USPS delivery time these days...

alexz

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Well, I bought my M6 that has been shipped from NY on last Thursday (12/14) by USPS with insurance and tracking (or confirmation number ?) to CA (my company's office).
I had an expectations for the package to show up there on Tuesday (yesterday), checked the tracking info on USPS site but it still has "The item has been processed by NJ facility..." and the status says Enroute. This report is been kept there since Sunday and nothing changes.
On the other hand, last week I bought Summicron 50mm/2 shipped from TX (Austin) arrived to CA within 2-3 business days (this is the reason I expected camera lead time will be likely similar).
Do you think this is a fair delay introduced by USPS due to Holidays post rush (albeit there is another week or so till Xmass if I'm not wrong) ?
Do you think allowing another day or two to my waiting (untill it wil show up at the addressee) is reasonable or I may be better to drop an email to USPS inquiring about the situation ?

Thanks, Alex
 
The USPS Confirmation number is not a true tracking number. If I am correct, the only update you will see a statement that it is delivered, when it is. With Confirmation and Insurance the package should travel quickly. A week before Christmas though, well I am sure delivery volume is stressing the system. Last Tuesday I shipped a lens from CT to CA and if I am remembering correctly it arrived on Thursday.
 
My M6 was shipped from Washington, D.C. by USPS Global Express on the 12th (last Tuesday). It arrived here in Canada yesterday. Global Express is supposed to take 3-5 business days to get to Canada. It took the full 5. But it did get here on time.

I'm not sure that Ralph is right about the tracking number. USPS only updates their tracking site once per day. And the updates are often more than a day behind. For example, I just checked the status of my package. The most recent update reads: Attempted Delivery Abroad, December 19, 2006, 10:48 am, CANADA. But eventually, updates are posted on the site.

I hope your camera shows up soon.:)
 
greyhoundman said:
Priority mail with insurance and confirmation number ( delivery confirmation), has no way of being tracked.
Express mail is a totally different deal.


I stand corrected.
 
OK, no problem with tracking, not that improtant as long as is moved within the country, delivery confirmation sounds good enough.
A shipping delay by USPS can be of more concern to me though...
 
greyhoundman said:
Priority mail with insurance and confirmation number ( delivery confirmation), has no way of being tracked.
Express mail is a totally different deal.

Yes, I ship Priority Mail with Confirmation and Insurance.
 
Alexz,

USPS is swamped right now, so I would not worry. It is a normal delay during this season.

As for tracking ... it is important to keep in mind that USPS Delivery Confirmation 'tracking' is very primitive. It will show, if you're lucky, departure or dropoff at origin, but not much else in my experience. Sometimes, it doesn't even show delivery. It is not the same real-time tracking as UPS or FEDEX. So don't worry if you see that it doesn't seem to be updating or moving, that's just the way it works.

good luck and happy holidays
 
Back off, I'm a postal worker...

Back off, I'm a postal worker...

December 20th is usually the heaviest day of the year for USPS.

Chris
 
alexz said:
Well, I bought my M6 that has been shipped from NY on last Thursday (12/14) by USPS with insurance and tracking (or confirmation number ?) to CA (my company's office).
I had an expectations for the package to show up there on Tuesday (yesterday), checked the tracking info on USPS site but it still has "The item has been processed by NJ facility..." and the status says Enroute. This report is been kept there since Sunday and nothing changes.
On the other hand, last week I bought Summicron 50mm/2 shipped from TX (Austin) arrived to CA within 2-3 business days (this is the reason I expected camera lead time will be likely similar).
Do you think this is a fair delay introduced by USPS due to Holidays post rush (albeit there is another week or so till Xmass if I'm not wrong) ?
Do you think allowing another day or two to my waiting (untill it wil show up at the addressee) is reasonable or I may be better to drop an email to USPS inquiring about the situation ?

