What is going on with the USPS and its International Mail Rules?

[tulagirl]

Today I went to the post office to ask about Priority International shipping as it says its insured and has tracking.  I was looking for another alternative to Registered mail which is extra money and it never tells you the package was delivered and the safe handling of the box causes major delays in delivery up to months for some countries in my experience.

The post office says they no longer internationally track.  The only number I will get for the package I mail is the customs number.  It may or may not be scanned. Its not their responsibility and they don't really guarantee it.  They also don't guarantee it with Registered Mail anymore either.

I have sent packages and the customs number has tracked, but I sent one recently that had no activity on the customs number.

What is going on? I am so confused. It didn't use to be this way.  We used to be able to get a confirmation of delivery at least.  They said that is only available with Express Mail which is over 100.00 for small boxes and they told me that even that is not a guarantee.

Well, bells bells does anyone know if this is a new rule or something?  A cut back of some sort?

I mean my mail carrier won't even put my letters in my mail box. He throws them on my porch chair.

I just don't get what is going on.

[LadyMoondancer]

I believe Registered Mail is for within the US only.

Priority International Mail should still have tracking and insurance.  It's the biggest selling point for it, that and speed.

On First Class International, what I've found is that it's very variable lately.  They have provided tracking for me on some packages that I've sent via First Class International (which they didn't used to).  I think this service is only for certain countries.  The UK and Canada and Australia are the ones I've had first hand experience with.

THAT SAID, recently I've sent some international packages where, as soon as the package left the US, the tracking stopped.  Like I sent a package to the UK and it was tracked until it left San Francisco, but the UK Royal Mail never provided tracking for it. 

I am currently sending a package to the Netherlands, I'll be curious to see if the same thing happens.  SO FAR it's been tracked, but it just departed San Francisco.  We'll see if it continues being tracked after that point.

[archidraca]

Maybe there's been new cutbacks... I think most major international ports are still Tracked but not all. Maybe a couple of places in the UK, Canada, and Australia on the interior as well. It's still iffy even if they offer it for International because sometimes the Post is spotty. Regardless of country. Because people don't scan like they should. 

Sometimes USPS has different rules depending on which post it is. If I go to the Post that I get my mail sorted from I pay one price and tack on a minimum of 2 days processing time for anything sent. Some services they don't even offer. If I go to the Post I've termed Main for our greater counties area, they are directly beside the processing area and receive post directly from the two Customs processing plants that serve this half of the state (NYC, NY and Chicago, IL to east TN). It feels like they offer cheaper prices and more comprehensive services. I cannot send Medium or Large boxes Priority from my Post as they either do not have the proper labeling or it proves cost prohibitive and more than what is shown on the website. Main, however, can send anything and has boxes and labeling for everything.

Hope that helps a bit. 

[Taffeta]

Maybe there's been new cutbacks... I think most major international ports are still Tracked but not all. Maybe a couple of places in the UK, Canada, and Australia on the interior as well. It's still iffy even if they offer it for International because sometimes the Post is spotty. Regardless of country. Because people don't scan like they should. 

And sometimes they accidentally send parcels for Europe to China.

/Rant about Royal Mail sorters at Heathrow Airport

This is interesting to read, though, for me buying stuff from the US (as I often do). The USPS seems to change its regs quite often. I've also noticed more delays and misdirected parcels with tracking to me (Ie parcels tracked coming through...I think Chicago...occasionally take sight seeing trips to Canada and back before getting to the UK). Maybe the tracking thing is being scaled back because online tracking is highlighting how long parcels sit in depots without activity or how often technology sends items to the wrong places. I can see how that might be a bad PR move.

[LadyMoondancer]

Update on the Netherlands package:  not only did it not get tracked all the way to the doorstep, but the tracking I could previously see within the US disappeared off the USPS website.

The good news is I know the package arrived because the buyer left positive feedback.  It only took 8 days to get from the US to the Netherlands . . . International First Class has usually been very fast for me (the record being a package going to London that got there in FIVE days), but that might be partially due to being in Seattle, which I think is a major mail hub.

Anyway, if you absolutely NEED tracking for security's sake, my advice is to use Priority International, not First Class.

[tulagirl]

Update on the Netherlands package:  not only did it not get tracked all the way to the doorstep, but the tracking I could previously see within the US disappeared off the USPS website.

The good news is I know the package arrived because the buyer left positive feedback.  It only took 8 days to get from the US to the Netherlands . . . International First Class has usually been very fast for me (the record being a package going to London that got there in FIVE days), but that might be partially due to being in Seattle, which I think is a major mail hub.

Anyway, if you absolutely NEED tracking for security's sake, my advice is to use Priority International, not First Class.

This is exactly what I have done.  Thank you everyone for your thoughts.  It is sad when the customers know more than the postal employees.