Incredible Postal Delivery Times

Last month, I bought a lot of 100 or so stamps from a Dutch seller. A month later, they still haven't arrived and yet he asks me to be patient as, so he says, 4-5 weeks is normal for mail from the Netherlands to Australia.

I find this absolutely incredible and think this may be a scam of some kind.

Do others find this believable?

If so, how can it possibly take so long?

I've complained to Australia Post and they tell me that there are no delays or backlogs affecting mail from the Netherlands at present. They also tell me it can take 4-5 weeks.

So where does the Dutch mail 'sit' when it's not being forwarded to other countries? Do they put it in a basement, turn out the light and forget about it for a few weeks?

It just doesn't make sense, particularly when there are numerous flights from Amsterdam to Sydney every day. Enough flights, surely, to fit all the mail destined for this country.

I might add that I got a similar lot of stamps from a seller in Pakistan in about a week, and he didn't post until 3 days after I'd paid.

For me (S. Carolina, USA) international mail delivery times vary greatly. Mail from France seems to come quickly, in perhaps 10 days to 2 weeks. Mail from the UK takes a little longer. And, stuff from the Netherlands takes perhaps a month to arrive. I'm guessing that it depends on who has the contract to carry the mail from a particular country.

Well, at least that gives me hope that the package is not actually lost.

Maybe they should give the contract to the people who do the mail from Pakistan!

Don't feel bad. I'm waiting on a lot from Egypt that was posted on the 11th of March. Told it would arrive sometime between March 27th to April 15th. It's almost to the outside of the envelope.

I suppose one expects more from businesses like PostNL operating in developed countries. They actually have a contractual obligation to deliver domestic mail the day after it's been posted, which target they meet 93.6% of the time, but it seems no such targets exist in relation to overseas mail.

My latest delivery from North America (which normally comes via air, albeit no etiquette adhered) took 72 days
I usually expect 21-30 days.
I would not be concerned as yet.

If you bought via ebay, it does give a sense of security for return of funds.

Sloooow mail from the Netherlands? Here are the last three that I received.

Amsterdam to Phoenix, Arizona
Sent March 6 received March 10
Sent January 23 received January 30
Sent November 25 received December 1

I usually notice mail to Netherlands from the U.S. takes about 1-2 weeks. Mail to Russia and some SE Asian countries can take 4-6 weeks.

Rod - If that shipment without the etiquette came from the U.S. expect more like that as the USPS stop printing etiquette labels for airmail awhile back.

Last month I received an ebay lot from Belgium to the US eight days after the auction closed.

Yes, fredcdobbs, Battlestamps: but you're both in the US.

The US is apparently a much higher priority for the Dutch mail service than Australia.

dudley: I presume Belgium would be a different postal service.

I've bought from Belgium and the times were average (10-14 days).

rod222, I can accept the fact that sometimes overseas mail takes a LOOOOOONG time. What I really want to know is why. I've repeatedly asked Australia Post for a rational explanation and they have been unhelpful.

As I've indicated, the fact is that for much of this time the mail must be sitting in a bag somewhere, doing nothing, going nowhere. Why?

I suspect that mail from the Netherlands may be subject to greater scrutiny by Australian customs than mail from any other country, as the only times I've had mail opened by customs (you get a slip from them inside the envelope stating that the item has been opened) it's been mail from the Netherlands. This has happened twice. Why they would open philatelic mail, I have no idea, but it does suggest that customs are particularly interested in mail from the Netherlands.

Anyway, so far, this is the worst delivery time I've ever had, except for Russia.

NB: Yesterday, the seller involved informed me that the item had been sent by 'priority post' - whatever that term may mean, it's clearly not to be taken literally.

There seems no rhyme or reason,
received Canada mail today, 17 days. (Opened by customs)

The 72 day I was sceptical, but postage date confirmed
was sent 1 day after purchase.
Not opened by customs. No sundry markings.

I have often noted mail from overseas for West Aust routed through Sydney
all my Customs inspection have the "SGF" sydney postmark

I get 1 in 20? covers opened by customs, doesn't bother me,
helps keep our country safe. I rarely get the flyer inside the cover.

These are great examples for us to exercise our patience and understanding.

Note: I rarely get "Marker Monkey" mail anymore, that less than delightful habit, seems in decline.

I've done some online research, readings things posted by others who find international mail delivery times unacceptably slow. What I've found is that, just as there are in the United States, there are large international mail processing centres in Europe. The worst offenders are apparently the IMPC located in Paris and the ones in Italy. It is said that the mail literally sits around in these places for weeks, with the ones in Italy being regarded as by far the worst. It is entirely possible that my item went not direct from Amsterdam on a flight to Sydney, but via Paris or Italy. The Dutch postal service uses a facility located in Milan. The really bad news (for me) is that anything that goes through Italy has a very high chance of being 'lost.'

I have recently purchased seed from 3 sellers in China, 1 seller in Hong Kong & 2 Thailand sellers. Have researched how they deal with Australia Customs in the description area on ebay and have followed up with ebay email contact to make sure about Australian Customs needs. They are all claiming long mailing times but all items should arrive but the end of the month as they were purchased early March.

1st packet of seed arrives this week from China in record time but they declared it as a Toy x 1. I will not be buying from that seller again. The idea of buying from so many sellers is to see how they go when it comes to time the mailing takes, Australian Customs requirements fulfilled, quality of seed and the seed is what they state the seed is.

With the security that ebay offers it makes things just so much more safer.There is lots of other ways to buy seed but ebay has got to be the safest way to go. One slip up with Australian Customs and no package will get to me.

Being organic matter, seeds can be expected to take longer than stamps!

What are you growing, KGV?

Have simplified our ebay store and drop S&A letter stamps sets and compacted everything else into Wed & Thur. So Mon & Tues are for horticulture and another ebay store. Will be selling orchids, lotus & water lilies.It has been a long time since I have done anything in this area that I am over skilled & qualified to do.

So the beginning of myself getting back into horticulture more to the point orchid growing etc.

It all started as we needed a fence because we have had no neighbour to the south of our house for 27 years. Now someone is building. So a fence turned into a Shade & Hot house. Why not we said. We are only able to do about 30 mins of work on it per most days. Measurement by measurement, day after day and it slowly grows just like an orchid.