Ordering flutes Into the US during the current times?

[tradlad123]

Thinking of getting a flute from the EU, into the US. Is it advisable currently(aside from the fact that it may be contagious)?
If anyone has had any experience lately, are there significant delays in customs/shipping?

[Sedi]

Shipping might be more expensive. I wanted to send a flute to the US and DHL wants 16€ extra at the moment. I wouldn't worry about the virus however. Considering how long shipping takes at the moment, the virus can't survive that long on any surface. I ordered something in the US and it took 20 days till it even left the country. I wonder if it's the same the other way round. Even under normal conditions a whistle I sent with DHL (small parcel, no tracking) to the US took 6 weeks to arrive. Honestly, in this day and age that is a bad joke. I could have shipped it by boat probably. Strangely enough, parcels between other countries travel much faster. I once ordered something in India and it was at my doorstep in Germany 4 days later. But a lot probably depends on the carrier. I think DHL is extra slow. They probably wanna push their more costly premium services. I had good experiences with FedEx for international shipping. So I guess even in the current situation it might depend on the courier.

[Mr.Gumby]

The US doesn't accept parcels right now, you won't get it sent over until this is all over.

(Info here)

[tradlad123]

Mr Gumby, could you link to any sources with this info? I tried and couldn't find anything online

[Mr.Gumby]

Sorry, just updated that before I saw your post. See above.

USA No parcels service.
Letters, large envelopes and packets only

[tradlad123]

Thanks, this looks like an An Post specific thing though. Mainland Europe is what I am thinking of.

[Mr.Gumby]

It is An Post giving the status of international postal traffic. They are sending stuff any place that will accept it. The US isn't accepting parcels due to suspension of signed for delivery of incoming items. The issue is on the US end, in other words.

Here is your USPS service status info

[busterbill]

It is An Post giving the status of international postal traffic. They are sending stuff any place that will accept it. The US isn't accepting parcels due to suspension of signed for delivery of incoming items. The issue is on the US end, in other words.

Here is your USPS service status info

I wonder if that is just USPS, the official postal service. I don't know anything about other international services such as Fedex or DHL. It could be worth checking. If it isn't a customs issue private carriers might be fine, though slower now.

[cavefish]

were did you hear this BS

[Mr.Gumby]

I wonder if that is just USPS, the official postal service. I don't know anything about other international services such as Fedex or DHL. It could be worth checking. If it isn't a customs issue private carriers might be fine, though slower now.

Yes that was USPS. But due to the travel ban air traffic is severely limited, which also impedes all cargo/parcel services. DHL recommends to contact customer service to see what is possible. But there's disruption overall they have to work around.

[Katharine]

From USPS: https://about.usps.com/newsroom/service ... rnational/

(It doesn't address whether packages can come here, but is a list of places where mail service is suspended, so one would know not to expect to receive anything from there.)

[benhall.1]

From everything I can see, there do not seem to be any restrictions in the US on accepting parcels from other countries. The Royal Mail are still sending parcels to the US. There are severe restrictions in the US on sending parcels to certain other countries - quite a long list, in fact.

[benhall.1]

I've followed the links you gave, Mr G. The An Post link does not say that the US is not accepting parcels - in fact, to me, it strongly implies that the US is accepting parcels. However, An Post is not accepting parcels for delivery to the US. I know that the US is accepting parcels - although there are different restrictions for different countries - because Royal Mail, Parcelforce and others here in the UK are sending parcels to the US.

The USPS link that you gave does not say that the US is not accepting parcels. It actually says, in relation to the UK and Ireland, for instance, that it is accepting parcels. It mentions that, in order to do so, there are alternative procedures in place to substitute for an actual signature. These are slightly different for the UK than they are for Ireland.

Now, whether I would trust the various bodies to look after a shipment so that it arrives reliably at the moment is another matter ...

[Terry McGee]

I think if you give the sender's address as "Infectious Diseases Ward, <local> Hospital, <wherever>", it should go through pretty quickly, and not be held up in Customs. It certainly won't be opened....

[Conical bore]

The USPS site also says they're still delivering packages requiring a signature. The new method is that the package is set at the doorway, the Postal worker knocks or rings the doorbell (with gloves, I imagine), then steps back 6 feet or more while you answer.

Instead of you signing your name on the digital pad as usual, the Postal worker asks you for your first initial and last name (J. Doe, for example), then they jot that down on the digital pad so there is no direct interaction.