I just had a USPS package travel almost 10,000 miles, longish. (2024)

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I shipped a package that I sold on eBay on March 13th with an expected delivery date of a few weeks to the UK. It was a $600 item plus $90 shipping so I was very careful with packing and labeling and insuring (it was not sent via eBay's Global Shipping for reasons I won't go into right now). Tracking showed it sitting in Miami for three weeks so I opened a lost package request. The buyer kept asking me where it was and all I could say was that hopefully it was still on its way. Well, the buyer asked for their money back and eBay gave them the full amount out of my account. Quite the hit since I now did not have the money or the package but frankly, we were more upset about the lost package. Two weeks later, tracking said it left Miami, then it was back in Miami, then on its way to the next location. A few weeks later, it arrived in the UK and went through customs. It then sat in the buyer's local PO for a few more weeks. I was actually able to figure out where the PO was by using the buyer's address. They had a Chat feature on their website so I was able to locate the package. I was told they made three attempts to deliver but the buyer would not pay the customs fee. I asked what they do if it is not picked up and was told they return to sender after three weeks...so it sat.

Six weeks later, tracking still showed it "Preparing for Shipment". Another month passed before tracking said it was in New Jersey where it sat for another week or so, then it said it was in New York for at least a few more weeks. As of yesterday morning, tracking still said N.Y.

When I came home yesterday afternoon, my wife pointed to a pile of cardboard on the floor and said, "Look what showed up". It was the package totally trashed with USPS tape all over it. She didn't want to open it until I got home so I carefully cut the tape to find the two inner boxes torn up but the item was intact! I received an email from USPS later in the day...Good News! Your package was delivered today so we are closing the case.

Since one of the inner boxes was the original and correct box for the item, I'll be contacting them.

My wife is just happy to have her package back. I figured out that as the crow flies, it traveled about 9800 miles, not counting wherever else it may have been. Oh yeah, all the time I was getting updates from USPS that they have not found the package and are still looking.

Good luck filing a damage claim on an international shipment when only the packaging was damaged. But you can try - [www.usps.com]

(it was not sent via eBay's Global Shipping for reasons I won't go into right now)

Any plans to go into that at a later date?

Also, I am curios if you shipped it via eBay and this happened, what would they do? do they still take your money?

mstudio,

No surprise. In the future, I wouldn't use the USPS for shipping a package Internaitonally. Not even to Canada or Mexico. This is a situation where I'd use UPS, DHL or Fedex. These days, I'm inclined to say they are better equipped to deal with International shipping. I use UPS and Fedex for one or more times per week for shipping to Canada. UPS has fewer issues. Even used them to ship across the pond on occasion. No problems. A regular letter? USPS is fine. A package? Not a chance.

Robert

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/13/2024 08:42AM by Robert M.

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Also, I am curios if you shipped it via eBay and this happened, what would they do? do they still take your money?

Nope, if eBay's Global Shipping had been used, once it reached eBay's US depot, the seller's part is done. If the shipping beyond that gets screwed up, eBay will eat the refund and the seller will keep their money.

Nope, if eBay's Global Shipping had been used, once it reached eBay's US depot, the seller's part is done. If the shipping beyond that gets screwed up, eBay will eat the refund and the seller will keep their money.

Yes, thanks, that's correct. I've used their service many times without issue.

Any plans to go into that at a later date?

Sure. The buyer contacted me and said she tried to purchase but was told by eBay that the UK won't let them ship my particular item. I looked into it and it was true, for some reason the UK has a list of things that they won't let eBay's Global service ship but will accept if sent any other way. I thought that was strange and never did find out the reason. I called eBay and was told to just ship it myself, (via eBay, just not Global service) so I did and started the 10000 mile journey.

In the future, I wouldn't use the USPS for shipping a package Internaitonally.

Yeah, the thing is, I've shipped many packages overseas via USPS and have never had a problem.

Can I ask how the original package got ruined?

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Can I ask how the original package got ruined?

It looked like something very heavy smashed it. Two sides were ripped open and resealed with white tape saying it was resealed. We did not expect the item inside to be undamaged. It was obviously opened since my padding was gone and it was just bouncing around in the box. Unfortunately, the original box was totally trashed since it added to the value.

I don't think we would have gotten it back if I hadn't start some heavy-duty detective work. I'm convinced it would still be on the floor behind some desk in Miami.

The shipper when reached comment.

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