To people familiar with USPS international shipping

[Ramonade]

Hi, I am waiting for the MT35P shipping to France. I know one should be patient but being unfamiliar with this, I'd rather ask with the possibility of people knowing way more than me !

I've done some research outside the forum and in the forum (by using Google). I've seen that it is possible that USPS shows tracking at one City, while the package is already at another.

My problem, and questionment, is that my tracking has been showing "In Transit to next facility" for 8 days and was in Aurora 4 days before that. This makes it something like that :

December 10, 2021, 5:47 pm
Accepted at USPS Origin Facility
GOLDEN, CO 80403

December 10, 2021, 7:02 pm
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
DENVER CO DISTRIBUTION CENTER

December 11, 2021, 3:45 am
Departed USPS Regional Facility
DENVER CO DISTRIBUTION CENTER

December 11, 2021, 6:31 am
Arrived at USPS Facility
AURORA, CO 80018

December 15, 2021
In Transit to Next Facility
Your package is moving within the USPS network and is on track to be delivered to its final destination. It is currently in transit to the next facility.

Does anyone knows a bit about how the USPS work? I don't know if it might be stuck to customs and I'd have to go back at my home (I'm in holidays) to check if I have a customs letter or something. Or even if I have to contact customer service (their website only offers me to claim the insurance of the package, wich I do not want to do). Or if I should just wait and it might end up here tomorrow like in 2 months.

I've ordered several times through USPS to France and it was there in 14 days tops when not held by customs, and not much when held.

[Senfkarte]

I have had some USPS shippments in the past and from that experiences, and since Aurora is part of Denver and Denver has an international airport, I would guess, the package is waiting for its plane, is in the air or already has landed, but has not been proccesed at the landing airport. If I have to guess, the last option would be the most probable.
My packages form USPS have generated this kind of messages, in this order too.
Usually the next message is something like, "You package is helt in customs" and a few minutes later "Your package passed customs and will be delivered by the lokal post" or something like that.

For me waiting has always worked out just fine. But I don't know how the customs in France work, so maybe I am not the right person to give some advice.

[Doc Dan]

I have used USPS a good bit internationally. Be patient. Once it is checked in on your end the tracking will update. It is possible that it will update all at once. That happens to me. It is in the country, but someone on this end had not yet scanned it in.

One thing you can do is to call your own postal service and give them the tracking number. It is possible that they have a record of it in the country but the website is not updated. I have had that happen, as well.

[Ramonade]

I have had some USPS shippments in the past and from that experiences, and since Aurora is part of Denver and Denver has an international airport, I would guess, the package is waiting for its plane, is in the air or already has landed, but has not been proccesed at the landing airport. If I have to guess, the last option would be the most probable.
My packages form USPS have generated this kind of messages, in this order too.
Usually the next message is something like, "You package is helt in customs" and a few minutes later "Your package passed customs and will be delivered by the lokal post" or something like that.

For me waiting has always worked out just fine. But I don't know how the customs in France work, so maybe I am not the right person to give some advice.

Thanks for sharing your experience. I did not know that Aurora was part or Denver or that there was an international airport there. I was expecting my package to go all the way to the East Coast before boarding a flight. That's what happened with my previous orders (but they did not come from Colorado).
This actually helps me a lot to understand how it can work. I'm most familiar with my own national postal service, wich is pretty different. I initially thought there was at least 5 or 6 stops before it boards a plane, it's reinsurring. I guess that planes are pretty full during this period so the principal is that it'll come one day or the other !

I have used USPS a good bit internationally. Be patient. Once it is checked in on your end the tracking will update. It is possible that it will update all at once. That happens to me. It is in the country, but someone on this end had not yet scanned it in.

One thing you can do is to call your own postal service and give them the tracking number. It is possible that they have a record of it in the country but the website is not updated. I have had that happen, as well.

Thanks for the answer and the information about the tracking. In France it's either working all the way with updates or it shows up unannonced, lol. I've tried with my own postal service after your message and the tracking number works on their website, it just shows it as received by USPS and still in the US.

I think I'm gonna refer to my postal service to be able to be present and sign when it'll come.


Thanks again to both of you,
Robin.

[TomAiello]

International shipments often show 'pending' in the last US post office up to the day of actual delivery overseas. USPS does not do a very good job of integrating foreign tracking information. We have similar issues coming into the country too. I've had several international packages show as 'tracking unavailable' even after I had them in hand. Usually you see updates happen all at once, retroactively (As Doc Dan said).

[The Deacon]

Thinking it may have already left our country and be in yours. I'd suggest checking the French postal service's website, using the US tracking number.

[defenestrate]

Just wanted to add that I agree with what Paul and Doc Dan are saying - this is not unusual for me when receiving shipments from overseas. Customs is often also a factor - I usually see notices when a package is stuck in customs (and this is fairly common, in most countries knives seem to get a little extra scrutiny/time), but have had it spent weeks in customs, either outbound from the other country, or inbound in mine, and simply gotten a delivery notification when it's on the truck to my house.

[aicolainen]

Ramonade,
this is my first order from Golden as well. I have very similar tracking updates as you, with the last update on 15th of December.

