Courier to US from New Zealand - problem with USPS

[ClosetGothic]

Recently I've used NZ Post Courier service to some buyers in the US; it is expensive but is supposedly tracked right through to the buyer's signature. All good, right?

But no. Within 24 hours the package I 'see' the package hit the US border and then.. nothing. The online tracking says 'held for clearance on... date' and then there is no further scanning or information. I DO know that the buyer received the package when they should have because they told me. I have packages delivered 2 months ago that are still saying 'held for clearance'.

So far I've been lucky but these are expensive items and if I have no proof of delivery in future I could possibly have big loss on my hands. NZ Post says that once it hits USA it is out of their hands.

Is anyone else having this problem with USPS tracking? Is it happening from other countries too?

[cindylouwho2]

Janne, most packages we send from Canada can't be tracked in the US anyway, unless we use couriers instead of the mail. Canada Post introduced a trackable option last fall but I haven't had to use it yet.

Bumping this so that people with more experience might see it

[CreativityJewellery]

Did you try tracking it through the USPS site once it hit customs, I find it stops dead at customs on the NZ Post track and trace, but I pick it up by searching USPS with the tracking number.

[ClosetGothic]

Cool, creative - I'll give that a shot!

[ClosetGothic]

No luck, USPS site just says 'There is no record of this item'.

Frustrating.

Thanks, Cindy. Nice to know how another countries postal system works.

[CreativityJewellery]

bummer! it has worked for me in the past, I can't remember if I took off the letters at the front or something to make it work in the USPS site.

Try the DHL website as well they may have a T&T on your item as that is the carrier airline who NZ Post uses to courier T&T items to the US

[ClosetGothic]

No luck with DHL either.

I'm actually going to contact them for a courier price to USA anyway. NZ Post is singularly unhelpful at times. What IS it with postal workers...?

Thank you very much creativityjewellery - your suggestions are very much appreciated :)

[CreativityJewellery]

Unfortunately NZ Post is by far the cheapest, the DHL and FedEx minimum for track and trace parcel postage is around $96 minimum, a joke really. I've found NZ Post are the best, but yeah I know what you mean about postal workers lol.

My post office close to home is fantastic, never lost a parcel through them,touch wood, but the other post office by my hubbys work is always rude, charges more somehow, and for some reason I've lost 2 parcels sent from there. I think they must jinx them somehow lol.

If you have a Paperplus with a post office branch attached try them, they seem so much better to deal with than the NZ Post owned outlets.

[ClosetGothic]

Funnily enough, I've had the MOST trouble with a local Paperplus! A bumptious little jumped up twat of a man owns it. For obvious reasons I customs label my packages as 'handmade fashion accessory' and for officious reasons this guy insists that I put Ring or Necklace on the package. I have explained why, tell him I've sent over 300 packages with no customs problems however he insists and now won't accept my packages. grrrr.

Their loss, they missed out on over $500 worth of business at Christmas. I now go further to the next Post office and get no strife - even got praised for my sensible customs labelling!

I might make an appointment with the local PO manager and ask them what to do about the tracking.

Thanks for your ear!

[CreativityJewellery]

Oh, try costume jewellery then, that seems to fly through with no problems at all, its the recommended NZ post description for jewellery without gold or precious gemstones like diamonds.

Don't you hate those officious types lol, I have one at our PO that I avoid, he always bumbles around and gets it wrong, takes forever to do the label and then says oh its too late they've just closed off labelling for overseas orders for the day. Duh grandpa, if you moved faster than a turtle we would have been in time.... grr.
On the bright side he's forgotten to charge me a few times for courier bags for my NZ sterling silversupplies orders, so hey, it all works out in the end. If he's really annoyed me, I forget to point it out to him!

Good luck with the tracking....

[CreativityJewellery]

Our post shop lady owner who privately owns her business says she only makes a margin of .50c per parcel, for the NZ courier bags and the overseas postage, so its no wonder the PO workers hate doing shipping.