U.S. Postal Service suspends deliveries to Australia

[Gargravarr]

Surely that cannot be efficient?

No, that's just ridiculous. Surely they could consolidate it to one visit per day. Down here most people only get deliveries on weekdays (we get them 3 days/week, while others get none at all), and never more than one visit.

I'm actually pretty happy with AusPost's service. It may not be quick, but at least mail does get here reliably.

 

[rhodes96]

I received a package last Thursday from a plumber who was delivering AusPost Parcels. ( the plumbing business logo was on the side of the van.) I asked him what was going on? He replied due the lockdowns he has no work and AusPost were advertising for drivers. Also said a few of his friends are doing the same thing.

Looks like if you have a van and are willing to work, AusPost will hire you.

 

[DougW]

I had a box of razor goodies sent to me from my friend in America who acts as my proxy address - it went from the States via HK then to Perth WA then to Melb and then returned to the States because Aust Post could handle the parcel load at the time.

 

[rhodes96]

I had a box of razor goodies sent to me from my friend in America who acts as my proxy address - it went from the States via HK then to Perth WA then to Melb and then returned to the States because Aust Post could handle the parcel load at the time.

What your saying is that Auspost received the item, bugger this, too busy, sent it back return to sender?

Normally if they are busy they just store the item in their distribution warehouses awaiting delivery

 

[Monsta_AU]

USPS still having issues getting airfreight capacity out of the US due to demand. I would have thought enough flights were now happening on the main carriers for this to not be a problem unless it is specifically due to cargo demand pushing prices up above what they can charge. AusPost had no issues sending outbound to the US during most of the pandemic.

Into Sydney alone we have the following daily flights:

• QF: B789 from LAX
• UA: B77W from LAX, B77W from SFO
• DL: A359 from LAX

I note that there are no flights from the US into either BNE or MEL yet, so maybe the capacity that would otherwise be directed that way is simply too much for the SYD flights to handle for the entire country.

 

[JVS]

Apologies if I’m veering off-topic but we live in a rural area in the Philippines so a lot of stuff arrives on the back or a motorcycle even when the rough road is flooded. The only time I have issues is with bloody USPS or Royal Mail so I’ve largely stopped ordering stuff from the USA or UK unless it’s Amazon, and use vendors in Canada, Spain, etc, instead. Recent shipments from Italian Barber, Gifts & Care, and Tatara have arrived in 4-7 days.

 

[Holiday]

Last package from Planet Express did not have DHL as an option so went with USPS Express.
Sent 21/11 arrived Brisbane 28/11 and Darwin 09/12 not as fast as DHL but still arrived in less than 20 days

 

[rbscebu]

Apologies if I’m veering off-topic but we live in a rural area in the Philippines so a lot of stuff arrives on the back or a motorcycle even when the rough road is flooded. The only time I have issues is with bloody USPS or Royal Mail so I’ve largely stopped ordering stuff from the USA or UK unless it’s Amazon, and use vendors in Canada, Spain, etc, instead. Recent shipments from Italian Barber, Gifts & Care, and Tatara have arrived in 4-7 days.

You are a very lucky person. When I was living in the Philippines, overseas parcels would arrive in Manila and either "disappear" in Customs or PhilPost, or take 1 to three months to travel from Manila to Lapu-Lapu City where the second busiest airport in the country is. Only about 50% of parcels got through. Letter were even worse.

There was no tracking once a parcel hit PhilPost and no home delivery, not even for letters. LLC PO (4km away) would just send you a text (if the parcel/letter included your number) to go and pick it up. If no number, it just sat in the PO until you guessed they had it and went to pick it up.

That was between 2008 and 2021.

 

[Rhinehoth]

There are other postal services besides USPS that deliver here.

 

[DougW]

What your saying is that Auspost received the item, bugger this, too busy, sent it back return to sender?

Normally if they are busy they just store the item in their distribution warehouses awaiting delivery

It was around September when it happened....maybe October - Melb was in full lock down and Aust Post had a lot of peeps off work. I've got at least four boxes waiting in the states for me to send, so i'll wait til Xmas is over and try again.

 

[Gargravarr]

All these posts, especially that last from @rbscebu are a salutary reminder of how fortunate we have become. Back in the days when we often (or usually) communicated by means of handwritten letters, we sort of got used to the idea that mail would sometimes miss its final destination. I distinctly remember having written such a letter (from London) in 1982 to a friend living in an apartment in Istanbul. In 1986, I just happened to visit that same building in Turkey, and was simultaneously chagrined and delighted to see that same envelope (some here will know I have very distinctive handwriting) sitting unopened on a rack in the hallway, the addressee having died years before.

 

[DougW]

All these posts, especially that last from @rbscebu are a salutary reminder of how fortunate we have become. Back in the days when we often (or usually) communicated by means of handwritten letters, we sort of got used to the idea that mail would sometimes miss its final destination. I distinctly remember having written such a letter (from London) in 1982 to a friend living in an apartment in Istanbul. In 1986, I just happened to visit that same building in Turkey, and was simultaneously chagrined and delighted to see that same envelope (some here will know I have very distinctive handwriting) sitting unopened on a rack in the hallway, the addressee having died years before.

Wow!