Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
The letter did not arrive in July. Not in August. Not in September.
From a logical point of view it was lost and was never going to reach its destination.
Well, surprise, surprise. It showed up in my mailbox today, October 11 !
It probably wasn't on a plane. Maybe it ended up on a ship attacked by pirates by the shores of Africa. Who knows.
What was your most delayed and received item?
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By the lack of responses I must conclude that the letter above is among the most delayed letters ever!
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Several years ago, I bought stamps from a seller in Algeria. It took about six months for the stamps to arrive. After that, additional shipments from the same seller only took a few weeks.
I also bought stamps from a seller in Bulgaria. Each time, the shipments took about six months to arrive. Bulgaria is crazy when it comes to shipping stamps to or from that country. All shipments have to be forwarded through the State Philatelic Agency.
If you get mail directly from the Pitcairn Islands (I used to subscribe to their newspaper), it takes three months to arrive.
Mail from New Zealand, where the Pitcairn Islands Philatelic Agency is located, takes a couple of weeks.
About six years ago, I shipped one of my books to a friend in Russia. It never arrived. A friend of mine at the post office looked up the tracking. It was located in St. Louis Customs. The last time I checked, it was still showing to be in St. Louis. I sent anther book to Russia to replace the "lost" book. It took three months to get there; destination: Novosibirsk, the capital city of Siberia.
Long delivery times sometimes happen. The exact reasons are usually never known.
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Cougar,
Surprisingly delays from African and European sources are often caused by Canada Post and not the originating post office.
Over the past two or three years, I have had half a dozen or so items delayed for two to three months. As some of these were registered, including from South Africa, I could track the items until they reached Canada where they were then handed over to Canada Post a few days after being posted. Once in Canada Posts' possession, it is no longer possible to track foreign items which then seemingly disappear into an enormous black hole at some sorting facility only to reappear months later.
That is not to say that South Africa does not have its own postal issues. A registered letter to South Africa never arrived at its destination. However, by means of the Canadian tracking code, I was able to track my letter after its arrival in South Africa to the very shelf in the post office where it has been left forgotten for weeks.
Clive
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For many years I sent letters and packages to Belize (C/O General Delivery - no street addresses in that location then) from Montreal, Canada. About the same delivery time for each, approx 30 days.
From Belize to Montreal for letters, approx 30 days. Not bad!
Sent Christmas cards to relatives in Mexico a few times, from Montreal. Some never arrived and those that did took 6 to 9 months. Last time I mailed 2 at the same time (to the same street address). 1 never arrived, and the other took 8 months.
For some reason, I expected Mexico to have a better postal service than Belize.
Now I am in Mexico, sitting in the very same street address as all those past cards were sent to. I never see ANY mail. The locals NEVER receive mail, and look with great curiosity at mail which I have delivered to Laredo TX, for pick up by a local truck driver (and let's not talk about THAT additional cost)
Interestingly, there is a Post Office about 10 minutes walk from where I am, but I haven't yet had time to visit it.
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One time when I was in Matamoros, Mexico (just across the border from Brownsville, Texas, I went to the post office to buy some stamps for my collection. The clerk was sitting at his station. His stock book of postage stamps was sitting open on his lap. He was smoking a cigarette, with the ashes dropping onto the stamps. I turned and walked out.
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Micheal......I'm laughing!
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06:01:52pm
" .... He was smoking a cigarette, with the ashes dropping
onto the stamps. I turned and walked out. ...."
What and miss the classic "Quemado en Tránsito" variety ?
Imagine the minimum bid you could seek on eBay ! ! !
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I sent an envelope to Germany last February. It finally arrived in late September. A few years ago, I mailed a letter to the Philippines. I was shocked a year later when I received it back. It was marked as "No such Address."
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I found France to be awful!
I sent an eBay purchase of a postcard to France. It was returned, "No such address". I tried to contact the purchaser, no response. I waited six months and then relisted the card for sale. Same guy buys it again! He pays, and when I was able to contact him with an explanation, he said something like, "Yea I know our postal system is awful!" I sent it to the same address and believe he got it the second time.
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I'll try to get a copy and post it.
In March, I visited a couple cities in Europe (I live in Nashville). I sent each of my 3 daughters post cards from Brussels, Paris, Luxembourg City, and Trier Germany. All were received in very short order, except one post card to one daughter from Trier. It never came. Until it arrived in the mail at her mother's house on Halloween day.
