I have a C chanter coming over from the US. It was posted May 18th and still hasn’t arrived here on the old sod. Am I right in thinking that that’s a long time for a chanter to be at sea?
Cheers,
Harry.
That sounds like too long, Harry. Stuff i send to Brazil sometimes takes 3-4 weeks (unpredictably), but everything i’ve mailed to Ireland so far has made it in a week or less. I hope it isn’t stuck in customs.
Harry,
Did they send it by surface (as opposed to air) mail? If so, it’s not unusual for it to take a month or more. Surface shipment basically sit around waiting for a ship that (eventually) goes to the right port. I’d give it a week or two before getting too concerned. If it went by air mail, it should have gotten there in about a week. (Hope it’s insured.)
Cheers,
Larry
Surface can take up to 6 weeks - just in time for Willie Week!
I’ve had stuff go from here to Belfast for instance in a week, but it took two years and six months to get it back.
Royce
Larry,
It may well be that it’s been posted surface mail. The maker (Seth Gallagher) said that he sent something to France recently that took 4 weeks to arrive.
I wonder if customs over here inform people when they seize things?
Royce, tough luck, plenty of extra time to sharpen those teeth though.
Regards,
Harry.
I had a chanter sent from Europe in early February… still waiting 
We think it was stolen or lost in transit… terribly frustrating situation but I am sure it’ll all work out.
Your chanter could still turn up Harry. Ask Seth if there was a tracking number. I am a firm believer that these packages should always be sent with a company that can provide this service. These things just cost too much to trust fate to deliver them safely.
Patrick.
I confirm 6 to 8 weeks is quite usual for surface mail coming from States to Europe.
Back in the 70’s we sent stuff back and forth to Scotland and England surface mail and the time would vary from around 3 weeks to 2 months. There are lots of strikes and holidays that cause delays as well. Didn’t a post office strike just end in England recently? My son is still waiting on some mail from his mother there that was mailed a month ago.
Why’d it take so long coming back?
Try a board search for Royce’s posts, and you will see.
It’s a maker/player dispute.
Try a board search for Royce’s posts, and you will see.
Yes, please let’s not bring all that up again!
Ditto Ireland to Canada: a week by air, 6 - 8 weeks via surface.
djm
Oh yeah, if it went surface mail, it could take 2 months. I didn’t even think of that. I hope it turns up; if not, you’ll just have to play flute! 
Yeah, Harry, actually stuff can get caught up in Dublin (or Shannon, I guess), or wherever it enters Ireland. They’re quite slow with packages, I suppose because they don’t want to miss a single Eurocent of possible import duty.
They will let you know if something is stuck awaiting clearance, and in particular if they’re waiting on documentation. They POST THE NOTICE TO YOU, though, and that in and of itself can take time. Or, worse yet, they can surface-mail the notice back to the sender. Ick.
I second the recommendation to see if Seth has a tracking number. Might help.
Nigh on about a month does seem long . . . and I can’t imagine a pipemaker shipping by surface post.
Stuart
When I send a parcel to my brother in Donabate Dublin Co. it takes 2 weeks tops usually 1 week. When I order anything from the states it takes about a month to arrive (even if it is only a few hundred miles away).
I got a tracking number. Can’t seem to get it to do anything on the US Postal Service website though. Tells me there that the track and confirm option wasn’t purchased for this package?
I’ve sent them an email, hopefully they’ll look into it.
Next time I do postman myself.
Thanks all,
H.
Hey may have sent you the number off the customs form (which also has a barcode and number) . . . which isn’t incredibly helpful.
Well, hmm.
Stuart
I get that message if i type in the number that comes when i insure a package. Maybe that’s what it is.
If it’s either insured, registered or tracked, the postal service has to account for it. But you have to wait 1 month from when the package was shipped to start investigating. So you have to wait another week or so.
The easiest way would be for the person who shipped the chanter to call the customer service number and ask.
The trace would have to be initiated by the Sender.