Tracking number?

[Spectrum]

I recently ordered something from Australia. It was shipped out ten days ago, and tracking is still showing nothing for me. I was just curious if this was normal for things being shipped internationally?

[Brandi]

I'm in the same boat. I'm in the USA and expecting a parcel from Russia that was set on the 4th of feb and it hasn't tracked over here at all, only on the sellers side while it was still in Russia.

[banditpony]

I don't know anything about Australia post, but it probably depends on what kind of service they sent the package from. You could always ask your seller to double check the customs number?

Although my fiance just told me a recent story about how he sent something EMS to Australia, and the day it said scanned in Chicago it actually arrived in Australia. So things can be laggy with the system.

But I do know that Russia post is pretty slow. Things take their sweet time to get through customs... (EX. It took my EMS package 10 days from actually arriving in Russia, to finally being scanned in customs... )

[StarFaerie]

If it has tracking, it should have updated by now on the Australia post tracking site, which will track it until it leaves Australia. Where are you checking the tracking number?

[Spectrum]

If it has tracking, it should have updated by now on the Australia post tracking site, which will track it until it leaves Australia. Where are you checking the tracking number?

I'm checking it on http://auspost.com.au now instead of eBay. It tells me it's been accepted by the Australia Post, but other than that, nothing.

It's quite a big package, (a pj plush stuffed. it costed 50 dollars to ship it here!) would that have anything to do with it?

[CupidStrikes]

Unless they used Priority/EMS it's very common for the tracking to not update after a certain point, if at all (I order from Japan a lot and usually either get nothing after it leaves Japan or after it's entered my country. I don't even get an update when it's delivered, but ll my packages have been fine). I'm sure it's just fine, and that it's just that it's not yet been scanned How long did the seller say it would take to arrive?

[garnetfirebird]

It's completely normal with most international shipping to get little to no updates on tracking numbers. The post offices of different countries have unlinked tracking systems and databases. Linking the systems of all those independently run offices would be insanely complicated and expensive. Many times the number you get isn't even a tracking number but rather a customs number. The tracking services you get before the package leaves the origin country will vary greatly by country and shipping service (Priority vs. Express vs. Global Express Guaranteed).

Private carriers like UPS and FedEx can offer international tracking because the same parent company manages operations in all of the countries served. They don't have the disconnect that the post office has. It's also part of why they tend to be more expensive.

[banditpony]

Have you tried tracking it with the USPS webpage instead? Sometimes the destination country's webpage for tracking works better.

[Spectrum]

Alright, thanks guys! It said from 9 - 18 business days, it's only been 11 so maybe I'm being a teenyyy bit impatient  I'll just sit tight!