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mitchm
Joined: 17 Jan 2011
Posts: 25
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 Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2011 4:03 pm Post subject: Is my package w/ contract from US --> China lost? |
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Hi all,
I sent out a package to my employer with signed contracts, health certificate, recommendation letter, etc. from the U.S. on June 9th and my employer in SE China still hasn't received it. I am a fool and didn't send it with a tracking number, so there is no way to check on the status.
My employer still hasn't received it and thinks it may be lost. In the meantime I've sent her scans of all the documents I have (but I stupidly didn't make duplicates of the health record or rec. letter).
The post-office employee told me it would take ~5-10 business days, but no guarantees.
At what point should I throw in the towel, re-gather all the materials and send again, this time with delivery confirmation?
The school seems to be pretty on top of things and will file for my foreign expert permit as soon as they receive the materials, but I do not want to risk not getting my VISA in time for a September 5th arrival.
Thanks for any advice!
-Mitch |
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The Great Wall of Whiner
Joined: 29 Jan 2003
Posts: 4946
Location: Blabbing
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| Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2011 4:57 pm Post subject: |
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Sorry to say: Pilfering and corruption is rampant in China. Even the government itself bans websites that publicize stories of corruption.
If things are not bolted to the concrete, they are fair game for theft when no one is looking.
I have never received any mail that had no tracking number in all my years here. It's a combination of bringing home a trophy from a foreign country home to show the family or perhaps getting something valuable or just making life harder to bring foreigners into China (government workers tend to be more nationalistic as it is a requirement to be a 'party member' 99 times out of 100).
Re-gather and start again. Next time, register your mail.
Good luck.
(PS)
It is possible that the mail has simply been thrown into the trash or just ignored as there is no responsibility to even forward it. Or, it may even take a few months. |
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mitchm
Joined: 17 Jan 2011
Posts: 25
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| Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2011 5:13 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for the quick reply Great Wall; although disappointing, in a way it is comforting to get such an affirmative answer. I'll stop holding out for it to arrive.
So, on the other side of the coin, though, is paying for a tracking number when I send it from the U.S. even a guarantee that they will receive it? |
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Non Sequitur
Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China
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| Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2011 7:31 pm Post subject: |
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My exp is the opposite of Great Wall.
Monthly non-tracked packages of mail plus occasional medications always got through.
That's over a three year period to Dalian and Qingdao.
I've only ever sent scanned copies of documents with the proviso that the originals will be 'sightable' once in China. |
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tacoeater
Joined: 03 Jun 2011
Posts: 45
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| Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2011 11:16 pm Post subject: Re: Is my package w/ contract from US --> China lost? |
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| mitchm wrote: |
Hi all,
I sent out a package to my employer with signed contracts, health certificate, recommendation letter, etc. from the U.S. on June 9th and my employer in SE China still hasn't received it. I am a fool and didn't send it with a tracking number, so there is no way to check on the status.
My employer still hasn't received it and thinks it may be lost. In the meantime I've sent her scans of all the documents I have (but I stupidly didn't make duplicates of the health record or rec. letter).
The post-office employee told me it would take ~5-10 business days, but no guarantees.
At what point should I throw in the towel, re-gather all the materials and send again, this time with delivery confirmation?
The school seems to be pretty on top of things and will file for my foreign expert permit as soon as they receive the materials, but I do not want to risk not getting my VISA in time for a September 5th arrival.
Thanks for any advice!
-Mitch |
Wait 30 days - you should have been more prepared for delays, lost mail, slow processing, and so on. And your copies? Yeah, I think that's clear... |
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tianfuoe
Joined: 25 May 2011
Posts: 36
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| Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2011 3:45 am Post subject: |
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If you send anything through the Post Office (doesn't matter what country we are talking about), it will need to go through customs hold in HK or BJ. This takes quite a while. Up to 30 days.
The best way to send anything quickly is to use a 3rd party carrier (UPS, DHL, FedEx, etc). They all have their own customs clearing service and shipment is not delayed. For example: "3 day" FedEx will arrive anywhere in China in 9 days total (usually). "3 day" means 3 days to China..after that, the guaranteed time delivery kinda falls apart.
DHL is probably the besst to use since they have more offices in China than any other carrier.
Yes, it is much more expensive, but it will get there in a timely fashion. |
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The Great Wall of Whiner
Joined: 29 Jan 2003
Posts: 4946
Location: Blabbing
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| Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2011 6:32 am Post subject: Re: Is my package w/ contract from US --> China lost? |
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| tacoeater wrote: |
Wait 30 days - you should have been more prepared for delays, lost mail, slow processing, and so on. |
How could he possibly be prepared for something he has never experienced before now?
Don't assume that just because you have been in China for so long and know everything there is to know about China, doesn't mean a newcomer doesn't.
It takes only a few days to express courier something from a tiny village in Canada to a tiny village in Germany. But from a mega-city in the United States to a mega-city in China, why should it take up to a couple weeks?
From how China portrays itself on the world stage, one would assume that they are open for business and are competitive with other companies globally. And the OP probably expects reasonable and safe service, seeing as both the US postal service and China Post are government-operated establishments.
Had I been a newbie, I also would expect modern service in a modern world. And I would not blame the victim of poor service, but rather blame the one which delivers the bad service. In this case, the Chinese postal service. |
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The Great Wall of Whiner
Joined: 29 Jan 2003
Posts: 4946
Location: Blabbing
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| Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2011 6:35 am Post subject: |
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| mitchm wrote: |
So, on the other side of the coin, though, is paying for a tracking number when I send it from the U.S. even a guarantee that they will receive it? |
I wouldn't say that it's a guarantee they will receive it....I would say it's a guarantee that you have recourse, should it go missing. I personally have never had a registered letter or mail go missing, although I did wait 23 days last year. Nothing in China can be guaranteed, however.
Good luck. |
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Non Sequitur
Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China
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| Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2011 7:46 am Post subject: |
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Watch for delays in your very own FAO.
Many's the time I've gone in to the FAO to check on some other issue to see an item from home sitting there.
Their answer to my obvious question: 'Not long. Couple of days maybe' |
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mitchm
Joined: 17 Jan 2011
Posts: 25
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| Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2011 1:44 pm Post subject: |
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Well, I don't mean to stir up the pot, but thought I should check back in to say that after almost exactly 20 business days my university did receive the package. Not so bad after all I suppose.
Thanks all for the advice. |
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