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From Los Angeles, a flat-rate priority envelope to Riverside, 70 miles away, took 30 days. From Los Angeles to Japan, many miles, took 5 days.. I am still amazed that all the mail can be delivered as well as it is. What world-wide, a trillion pieces a year.
How about the old days, name and city, still got there..
And I don't work for the PO...
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> " How about the old days, name and city, still got there.."
It looked easy, but it sure wasn't. You would have had to ask for your mail at the post office which could be miles away and pick it up from there. Rural delivery was introduced fairly late in various parts of the world.
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Wouldn't call it a service ??? the postal authorities seem to do what they like these days..
My last 3 lots from the US one took 10 days,one arrived yesterday after 5 weeks and another order placed at the same time still hasn't arrived. None are from SOR though!
Brian
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one time I purchase stamps from USA to Saudi Arabia, usually it go through Luxembourg, but surprisingly, it go to Brazil/Reo de janiro, then come back to USA then send again to Saudi Arabia, it takes about 4 months. that one with tracking number, and when envelope reached to me, no postmarks explain that tracking route.
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This cover was mailed in Boston, destined for someone living in Boston and yet it took a little over six months to get there.
This cover was sealed into an old mail bag that the post office thought was closed. six months later when they went to use that same mail bag again, they found this cover. On the back is postmarked July 7, 1964
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If they had a stamp ready for this occasion, I doubt it was an isolated occurrence.
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Never arrived me before a long time
I mailed a letter for SOR member living in Canada last 14th December, its arrived yesterday 20th (Algeria-Canada), only 7 days, it is a miraculous. I cross my fingers that will arrive more often.
Have a nice end year festivities
Foudutimbre
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Just taken Canada Post 10 days to get mail from Ontario to Manitoba, guess they will blame the Christmas rush (which strangely seems to occur every year).
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I had a letter mailed to me from South Africa on July 8, 2019.
The letter did not arrive in July. Not in August. Not in September.
From a logical point of view it was lost and was never going to reach its destination.
Well, surprise, surprise. It showed up in my mailbox today, October 11 !
It probably wasn't on a plane. Maybe it ended up on a ship attacked by pirates by the shores of Africa. Who knows.
What was your most delayed and received item?
Login to Like
this post
re: Late deliveries
By the lack of responses I must conclude that the letter above is among the most delayed letters ever!
Login to Like
this post
09:45:00pm
re: Late deliveries
Several years ago, I bought stamps from a seller in Algeria. It took about six months for the stamps to arrive. After that, additional shipments from the same seller only took a few weeks.
I also bought stamps from a seller in Bulgaria. Each time, the shipments took about six months to arrive. Bulgaria is crazy when it comes to shipping stamps to or from that country. All shipments have to be forwarded through the State Philatelic Agency.
If you get mail directly from the Pitcairn Islands (I used to subscribe to their newspaper), it takes three months to arrive.
Mail from New Zealand, where the Pitcairn Islands Philatelic Agency is located, takes a couple of weeks.
About six years ago, I shipped one of my books to a friend in Russia. It never arrived. A friend of mine at the post office looked up the tracking. It was located in St. Louis Customs. The last time I checked, it was still showing to be in St. Louis. I sent anther book to Russia to replace the "lost" book. It took three months to get there; destination: Novosibirsk, the capital city of Siberia.
Long delivery times sometimes happen. The exact reasons are usually never known.
Login to Like
this post
re: Late deliveries
Cougar,
Surprisingly delays from African and European sources are often caused by Canada Post and not the originating post office.
Over the past two or three years, I have had half a dozen or so items delayed for two to three months. As some of these were registered, including from South Africa, I could track the items until they reached Canada where they were then handed over to Canada Post a few days after being posted. Once in Canada Posts' possession, it is no longer possible to track foreign items which then seemingly disappear into an enormous black hole at some sorting facility only to reappear months later.
That is not to say that South Africa does not have its own postal issues. A registered letter to South Africa never arrived at its destination. However, by means of the Canadian tracking code, I was able to track my letter after its arrival in South Africa to the very shelf in the post office where it has been left forgotten for weeks.
Clive
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12:18:10pm
re: Late deliveries
For many years I sent letters and packages to Belize (C/O General Delivery - no street addresses in that location then) from Montreal, Canada. About the same delivery time for each, approx 30 days.
From Belize to Montreal for letters, approx 30 days. Not bad!
