USPS/Ebay Advice

[Surfsup]

I was wondering if you guys could help with something? I've been waiting on a parcel from an Ebay seller, something that I won last December. According to him, the parcel was shipped in December but then sent back due to insufficient postage. I only find this out after opening diputes on Ebay, prior to that, I had no response on any of my emails.

He then tells me he has resent it on the 29/1, nothing has arrived as yet. I mail him asking for details of postage. He tells me it's been sent by surface mail with a tracking number: VB 103 299 666 US, even though he stated shipping would be First Class Mail International. I've tried this number on the USPS site but nothing is coming up.

Do USPS still have a surface mail delivery option? I saw something in a Google search that said they were phasing it out. I'm starting to think the seller is stalling because he doesn't want me to follow up on the ebay disputes. Another pain is the fact that the seller didn't have paypal as an option so the payment was sent by Western Union. It's risky I know, but I had good dealings with the seller before.

I've never been in a situation like this so any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[luey]

I haven't seen surface mail as an option on their website or at the post office for UK shipping in a long time unless he is confusing it with 1st class which I believe is the least expensive method overseas now... Sounds like he is giving you the run around... Let me know if I can help... Greg

[English Paul]

A member here sent something to me early last year by surface and it took six weeks to arrive.
Tracking numbers usually show up pretty quickly on the USPS website and the same info can also be seen on the Parcelforce website.
It might be worth checking that the code they have given you isn't the customs number as they use the same format.

Hope everything works out Bill.

[JPkempo]

I have never had any thing take that long to England, now Canada is another story it must go by dog sled. And I've had packges never show up in Italy.

[PCofmisfittoys]

i hate shipping overseas , although I do often. I always tell the buyers that it's on them after it leaves me due to the poor service the UK , Canada and any other number of places have . I got to where i take pictures of the package and the postage AT the Post office because it had gotten so bad at one time.
I have shipped to Australia and japan easier than to Canada and the UK.

[Mikey]

On May 14 2007, the United States Postal Service eliminated the International Surface Mail service from their mailing options.

Bring Back the USPS International Surface Mail Service Petition

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[toys2cool]

wow sorry to hear that bro,I'd continue with the dispute if I were you.By the way doesn't Ebay warn you not to send payment thru WU? I hope that won't mess up your chances of getting your money back

[English Paul]

due to the poor service the UK

That's a bit unfair as a postal worker here in the UK I think we offer a pretty good service.

Mike. It was last january when somebody in the US used the surface service - obviously before the service was cancelled. I could never understand why people chose to use it anyway - the difference in cost was so little.

[Surfsup]

Thanks for your advice and help guys, it's much appreciated. I called the USPS earlier and they told me the same, that surface mail was no more. The tracking number was duff as well. So all I can do now is continue the dispute and hope for the best. I doubt I'll get the money back but it's worth a go, I'd rather have the items though.

The package may even turn up if I'm lucky. Man, I've never had this amount of trouble on Ebay before and now I have this and another parcel go missing. I hope there's not a third time unlucky just around the corner!

[luey]

That's a bit unfair as a postal worker here in the UK I think we offer a pretty good service.

Mike. It was last january when somebody in the US used the surface service - obviously before the service was cancelled. I could never understand why people chose to use it anyway - the difference in cost was so little.

No offense, but since selling on eBay and shipping hundreds if not thousands of packages, I had 3 packages lost, all in the UK with absolutely no customer service help or solutions, just tough luck and all resulted in PayPal chargebacks even after showing receipts on mailing... That's when I started using Global Express because I just couldn't rely on the "Royal" mail anymore...

[English Paul]

It's a tough one when things go missing - i've had it happen. I suppose I could be looking through rose tinted spectacles as I work from a small rural unit. The big city depots are probably to blame in most cases.

Bill - is there a possibility Parcelforce could be delivering anything to you rather than Royal Mail. They were really behind after christmas. I had a couple of items that both took over 3 weeks whilst we (Royal Mail) were delivering overseas stuff within five days of posting in the US.

[grayhank]

I'm not sure if there is a difference for International Tracking numbers but most delivery confirmation numbers here in the US are in four groups of four digits, for example: 1111 2222 3333 4444.

That number he gave you doesn't look like anything I've ever seen but then I don't know if they use a different tracking system for going overseas.

[JPkempo]

BOSTON -- Neither snow nor rain nor the decades of time prevented the post office from completing the delivery of a June 1929 postcard to a Brighton, Mass., home.

Nearly 79 years after it was sent, a postcard of Yellowstone National Park's Tower Falls arrived in the Brighton mailbox with the one-word message, "greetings." The intended recipient, a Miss Margaret McDonald, had long since left the Victorian home and the sender was identified only by the initials M.C.

The current owner of the home, Michael Cioffi, said the McDonald family did own the home for many generations, but he doesn't know of any relatives to pass the postcard to.

[megocrazy]

I run a shipping department for a tea company and often ship to England and 6 weeks for the slowboat is definately possible. I have had orders take that long. I rarely even give my international orders the option, I just quote them the priority international rate so it's there in 6 to 10 days. Even with the tracking they won't do anything until the estimated 6 to 10 week delivery time has expired. I had one customer that complained when an order hadn't arrived 5 weeks in so I reshipped the order priority intl and it went through without a hitch so she got it in a week. 3 weeks later she emails me and tells me the original package just showed up. 8 weeks to save 5 or 6 bucks. Glad she's a good repeat customer.