Teaware lost on the way¿?

[IPT]

SAL is incredibly inconsistant from China. Packages from here to the US can take as short as 10 days and as long as two months. There does not seem to be any reason for it. I have asked at the post office many times what is going on and they hint at a change in the system, but will not or cannot tell me anything else. I think it is more frustrating for me, than it is for my customers. Even shipping by AIR is inconsistant.

[AdamMY]

Part of it is, I believe as its a lower priority package, it is sort of traveling on "stand by." In the sense that they likely do not have space, or a lot of space set aside on the ships/planes set aside for SAL, and instead are placed on if there is space available.

At least that is my rational for it, as the longest I have ever had a package take from Japan, was an order I placed in early November, and I think it got caught up in the Christmas mess, and didn't arrive till the week before Christmas.

[tortoise]

I'm not sure I'm completely lucid on this, but the way I understand it is that when you select to ship an item SAL, that package sits at a post office or warehouse until enough other items selected for SAL shipment arrive and then they are shipped together. So, you order your goods and if they aren't among the last to arrive before a SAL shipment dispatches, it will be among the first of a new bulk group and thus, require more patience from you.

I had an order take over 3 weeks SAL shipped from Maiko recently. However, once they received my order, they didn't ship it from their store for 5 days, so those first 5 days were on them, the rest was SAL. It's the price (you don't ) pay for SAL shipping.

[oak]

If the goods are detained at customs, often they send a letter by e-mail for us to contact them.

I have not the experience with Japan, but with China and shipments often usually take 4 to 5 1/2 weeks. I generally claim when it has already spent a month and a week. Lucky¡

[lkj23]

I hope you both are right and it has been waiting to be shipped. Not even received today

That happened to me one time Oak, with a expensive packed from USA and express shipping ( more likely to be stopped). In this case the value of the packet is 200$ so maybe has been stoped at customs, however I hope magokorodo has declared low value.

[Chip]

I do not think Mago will low ball the value for customs ...

[debunix]

Mine have always been labeled with the price I paid for them.

[lkj23]

With my only packet from him, Sendai cup, he lowered the value, only 1000 yens = 8,5€ It´s the best for customs

[Chasm]

Wow, 4-5 weeks for SAL from Japan!?!

It's very rare, but it has happened. I haven't been able to tell where the hold-up happens, but I would guess customs.

I have had this happen too. Just when I was starting to really worry, the package showed up.

[IPT]

I order quite a bit from the US, things like toys, clothing, and books for my daughter and sometimes it takes ten days and other times it takes months, so I think it is pretty much the same no matter to or from where a package is being sent. I have a couple of people I regularly order from whose packages take around two months to arrive. Every single time I order from them, it takes that long, so I do not know what is up with that. If I order from anyone else, it takes a few weeks, but from them it always takes two months, so I have learned to just expect it from them.

I personally try my best to forget when I order something, so when it shows up, it shows up and I am pleasantly surprised. If I think about it too much, I go crazy waiting and wondering and worrying.

[betta]

[quote="IPT"]Every single time I order from them, it takes that long, so I do not know what is up with that. If I order from anyone else, it takes a few weeks, but from them it always takes two months, so I have learned to just expect it from them.
[quote]

Items ordered from vendors in perfectures other than that of Tokyo, Osaka, etc will have to be sent first to those cities for international shipment. And the items will not be directly transported to those cities, instead they will most of the time have to pass through neighbouring perfecture. So you might find variations of shipping time even it is the same SAL.

[lkj23]

I personally try my best to forget when I order something, so when it shows up, it shows up and I am pleasantly surprised. If I think about it too much, I go crazy waiting and wondering and worrying.

I go crazy just now

Nex time, for high value orders I´ll choose registered SAL

[lkj23]

Received today!!!! I´m very happy, the anguish and anxiety ended!!!

Items ordered from vendors in perfectures other than that of Tokyo, Osaka, etc will have to be sent first to those cities for international shipment. And the items will not be directly transported to those cities, instead they will most of the time have to pass through neighbouring perfecture. So you might find variations of shipping time even it is the same SAL.

Yes, it can be the cause. Also I have received today my order from zencha shipped by SAL on 1st July ( magokorodo shipped on 23rd June)

Thanks to all for your help. An advice: if you order expensive teaware and want SAL shipping choose SAL registered, I have had a bad waiting

[oak]

lk don't worry, this morning I heard the Post Office packages is stlightely collapsed. You already know that Post in Spain was privatized at 1 july of this year. This caused much of the staff employees were relocated in others sites of Administration. And now there are fewer people with the same work. I guess it will take some time to stabilize.

Good luck.

[MarshalN]

It's very possible that your item is held up in customs. Sometimes they don't actually hold it eventually, but it takes a few days to clear. There's nothing you can do about it.

I've sent a package before from the US to Australia that took 3 months, but it eventually arrived, so stranger things have happened.