Pack hit two ISC at exact same time

[Mary79]

I have a package shipped mid May that has been sitting as "Processed through Facility" Chicago ISC for 9 days now. The weird part is if I track the package using the origin countries tracking service it says it hit New York ISC at the exact same minute that the USPS tracking service shows it hit Chicago ISC.

Anyone ever experienced this before? What's the longest you've ever waited for something to leave ISC and still received?

I'm concerned because two members recently had seizures from this vendor at Chicago ISC. So am I likely getting an LL?

Thanks to anyone who can shed light on this.

 

[Pharmia]

The strange thing is that I had this happen recently with a package, yet it eventually did make it through despite sitting in the infamous Chicago ISC for quite some time--to my relief.  I do have another one currently stuck in ISC for over a week, fingers crossed.  Hopefully yours will make it through.

 

[DoomKitty]

The longest ive had one sit and still make it was 8 days.  Its also a vastly different postal scene right now and i can only imagine the kind of track times packs are working with atm.  Chicago is definitely a beast tho so my fingers are crossed for both of you!  Ive recently had two packs come in via customs, and one went through in 2 and the other in 3, but neither came through chicago THANKFULLY.  The only packs ive lost in the last number of years have been to the vastly hungry jaws of CHICAGO ISC.  Grrrrrrrrrr!!  Ive never had a pack show at two different places, but again the postal times are crazy right now, and tracking info for anything has been nutso.  Have you tried putting the tracking number in a different tracker like packagmapping.com or similar?  Good luck @Mary79 i hope yr mags arrive ASAP!!

 

[Mary79]

@Pharmia @DoomKitty Thank you both. Pack still hasn't moved, but things are definitely a mess right now. My last order took 40 days to arrive, but cleared NY ISC in two days. I tried the packagemapping.com and it shows Chicago ISC still. Not sure why the origin countries tracking service thinks it is in NY.

 

[Pharmia]

@Pharmia @DoomKitty Thank you both. Pack still hasn't moved, but things are definitely a mess right now. My last order took 40 days to arrive, but cleared NY ISC in two days. I tried the packagemapping.com and it shows Chicago ISC still. Not sure why the origin countries tracking service thinks it is in NY.

Second one made it through--so now both that hit and sat in Chicago ISC landed intact, no LL.  I hope the same will be true for yours, and that this may be reassuring.  I have a feeling the delays there are just pandemic-related (understaffing of customs?).  For me, at least, Chicago ISC hasn't been a black hole so far.

 

[Mary79]

@Pharmia As of today the pack no longer shows up on my USPS informed delivery dashboard. It has been at Chicago ISC over 2 weeks now. I'm trying to stay positive and your success is helping. I'll update the board on the outcome of this order once I know. Thanks for your update and kind words.

 

[Pharmia]

@Mary79 Something I've been doing since the virus (and that may be good practice in general) is placing several smaller orders rather than fewer larger ones. It's more expensive to do it that way (because of BTC percentage discounts and such), and less convenient, but perhaps safer as you don't run the nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat risk of one large order getting snagged/LLed by customs or otherwise disappearing into the void of the overwrought postal system. 

SL, a popular vendor on here currently on hiatus (star bright, first star I see tonight) has the logistics down pat, and I really wish other vendors would follow suit: let the customer place one large order at once and apply all the discounts, but ship it out in multiple/several packs, staggered time-wise. That way, if one doesn't make it through, you at least have the rest of the order. To its credit, TS at least did (do they still, I'm not sure?) do reships, but for as wonderfully reliable (and affordable!) as that and other vendors have been, some have essentially nil in the way of stealth or logistical effort unfortunately. Ah well. I'll continue sending hopeful thoughts your way.

 

[Mary79]

@Pharmia Thanks. Yeah it is from TS and they said no reships so I'm just still waiting and hoping.

 

[Mary79]

I had 3 packs total coming from TS. All 3 got the same strange tracking and hit Chicago ISC. The first pack is still sitting since June 16th. The other 2 hit Chicago within minutes of each other a few days ago, one pack is still sitting yet the other passed through in less than 24 hours. Indeed the postal system is very strange right now. I'm holding out hope on the ones still sitting, but it is very strange that the recent 2 hit within minutes of each other, but only one was cleared. Also yes all 3 showed NY ISC when checked from the origin countries tracking, yet all 3 show Chicago when checked from any other tracking.

