterproductive. Members have already formulated their opinions of me - which I am not going to be able to change - "c'est la vie"

FREDRICK A. MATHIS

Tania Radley
Who are you to interject yourself into our politics. Your opinion of Trump is irrelevant because you don't live here & you don't have any say here. You have problems in your country to worry about so don't worry yourself with ours.
If you can't sell on this site maybe you should consider doing something else & stop complaining about this site

Tania Radley

Understood Wayne.
Life "sucks" (including national & international politics) in this terrible year............ 2020 AD

So it's good night from me .........and try and stay safe everyone!

Ron Lenke

Now I am encouraged by your civil, reflective response ....sadly something more uncommon these days, when a more defensive tone might be evidenced. Dare I suggest opinions are malleable; hopefully guided by extending grace and an awareness of one's own humanity? To that end, I am feeling a restoration of regard for you, Tania.

Tania Radley

Sending from the UK to Canada has been VERY slow.

Dave Bennett

It's sure hit or miss! I've seen delays too . . .

. . .but a Large Flat I mailed last Friday in Los Angeles was delivered in Eastern PA the following Monday! 3 days! Over a weekend!!

George DeKornfeld

I've had no issues and like Dave, many of my items go across the country in 3-4 days. Even trans-Atlantic items seem to get delivered quickly, with most of the items I send to the UK arriving in 5 days. Its got to be local or sorting facility issues for those of us experiencing large delays...

Ted Tyszka

On the other hand, a parcel I mailed to Tijuana, Mexico on March 18, has not arrived yet. I'm still hoping for a happy ending (no, Ron. Just, no.), as the recipient says he has had as long as a 5 month delivery time, for a packet he sent to Philippines.

Ted Tyszka

Negative fb is denoted by a white bar on a red field. You have not ever received a negative fb. Congratulations.

Ron Lenke

Robert Tucker

I live in Canada and I am a buyer. I must say in general my stamps are arriving from ALL OVER in a reasonable time. However, can anyone tell me what the situation is like in Tennessee? I have placed numerous orders going back to April, and have received NADA. The vendor insists the articles were sent; I have checked his feedback which is pretty high with few negatives. I don't know how much longer I should trust this guy. Any reassurances you can offer would be greatly appreciated...

Tania Radley

This Is "Chatter"?

OK - I'll stand corrected and say that postal delays are entirely all down to an amended "B." - the corona virus and nothing else.

Don't forget. I was also not praising our leader Boris.

George - I have gone past the point of worrying about alienating any potential customers here. As I have stated many times before I just pay my subscription and use the site as a form of advertising of what I sell on the BIG site. The way I look at it here is any sales (more than 25cents)
are a bonus. https://www.hipstamp.com/store/stampsfirst-day-covers-and-curios

Tania Radley

George D,

I have already said "I'll stand corrected" and "Sorry" in my last 2 posts.

It's you who is bringing up my earlier post again - I'm not going to rise-to-your-bait !

Scott Kramer

Yeah, it’s definitely not the sellers.

Henry Brooks

" I fear the “pandemic” is an excuse to just not toil as vigorously as before ." Also has to do with the new directives stating that there will be no overtime to "catch up". If sorting is not complete they now have to drop it and complete it the next day - ..also dealing with the ever changing situation with foreign countries having no transportation in or out ...... this lisst was current on July 17th

"Today, there are dozens of nations that still have no flights int. Be advice not to sell or buy stamps on those nations.
Here's a list of those nations listed by the United States Postal (USPS):

International Mail Service Suspensions
Updated: July 17, 2020
The Postal Service™ is temporarily suspending international mail acceptance for certain destinations due to service impacts related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Suspension Due to Foreign Postal Operator Service Suspension.

Bolivia
Ecuador
Madagascar
Peru
Chad
Honduras
Malawi
Rwanda
Cuba
Iraq
Nepal
South Africa
Dominican Republic
Libya
Panama
Turkmenistan
__________________________________________________________
Suspension Due to Unavailability of Transportation
Angola
Dominica
Mauritania
Tajikistan
Argentina
Fiji
Mauritius
Tanzania
Azerbaijan
French Guiana
Mongolia
Timor-Leste
Bermuda
French Polynesia
Myanmar
Tonga
Botswana
Gambia
New Caledonia
Turks & Caicos
Brunei
Guatemala
Papua New Guinea
Uganda
Cambodia
Guyana
Paraguay
Uruguay
Cameroon
Haiti
Republic of Congo
Uzbekistan
Cayman Islands
Ivory Coast
Samoa
Vanuatu
Chile
Jordan
Seychelles
Venezuela
Colombia
Kiribati
Sierra Leone
Yemen
Cook Islands
Kosovo
Sint Maarten
Zimbabwe
Costa Rica
Kyrgyzstan
Solomon Islands
Cuba
Laos
South Sudan
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Liberia
Sudan

Customers: please refrain from mailing items addressed to the countries listed here, until further notice.

These service disruptions affect Priority Mail Express International® (PMEI), Priority Mail International® (PMI), First-Class Mail International® (FCMI), First-Class Package International Service® (FCPIS®), International Priority Airmail® (IPA®), International Surface Air Lift® (ISAL®), and M-Bag® items".

Jacques Famery

Mail is very erratic, for instance a UK order mailed 07/20 was received yesterday 0/27, meanwhile an Australian order shipped on June 3rd was also received 07/20....but other Australian customers advised receiving their orders in the normal 2 weeks time frame. Meanwhile a NY customer complained he still was waiting for his order after 3 weeks

Ted Tyszka

Just got word from a customer of delivery of an order to Wisconsin on Aug 1 that was postmarked Fort Worth July 14.
18 days.
I mailed a packet with tracking a week or so ago that took 3 days just to get out of the station I mailed it from in Fort Worth.

Alex Morgan

I live in Michigan and the amount of problems we have shipping and receiving packages is ridiculous. If your package gets delayed in Allen Park expect to wait a month to get it. I’ve had 7 packages take a little over a month to receive and 1 take over 2 months. (These are all domestic as well). I get they have delays but I would assume that means a few days..not weeks. Main problem seems to be first class and envelopes here.

Ted Tyszka

I am posting this just for reference, so people know the kind of delays to expect:
I received an order today, Aug 7, an order from Israel, mailed May 29 - 10 weeks.