Don't ever send by 1st Class International

[star-phoenix]

Even if it is a cheap art piece and even if the buyer asks. DON'T SEND 1st Class International. The one and only time I ever did it, I have learned my lesson now.

[Thanatos]

Well, as the buyer, I think I should put the things right.
It seems that THIS time, there are some problems with the postal services.

HOWEVER, the other times, packets arrived safe and without major problems in ten days.

One problem's case could happen with any postal service, it isn't representative of the service itself .

[Eternal Wind]

I've learned the hard way to only send packages with tracking for PayPal payments. Sometimes they end up lost or "lost" otherwise. It's definitely advice everyone should heed, unless a buyer wishes to pay with money order and take the risks of losing the item.

This being said, I had a great experience via eBay where a user didn't receive his item, and I refunded his money. A month later (so three months total) the item arrived in excellent shape, so he was honest and returned the money to me. Sometimes the service is just ridiculously slow.

[star-phoenix]

I've learned the hard way to only send packages with tracking for PayPal payments. Sometimes they end up lost or "lost" otherwise. It's definitely advice everyone should heed, unless a buyer wishes to pay with money order and take the risks of losing the item.

This being said, I had a great experience via eBay where a user didn't receive his item, and I refunded his money. A month later (so three months total) the item arrived in excellent shape, so he was honest and returned the money to me. Sometimes the service is just ridiculously slow.

Yeah, I agree. I was REALLY hoping USPS had a better tracking system for their 1st Class International, especially with all the rates increasing each year. They only track up until the item leaves the country (Priority and Express mail are tracked all the way to the buyer's door). 1st Class International shifts the responsibility to the other country for tracking once it arrives there. But, I have heard of recent cases of them taking a MONTH to arrive during this time of year. But, SHEESH! With the new rates, I really wish USPS fix the tracking system. At least they did with Priority Mail International a year or two ago.

Here is another funny story. During the holidays, I sent 3 Priority packages to England, which took 4 weeks to arrive! According to the USPS, one of the workers thought UNITED KINGDOM = CANADA ( ). We were contacted by Canada letting us know they received the packages by mistake and sent it back to the US, which was then re-routed and sent back to England. The REALLY funny part was, all this was tracked step-by-step online through the USPS system all the way to the delivery day.

[ReiTheJelly]

1st class international: cannot be tracked, thus it cannot be insured. Cheap, but a risk.
Priority international small flat rate or padded mailer: cannot be tracked. Less of a risk, but still a risk.
Priority international: can be partially tracked, so it can be insured. Can actually be *more* expensive than Express International, so it is best to compare prices!
Express Mail Service: can be fully tracked, so it can be insured. Best method, but the most expensive.

[zerospace]

Oh... my... gosh. Yeah. 100% in agreement with the thread title.

I never, ever, ever use First Class International. Ever. If I'm asked to use it, sometimes I will, but only if the buyer agrees to forfeit any claim against me for something going missing. I've had flat rate Priority parcels go missing, too. *sigh*

Star-phoenix, how do you do your international shipments? Do you prep them online with computer-generated customs forms, or do you take them to the PO? Because for all the international shipments I've done over the years, I have never had one mis-routed like that!! Wow! Aside from being ridiculously sad, it's funny as hell!

I don't expect USPS to do anything to change the First Class tracking. The rate increases, I can live with. Why? Because I like the postal service and I know they're losing money left and right. It's sad. And really, they don't even track first class in the USA unless you pay for delivery confirmation, and even at that, they don't really "track" it. If it fails to be scanned, guess what... you're S.O.L. >_<. I've had them flat out tell me "well, the last place it turned up was...blah." And my open-mouthed response is something like "really? so all you know is what's on the stupid tracking page? Got it. Won't make that mistake again." All tracking outside the USA comes from the other country's postal services agreements with the USA anyways, so improving that would be on the destination country, not the USPS. I figure the extra cost of Priority International is why the tracking is that much better, and really, that's how it should be. If you got all the goodies that go along with Priority with First Class, why would you bother to have two separate services (the speed difference sometimes seems negligible, anyways)? And why should first class cost so much less? Yeah. Not holding my breath for that one... But, that's just me. I'm just freaking glad I get the Commercial Plus pricing through eBay labels. Huzzah! Saves me a butt-load on my eBay shipments!

And rei: You can insure First Class International via third party shipping insurance, but not through USPS.

[star-phoenix]

Oh... my... gosh. Yeah. 100% in agreement with the thread title.

I never, ever, ever use First Class International. Ever. If I'm asked to use it, sometimes I will, but only if the buyer agrees to forfeit any claim against me for something going missing. I've had flat rate Priority parcels go missing, too. *sigh*

Star-phoenix, how do you do your international shipments? Do you prep them online with computer-generated customs forms, or do you take them to the PO? Because for all the international shipments I've done over the years, I have never had one mis-routed like that!! Wow! Aside from being ridiculously sad, it's funny as hell!

