Mailing Packages In The Year Of COVID-19
At the beginning of December, we popped a box in the mail bound for the UK. Just to be sure, I paid extra for International Priority because Christmas Presents. Time passed. A couple days before Christmas I tweeted:
Paying extra for international priority shipping was totally worth it. 17 days ago I dropped off the package bound for the UK. Since then it's gone from Phoenix to Los Angeles, and then back to Phoenix. Where it has sat since Friday. Nice!
— Kevin Spencer (@kevin_spencer) December 22, 2020
Since then, it went back to Los Angeles again, up to San Fransisco, and then made it across the pond to Heathrow and cleared customs. From there it went from London to Coventry. And has sat since Jan 2nd with no further updates. No ETA for delivery. Nothing.
Best $85 I've ever spent.
To be fair, we're far from alone. I think I was hoping the UK postal system wasn't quite as backed up. First world problems I guess?
Update: delivered yesterday (21 Jan 2021). And on top of what I'd already paid on my end, my parents had to pay VAT and a "delivery fee". Cool cool. Won't be doing this again.
I think you've been unlucky. A friend in Kenya posted a package to me just before Christmas and it was being delivered five days later without much issue.
That said, I think there are localised issues – particularly if lots of people are off with Covid.
Yeah, I think just a round of back luck. I'll be enquiring on this end to see what my options are at this point. Still no movement and stuck at a post office in the UK.
It's so random how postal delivery works. I have a friend that lives in Germany and she was able to get a package in less than 2 weeks from the US. I hope your package eventually makes it to it's destination. Nothing like a belated box of Christmas presents.
A second Christmas wouldn't be bad would it? Perhaps this should be a thing every year. Christmas II is on January the 25th.