Shipping to USA from Germany

[Brians356]

Anyone here ever work for USPS or Deutsche Post / DHL in Germany? Or, anyone have knowledge about shipping from Germany to USA?

On 15 December 2020 I ordered an item from an online store in Germany, shipped Priority Mail International.

Eight weeks later, Deutsche Post says "Shipped. Here's the tracking number, contact USPS."

USPS says "Valid tracking number, status is 'Deutsche Post preparing shipment'. Contact shipper."

My question for a postal "insider": Does USPS saying shipper is "preparing shipment" encompass everything from A. DP is about to ship it, to B. The item is on a slow boat in the Atlantic Ocean somewhere, headed this way? In other words, does USPS know it's coming, but doesn't really know or care about its actual status or whereabouts until they get their hands on it?
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[DiffEQ]

My experience lately with USPS tracking has been "waiting to receive package" or "product scanned, waiting on next scan" often stays the same for days, then there's the "out for delivery." Whacked.
I receive DHL multiple times per year. They deliver directly. Have also shipped DHL to England, no problem.
Edit to add : DHL is one of the few shipping companies I still trust to get it right.

 

[riflewoman]

USPS Tracking.

 

[TIMO]

Contact (PM) member Guzzimo he is from Germany. He might be able provide Bundest Post info. I know I spelled that wrong, It has been 20+ years since I was in country.

Tim

 

[TheOtherZilla]

No but I bought some mosaic pins from a maker in Russia a few years ago'' Slooow boat. And customs takes a while. I also have shipped and recieved things from Australia. Yup, US customs take their sweet time.. Int shipping is sloooooow

 

[MarkTrew]

I bring about one shipment a month from Germany.
Thanks,
Mark
Begin forwarded message:

To: Mark Trew <mrktrew@verizon.net>

Historically transit time has been about 2 weeks. The last several shipments have not been by air, but by boat. It appears this shipment is on a boat. That seems to be unpredictable, until I get a little more history with the row boat it will be a waiting game.

 

[Snuggie]

I have used DHL twice from Germany. Great folks both times! Wouldn’t use any one else !! Customs usually one day and you have to pay customs fee but easy as any one else. USPS, NEVER!

 

[Brians356]

Wow. I wasn't sure this would garner any interest. Thanks everyone, lots of good info already.

@MarkTrew, someone I talked to at the vendor in Germany said the same thing about boat shipping rather than air, due to, uh, some Chinese virus or something. It seemed implausible, but now you seem to confirm it.
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[Snuggie]

DHL ships overnight every time. One day in customs then out to you. Amazing service. FYI, DHL was around before all the others, long time ago. And they continue to be excellent folks.

 

[Brians356]

I receive DHL multiple times per year. They deliver directly.

Well, that's confusing. If Deutsche Post is DHL (it is) and delivers directly, then why does USPS have the tracking number, and DHL are advising me to let USPS track it from here?
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[Brians356]

DHL ships overnight every time. One day in customs then out to you. Amazing service. FYI, DHL was around before all the others, long time ago. And they continue to be excellent folks.

Same question for you as I asked DiffEQ.
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[DiffEQ]

Well, that's confusing. If Deutsche Post is DHL (it is) and delivers directly, then why does USPS have the tracking number, and DHL are advising me to let USPS track it from here?

FedEx overnight and FedEx ground are (functionally) two different divisions within the same company. Dunno much about UPS because I think they suck, but Midway loves to use UPS "Sure Post" (UPS Sure Lost, IMO).
Didn't know about the relation between DHL and Deutsche Post. So it seems, their low cost option follows the postal service. For the stuff my company has delivered, yellow van pulls up, package appears at my door, I'm happy.

 

[Brians356]

Didn't know about the relation between DHL and Deutsche Post. So it seems, their low cost option follows the postal service. For the stuff my company has delivered, yellow van pulls up, package appears at my door, I'm happy.

Mine was shipped Priority Mail, there must be a step up which is DHL all the way. I didn't need speedy delivery, but assumed the choices would all be reliable. I'd have purchased in the US but couldn't find the item anywhere else.
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[std7mag]

It could also be held up in Customs.
If they are backlogged it could be months before you see your package.
Especially if it was "flagged" with questionable exchange status.
Things like scopes & nuclear submarines...

 

[Twicepop]

Many years ago a friend of mine mistakenly had a package shipped a package from the USA to West Germany, and got a call from the West German Police. I'll relate the story as told to me by his brother in law. A childhood friend of his moved to Colorado and built a cabin up in the mountains somewhere. This friend had numerous big game heads and other small woodland creatures stuffed and mounted on display around the cabin. He contacted his childhood friend back here and told him that he wanted a opossum to mount because they didn't have them in Colorado. So my friend trapped one and froze it, then he packed it dry ice and air freighted it to Colorado. On the trip to Colorado the package got lost and wound up in I think it was Frankfurt Germany at the airport where it thawed out and was seeping and oozing and smelling real nasty. The police were called and it was opened to find what might be making the mess and the offensive odor, and they discovered the opossum. From what the brother in law and later my friend said, the West German authorities called him and wondered what in the hell kind of rat that was, because they had never seen or heard of an opossum, and why was it in the airport in Germany. He explained that it was supposed to have gone to Colorado to be mounted for a North American wildlife display in his buddy's cabin.

 

[MarkTrew]

Following up my earlier post, agreeing with Brian’s post, one can learn enough to have a headache.

I am only speaking of shipments from Germany. Just like our USPS, there are many different services when one elects to ship a parcel by DHL. Economy service, regular service , or you can specify air. If the shipper specifies air then the little yello truck shows up at your door in the US. Just as Diff stated earlier.

Now, when one is bringing parcels across using economy or regular services, one is at the mercy of DHL and their choices.

when the container comes to US Customs, after it is unloaded, I usually can get a USPS notice stating “Inbound out of Customs”. 2-8 days later the notice comes thru “Outbound out of Customs”. I suggest one needs an advanced degree to understand the choice of wording on the first notice. There is a backup at Customs for non-priority goods. Read that as non-air specified shipping. Before moving to the next step, periodically there were back ups in unloading the containers from the airplane. Unfortunately, that is reality in the Covid world and the business plan of Dejoy

Further adding to the equation, the port of entry seems to have some impact on the time factor. NYC seems to be very slow getting thru Customs, Baltimore has good and bad times, Chicago is extremely slow, etc..

Finally, after thru Customs it is in the hands of our USPS. I hope everyone has read a bit of the issues here. That is why you can track the parcel thru USPS. Until the package goes thru the USPS scanner at Customs it will show “Label Prepared...”

All said, it isn’t quite a simple process.

MarkTrew

 

[Intheshop]

I got a Soviet made,Morse "0" finish reamer from Holland in just under 3 weeks..... with Christmas being dead center of that window.

Shocked me.

And it's a decent reamer too.

 

[Liven The Dream]

I ordered a Bi-Pod from England ! DHL had it in San Francisco in 2 1/2 days .?? Tracking stated transferred to UPS. For 3 days no movement of package .On day 4 tracked to Portland Or. Then tracking stated transferred to USPS . The Package was delivered on day 8 of being in the US.

 

[arctic2]

Received a package this week from Russia. Ordered Nov. 3rd.. No notice from the USPS. Just showed up one day.

 

[Snuggie]

Same question for you as I asked DiffEQ.
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In my case I had ordered a Prazi Press. It weighs 39 pounds. It was shipped by the manufacturer by DHL. It was sent overnight air. Went to Cincinnati where it spent two days in customs. Then it went to New Orleans and was delivered by the DHL van to me. I did this twice. Absolutely no problems.