What happens to parcels from China? Where are they delayed?

[chrisc]

I have been importing small items, mainly electronic goods, in small quantities from China for about 20 years. From about 2 years ago, the shipping time takes longer and longer, even for items ordered off eBay, as well as Trade Tang, Ali-Express.

In 2010 I ordered 5 items which were shipped ex Hong Kong during Feb and Mar. These all arrived within 2 weeks.

This year, I have ordered 21 different items. The average delivery is now 13 weeks. In other words, stuff shipped after 15th July has yet to arrive. It makes no difference whether you specify economy airmail, expedited airmail or first class airmail.

All these shippers provide tracking info for China Post. This tracking info will only show you that the parcel left Hong Kong (or Schenzhen, etc) on a particular date, there is no info thereafter. When the parcel arrives in Jhb, the SAPO assign a different tracking number.

A typical example, for a parcel that was shipped from Hong Kong on 20th June is

TRACKING

LINE TYPE DATE TIME BRANCH COMMENTS

1 In transit 2012/09/18 08:04 CAPEMAIL (HUB)
2 From Customs 2012/09/12 09:21 CAPEMAIL (HUB)
3 In transit 2012/09/10 17:12 JHB INT MAIL CENTRE (HUB)
4 To Customs 2012/09/10 06:00 JHB INT MAIL CENTRE (HUB)
5 Incomming International 2012/09/09 11:09 JHB INT MAIL CENTRE (HUB)

What I want to find out, where has this parcel been lying between 20 June and 9th September?

 

[Jola]

I have had the same, IMO they are busy building a pyramid of old parcels at JHB INT Mail Centre !

 

[chrisc]

Last time I was in Jhb I went there. It is an enormous place but seems well organised. There were about 10 aircraft shipping containers and 4 people unpacking. One would apply a tracking sticker and another would scan it. The scanner even read the consignee's address very well. They emptied the container in about 20 mins. There was nothing left. The mail was pre-sorted according to post-code and placed on conveyors. There is also a large room with "dead" mail in it. Most of this is so badly damaged, mainly due to water or bad packing (elastic bands around paper) that is seems pretty hopeless. There are about 10 ladies working here identifying the stuff.

So piles of abandoned stuff as far as I could see. The place is very noisy with the machinery. There are guards at the exits, but I noticed, no cameras anywhere, unlike the Mail Centre outside Heathrow.

 

[gregmcc]

Def something going on - I've also noticed its gotten slow and slower with things taking up to 2 months now! I mean WTF! :amd:

 

[Enzo Matrix]

Agreed

I used Ebay a lot, but less and less because of this exact problem

 

[azbob]

maybe too many people are buying from china now.

 

[chrisc]

Thank you, Boxy for that lengthy explanation. How does it come to pass that delivery times have increased so dramatically in a short space of time? Or is the delivery time inversely proportional to the intelligence of the staff working there? I was moderately impressed when I was taken around the Jhb Mail Hub, they seem to have systems in place, were using hand-held scanners which inputted bar-codes and addresses. But the lady could not answer me why they did not use the bar-code sticker already attached to the parcel. She kept saying this is the way we do it, and got irritated when I suggested they were re-inventing the wheel.

SAPO's tracking system falls over quite often and their site certificate is out of date. The person to whom I spoke once about the website thought that certificates were only awarded for "service excellence", she had no idea whatsoever about encryption and appeared not to have heard the word before.

 

[bavmorda]

Some scary stuff here. On the other note. Ordered electronics from HK on 16.09 which was Sunday. It left HK with HK post free delivery on 21.09. First scanned in SA 23.09. Germiston 28.09. Edenglen 29.09. Going tomorrow to fetch it. I think when it works is not bad particular for a free delivery. The problem is when it does not work. People in Europe and USA are getting their stuff from the same online shop within 5-7 days.

 

[DominionZA]

I import stuff regularly from China. From notice of shipping to delivery at my door is around a week.

 

[SlowInternet]

Lately my parcels from China take a long to arrive, nothing less than 1 month. If I order from Singapore I receive it within 8-12 days. One parcel spend 3 weeks at International Mail.