This is quite typical tracking for USPS lately. And if this one follow the same pattern as my previous shipments with them, the next update will be from their Norwegian partner (Posten/ Norwegian Postal service) when it’s being processed for VAT.
After that, a couple of days usually goes by before I get a notice that it was undeliverable/ to big for my mailbox and then another day or two before it’s ready for pickup at my local post office.
Best advice is to find out who they have appointed to fulfill the delivery in France, and track the shipment through their tracking service.

[aicolainen]

I was tempted to make a post about my MT35P in the “where did your Spyderco travel”. Something to the extent of “I wish I knew”.

[Bolster]

I was tempted to make a post about my MT35P in the “where did your Spyderco travel”. Something to the extent of “I wish I knew”.

LOL. Maybe a map with waypoints when you get it? From Golden to Zimbabwe to Sri Lanka then back to New York, then the North Pole, and finally to Norway. We are wishing your Mule a bon voyage and are looking forward to your receiving it!

[Ramonade]

Thinking it may have already left our country and be in yours. I'd suggest checking the French postal service's website, using the US tracking number.

I did and surprise : the tracking number works for my postal service. It does not yet appear as in France yet though. They only know that Spyderco handed the package to USPS and that it's headed to France.
There might just have been a big big bottleneck at the airport and it's still there.

[JRinFL]

I’m pretty sure the USPS has contracted a fleet of Spanish Galleons to deliver packages to Europe. You should see it in four to six months barring storms, enemy action, or pirates.

[Ramonade]

I'll wait patiently. But the sea is full of flippers dolphins... They are attracted by the scent of MT35P Mules !

[aicolainen]

I was tempted to make a post about my MT35P in the “where did your Spyderco travel”. Something to the extent of “I wish I knew”.

LOL. Maybe a map with waypoints when you get it? From Golden to Zimbabwe to Sri Lanka then back to New York, then the North Pole, and finally to Norway. We are wishing your Mule a bon voyage and are looking forward to your receiving it!

Yeah, it would probably look like the maps you see in Donald Duck cartoons when they fly off to somewhere, and it tracks all over the map.

Still no updates, but this is slow season for just about everything. Hopefully it pops up on the radar soon after the holidays

[Bolster]

I’m pretty sure the USPS has contracted a fleet of Spanish Galleons to deliver packages to Europe. You should see it in four to six months barring storms, enemy action, or pirates.

LOL. You forgot about the rotten oak planks in the hull. Some of those planks were hewn during Torquemada's time. Holes, man! Holes! Good on knives but very bad in the hulls of USPS-contracted Spanish Galleons.

[aicolainen]

Got an update.
Golden to LA in no more than 17 days. Just wow.

[TomAiello]

USPS has been a disaster since covid started. I have had three international packages now that I got zero notice on, even though they were being held by my local post office (in one case for over a month), and even though I actually walked in and asked them if they had any packages for my address (which they said they did not, even though they had two sitting somewhere back there). Only after the shipper sent me an email telling me they were notified that the packages would be returned was I able to get my local post office to find them (in their own back room). It's a mess.

[Ramonade]

Got an update.
Golden to LA in no more than 17 days. Just wow.

Wow.... That's my fear, that the next update is not anything like "It's in customs in your country" but more like "It's in the next city from Aurora".... It's starting to get long even for international shipping during this holiday.

USPS has been a disaster since covid started. I have had three international packages now that I got zero notice on, even though they were being held by my local post office (in one case for over a month), and even though I actually walked in and asked them if they had any packages for my address (which they said they did not, even though they had two sitting somewhere back there). Only after the shipper sent me an email telling me they were notified that the packages would be returned was I able to get my local post office to find them (in their own back room). It's a mess.

Darn it, I hope it's not something like it. My tracking number works with "La Poste" (French mail service) but they only know that USPS has a package heading towards France. There's no evolution since the 15th of December... Even when there's a lot of package, I should at least be able to contact someone that can check...

[AlexRus]

Got an update.
Golden to LA in no more than 17 days. Just wow.

Wow.... That's my fear, that the next update is not anything like "It's in customs in your country" but more like "It's in the next city from Aurora".... It's starting to get long even for international shipping during this holiday.

USPS has been a disaster since covid started. I have had three international packages now that I got zero notice on, even though they were being held by my local post office (in one case for over a month), and even though I actually walked in and asked them if they had any packages for my address (which they said they did not, even though they had two sitting somewhere back there). Only after the shipper sent me an email telling me they were notified that the packages would be returned was I able to get my local post office to find them (in their own back room). It's a mess.

Darn it, I hope it's not something like it. My tracking number works with "La Poste" (French mail service) but they only know that USPS has a package heading towards France. There's no evolution since the 15th of December... Even when there's a lot of package, I should at least be able to contact someone that can check...

My two international USPS packages are both stuck in LOS ANGELES CA INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER facility. One since December 9, the other one since December 17

No news yet...

[Ramonade]

My two international USPS packages are both stuck in LOS ANGELES CA INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER facility. One since December 9, the other one since December 17

No news yet...

Where is it heading to ? Because I don't imagine mine updating saying it's in LA since it's going the opposite direction, that would make a ton of fuel for a gigantic waste of time.