demiurgent: (Poop)
[personal profile] demiurgent
So. I sent Wednesday a care package. Two weeks ago. By Global Priority Mail.

It came back to me the following week. It seems they wanted greater detail on my customs form. And they'd opened it. But everything was in it.

So I filled in greater detail, brought it back to the postoffice, and resent it.

It came back, today. No explanation. And it apparently made it to Britain before being returned (which means it was returned via air as well, since it didn't take a month to get back). This time, it has not been opened.

Fuck it. It goes FedEx tomorrow.

(no subject)

Date: 2005-10-05 05:06 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dansr.livejournal.com
The post awful sucks ass. I'm sorry that it came back to you twice. :\

(no subject)

Date: 2005-10-05 05:07 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] scrubbo.livejournal.com
Writing "Bomb making materials" on the customs form will do that to you, dude.

(no subject)

Date: 2005-10-05 05:43 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] rabbi-thor.livejournal.com
Try "Live Biological Materials" instead. That should work.

(no subject)

Date: 2005-10-10 05:07 am (UTC)

I don't think you can blame the Post Office

Date: 2005-10-05 05:16 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] howardtayler.livejournal.com
I don't think you can blame the Post Office. They don't deliver in Britain, or anywhere else outside the US (and protectorates, and APOs, etc.)

They deliver to the British post office, and have no control over the item once they hand it off at customs.

I know this because I had to send some stuff to a client of mine in the UK. The Post Office made it clear that I could not insure a package sent overseas, since they didn't control the package all the way to the doorstep. So I sent it FedEx, or maybe UPS. I forget which.

I'm not saying the Post Office doesn't suck. I'm just saying that for international delivery, the suckage isn't their fault. (Unless of course their Customs Liason was being a bonehead, daring the Limeys to throw your package back at him.)

--Howard

Re: I don't think you can blame the Post Office

Date: 2005-10-05 06:04 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] demiurgent.livejournal.com
I was decrying the Post Office in its greater, general sense. Not the United States Postal Service per se. (Granted, they were the ones who returned it to me the first time, for lack of granularity in my customs form -- which is somewhat haphazard. At least once in the last six months a general "gifts" declaration was sufficient to get right through to Wednesday, while my detailed but not specific list wasn't.)

It was definitely the fault of the Royal Mail that it got sent back to me. However, I decry the fraternity as a whole today. For I am... UNREASONABLE!

Re: I don't think you can blame the Post Office

Date: 2005-10-05 06:55 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] howardtayler.livejournal.com
Ah. A cavil made generally against postal services... that I can understand. Here's to broad-brushed grievances!

Re: I don't think you can blame the Post Office

Date: 2005-10-05 07:18 pm (UTC)
wednesday: (Default)
From: [personal profile] wednesday
Longer than six months, but it has worked. "Nonperishable food items" has generally also worked for, like, several different kinds of eatin' stuff.

Come to think of it, the box marked "gifts" was sent at either Global Priority or one class above, if they have one... so it can't even be *that*.

It's gotta be the iPod condom. They're looking at the iPod condom entry and going, "Is it *sexy*?"

Re: I don't think you can blame the Post Office

Date: 2005-10-05 11:29 pm (UTC)
ext_87667: Huckbein from SRW series (Default)
From: [identity profile] mechaman.livejournal.com
was decrying the Post Office in its greater, general sense. Not the United States Postal Service per se. (Granted, they were the ones who returned it to me the first time, for lack of granularity in my customs form -- which is somewhat haphazard. At least once in the last six months a general "gifts" declaration was sufficient to get right through to Wednesday, while my detailed but not specific list wasn't.)

Sorry, but not us there. We have no control at all on customs. That's literally 'hand it off to the nice boys at the DHS / Customs / Whomever has current control of that duty'. And well, you know as well as I do how even handed that little job is.

Re: I don't think you can blame the Post Office

Date: 2005-10-06 04:16 am (UTC)
wednesday: (Default)
From: [personal profile] wednesday
But the parcel didn't even make it to Britain before it came back with that request.

