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Don't you hate it when... (Train related)


chadbag

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Don't you hate it when...

 

 

You go refresh the USPS.COM / UPS.COM / DHL.COM / your favorite shipper website, and there has been no new tracking history since you did it 15 minutes ago?

 

I have something* coming from dm-toys.de and I've been checking, and re-checking, and re-checking.    Something about a watched pot never boils.

 

This is not my first time with this problem.

 

(ships DHL but DHL transfers to the USPS system it seems [DHL is owned by the [privatized] German post office] and last activity was yesterday morning, 3:30am German time, passing through Frankfurt Airport)

 

 

(DB BR120 engine, 1 single freight car, a single SNCB passenger car,  a test rig with rollers, and some heat shrink tubing [normally I get that from Hobby King, but have not needed enough stuff to order from them in a year or two and needed some really small tubing])

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I know that  feeling, I've had a box of track waiting at the Tokyo airport for the last few weeks and yet parts I order a few days ago just make it through both systems in a few days.  Of course, I was checking the oldest package, so the two more recently ordered ones came as a surprise...

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ive escaped by using sal mostly and just being surprised when opening the mail box. i think you are right tracking is like watching water boil. seems like it slows the physics by watching, probably the same for package movement. Watching the tracking slows the local space time continuum for the package as it does for the forming steam bubbles by watching them. one of those schrodinger things... sure he has an equation on it being something like the time it takes the tracked package to get to you is related by the cube of the number of times you have looked at the tracking with some amplituhedron stuff in there on the n dimensional space effects of your tracking it in transit.

 

cheers

 

jeff

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It should be easy enough for the transport companies to link the number of hits on the tracking page with a lowering of the priority of the package in question.

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In January just gone. SAL package one sent on 5th of Jan arrived on the 28th. SAL package two sent on 19th of Jan arrived on the 27th.

 

Both from AmiAmi. P1 was a small 10x10x15cm box. P2 was bookcase size box.

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Still no updates since last Thursday at 3:29am Germany time when it says it was being transferred to the USPS.com and a new tracking number was shown for it (postal style, not DHL style).  USPS.com has it listed as "Pre-Shipment" since last Thursday.  Last track was processing through Frankfurt airport.   Arghh.

 

I have another shipped today from a different hobby store in Germany, also using "DHL".  I suspect it is the same service and will soon be foisted on USPS.   We'll see how long this one takes in never-never land.

 

At least Modelbahnshop-lippe.com uses UPS for their (expensive) flat rate US shipping and it gets here very quickly.  Once some Digikeijs stuff gets in stock there I'll be doing my last order in a while for train stuff.

 

 

 

Edited by chadbag
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So I have 7 tracking numbers in my USPS.com page I keep refreshing.

 

1 from Japan (ami ami -- Yamato Toki from Tomix)

1 from Holland (a Fleischmann E40 lok in stahlblau plus 2 used cars)

1 from NY (Arnold Lufthansa Express lok BR111)

4 from Germany (1 from dm-toys.dm with a test rig, a BR120 lok, a car or two, 1 from an eBay dealer in Berlin with 10 used cars, 1 from modelbahn Kramm with some cars and an E10 lok, and 1 with two DCC boards for Tomix cleaning cars)

 

I am waiting for some amazon.co.jp to ship -- they are marked as "Preparing for shipment" and they charged me a day or so ago so I expect them to be underway and get here fast once they ship.  Mostly cars (tank cars, and 3 koki), a few tank containers, a Tomix Shinkansen 100 series (JR West with green line -- we rode the real one once), and a set from Tomix with EF210 and a couple Toki and containers that was wicked cheap, relatively speaking.

 

Some other amazon.co.jp stuff scheduled to ship in a week (some Kato new or re-release locomotives)

 

Maddening.  Especially when most of them have no change in status for days at a time.  At least the NY one says Monday delivery, and 2 of the German ones have at least shown up a few days ago as being in the US, as has the Japan one though nothing since).  The rest have been in state "Preparing" or whatever the USPS says for a week.

 

I know I should stop looking and be surprised when it comes.  But they send me the dang tracking numbers so I feel compelled :)    This is worse than a kid at Christmas.

 

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Interestingly, one of the packages from Germany (DHL WeltPaket) showed up in San Francisco last night at customs.   Usually they show up in NY or NJ or thereabouts.  I guess it just depends on what planes have room from Frankfurt.  San Francisco is close to Utah so hopefully the pony express will be faster than the long, drawn out affair from NY.

 

ETA:  Just noticed the one from Holland also hit San Francisco last night.

Edited by chadbag
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You drive 30 miles out of your way to pick up an item and when you get home you open the sealed package to find the wrong item inside!

 

picked up some testors clear decal paper yesterday while out of town and today opened the sealed package to discover white decal sheets inside. I’m hoping a call to testors Monday will get them to ship some to me right away, I have a feeling there was more than one package with this goof!  We shall see. 

 

Jeff

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2 hours ago, cteno4 said:

You drive 30 miles out of your way to pick up an item and when you get home you open the sealed package to find the wrong item inside!

 

Jeff

 

That would suck.  Hopefully they make good on it without the need to go out of your way again. 

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Finally got the dm-toys.de box I have been tracking like since forever.  Also got my friends box from Munich, a SAL from ami ami (couple weeks), and an eBay US purchase.   But now, maddeningly, 2 shipments from amazon.co.jp shipped yesterday.  The second to ship, from Nagoya, is already in Cincinnati at the DHL hub.  The first, from Yokohama, cleared the Japanese customs and was released back to DHL in Tokyo, and 10 minutes later put "on hold", where it still sits.  And it "shipped" from amazon.co.jp and was picked up some 4-5 hours before the other.  Have not seen this "on hold" status before.

