[whoever]

Hi there, 
 
 
I'd like to give a public thought about different postal services, since my experiences are quite various, and since all our packages are traveling around the world, it's always good to know which services are trustworthy, and where in the world its better to pay less to be sure that your item comes without any incidents. 
 
Seems weird, yes, i had the same idea at the beginning: You pay more for a better service! 
 
Well.....no, not really....it depends where you live! 
 
 
I'll start then:
 
French express postal service: Chronopost :
 
I think this is far the worst service i have ever known. The delivery is a real nightmare, it's actually like russian roulette! 
I had several times huge problems:
 
- The guy comes to your home, you're not there, he signs the item as "refused to pay and return to sender" because he is just to lazy to come back.  (that happened just yesterday) I had to spend 3 hours on the phone to relocate the package...the guy signed wit ha imaginary name that isn't even mine...;crazy yes!! When i spoke to the customer services they just said: "ok....;(loooong silence)
 
- they leave the item without any notice in a pub/store etc in your street, and you only see 3 days later that it sits there waiting, because you call and wonder where it is....last time i spoke to the bartender where it was he told me he asked the guy if he left a note for me in the mailbox, and the @@@@ answered: "i don't give a sh@@@t"
 
- when they deliver your item and, wow, you're at home and everything goes right, they try to refuse to come up (2nd floor), yelling at you they'd have no time
 
 
I really don't know if this is a common thing with these special services? Please share your experiences!
 
Thanks for reading

 

[Marcus Jang]

Reading your post, I suddenly think postal service here in South Korea is quite good (and cheap). I recieve quite a lot of parcels from time to time, and often they are delivered by the post office. They come fast, they do as I, or seller, has dictated, and they even left me with an SMS saying when they will be delivering my package.
 
Oh well, maybe it's just another minor part of the world.

 

[whoever]

you can't imagine your luck!

 

[Ivabign]

We in the United States complain about the postal service ad infinitum - Based on what I have heard from other countries, it is actually a model of precision and at a low cost..... AND - they often update their tracking!

 

[mp3]

Sounds a bit like the Swedish post.
I was waiting for a parcel from the UK, it was sent as express signed for. I could track it coming to Sweden, then all tracking stopped, I phoned around and enquired where my parcel was, it had been put aside because in Sweden a parcel cannot be both express and signed for.
 
When I asked why it took so long, they claimed "the British postal service is not that good", so I explained that it had taken the parcel one day to arrive to Sweden, and ten more days before I received it, I didn't get an answer.
When I asked why they had not contacted me, I didn't get an answer.
When I asked if it hadn't been smarter and more in line with their job description to actually try delivering the parcel instead of putting it aside, I didn't get an answer.
 
 
Every time there is problems with deliveries, it's the fault of the Belgian post, or the British post, or the German post, never the fault of the Swedish post, no...

 

[Tangster]

Canada Post to the UK. 45 days.

 

[vid]

The worst postal service - and I believe I can fit it within this definition - was from a fellow head-fier. Paid him 40 euros for shipping a pair of phones across the Atlantic. Ended up shipped in 1st class (~10 euros), without tracking, and him pocketing the change. 2.5 weeks in transit and the phones arrived broken.

 

[KamijoIsMyHero]

Quote:

Canada Post to the UK. 45 days.

I don't think canada post is a good for international delivery, its pretty good from international to my house though

 

[tdockweiler]

The new Air mail price increase from the USPS makes me FURIOUS!!!!
It's like $5 to about $9.55 or so for shipping an item to Asia.
If you run an online business this really hurts sales from international customers.
 
At first I figured they were just raising prices due to make up lost money, but they claim it's due to fuel charges etc. Doubt it.
 
I dislike how it costs someone in Japan only $12 to send me an express mail and to send them one it's about $40 or so (I'm off a little).
 
$5.60 for priority mail is somewhat fair at least.

 

[h4mm3r 0f th0r]

dhl is the only reliable service in my country... super fast and super good about everything... just expensive...

 

[kookoo]

wow, after reading all that about chronopost, i don't feel i have the right to say anything,  the worst i got here in australia was not receiving the pick up notice for packages but that was once. Slight peev is the cost to send parcels but I usually receive them rather than sending
in regards to UK post, I buy whiskies from the UK quite often and they arrive to Aus within 1.5 weeks, sometimes within the week itself.

 

[deadlylover]

Originally Posted by kookoo /img/forum/go_quote.gif

in regards to UK post, I buy whiskies from the UK quite often and they arrive to Aus within 1.5 weeks, sometimes within the week itself.

 
Where from if I may ask?
 
I was thinking about importing some rare whiskies too, is paying the duty a difficult process or is it as simple as receiving a bill in the mail?

 

[whoever]

Quote:

 
Where from if I may ask?
 
I was thinking about importing some rare whiskies too, is paying the duty a difficult process or is it as simple as receiving a bill in the mail?

Technically its quite simple. You might have to send them a pro forma bill if they ask, then you pay at delivery

 

[AnakChan]

This is an awesome thread . Sadly I cannot participate cos Japan Post has nothing but awesome.

 

[kookoo]

Quote:

 
Where from if I may ask?
 
I was thinking about importing some rare whiskies too, is paying the duty a difficult process or is it as simple as receiving a bill in the mail?

I was never asked to pay duty