 

[saywutrly]

@Mary79 SL, a popular vendor on here currently on hiatus (star bright, first star I see tonight) has the logistics down pat, and I really wish other vendors would follow suit: let the customer place one large order at once and apply all the discounts, but ship it out in multiple/several packs, staggered time-wise. That way, if one doesn't make it through, you at least have the rest of the order. To its credit, TS at least did (do they still, I'm not sure?) do reships, but for as wonderfully reliable (and affordable!) as that and other vendors have been, some have essentially nil in the way of stealth or logistical effort unfortunately. Ah well. I'll continue sending hopeful thoughts your way.

That works best.  IMO, it's always worth splitting no matter the added cost.  It's always better than getting the naughty letter or the loud knock.

On the main topic, TheVirus® has caused some USPS issues to be exacerbated.  Even after clearing customs, my last pack took longer within the US than it took through the rest of the world to get here. 

 

[Mary79]

So I ended up getting 2 out of 3 packs from TS despite the strange tracking info. The 3rd pack has been sitting at Chicago ISC for exactly one month today, so it seems very unlikely I'll receive it. Unfortunately the 3rd pack was the priciest pack, 720 $0m@. It was the only pack containing blisters, other two were plastic bottles, so maybe x-ray caught it. Just a thought. Darn Chicago ISC lol, I've only lost packs to San Francisco and now Chicago, never a single pack lost to New York. Knock on wood.

 

[Kalsima]

@Mary79 Don't  give up yet! I had letters that sat from Amazon sitting forever and have showed up out of the blue in 3 to 4 months but you are in my thoughts.

@saywutrly I know you are new but please never posts how a letter is sent. It puts good vendors in danger because LE surely watches our board. Rookie mistake but I made it as well when I was a new person here as well. Good to meet you! Ill ask @2earls. to remove shipping method.

I agree with @Pharmia I have had letters at my own hub that leave and come back and its always changing.hold tight we are in a pandemic now! Good meeting you as well. Love to all Heavenlee

 

[Mary79]

@Heavenlee Thanks for the well wishes. I will hold out hope. No LL, so there's certainly a possibility I will still receive. It would be awesome if I do, works wonders for my back pain.

 

[Kalsima]

@Mary79 I am holding out hope for you only because my daughter has received from Amazon and other places and received 4 months later. It sucks the last letter is a big one. Does this vendor resend if you do get a LL.? You know enough I am sure that you are not stupid and throw them away. You have a great head on your shoulders that I know you know better. I am praying but I think you would have received one. In my experience usually you would have a LL by now. Please keep me updated it was great to personally meet you. 

You have a supporter out of me!

Lots of love

Marci

 

[Mary79]

@Heavenlee Thanks again for the well wishes. The pack finally updated today. Unfortunately rather than going from ISC to the distribution center as is normal, it says "Handed to customs". Still no LL but this is a concerning update. In all my years of ordering, even times I've gotten LL's, I've never seen this particular wording in a tracking update. Oh well, who knows what will happen now. The postal system is a mess. Someone in another thread got an LL and then received the package intact a few weeks later lol. So as long as I don't get a strange knock on the door I'm not going to worry about it.

 

[booms]

@Heavenlee Thanks again for the well wishes. The pack finally updated today. Unfortunately rather than going from ISC to the distribution center as is normal, it says "Handed to customs". Still no LL but this is a concerning update. In all my years of ordering, even times I've gotten LL's, I've never seen this particular wording in a tracking update. Oh well, who knows what will happen now. The postal system is a mess. Someone in another thread got an LL and then received the package intact a few weeks later lol. So as long as I don't get a strange knock on the door I'm not going to worry about it.

 Does it actually say Handed to customs or does it say Inbound Into Customs? I just seen the Inbound into Customs for the first time in over 10 years of international ordering and it sat there for a week. Arrived with no issues.

 

[Mary79]

@booms I've seen "Inbound into customs" before. It actually says exactly, "Handed to customs". From my research this means it was pulled aside either because it looked suspicious or just randomly. My only hope now is customs doesn't actually open it and pushes it through, which seems extremely unlikely as it has already been picked out. Anything is possible with the current system though.

 

[DoomKitty]

@Mary79 I once had a pack that suddenly showed "handed over to customs" and it totally freaked me out, and then the next day it showed "released from customs" and was on its merry way.  Of course i have no idea if that will happen to you, but it did happen to me. 

 

[Mary79]

@Mary79 I once had a pack that suddenly showed "handed over to customs" and it totally freaked me out, and then the next day it showed "released from customs" and was on its merry way.  Of course i have no idea if that will happen to you, but it did happen to me!!

That would be awesome that's what I'm hoping. Anything is certainly possible. About 7 years ago I got pack opened with an LL inside, but they left half of the x@n@x in the pack and confiscated the other half. They do weird things sometimes.