 

A locs4fun from Holland has cleared customs in San Fran.  Maybe even tomorrow?  And the first box from Modellbahn Kramm in Germany cleared in San Fran as well and is on its way.  Those have been relatively quick.  So no complaints.  And an eBay from Berlin of a bunch of used cars was just shipped Saturday and has already hit US customs in NY.  SO much faster than the last couple from Germany...

Edited by chadbag
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Interesting that all these packages seem to be clearing for you in SF, while I live in the area but all mine are coming through LAX.  Since the wait is often mostly for the USPS to forward them from down south, I wish they were coming through Sf as well.

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46 minutes ago, Kiha66 said:

Interesting that all these packages seem to be clearing for you in SF, while I live in the area but all mine are coming through LAX.  Since the wait is often mostly for the USPS to forward them from down south, I wish they were coming through Sf as well.

 

My ami ami from Japan cleared LAX.  One German and one Dutch cleared SFO.  The other multiple German packages seem to all clear (past and present) either NY or NJ.   And amazon.co.jp are always through Cincinnati.   I should wave at them when they fly by from Japan to OH.   

 

Really no clue.   I guess it depends on who has extra room on their planes when the shipments leave the clearing houses in Europe (or Japan).

 

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Having a problem with USPS... I purposely signed up for their "Informed Delivery" service so I could sign for packages digitally and they'd actually leave it on my porch, since I'm at work during the day when they try to deliver...

 

For the third time today, I came home and found their "Sorry we missed you!" note and telling me to pick it up tomorrow. And my "Informed Delivery" said no packages were out for delivery today, so I couldn't sign for it...

 

But, I suppose it just makes the wait more worth it! 

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6 minutes ago, tt0880 said:

Having a problem with USPS... I purposely signed up for their "Informed Delivery" service so I could sign for packages digitally and they'd actually leave it on my porch, since I'm at work during the day when they try to deliver...

 

For the third time today, I came home and found their "Sorry we missed you!" note and telling me to pick it up tomorrow. And my "Informed Delivery" said no packages were out for delivery today, so I couldn't sign for it...

 

But, I suppose it just makes the wait more worth it! 

 

I've had similar issues with those notes, I even caught the postman once just writing one and sticking it in my mail box rather than make the walk up the stairs to my apartment.  He even backdated it a few hours!

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50 minutes ago, tt0880 said:

Having a problem with USPS... I purposely signed up for their "Informed Delivery" service so I could sign for packages digitally and they'd actually leave it on my porch, since I'm at work during the day when they try to deliver...

 

For the third time today, I came home and found their "Sorry we missed you!" note and telling me to pick it up tomorrow. And my "Informed Delivery" said no packages were out for delivery today, so I couldn't sign for it...

 

But, I suppose it just makes the wait more worth it! 

 

I had an issue with a Japan Plaza (eBay) buy for my son's birthday in January -- USPS delivery (Kato "Thunderbird" set).  I was waiting for it -- it was out for delivery -- I was home.   I got an email that they had missed me and would try again.  I went upstairs and there was a slip on the door.  They had never knocked or rang the door bell.  It was a substitute carrier (my normal guy is way cool but Mondays he has off).  I raised holy h*ll with USPS customer service and had the local postmaster call me and apologize.   Today being a Monday, when she came today, she made sure to knock really loudly...

 

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6 minutes ago, railsquid said:

For excellence in parcel delivery service, I recommend moving to Japan :D

 

Nothing beats walking into a shop and leaving with your train(s) a few minutes later!  Wish I lived in the land of trains.

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I’ll beat that, take a cool train to the hobbyshop, come out with a few cool trains and then take another cool train home...

 

keff

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3 hours ago, Kiha66 said:

 

Nothing beats walking into a shop and leaving with your train(s) a few minutes later!  Wish I lived in the land of trains.

 

And like I said the excellent delivery services if going to the shop is too much bother, or buying on Yahoo Auctions :P And let's not even talk about Yodobashi Camera's (free) express delivery service...

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7 hours ago, railsquid said:

For excellence in parcel delivery service, I recommend moving to Japan :D

 

It really is amazing.   Especially amazon with Prime.  I've ordered late Saturday night while visiting my MIL and received it by Sunday late lunch. 

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My Ge 4/4 II is still making its way to a cargo plane at the moment. Probably better than arriving in the UK and getting stuck in this (downright embarrassing) snow-related shutdown!

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1 hour ago, Welshbloke said:

My Ge 4/4 II is still making its way to a cargo plane at the moment. Probably better than arriving in the UK and getting stuck in this (downright embarrassing) snow-related shutdown!

 

Let me let you into a secret... regions unused to dealing with heavy snowfall tend to go mammaries-up when more than a token amount of white stuff falls... happened in Tokyo in January, worst supply-chain spherical-up since the 2011 earthquake.

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7 hours ago, railsquid said:

 

Let me let you into a secret... regions unused to dealing with heavy snowfall tend to go mammaries-up when more than a token amount of white stuff falls... happened in Tokyo in January, worst supply-chain spherical-up since the 2011 earthquake.

You mean "when a token amount of the white stuff falls..."

 

Some times when slightly more than a token amount falls here in Utah, which should be used to it, we have major issues with life, the universe, and everything.  (And I am not talking out a real snow storm either).  Those places not used to it sometimes have major disasters just anticipating a dusting of the stuff.

 

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