Average airmail time to receive from USA?

empfun

Dear folks,

I bought 2 items that were sent 3 weeks ago from two different sellers. They are parcel-size items that I have not received.

I have bought much smaller items before America without any hold-up and they usually take no more than a week and a half to get here.

So I'm wondering what have been your average time taken to receive an airmail parcel from America and what was your longest. Input appreciated, many thanks!

soolin

I've received goods from the US by airmail in less than week, but I've also waited up to a month before now.

It's the same with my outgoing packages, I've had them arrive in days, yet other overseas ones sent in the same batch have worried me by not turning up for ages.

However, as a buyer I would always protect myself with starting a chargeback claim after a month for item not received, just in case. You have a strict 45 day limit for such a claim, never run out of that time regardless of how nice the seller seems.

Soo

callansdad

i bought 2 items from 2 different sellers in the us a few weeks ago, i paid for them on the monday and one arrived on Friday and the other arrived on the saturday, i was shocked, i thought they would take weeks, i was mighty impressed

bleugh

depends on cost of the items, customs are right gits when it comes to something they'd consider to be worth > 18 quid,

i've had small packages take 3 days, some 3 weeks
i'm currently waiting - 10 days so far for a large, expensive parcel!

empfun

Thanks a lot for your input all. Yeah, the experienced seller mentioned that it was most likely down to a customs delay and I'm hoping that's so too. Missing parcels are not fun.

martindow

If a it is going to be liable for VAT and duty, parcels can sometimes go through customs here more quickly if you get the sender to write the commodity code clearly on the outside of the parcel. Without codes there can be delays and sometimes duty is charged at the wrong rate. There are codes for every possible item that can be imported.

This page
http://www.uktradeinfo.com/index.cfm?task=codeguide
lets you search for codes. There is also a link to a document from this page with many common items bought on the internet and the import duties they are charged at.

If you can't find the code or are not sure you have got the correctone, you can phone them on 01702 366077 for advice. Once you have the code, VAT people can give you the duty rate by phoning 0845 010 9000 or 020 8929 0152. Don't forget that VAT will be charged on the purchase price and the postage cost but not, I think, the duty if any is payable.

This is a bit complicated but maybe worth it to try to speed up delivery and to know what the total bill is likely to be.