Sent Christmas cards to relatives in Mexico a few times, from Montreal. Some never arrived and those that did took 6 to 9 months. Last time I mailed 2 at the same time (to the same street address). 1 never arrived, and the other took 8 months.
For some reason, I expected Mexico to have a better postal service than Belize.
Now I am in Mexico, sitting in the very same street address as all those past cards were sent to. I never see ANY mail. The locals NEVER receive mail, and look with great curiosity at mail which I have delivered to Laredo TX, for pick up by a local truck driver (and let's not talk about THAT additional cost)
Interestingly, there is a Post Office about 10 minutes walk from where I am, but I haven't yet had time to visit it.
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04:21:37pm
re: Late deliveries
One time when I was in Matamoros, Mexico (just across the border from Brownsville, Texas, I went to the post office to buy some stamps for my collection. The clerk was sitting at his station. His stock book of postage stamps was sitting open on his lap. He was smoking a cigarette, with the ashes dropping onto the stamps. I turned and walked out.
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Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
15 Oct 2019
06:01:52pm
re: Late deliveries
" .... He was smoking a cigarette, with the ashes dropping
onto the stamps. I turned and walked out. ...."
What and miss the classic "Quemado en Tránsito" variety ?
Imagine the minimum bid you could seek on eBay ! ! !
1 Member
likes this post.
Login to Like.
re: Late deliveries
I sent an envelope to Germany last February. It finally arrived in late September. A few years ago, I mailed a letter to the Philippines. I was shocked a year later when I received it back. It was marked as "No such Address."
Login to Like
this post
re: Late deliveries
I found France to be awful!
I sent an eBay purchase of a postcard to France. It was returned, "No such address". I tried to contact the purchaser, no response. I waited six months and then relisted the card for sale. Same guy buys it again! He pays, and when I was able to contact him with an explanation, he said something like, "Yea I know our postal system is awful!" I sent it to the same address and believe he got it the second time.
Login to Like
this post
re: Late deliveries
I'll try to get a copy and post it.
In March, I visited a couple cities in Europe (I live in Nashville). I sent each of my 3 daughters post cards from Brussels, Paris, Luxembourg City, and Trier Germany. All were received in very short order, except one post card to one daughter from Trier. It never came. Until it arrived in the mail at her mother's house on Halloween day.
Login to Like
this post
07:46:18pm
re: Late deliveries
From Los Angeles, a flat-rate priority envelope to Riverside, 70 miles away, took 30 days. From Los Angeles to Japan, many miles, took 5 days.. I am still amazed that all the mail can be delivered as well as it is. What world-wide, a trillion pieces a year.
How about the old days, name and city, still got there..
And I don't work for the PO...
Login to Like
this post
01:50:04am
re: Late deliveries
> " How about the old days, name and city, still got there.."
It looked easy, but it sure wasn't. You would have had to ask for your mail at the post office which could be miles away and pick it up from there. Rural delivery was introduced fairly late in various parts of the world.
Login to Like
this post
Auctions
re: Late deliveries
Wouldn't call it a service ??? the postal authorities seem to do what they like these days..
My last 3 lots from the US one took 10 days,one arrived yesterday after 5 weeks and another order placed at the same time still hasn't arrived. None are from SOR though!
Brian
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06:25:09am
re: Late deliveries
one time I purchase stamps from USA to Saudi Arabia, usually it go through Luxembourg, but surprisingly, it go to Brazil/Reo de janiro, then come back to USA then send again to Saudi Arabia, it takes about 4 months. that one with tracking number, and when envelope reached to me, no postmarks explain that tracking route.
Login to Like
this post
re: Late deliveries
This cover was mailed in Boston, destined for someone living in Boston and yet it took a little over six months to get there.
This cover was sealed into an old mail bag that the post office thought was closed. six months later when they went to use that same mail bag again, they found this cover. On the back is postmarked July 7, 1964
Login to Like
this post
re: Late deliveries
If they had a stamp ready for this occasion, I doubt it was an isolated occurrence.
Login to Like
this post
Auctions - Approvals
re: Late deliveries
Never arrived me before a long time
I mailed a letter for SOR member living in Canada last 14th December, its arrived yesterday 20th (Algeria-Canada), only 7 days, it is a miraculous. I cross my fingers that will arrive more often.
Have a nice end year festivities
Foudutimbre
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this post
Approvals
re: Late deliveries
Just taken Canada Post 10 days to get mail from Ontario to Manitoba, guess they will blame the Christmas rush (which strangely seems to occur every year).
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