The incompetence of USPS knows no bounds and I know this from many many international transactions both ways. I found in the end that >99% of the time you will eventually get your package. Any attempts to track, trace or otherwise find status will be futile since they themselves have no clue. My advice is to be patient, dig in and wait it out. It will arrive on a day you forgot about it.

As for not using them anymore, most international sellers use EMS and unfortunately it's USPS who delivers those...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

The incompetence of USPS knows no bounds and I know this from many many international transactions both ways. I found in the end that >99% of the time you will eventually get your package. Any attempts to track, trace or otherwise find status will be futile since they themselves have no clue. My advice is to be patient, dig in and wait it out. It will arrive on a day you forgot about it.

As for not using them anymore, most international sellers use EMS and unfortunately it's USPS who delivers those...

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I really hope that I can get it in the end. Hope they don't mess with my precious watch.

But really, what the heck are they doing there at ISC Chicago? That place is just messed up.

 

I had one outbound hung up for a month at ISC Chicago :facepalm:


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

USPS Chicago is the worst USPS service in the country. I just bought a couple Russian watches on ebay. When I saw they were coming through ISC Chicago, I thought I was doomed for sure, but the first one just got to me today. We'll see what happens with the second.

My experience has been that anyone in "customer service" at USPS is useless and you just have to wait it out. Best of luck, and yes, whenever possible, avoid USPS through Chicago like the plague.

 

I've got to be honest, I use the postal service all the time. The only issues lately were a couple delays in Chicago, a long time ago I had a parcel sit for 5 weeks in California. Otherwise, I find the postal service to be as reliable as courier services.

 

I find the postal service to be as reliable as courier services.

We may have a celebrity in our midsts

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Once processed through ISC Chicago it goes under the control of US Customs. USPS has no control over Customs. Nor do you or I. It's so easy to dump on others from the comfort of a keyboard for some, I suppose. Weather disrupts things there this time of year, too. Frankly, I'm pretty impressed at the volume of packages they do process successfully. Their on-line tracking has improved measurably over the past couple of years. Carriers scan tracking bar codes when at point of delivery so there's a record of proof of delivery that includes gps coordinates. The condition of boxes that arrive to me via USPS are consistantly better than those that come UPS.

Something to be aware of is that USPS contracts with commercial airlines to move parcels. So a couple of times, I've seen something that was finally spit out of Chicago go to Milwaukee even though I'm in Dallas and that's the wrong direction. USPS told me that was just the quickest way to get it to me.

FWIW, I have a couple of things that have been sitting there for the past week too. But I'm confident they'll arrive in good condition.

 

What you say is true; however I did try to be patient, thinking "oh well maybe they have too much to process, or the weather is not good or maybe some one got sick and they don't have enough human force to cover..." until I did that Google search that shows how notoriously show and irresponsible Chicago is, and I fear maybe I won't get my watch after all.

So far the only option to resolve this is to wait for the package to eventually ships, and God knows when.

Anyways, thanks for sharing your experiences with me. Much appreciate.

 

Here's some light reading to keep you busy while you wait for your package: Wicker Park USPS Carrier Annex - Post Offices - Yelp

That's where I have to go every time USPS Chicago doesn't deliver a package.

I'm sure USPS is just great in the rest of the country, but it's funny that even those that defend them don't seem to have much good to say about the service in Chicago.

 

OMG that place is the worst. That's where I have to go as well. I usually require people to send me stuff FedEx or UPS so I can at least redirect the stuff to a UPS Store or FedEx Kinkos.

 

I had a similar problem just this month. Watch arrived in Chicago from GB (Royal Mail) on Feb. 25. It didn't clear Customs for over 10 days. I thought that was absurd. Your experience is significantly worse. For what it's worth, I think the problem is with Customs instead of USPS. Once it cleared, it was to me in Dallas in two days. I'm not sure this is coincidental or not, but the day after I called USPS Customer Service, it cleared Customs. Maybe this is a squeaky wheel situation.

 

10days dude stop complaining lol, here in South Africa it takes customs 8 - 12 weeks on a good day to clear packages.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Typical USPS, I've had packages stuck for months in Chicago, NY and California. Not really a problem at any specific center. Nothing you can really do but wait. Calling just gives you more headaches

And even local USPS priority mail packages I shipped a week ago have not updated neither.

 

When is the last time you saw any employee hustling at ANY U.S. post office?

 

There's a hundred countries with thousands of people (yes thousands) who would like to do harm to Americans and you want your
little package to just sail right thru.....Anthrax, Plague,explosives, whatever......You're lucky if it doesn't take 6 months.....
Stop *****ing and blame allot of it on an evil world out there. Remember, They are out there and they want to hurt you.
That's not paranoia,that's positive thinking.