 

[bavmorda]

I import stuff regularly from China. From notice of shipping to delivery at my door is around a week.

Hi Mike, which shipping company are you using if i may ask. Sometimes even with UPS takes longer. Or it is normal China-HK post offices. Thanks.

 

[DominionZA]

Hi Mike, which shipping company are you using if i may ask. Sometimes even with UPS takes longer. Or it is normal China-HK post offices. Thanks.

DHL or EMS depending on what it is.
It is pricey though - but quick. Just this morning I ordered $465 worth of stuff and the shipping cost is $374 via EMS.

 

[bavmorda]

DHL or EMS depending on what it is.
It is pricey though - but quick. Just this morning I ordered $465 worth of stuff and the shipping cost is $374 via EMS.

O'K, that makes sense. You see i think the guys here were talking about "normal" with free or minimal delivery charges delivery over the post shipping. Of course you should not have any problems with DHL and EMS. TBH i'm finding UPS usually to be much cheaper than DHL. Have you looked at that option as well?

 

[DominionZA]

O'K, that makes sense. You see i think the guys here were talking about "normal" with free or minimal delivery charges delivery over the post shipping. Of course you should not have any problems with DHL and EMS. TBH i'm finding UPS usually to be much cheaper than DHL. Have you looked at that option as well?

With electronic cigarette juices only EMS will ship them unfortunately because of the nicotine. DHL and UPS won't. So I guess I have to pay a premium as EMS know the other guys won't do it ):.
They sometimes send via UPS too when I order electronic bits. Also good.

My bad. Never realised the thread was referring to post office shipping. Sorry.

 

[Other Pineapple Smurf]

....

What I want to find out, where has this parcel been lying between 20 June and 9th September?

Probably came as surface mail. I've had that in the past where it would take 3-4 months for a surface mail package to arrive from my Mom in Australia.

 

[DominionZA]

Probably came as surface mail. I've had that in the past where it would take 3-4 months for a surface mail package to arrive from my Mom in Australia.

Had that one too, but from the USA.
Bought the 80GB PS3 from a guy on eBay when we could only get the 40GB (yes, early days of the PS3).
After 3 months I gave up and assumed it stolen by our PO. 4.5 months after shipping I got a notice that it was at my local PO. The box was nicely beaten but thankfully the PS3 was still 100%.
Our local postal system really blows.

 

[Space_Chief]

http://ems.sapo.co.za/EmsWebSite/IPSTracking.aspx
You can track locally using the foreign number here.

 

[Space_Chief]

With electronic cigarette juices only EMS will ship them unfortunately because of the nicotine. DHL and UPS won't. So I guess I have to pay a premium as EMS know the other guys won't do it ):.
They sometimes send via UPS too when I order electronic bits. Also good.

My bad. Never realised the thread was referring to post office shipping. Sorry.

EMS is post office. They are just a higher priority postal service, so the same regulations apply.

UPS, FedEx, TNT, DHL and now defunct Airborne Express (UPS) are all couriers. EMS is part of the postal infrastructure and delivery is to the door but only once. If you're not at home, driver leaves item at the post office. The nice thing about EMS is that the customs brokerage fee is almost nothing, and they accept cash on delivery. Other couriers these days refuse COD and you have to EFT payment upfront. This is they say to protect their drivers, yet a company like TakeALot recently launched COD too.

 

[ld13]

This year, I have ordered 21 different items. The average delivery is now 13 weeks. In other words, stuff shipped after 15th July has yet to arrive. It makes no difference whether you specify economy airmail, expedited airmail or first class airmail.

I have done at least 51 items from all over the world this year and I also noted a steep increase in delivery times for anything posted after that date. Got a few small LED things that were posted from HK & China in the week following up to the 15/16/17th - arrived through SAPO within 7-14 days flat (record times imo). Majority of the stuff posted in the week after that took quite a bit longer to arrive. One package clocked in at about 2.5 months. The packages also seems to arrive out of order even when sent from the same freaking seller. I do not know what on earth is going on.

Although I am quite happy that I have received 100% of my packages for the year - even if they take forever.

 

[DominionZA]

Do you guys have your importers codes?

I found since I got mine a few years back that getting stuff through customs became so much easier.