Chiff and Fipple Forums

Maybe some of you remember Berti, who had problems with her hearing implant?
She stayed with us a year or so ago, in the UK, and left some books and wool for me to post to her in the Netherlands.
I posted them pretty promptly, and let her know that they had been sent. After a month she asked me was I sure they had been posted. I even got the forms for tracking lost parcels - but I hadn't kept the receipt for the posting, so that was a dead loss.
I tried posting a letter to her - which arrived - in hopes that it might trigger some action in the Post Office, but it didn't.
One of the books was a copy of "His Dark Materials" in Dutch, and I was upset by the thought that this was lost, so I tracked down a bookshop in the Netherlands that accepted international payment (took a few goes) and had them post a new copy to her. That worked. In fact, since it must have gone through the same department, the missing parcels turned up a few days later! But the whole thing had taken more than three months.
It's outrageous. These days I get recorded delivery on anything I'm remotely concerned about. And I make sure to keep the receipt.

We recently posted a parcel to the U.S. (which arrived in good time, I'm happy to say.) But I'm reminded of the time I sent a letter to South Sixth Street, Louisville. It was returned to sender. I had to direct it to "South 6th Street".
The postal services worldwide do some pretty amazing things, and I'm grateful to them. But everything messes up occasionally, and It's best to be prepared. Get recorded delivery and make sure you keep the receipt.

The thought of having to send a musical instrument through the mail gives me the heebie-jeebies.

Innocent Bystander wrote:Maybe some of you remember Berti, who had problems with her hearing implant?
She stayed with us a year or so ago, in the UK, and left some books and wool for me to post to her in the Netherlands.

Glad she eventually got her stuff. I understand from her Facebook postings that she is now (and perhaps permanently) living in York. She seems to be doing very well, and I recall she had much success when she was finally able to get her implant replaced. Those were rough times, then.

Its not the time taken that bugs us, its the dishonesty . If a man says six months, i assume he means 6months. If theres a problem all he has to do is contact us and explain the situation and give a new time, maybe some might cancel, but if its a health matter for example, we all can understand that!
But saying its in the post, when its not, saying 6 months when it takes 2 years etc etc etc......
Small claims court....

It's a whistle not a Saturn V rocket! If an artisan, craftsman, whatever, says six months and in six months there is no whistle or a really good reason why there is no whistle then they are incompetent. Money should be refunded.
Maybe instrument makers should be incentive driven by only accepting a part payment for an instrument, with the balance payable on delivery.