Re: I don't think you can blame the Post Office

Date: 2005-10-07 02:09 am (UTC)
ext_87667: Huckbein from SRW series (Default)
From: [identity profile] mechaman.livejournal.com
But the parcel didn't even make it to Britain before it came back with that request.

Actually, I didn't even suppose it had. I'm honestly not sure if customs acts on outgoing mail as well as incoming. I'd think they do to some degree, but again, not something I have info on.

(no subject)

Date: 2005-10-05 06:02 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] adders.livejournal.com
For what it's worth [livejournal.com profile] rdansky has had perpetual problems trying to send me stuff in the UK, but anything I send to him in the US gets through fine. This is a common problem.

(no subject)

Date: 2005-10-05 06:05 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] demiurgent.livejournal.com
Damn. And he is vastly mightier than I, no less.

Like I said. FedEx. Go with a company responsible for the destination as well as the origin, I say.

(no subject)

Date: 2005-10-05 06:12 pm (UTC)
archangelbeth: An egyptian-inspired eye, centered between feathered wings. (Default)
From: [personal profile] archangelbeth
Weird. None of my stuff for [livejournal.com profile] incndescens got sent back, and I wrote... all kinds of stuff, I guess.

(no subject)

Date: 2005-10-05 06:25 pm (UTC)
ext_11867: (Default)
From: [identity profile] ocarina.livejournal.com
Shall we just all send her Kraft Dinner and see whose gets there first? Go, go Canada Post!

(no subject)

Date: 2005-10-05 06:31 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] demiurgent.livejournal.com
Yes! (Just the packets. You can keep the pasta!)

It's a flurry of Kraft Dinner to Wednesday!

(no subject)

Date: 2005-10-05 06:36 pm (UTC)
ext_11867: (Default)
From: [identity profile] ocarina.livejournal.com
Either we'll finally chance upon a customs agent who understands, or she'll get labeled as a suspicious person who is obviously building a bomb out of cheesey powder! Or both!

(no subject)

Date: 2005-10-05 07:19 pm (UTC)
wednesday: (Default)
From: [personal profile] wednesday
Canada Post UNDERSTAAAAAANDS.

(no subject)

Date: 2005-10-05 07:15 pm (UTC)
wednesday: (Default)
From: [personal profile] wednesday
Dude, it's not you. It's so not you.

(no subject)

Date: 2005-10-05 08:42 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] chanlemur.livejournal.com
This is what you get for using switchblades and live bees as packing material for your Kraft Dinner packets.

(no subject)

Date: 2005-10-05 09:46 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] gwalla.livejournal.com
Ouch. Never, ever send mail between countries if you can help it. It's just asking for trouble. I worked for a publishing company once that had to send a box of author advance copies to a signing in Europe. They disappeared. Months later they got a call from the post office (can't recall if it was US or whatever country they were going to) asking if they'd sent a bunch of books, because they were all over the floor.

Yeah.

But avoid FedEx too. They're bastards.

(no subject)

Date: 2005-10-05 11:08 pm (UTC)
wednesday: (Default)
From: [personal profile] wednesday
I can't afford to come and pick everything up each time, though.

(no subject)

Date: 2005-10-05 11:20 pm (UTC)
wednesday: (Default)
From: [personal profile] wednesday
Yeah. I know.

Dammit.

(no subject)

Date: 2005-10-06 04:54 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] larksilver.livejournal.com
So much said in so few words. Y'all are so sweet!

Sorry. Girls' gotta get her romance where she can. I've been with my fella long enough that his idea of romance is "are you still dressed?"

(no subject)

Date: 2005-10-05 11:00 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mishamish.livejournal.com
If you love something, send it to Weds.

If it returns to you, it was meant to be.

If not, it's a MIRACLE!!!

(no subject)

Date: 2005-10-05 11:21 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] drderanged.livejournal.com
I like your choice of tag for this entry!

(no subject)

Date: 2005-10-05 11:26 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] demiurgent.livejournal.com
It's my first tag ever!

(no subject)

Date: 2005-10-07 01:51 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] drderanged.livejournal.com
Well, you're off to a grand start. ;)

(no subject)

Date: 2005-10-06 07:15 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] sinless.livejournal.com
I vote that you might be cursed.