USUALLY, I send by Priority Mail International or Express Mail International and use the USPS online shipping system (or the Ebay shipment system if purchased through Ebay). This was the first time I had ever sent a package by 1st Class International in 3-4 years. And this is also the first time I ever had a package go missing. So, I am still uncertain as to what USPS will do at this point. I am really hoping it will just turn up in the next week. The USPS rep said the final thing would be they will put out a return request after the 45 day period and have it returned to me once it is found.

ReiTheJelly - Priority Mail International (package) now offers full tracking until delivery to the address. At least all 3 packages I sent to the UK in the past 2 months were fully traceable to the time of delivery.

[ReiTheJelly]

ReiTheJelly - Priority Mail International (package) now offers full tracking until delivery to the address. At least all 3 packages I sent to the UK in the past 2 months were fully traceable to the time of delivery.

I think it may depend on the country? I've had some recent ones where it stopped tracking it after it was released from foreign customs. Or it could just be really lazy postal workers.


Z - yeah, last time I checked, the USPS was $5 billion in debt. Whee!

[cutiebunny]

I haven't sent anything internationally since the USPS increase, but are they still doing registered mail? I used to love that service, especially when sending to Italy. It was slow and only guaranteed up to $40, but they were 'supposed' to keep the package under lock & key while in transit. The rate for registered varied based on location, but, it was always a cheaper option than sending EMS.

[star-phoenix]

I haven't sent anything internationally since the USPS increase, but are they still doing registered mail? I used to love that service, especially when sending to Italy. It was slow and only guaranteed up to $40, but they were 'supposed' to keep the package under lock & key while in transit. The rate for registered varied based on location, but, it was always a cheaper option than sending EMS.

I think I remember what you are talking about. The post office changed everything to 1st Class or Priority Mail International (and Express Mail). They no longer do Parcel Post or the Registered Mail service. If I can remember, they stopped doing that something like 4 years ago??? They did that when they started the online tracking system with Priority International.

[Silvrdrago]

Actual register mail is still around but the qualitifcations on the packing type are a nightmare, and the fee's gone way up and they don't do lock and key for international (only domestic) so all but useless



i actualy don't have too much issues with 1st class mail, i send a couple hundred of them a year and only have a few issues from time to time, mostly just way over due deliverys, but realy what i find is it depends on the country ITALY and AUSTRAILIA are the big offenders pritty much all my shiping problems comes out for those contrys even priority mail and express mail issues too. Not sure what the problem is but pritty much anything going there gets delayed (recently for austrailia and always for italy)

[zerospace]

Actual register mail is still around but the qualitifcations on the packing type are a nightmare, and the fee's gone way up and they don't do lock and key for international (only domestic) so all but useless

Last I checked, this is indeed correct. Registered Mail is still around (and rather expensive for what it is or isn't).

[teggacat]

Actual register mail is still around but the qualitifcations on the packing type are a nightmare, and the fee's gone way up and they don't do lock and key for international (only domestic) so all but useless

Last I checked, this is indeed correct. Registered Mail is still around (and rather expensive for what it is or isn't).

yeah, the registered 1st class is a pain as silvrdrago said, all the packing material specs, down to the correct tape [which I still never did find the right stuff ] I also use straight 1st class inter ALOT with virtually no issues [knock on wood....], buyers have the option of 1st or pri, usually they opt for 1st and it has worked out quite well. The only country Ive ever had issues with is France, seems to take longest to arrive, which can make the buyer [and me] a tad edgey, but the main thing is good communication between the buyer and seller, Ive found that usually any concerns can be worked out reasonably for both. And eventually all parcels seem to arrive [most within a week], 'cept one package [france] which just seemed to fall off the face of the earth. But then that has happened to me sending a bill payment to a town less than 10 miles away............

[zerospace]

It's funny you should say that, teggacat. I've heard from a bunch of folks on Etsy who also use 1st Class International all the time without issue, and yet... I've had nothing but issues with stuff getting lost (or maybe, honestly, it took so long the buyer gave up -- and then never told me when it finally arrived!). *sigh* I suppose that's when third party insurance comes in handy, too.

If I need a less expensive international box, I go with the small flat rate & chance it. The only flat rate stuff I've had 100% disappear are envelopes (one completely disappeared going to Hong Kong). I had a regular Priority International package returned to me because the recipient failed to collect it in the UK. He swore they never tried to deliver, but I have no idea what happened. It took several months for it to show back up, but it did.

[theultimatebrucelee]

I've sent packages to Canada multiple times due to buyers request and a few times to Brazil, they all arrived safely within 2 weeks or so, Brazil is about a month. one time I was told that the outer package was beat up but the content still got there safely. oversea I am forced to do express because the post office here don't allow me to buy insurance even for priority mail.