Thanks, Alex

Rover is correct, the USPS number will only tell you it has been shipped and/or it has arrived, nothing in between
 
alexz said:
Well, I bought my M6 that has been shipped from NY on last Thursday (12/14) by USPS with insurance and tracking (or confirmation number ?) to CA (my company's office).
I had an expectations for the package to show up there on Tuesday (yesterday), checked the tracking info on USPS site but it still has "The item has been processed by NJ facility..." and the status says Enroute. This report is been kept there since Sunday and nothing changes.
On the other hand, last week I bought Summicron 50mm/2 shipped from TX (Austin) arrived to CA within 2-3 business days (this is the reason I expected camera lead time will be likely similar).
Do you think this is a fair delay introduced by USPS due to Holidays post rush (albeit there is another week or so till Xmass if I'm not wrong) ?
Do you think allowing another day or two to my waiting (untill it wil show up at the addressee) is reasonable or I may be better to drop an email to USPS inquiring about the situation ?

Thanks, Alex

Try prayer! :)
 
Pretty much everything I've had shipped to me in the past week (6 packages, at last count) have taken three days or less to get to me from within the lower 48. This doesn't stop people from waiting a week to ship and then blaming it on the postal service. :rolleyes:

It's been a number of years since I've seen any real delay around Christmas for the USPS. With UPS it's harder to tell, because half the time they take a week to deliver something for no apparent reason whether it's December or July.
 
I just received a my 35/2 Nikkor-O, :)) ) lens that was shipped from the seller on the 14th (last Wed), And I received it Today (Wednesday the 20th) It took 5 B-Days to arrive. USPS Priority w/Conformation)

I have a 24/2.8 Nikkor-N lens that was shipped from another seller on Last Tuesday the 16. If all holds true, I should receive on Tuesday Dec 26th :)( ) Will post again when it arrives.

And the last Nikkor lens I am waiting for is a nice 105/2.5 AI. It was shipped UPS Ground on the 19th (This last Tuesday). Takes 3-5 days with no holiday in the way! I won't see this until Dec 26-29 If the New Year does not interfere Again, Will post when IT arrives.
 
the mail is slow here in western canada, the mail is at least a day behind normal.
i am waiting on a bunch of om gear, some of which should have been here this week and so far, nothing.
joe
 
Late last Thursday PopFlash shipped a lens to me USPS. It arrived at noon on Saturday. That's LA to St. Louis in 2 nights and 1 1/2 days.
 
I sent some stuff to buyers from Europe, on 6 Dec and 7 Dec, and they haven't recieved them yet..
Brian
 
I received a package from China yesterday-took 4 days. Waiting for one from California-8days and counting. Stu
 
All my continental US shipments, both sent and recieved, since last Wednesday have taken three days or less. I'm waiting two weeks now on one from the UK, but you never know about that--customs, etc. Too many variables. We'll see.
 
climbing_vine said:
I'm waiting two weeks now on one from the UK, but you never know about that--customs, etc. Too many variables. We'll see.

Yeah, I am sure things get hung up in customs all the time!
What's up with that?
Brian
 
Within the first couple of weeks of December I ordered from online vendors (B&H and Amazon) and received the goods a day or two sooner than they were slated to arrive. However, I'd imagine that holds true less and less as we progress toward the end of the year. That drives me nuts because during non-Holiday time I can track my package to the local clearinghouse where, even though it arrives early, it will sit until the day the package is slated for delivery.

.
 
A full week + 1 day over and nothing yet arrived (aka 6 business days) - myM6 shipped by the seller from NY to my corporate office in CA.
The USPS online status still remains as it was on the second day (left their NJ facility and Enroute). I'm about to start worring...
Entire next week our office in CA is closed for holidays, no one will be able to accept the package till 01/2/2007 which means it will either wait at the post office for at least one week or will be returned back to the shipper in NY.
A real headache....:-(

What can be done by USPS in such case ? Will they hold the package on their shelves for a week or slightly more or if cannot be delivered within few days (say, next week) the package will automatically be shipped back ?
I guess this is up to USPS policy (for insured and Delivery confirmation shipments)...

Now I realize we were indeed fools not shipping it by EMS or similar ...

Alex
 
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