Post Office Airsure

[QuidProQuo]

Recently sent an item to an overseas customer in the states and used royal mail airsure and right now I'm hoping someone with a broader knowledge on the subject can impart their wisdom on my situation:

When I put in the tracking code it says:
"Your item, posted on 09/01/10 with reference xxxxxxxxxx has been passed to the overseas postal service for delivery in UNITED STATES OF AMERICA:

(I should state that I sent it late afternoon saturday and so JUST missed a saturday post man, so by my understanding it was shipped early monday)

Anyone know what exactly this means? Has this officially left the country and now in the states? Or has it been passed to someone in the UK to be prepared for flight? Or is it mid flight or what? I'm finding it all a bit vague if I'm honest, haha.

I thought it might mean the first one and was now in the US, but I also realised it could mean just about anything?

Cheers.

[beansontoast]

I would say that means it's now in the hands of the USPS.

I send & receive packages to the US & the far east & mostly use DHL FedEx & occasionally TNT or UPS. They give detailed tracking info, I particularly like the FedEx service. Worth considering in the future

[QuidProQuo]

One can hope! It's going to UT though so I'm pretty sure it's got to hop on another plane when it reaches the states haha.

To be honest FedEx didn't even cross my mind, I will consider it from now on though.. Got a feeling it would've been more expensive as airsure was bad enough! haha, thanks!

[Mule]

We track all Airsure® items until they leave the UK and then the item is handed over to the destination country's postal service as a priority item.

http://www.royalmail.com/portal/rm/c...00034#13300224

So if that statement is accurate it means it has left the UK

[beansontoast]

Try tracking this package reference: xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Track it here & you'll maybe find the detail is much better: http://fedex.com/tracking



p.s. I will most likely remove the tracking number once you've tried it so please let me know (p.s. it's not my name by the way)

[QuidProQuo]

Yeah fingers crossed, i paid extra so apparently I can track it even whilst its over there. doubt that though.

The detail on the fedex site is unreal.

100% doing that from now on haha.

Thanks for clearing it up folks

[maltloaf]

ive tracked stuff on the usps website that ive posted from the uk before now. I'm 99% sure it's the same tracking number

[QuidProQuo]

just check usps and it said that the originating place was preparing to post it. dang.

[QuidProQuo]

Update: (on the USPS website)

"Label/Receipt Number: xxxx xxxx xxx x
Class: First-Class Mail International
Service(s): International Letter
Status: Origin Post is Preparing Shipment

We have received notice that the originating post is preparing to dispatch this mail piece."

Been preparing for 2 days? Could this be down to the snow, them generally being lazy or has it just not been updated? So much for paying extra for first class I guess!

[blaggard]

I find USPS for USA to UK is usually very fast for small items but anything of value I use UPS by preference, even just within the UK.

[QuidProQuo]

I wouldn't have said it was anything of any size really. Merely a size 7 jiffy envelope. Which I guess is sort of big ha..

Would that affect the delivery? It's size I mean?

[QuidProQuo]

I've been informed there is some sort of long weekend at it's destination, so I'm assuming that'll be the reason for the delays.. providing that is long weekends in the states are the same as though over here.

[beansontoast]

Bloody hell mate it's taken nearly a week

I guess it was a good price to send it via Royal Mail airsure. The courier businesses that I was on about earlier are most likely much more expensive than the post office type of tariff. It's different when the cost is being footed by a large corporation.

[QuidProQuo]

Sorry I'm just impatient I guess haha, thanks again beans