International paraphernalia

I'm not exactly a novice at mailing things, but I've had an interesting lesson about the workings of the United States Postal Service when it comes to mailing parcels to other countries:  The written word, which is supposed to be the law of the land, means absolutely nothing in the United States any more.

Let me start at the beginning....

I have a friend in Australia who is interested in getting a copy of "The Tiger's Cub" to place on her bookshelf next to her copy of "Night of the Tiger'.  When I sent her "Night" in 2010, I listened to the person at the post office that I took my package to when it came to which forms to fill out, which services I should consider adding on, etc.  The book went from my hands at the office closest to my job in Scarborough, to the sorting center for all of Maine, then to the International Office in New York where I had been informed that the Customs for the United States would check it, mark it as processed, and send it on.  I was able to watch this from my living room via my computer, which showed the beginning scan that had been performed in front of me, the "processing" and "departure" scans at the sorting office - and a two week span between the "processing" and "departure" scan before it was placed on an airplane and Kennedy International Airport.  When "Night" got to Australia, it was scanned as "processing" in THEIR Customs office, then "departed" and got "processed" at her postal station before it went "out for delivery".  The final scan happened at her door and was noted as "successful delivery".

This time, on December 4th, using the same methods of relying on the local postal clerk for what would be the best way to proceed - because rules change all the time, so he would be more up to date than I on what was now the best way to go - all went to Hell in a Handbasket (or so the saying goes).  As with "Night", the edition of "The Tiger's Cub" was scanned in front of me at the desk, then went to the sorting center, where it was "processed" and "departed" within a couple of hours, so it was on it's way to New York less than 24 hours from my mailing time, and then it went to Customs, where it was "processed" on the morning of December 7th.

Then, nothing.

No departure scan.

No arrival scan at Australian Customs.

No departure to the Postal Station.

No processing, no "out for delivery" and no happy camper at the far end.

So I proceed to try to find out what to do next.

Automated systems at the post office customer service line make it impossible for me to just phone my local post office, so I answer the necessary questions for the automated voice about my "missing package" when it's been gone a month, but has no departure scan to show it ever made it to the airplane.  I'm told by the automated voice that I need "a live operator", which is a good thing, because I really want to speak to a human, and I'm connected to the International Operator.  While waiting on hold - over an hour and very close to two hours before I'm connected "because of a very high call volume", I find the page on the USPS web site about Lost International Mail and How to File a Claim.

When the operator comes on, I explain the situation, give her my Customs number, and ask if she needs the information the web site says she needs to start a claim and begin the investigation.  She tracks the package, informs me that the least expensive way of mailing needs for me to file a form with the office where I mailed it, so I go back to where I started the process with all my paperwork about how much it will cost to replace the book, the receipt from the mailing, and tell him what the International Operator said.  He tracks the package, tells me it's "stuck in Customs", and warns that there are no rules that Customs have to follow about sending things off right away.  They DON'T have to scan the package, they DON'T have to send it on in a prompt manner, and if they think it's any kind of threat, they DON'T have to send it on at all.  I remind him it's nothing but a book.  A book I wrote myself in a plain brown envelope without even any packing material.  He WATCHED me put it into the envelope and tape it shut, even to having me put packing tape around the edge in case it got torn.  And the threat would be????

He defers and tells me that I need to call the International Operator and have her start the claim, as they have no way to start the process in the local office.

This "pass it back and forth" game has gone on for THREE MORE WEEKS, with each postal employee giving me a different version of the rules than what is on the web site in black and white.  As time has gone on, I come to realize what the rest of the world already saw when our House of Representatives and Senate couldn't stop arguing long enough to balance the budget and "shut down the government".  When the people in power have to deal with the kind of things the rest of the American public has to deal with on a daily basis, they can't take it.  They behave like three-year-olds.  They tell you someone else is to blame, then they take their toys and go home to pout.

Suffice to say, it's now been 7 1/2 weeks since I sent my book to a friend in Australia.  The latest missive from my Postal System tells me that they AREN'T going to look around the office where it was last scanned and see if it might still be there.  They AREN'T going to honor the insurance that everyone except the International Contingent says "comes with every First Class Mailing" with up to $50 coverage in case of loss or damage.  The only thing they WILL do is tell me that I need to spend LOTS more money to get a $15 book to Australia - to the tune of $50 and up, depending on what method I chose - but that they STILL won't 100% guarantee a delivery date because, after all, Customs can randomly decide that my book is a threat to National Security and confiscate it.  Basically, my option right now is to eat the $16.75 I've already spent and to spend a small fortune for all kinds of tracking, insurance, delivery confirmation, etc. for them to maybe lose it again and be out THAT amount as well........

Um, yeah.

I wish right now that I was as popular as Stephen King, even though I'm kind of liking NOT having people coming and gawking at my house and trying to climb through my bathroom window for an autograph, because THEN this dumb-as-a-post government agency might stop with the political double speak and get something done for me.

As far as I'm concerned, if I'm going to cough up the kind of money they want, I'll look into UPS or FEDEX or some other company that offers International Shipping and see if there's someone out there that has a better reputation for actually following through on lost packages.

In the meantime, I'd love to hear from people from other countries about whether or not I should get away from this land of stupidity and double talk.  What do you think of the country where YOU live?  Can I come and see if I like it???