Problems with International Shipping of HP15c LE

[Nick_S]

Hi

I just joined the MoHPC forum having been reading the entries here for a while. Based in Athens, Greece, I currently use HP28S and HP48GX calculators which I have owned since new.

I thought I would purchase a couple of HP15c LE calculators, while they are available, as a portable carry around calculator and to have a slice of calculator history. So I placed an order with Samson Cables and watched them slowly make their way to Europe. Unfortunately things seem to have gone wrong along the way. Why the package ended up in French Customs (via New Caledonia) when I live in Greece is an enigma to me. It now appears to have turned around and is returning to the USA. I have contacted Samson Cables to see what they can do.

Here is the track and trace information for the USPS Express Mail International delivery:

-Addressee cannot be located, Item returned to sender, October 17, 2011, 11:18 am, FRANCE

-Customs Clearance, October 13, 2011, 10:51 am, FRANCE

-Customs Clearance, October 10, 2011, 11:35 am, FRANCE

-Processed Through Sort Facility, October 10, 2011, 11:33 am, FRANCE

-Processed Through Sort Facility, October 06, 2011, 10:50 am, NEW CALEDONIA

-Processed Through Sort Facility, September 27, 2011, 9:33 pm, ISC SAN FRANCISCO (USPS)

-Arrived at Sort Facility, September 27, 2011, 9:32 pm, ISC SAN FRANCISCO (USPS)

-Electronic Shipping Info Received, September 27, 2011

-Processed through USPS Sort Facility, September 26, 2011, 9:05 pm, SALT LAKE CITY, UT 84199

-Acceptance, September 26, 2011, 5:24 pm, DRAPER, UT 84020

The USPS seem to have messed up here.

Nick

Edited: 17 Oct 2011, 11:52 a.m. after one or more responses were posted

[Eric Rechlin]

I've noticed a definite degradation in service with the USPS lately.

I mailed two packages to Norway by Priority Mail on the same day in early September. One arrived in 10 days, which is pretty much normal. The other took a full month to arrive, spending 2 weeks sitting in Chicago.

As some of you know, the package containing the DVDs to be distributed at the HHC conference was mailed from Chicago by Priority Mail, and instead of the 2 days that would be expected (3 at worst), it took a full 7 days to arrive.

Also, some domestic letters addressed perfectly have come back marked as having an invalid address, yet sending them again causes them to go through, so there seems to be some laziness on the part of the delivery people too.

This is what happens when Congress mandates a certain level of service out of the USPS (visiting every single address in the country, six days a week) while at the same time preventing them from raising rates enough to cover costs.

Eric

[Paul Gaster]

I live in a suburb of Chicago and agree on the degradation in service. My home mail used to be delivered roughly between 12 and 2 pm, but 2 weeks ago I saw a new mail delivery person delivering at 8 pm. Another night it was after 7 pm. They seemed to have changed all the routes and the people around. I do not know exactly what is going on but things seemed to have gone drastically downhill.

[Thomas Radtke]

Simple explanation: The tracking number doesn't belong to your parcel.

Another one: A french investment bank has bought Greece.

Best bet: SC mixed up your address.

Either way you'll get it - sooner or later.

[Martin Pinckney]

Back in the day (early 1960s, latest) my father used to get mail addressed only with his name and city, state. No street, no number, no zip.

Now if the 5-digit zip is off on the last digit only, it will get returned.

[Dave Shaffer (Arizona)]

Quote:

---

Back in the day (early 1960s, latest) my father used to get mail addressed only with his name and city, state. No street, no number, no zip

---

In the 60's, I could get mail delivered with only my ham call and ZIP:

K3NXO
16652

would get to me.

I had forwarned the local PO though!

Other than perhaps Santa Claus ("North Pole") or the "White House", I don't think you can do much better.

[Eric Rechlin]

Actually about a year ago I got a package where the sender had the wrong ZIP code, spelled the city wrong, and had the wrong street address, and it still got to me on time. I was astonished. So sometimes the USPS does seem to care.

Another time, about 10 years ago, I got a magazine where the address label had been nearly completely torn off, showing only the following:

ERIC REC

6330 MAI

HOUSTON

Most impressive was that >200 people shared that address.

I think it's only been this year that the USPS has gone downhill. One of the clerks at my post office has expressed her exasperation to me (I've helped her out in the past, repairing their calculators and stuff). It's pretty sad what's going on there now.

Eric

[bill platt]

You are absolutely right on every point.

[Gerson W. Barbosa]

Once in a while they make mistakes, reversible mistakes though. Early this year I ordered a Foxconn motherboard from China. I live in Curitiba, Brazil, in a neighborhood called São Francisco. When tracking the item I noticed the item ended up going to San Francisco California. The seller called USPS and it eventually arrived at my door one week later.
My three HP-15C LE's haven't arrived yet. Last time I checked they were in São Paulo, waiting to be taxed.

Good luck!

Gerson.

[Nick_S]

Gerson, that is reassuring. Samson Cables are currently following this up with USPS.

Nick