I have that problem right now with a light up tumbler I ordered from eBay. It was supposed to be delivered yesterday. Now it's showing, "delayed but on its way" and the tracking has said "in transit to next facility" for 2 days. Its coming from a couple states away. Ugh

Iris, I have had things get hung up at a distribution center for what seemed like too many hours/days. A package one time that showed 'sorted' just a few miles from its destination, then went north to a distribution center overnight and back again to my sister's, never did understand that one. Occasionally it happens that the tracking system isn't updated, I'll have a package here that only looked delayed and was not.

My service has been really great this month all things considered, and my post office has all new computer system. In December. Their busiest month of the year by far, and all new electronics and procedures.

I mailed a package to the other coast this last Monday, and two within my state ( 100, and 150 miles away) yesterday. All three show as out for delivery today by their numbers.

Be glad it is not plant material. I have a friend who exchanges seeds around the world for testing. He was sent seeds about 8 weeks ago. When I talked to him the other day they have cleared customs, sort of, but have bounded around the country to 12 different locations. Some of the customs.

Yes before someone worries he has all of the correct documentation and permits to do this.

Yep...DH also has a package coming from England right now. Like you said Iris S, the tracking is not very helpful. It cleared Customs in NY Saturday, and we've see hide nor hair of it since. The tracking hasn't updated at all this week! Since it is only about 12 hours from NY to here, you'd think the USPS could manage to get it here, or at least update the tracking info.

I had a similar experience this month after ordering from a company from the UK, which I have ordered from before. This time I subscribed to UPS tracking notification beyond what I normally would get in the company's order confirmation emails. I got like four or five emails telling me the package's delivery date. I'm thinking of unsubscribing.

Every time I send something to Spain to my former exchange student. When she lived at her home it was horrible, they would hold the box hostage and claim she owed money on it because she bought merchandise, even though, the label clearly said it was a gift. I don't think there was any problem last year but she is in Madrid now. Still waiting to hear that she got this year's package. No tracking available to that country unfortunately.

I am expecting a package from minnesota. She paid extra for guaranteed delivery for today. I get the exact same website information as Iris. I dont think they are updating their website, or it is maybe broken, and no one has bothered to fix it. Mine says to be delivered by 8:00, but, there is nothing else on there to indicate where it is, nor where it has been, or if it is even in my area. I checked it off and on yesterday, and it said the exact same thing then, that it does now.

Speaking of Minnesota. My husband is expecting a package from Florida. I have no idea why it would go through Minnesota on the way to South Carolina, but that’s where it is right now. Well, at least he knows what state his package is in. With no idea where my package is and no expected delivery date I went and bought an extra present just in case. Traffic was terrible.

UPS seems to be just as bad. Our Christmas dinner from Honey Baked Ham has been on a truck all day. Says delivery between 9-1 today. 8:30 pm now. Hope it’s packed well and shows up! Had a pair of shoes that they said were delivered, no. Zappos credited my account.

Iris, good idea to have another gift on hand just in case. Earlier I had a long online chat with Amazon regarding the mixed message I received to no avail. To be fair the agent tried to be helpful. Amazon tracking states on the top of the notice that delivery is expected Thursday, Dec 27, but in smaller print on the bottom it states delivery expected Monday, Dec. 24. Later I put the tracking in at UPS and learned that the package is scheduled to be delivered tomorrow. Now I have 3 delivery dates, but I am betting on delivery tomorrow.

Expect delays if your merchandise passes through customs. Hopefully, your customs office is honest. Not all are in all countries. Apparently, tracking software looses track of packages going through customs offices. You'd think that with today's computers and equipment the situation would be improved, but by the comments above, apparently, it has not.

Years ago when I made my only trip to England (job related), I joined a group of people making a group buy of a very nice book about England. It was filled with color plates. It was to be shipped to my address in the US. My copy made it trough US customs and was never seen again. It could have disappeared in our company's mail room or at any point from the US entry to the company's mail room.

Must say, I have had great service from USPS this year, but it has all been in country.

I also had problems w/USPS & another carrier. One package I was waiting for it to be delivered & all the notifications says was as we all know it's in transit, (that took days saying same thing), than arrived different locations, next its out for delivery expected to arrive by 8pm. All day I've waited at home, checking up on the status & see if there's any updates. I even called the carrier & received nothing but their automated answering machine stating they're in this big meeting call back in an hour, so I did & still same message. Next email I received was my package was going to be delivered another day due to circumstances. Before you know it by 7pm another email says it was delivered knowing it wasn't. So email them about this problem, they responded their sorry this n that. Yes, I finally gotten my package delivered & our mail lady says there were 25 other cases.

Terilyn, UPS always says estimated delivery by 8pm. Even when you call them they say the same thing by 8pm. I was home waiting for this delivery from FedEx by 3pm, I got a door tag says attempt delivery & I had 2 choices either wait Monday or pick it up at their location. It didn't make no sense. Nobody knocked on my door & at times they don't notify the ppl they'll just leave the packages, or leave no door tag.

UPS and USPS always rings the doorbell when leaving a package at my door. FedEx never rings the doorbell. He dropped an expensive home theater receiver at my door without my signature even though it was required. Perhaps the seasonal helpers are negligent.

I forgot to add that my friend contacted customs about the seeds and was told that although they were shipped regular mail and could have just been placed back into the mail that office had been waiting for information on how he wanted it sent to him. Anyone that knows which customs office it was last at may want to contact them to see if your situation is similar.

I know that sounds outlandish but he orders plants for one of our groups sales and this is not the first time that this has happened.

The USPS sent me an e-mail at 9:00 pm Thursday night saying my package had been placed "in/near" my mailbox at 7:03 pm that night. I checked and it wasn't there. It came in the mail Friday. I'd read somewhere that some deliverers are pre-completing their delivery confirmations before beginning their routes to save time.

My local post office told me they are doing this because they don’t have enough scanners for all the mail carriers. Especially this time of the year. My mail man actually signs for my packages. Defies the purpose of the signature required.

I had contacted the vendor Friday morning telling them about the non-delivery. They asked if I wanted them to ship a replacement. I told them I'd wait one more day. I wonder how many times USPS has caused replacement shipments to be made because of this practice?