 

I have not encountered problems or untoward delays with ISC Chicago, inbound or outbound.

(Most recently, I sent a package to Alberta last Thursday; got there Tuesday.)

 

I've only once had a problem with a USPS package (sender put down wrong zip code), and they figured it out and still got the package to me. I've used USPS for well over 30 transactions over the past 2 or 3 years and I have to say that their services are pretty darn good. I'm based in the Chicago burbs now but I lived in the city up til a year ago. No problems. I agree that your problem is with customs.

 

The PO is using the last snow storm as an excuse for the slow delivery. Had a priority parcel in Memphis for 7 days.

 

I have not had anything stuck in the Chicago center but I have had watches tied up in San Francisco but like L.B.F. stated above, we are living in dangerous times and I would hope some due diligence by Customs would avert things entering this country that we don't want or need.

I also have learned with my local Post Office to avoid going into that branch.The Manager is an ahole and can't seem to understand that you should schedule your counter employees around the peak load hours. I have had multiple conversations with him and finally gave up. My neighboring Post Office is just the opposite, you get treated like a good customer and you don't experience long waits for service.I also should point out to be sure to do the customer service survey on your receipt when you ship or mail. If you have a bad experience let them know. I actually saw a problem child moved from the counter at the local P.O. due to bad survey results on her.

I also have a great relationship with my Mailman. We call each other by our our first names and always talk when we run into each other out in public. That little bit of effort on my part has allowed me to always receive my packages and mail safely with no worries.Get to know your mail delivery person. Jmho
Kevin

 

My overseas watch orders always go through Chicago. Most of the time they clear customs in a day or two. I did have one watch sit in customs for 9 days once. Of course, it was also the most expensive watch I've bought from overseas, which made the wait that much worse.

This is a customs hold-up. I've always had packages at my door within 36 hours after they clear customs, so I don't fault the USPS for this. Customs is like a black hole at the center of their priority mail product, and I can imagine that it must be very frustrating for the USPS to have to design products around a black hole that is wholly under the jurisdiction of another Federal agency.

That's not to say that this isn't frustrating...I know first hand that it is. But, your watch will get to you eventually and if it doesn't, you will almost certainly have insurance through the original shipper, or through PayPal or your credit card.

 

I had a very similar issue a couple months ago, but through NY.

Package shipped from Japan, made it to NY in two days but then it sat there for a week and a half. However, as other posters have said, from there it was at my door within the next two days.

 

I have two kdjducuhvhj packages from the RM stick in Chicago since 3-8

 

Finally arrived today

 

For me it's kind of the opposite. When I buy something from the US and it gets shipped via USPS it will spend up to 10 days getting sent all over the country. I don't know why maybe they are keeping people gainfully employed. ;-P Then it gets put on a plane once that happens I receive it via local post in 2-3 days this can vary of course but not by a lot.

 

Hhmm, I just bought some cheap goods from Japan and they went through ISC Chicago swiftly without delay, yet my watch is still stuck there *sigh*

 

I've had a package stuck in ISC Chicago for 8 days now. Normally they move through in 2-4 days. It seems there is some sort of bottleneck in Chicago at the moment. So very frustrating!

 

I have a watch stuck there as we speak. I began doing research about this and found this site/thread due to my search. I purchased a Omega Seamaster from London and it has been stuck without moving from Chicago ISC now 8 days and running. It is a birthday present for my son so I am beginning to get a little upset with this. USPS is NO HELP AT ALL. Confusing and contradictory explanations. The watch was sent Registered Mail, so I am HOPING it will clear and show up before his birthday. I have never had any problems with carriers except USPS. I have had two packages completely lost by them one being delivered to the wrong address and never returned. I have read a couple of instances where people have never received their watch through Chicago ISC which does not make me feel sure this one will make it.

Keep your results updated vespasian70 as that may give me an idea when my package may process thru

 

Keep your results updated vespasian70 as that may give me an idea when my package may process thru

Mine arrived yesterday. Here is the tracking info.

Good luck!

 

Congrats. Well, it looks at least like my package from London is at least moving once again. It had been "processed ISC Chicago" after 8 days now it has arrived at the USPS facility in CHI. Makes me feel better now and I hope to see it here in ATX next week.

 

8 days seems to be the norm with ISC Chicago. A year or so ago I hated to see my packages going through NY .... I think on average Chicago is worse now.

 

I obviously spoke to soon in regards to this. Now it seems like my package is stuck in Chicago USPS facility. It has "arrived" but has not moved since. Now 12days and counting arriving in Chicago. USPS will not do anything for me as I am the recipient. Any inquiry has to go through the shipper in the UK. GREAT!