Ordering off Aliexpress? Advice?

[Vis1/0N]

My Aliexpress package has moved to Durban Speed services.
My tracking is a bit different to @Rouxenator in that after arrival at linehaul office it had customs clearance and then received by local delivery company.

I expect to factor further fees at the post office too.

- Received 02/11 which was over a month, and 16 days in SA. I did not get an SMS notification, I was following the tracking and went in to the postoffice. I was expecting to pay R36-R60, and R175 was what I paid on the USD42 item, noting that it had customs clearance in the tracking, which rouxenator's example did not. Banggood would have been faster and about the same overall on price, except that they stopped stocking the item.

Guess I will be ordering a few smaller value items (25USD cart) soon to try and get shipped before singles day, and maybe check pricing on single days for the big item that I don't really require immediately and won't want to endure the tracking torture.

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Going to the Phoenix post office after a year, I was shocked at the deterioration and neglect - the Post Office serves quite a large population and even with the PO's financial spiral I expected some level of maintenance and quality. Well that is SA for you.

 

[Rouxenator]

Under 1 month :


Almost 3 months, I did not get the notification they allegedly sent out in October :

 

[Vis1/0N]

The second item was processed via customs and the first not? Roughly what were the USD values and then the values you had to pay for the respective item at the post office?

I pushed through my next purchase a couple of hours ago, but having a slight remorse that I did not split it into two checkouts, the shipping total per cart could offset work out cheaper if it goes under the radar, and there is a brighter chance of something arriving timeously as two packages.

 

[Jehosefat]

Under 1 month :
View attachment 1614547

Almost 3 months, I did not get the notification they allegedly sent out in October :
View attachment 1614549

I've found that the notifications that they "send" only arrive like 1 in 5 times... Post Office probably haven't paid the service provider bill so they don't actually get sent.

 

[Tinuva]

Under 1 month :
View attachment 1614547

Almost 3 months, I did not get the notification they allegedly sent out in October :
View attachment 1614549

Its nice when the post office tracking system actually pick up the package.

I have a package, that went stealth on 4 October, no idea what happened to it. 17track cant even pick it up. Parcelsapp at least show this, but then poof.

 

[Rouxenator]

I've found that the notifications that they "send" only arrive like 1 in 5 times... Post Office probably haven't paid the service provider bill so they don't actually get sent.

I saw yesterday they now have android phones in red casings (SAPO issued) running an app that can do most of the things they need to do. Such as tracking and I would guess some Postbank functions too.

They do still have their POS computers, and those still run XP. But most of what they do now seems to be on the app.

 

[Rouxenator]

Its nice when the post office tracking system actually pick up the package.

I have a package, that went stealth on 4 October, no idea what happened to it. 17track cant even pick it up. Parcelsapp at least show this, but then poof.

View attachment 1614623

PM me - I know someone that might be able to assist you via email.

 

[Rouxenator]

Another one just landed - order on the 25th of October - let's see how long it takes to go through the SAPO sausage machine.

 

[ScorpioZA]

I ordered something on 27 Oct and just picked it up from local PO this morning, seems it's getting much faster now

 

[KoKaRoT]

This is good to know, I really need a part for my bike.. but dont want to wait 12months for it

 

[Rouxenator]

This is good to know, I really need a part for my bike.. but dont want to wait 12months for it

Chainring?

 

[Tinuva]

PM me - I know someone that might be able to assist you via email.

Thank you for the help. Looks like unfortunately SAPO also doesn't know about it.


This will be one of those packages, where I wait for it to auto confirm delivered, then wait the next amount minimum time and then I will claim a refund. Takes forever but it really seem lost.

 

[KoKaRoT]

Chainring?

Fairings to be exact

 

[squirrel]

I placed about 10 orders over a month ago for various small items, interested to see how many actually arrive

 

[Rouxenator]

I placed about 10 orders over a month ago for various small items, interested to see how many actually arrive

Keep an eye on them from your side. Our post office is one of the better ones with very nice staff, while I do get SMS messages about parcels awaiting collection this is not always the case as with one of my last ones that was there for a month.

 

[Vis1/0N]

2nd Order from Aliexpress ordered on 09th left the departure region yesterday.

Meanwhile by Banggood order on the same day arrived to the door this morning, 8 day + 100 min, it had already arrived to Buffalo Dbn warehouse yesterday 8am. It would be so awesome if Aliexpress could latch onto Buffalo as a shipping option, they would probably be saving admin and refund costs tied to the SAPO delays and losses.

 

[Rouxenator]

Another one just landed - order on the 25th of October - let's see how long it takes to go through the SAPO sausage machine.

View attachment 1614915

That was quick - less than a month from ordering to delivery. Looks like it came by road from Johannesburg, via Durban.

 

[Vis1/0N]

2nd Order from Aliexpress ordered on 09th left the departure region yesterday.

Meanwhile by Banggood order on the same day arrived to the door this morning, 8 day + 100 min, it had already arrived to Buffalo Dbn warehouse yesterday 8am. It would be so awesome if Aliexpress could latch onto Buffalo as a shipping option, they would probably be saving admin and refund costs tied to the SAPO delays and losses.

Received 2 weeks later than the Banggood/Buffalo (8days), 21 days being better than I was expecting.

I also placed an order for the company with an ebay supplier - turns out that it will be Yanwen to Buffalo as last mile - nice.

 

[Rouxenator]

Just got an SMS from the post office to collect a parcel. I do have one that is suppose to come it, but the tracking information is either wrong or not present since it shows nothing on 17track. Will provide feedback once I got it.

Edit : so the item was ordered on the 26th of October but they gave me the wrong tracking number it seems, because the parcel arrived from a country I never heard of.

So anyways - turns out sometime you get given the wrong tracking number and if your post office does not send out a SMS to come collect you will never know.

 

[airborne]

Keep an eye on them from your side. Our post office is one of the better ones with very nice staff, while I do get SMS messages about parcels awaiting collection this is not always the case as with one of my last ones that was there for a month.

By that do you mean pop into your local PO once very 2 weeks or so?