What pens are still "Tracking" in the Postal Slowdown

[RogerRamjet]

I am sure many of you are still waiting for pens which normally take 2-4 days and are taking 2-4 weeks. 

 

I had one sent 3-day Priority to me and it took 7 days.   Another arrived yesterday after 10 days from Texas to Iowa.  And I am still waiting on a pen from the East Coast tracking through New Jersey since Dec. 11.

 

Yes, I understand the slowdown (and feel for the postal folks who are working extra lo-o-ong hours) and I will patiently wait for the pen. 

 

Just wanting to see how other parts if the country are doing  

[PAKMAN]

I have a pen coming through the postal service from Poland, started this way on the 14th, no idea when it will get here. I'll chime in later when it finally arrives.

[bunnspecial]

Four out for me:

 

Parker 61

 

Montblanc 3-42g

 

Montblanc 24

 

Montblanc 147

 

I also have two bottles of Montblanc Iron Gall midnight blue on their way from England.

 

I've sworn off anything international until at least after the first of the year, possibly longer. I'll wait until all the outstanding stuff gets here.

[LuckyKate]

I ordered some ink from the east coast (about a two hour drive from me. I live in Maryland). It took two weeks for it to get to me, but it finally did. Ditto for paper I ordered from the mid-west (not here yet after 10 days--it's been "in transit" since thanksgiving.) However, I had a package from Cult pens get to me in four days. I'm guessing it depends on the USPS "Hub." Anything that goes through Baltimore is super slow but mail that goes through DC is very fast (at least to my house).

 

[mizgeorge]

I had a new member of the 140 flock arrive from Germany yesterday, it's currently having its first bath for at least 30 years by the look of it.

Expecting an Edison Pearlette from the US tomorrow (customs paid and delivery supposedly confirmed).

And a locally bought Narwhal, posted two days ago on supposed next day delivery from only 30-odd miles away but didn't turn up today. There might be a bit of ink in that package too.

An extra flexy FPR should arrive in the next few days, again from the US, but I guess it depends on whether customs get me or not on that one.

The next couple I have my eye on are in the UK, but might have to wait until the new year when deliveries might start to even up a bit.

 

I have got a few to catch up on here already though - and some inks to play with as well. Need to find my glass pen, which is buried somewhere under a little stack of Kawecos

 

[AmandaW]

Not a pen (but to me very related) I was waiting for some watercolours from the UK. Since July. A few days ago I finally accepted it's not happening and have ordered the same from somewhere else. Looking forward to it getting here.

[inkstainedruth]

I got lucky.  I sprang for Priority First Class mail for my Christmas present (a dark blue/Navy blue Pilot Decimo, a couple of ink samples, and a bottle of Vanness Pens' "White Lightning Ink Additive.  That wasn't horribly expensive, and the cost was offset by some rewards points I had built up.  And the package was delivered about an hour ago (I always sign up for USPS tracking info and saw that it was out for delivery this morning ).

Shipping is always weird even without it being 2020.  A couple of years ago I ordered a Decimo from a Japanese seller on eBay (to get a color that Pilot won't sell in the US).  The seller warned me that it might be longer than the advertised 10-14 day economy airmail shipping because of the time of year (I ordered it right before Thanksgiving).  It took... 11.  Eleven days, including dealing with US Customs -- and I could track it through Japan Post and then USPS.  Oh, and the mailman knocked on the door because I had to sign for it.  I only wish I had the same level of service from an Amazon 3rd party seller for a CD I ordered.  Took LONGER, I got a song and dance about how DHL didn't have tracking (seriously?) and even then it took forever, came IN THE MAIL and was not left inside the storm door as requested (because November in Pittsburgh -- and I hadn't even mentioned the fear of porch thieves).  And it turned out the vendor was an HOUR away from me -- just in the next county....  I'm apparently lucky that I got the CD at ALL, after reading the posts on their FB page.  They got the appropriate feedback on Amazon.  And then had the nerve to offer me a partial refund if I "amended" my feedback....  Oh, I amended it all right (after I knew for sure I got the refund credited) -- just NOT the way they hoped.  Told everyone exactly the slimy thing they'd tried to pull....  

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[inkstainedruth]

11 minutes ago, AmandaW said:

Not a pen (but to me very related) I was waiting for some watercolours from the UK. Since July. A few days ago I finally accepted it's not happening and have ordered the same from somewhere else. Looking forward to it getting here.

Did you get charged?  Do you have any information about the shipper?  Filed a report?

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Linger]

Last week a package from a NL dealer to a NL customer (i.e. me) took 5 days rather than 1. As of today I am awaiting another package from the same dealer. No chance of receiving it pre-xmas, but high hopes for pre-new year's...

[aimi]

Mail has been crazy! I did an ink sample trade with someone on the east coast of the USA (I’m west coast) and my half of the package went missing on the USPS tracking site, and then suddenly showed up at her doorstep. We were both pretty perplexed but relieved it made it. I’ve heard similar stories of items just being in transit/MIA for super long on the tracking page then arriving. The poor postal workers must be overwhelmed!

[inkstainedruth]

My brother-in-law certainly is.  He's postmaster for a small town in Massachusetts, and his office is shorthanded to begin with.  My husband's oldest brother said the other day that in addition to that, Norman's post office had a couple of full tractor-trailer deliveries from UPS and I think DHL for USPS to do the final deliveries.

I mailed a credit card payment this afternoon (a days early from when it really needed to go out) partly because of the crazy mail, and partly because Pittsburgh is going to have really bad weather coming in tomorrow.  The next set of bills don't have to get mailed until the middle of next week.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[max dog]

I had a pen shipped from Canada to the UK on Nov 30th, and it still hasn't arrived over there.

 

[brokenclay]

Here local(-ish) stuff is taking forever, but my Writer's Box from Galen Leather in Istanbul was shipped on 22 Dec and arrived in Colorado today!

[NumberSix]

I bought a Parker 21 on Pen_Swap in early December. It was in "awaiting shipment" status for almost 3 weeks. The seller contacted me proactively and said that 6 items she mailed that day were the same status. 

 

The pen's tracking finally updated last week and might deliver as soon as tomorrow. 

 

The last few expensive orders ($100+) I have placed, I have mostly chosen to pay extra for UPS/Fedex. Most pen shops are not charging that much more.  Goulet charged me $14 for Fedex 2-Day, when their priority mail would have been $8.95, for instance. That may have been a Xmas special price, now that I think about it, but if it's usual for them I will use that option from now on.

[NumberSix]

Just now, brokenclay said:

Here local(-ish) stuff is taking forever, but my Writer's Box from Galen Leather in Istanbul was shipped on 22 Dec and arrived in Colorado today!

 

I had a media mail item from amazon route itself to Fort Collins for over a week. None of my Denver area mail has ever gone to Fort Collins before now! 

 

A vintage pen from penrealm is out for delivery after a week. Normally, stuff from Kirk gets to me first class in two days. 

[brokenclay]

Just now, NumberSix said:

 

I had a media mail item from amazon route itself to Fort Collins for over a week. None of my Denver area mail has ever gone to Fort Collins before now! 

 

A vintage pen from penrealm is out for delivery after a week. Normally, stuff from Kirk gets to me first class in two days. 

 

I had to physically go to Louisville FedEx to retrieve something sent to me from Best Buy in Longmont (my own town). So, yeah, weird...

[AlexLeGrande]

I bought a cheap Chinese Jinhao 75, a Parker Cisele homage pen, from AliExpress, knowing that the "slow boat from China" would be further delayed by the great number of mailed election ballots and holiday season mail. It's been well over a month, but when it arrives it will be a nice surprise.

[jvr]

A Platinum Plaisir 10th Anniversary edition that has been making its way from Canada forever, only to be sent to the wrong area post office and disappear into oblivion for now.

 

And an Estie Peacock recently sent but likewise sent to another wrong area post office and now stuck there.

 

in the meantime, pens sent from Japan and Italy via DHL arrived faster.

[merlinsfv]

I ordered a vintage pen from a seller in Florida in July.  It was mailed - Priority Flat Rate  - on July 27th.  Last Tracking post shows it "In Transit" as of July 30.  I'm still waiting and the seller has NOT had it returned to him.   On the other hand, I've received several items from different cities in Japan, from Hong Kong, and from Germany.  All have arrived within three days of shipment.    One note though:  I don't blame the post office - I blame the post master!

[MHBru]

well.. I actually have three items still outstanding....  a titanium base plate for my razor... last tracking shows it leaving an OH post office on 12/9 and not seen since.  not sure if it will ever show up at this stage.   a new shave soap and splash just sent from IN (not late yet but curious to see if it gets here before the base plate) .. and more related to this group.... a return address embosser that is a gift from my daughter that is obviously not in time for the holidays... also currently unaccounted for.