Am I the only one or are others on this list running into greater delays with FedEx from Germany and Austria of late. In the last three weeks I have had packages from three European auction houses (1 Austria, 2 Germany) tagged and delayed for "irregular paperwork." Usually it refers to a missing doc called the "antique statement." In one case it started out because the sender had put the hammer price of the lots as the "value" on one document, and the full sale price with surcharges on another. That snafu has now morphed into confusion over "country of origin." The FedEx employee is convinced that the answer should be "Italy" despite the fact that of 6 coins two were minted at Rome and the rest in Syria. God forbid she should decide to route them to Italian customs - - for those will be coins I will likely never see once those predators get to them. Is this trouble the beginning of something... or typical handling... or signs of the end of something... or what?
I just read an ANA article about a guy who had 3 coins via FedEx from (I think) NAC get flagged by US Customs and he went through hell trying to get them released. Took nearly a year and just got resolved recently with their release to him. I don't like what I'm seeing. FedEx isn't the best way to ship from overseas and regular insured or registered mail seems better in my experience.
Last month I got a FedEx package from Savoca in Munich. The description was "collectibles" with the country of manufacture as Germany. It arrived one day after estimate, but that was still within a week of mailing. So no real problems here.
So sorry that you having these issues. I have used FedEx a few times. However, after having one of my orders take an extended holiday in Europe of about 2 weeks, I opt for registered mail instead. I have never had a package delayed that was sent by this method. I also deal with auction houses that have always included the correct paperwork including the statement of antiquity. I do wish auction houses would be much more clear about what paperwork is included in one's order. I think the time is coming when this will become increasingly important.
Irbguy, I've had 3 out of 4 Fed Ex packages coming from Numismatic Nauman arrive on time, which this auction house said would be 3 weeks after the sale. One package from the same house took about a week longer, also due to "irregular" paperwork. I tend to be a worryer, and it's tough not to worry about something I just won at auction, but have learned to "let go" when it comes to packages originating from outside of the U.S. since I have zero control over its arrival.
No problems with FedEX yet but I did have a problem with Canada Post taking four weeks to complete delivery of a recent acquisition of a folle of Maximinus. Finally showed up, but I was really tearing my hair out after awhile.
Sorry to hear of your problems. I worry also that coins from Europe will be reduced due to export laws. I have read about delays here, but have been fortunate so far. I received one from Savoca today. It took a couple of hours for "international shipment release" in Memphis. Ship time was 3 days from Germany to Texas. Ship times were similar for packages from CGB, France, and BFA, UK. The last packages from Italy & San Marino only took a bit longer.
It’s not just Fedex, Carthago. This is happening with other carriers of foreign shipments as well and with greater frequency. It’s becoming a gamble whether or not our coins will be seized when ordering from any foreign dealer. I’ve lost two orders this year—they disappeared into the twilight zone. I’m calling it quits on foreign dealers and purchasing only from those in the continental US from now on.
Agreed. I ordered a rare CD from Spain last week and it was shipped via regular mail, no tracking - it arrived within a week. Coins shipped by international registered mail normally take anywhere from 5-10 business days, slow but sure.
I don't know if this is related, but I had a coin from a Spanish VCoins dealer disappear into the black hole of New York customs, never to be seen again. We should all keep an eye on this and keep communicating in case international shipments disappearing becomes a pattern.
Thanks for the comments, gents. It gives me a bit of perspective. The nice side of it is that in most cases it is merely delay, not disappearance. I will hope for the best. As they say, "It's not paranoia if they really are out to get you." I think some of the FedEx employees are on the side of the archaeologists.
When I have a package where the seller insists on shipping with Fedex I always pay for the 2-day air. It's expensive but packages tend to move so fast that they don't have time to hold them up. That said, I definitely prefer regular registered mail with a vague description. I have had good luck with them lately from several different countries.
Well, this has been a real learning experience. I sent a message to the auction house asking for help getting the package out of FedEx hands. This morning I found a note that they had called FedEx to set the record straight. Turns out the "bad paperwork" was the fault of FedEx employees not looking at both sides of an invoice. Quick as a wink I got a tracking notice that the package had been delivered to my mailbox. I retrieved it this morning. (The package had been in Memphis, but the agent assigned to process it was in Tonawanda, New York.) The learning didn't stop there. While all that was happening, another FedEx shipment from another auction house taught me another lesson. I just learned that if a package has a value of over $2000, then FedEx investigates it for Customs fees, and charges a fee of $25 for that service even though there is no Customs fee for ancient coins in the US. Moreover, FedEx charges an additional $7 for advancing that fee for the recipient to keep the package moving. So they billed me $32 for "getting the package through Customs on my behalf" even though they knew from the invoice it was duty free. I suppose I should be grateful I got it at all. But in fact I resent the incompetence that created the delay and picks my pocket as well. And as a wise man once observed, "There ain't thing one you can do about it." [Thank goodness the coins are nice to look at!!!]
I am very glad this story has had a happy ending for you. It must have been nerve wracking. Enjoy your new purchases!
Very enlightening. I wish there was a recourse for when a package reaches US Customs and never emerges. Collectors just seem to accept that it "got lost." But in no other industry today does such a casual acceptance of loss seem so common. You can't even place a phone call to anyone. Does customs have "customer service"? I don't know if my "lost" coin is held up, indefinitely waiting for some action that will never occur because I don't know about it, or if small packages just get pilfered, and that's the way of the world.
I had send a package to France recently, it contained 10 coin mould fragments. When the customer got it there were only 7 left. Who knows what happened to the others? Pilfered or simply dropped out when customs inspected it (which they did). Sometime we just have to work with what we have.
Registered mail is tracked only from certain countries by USPS. http://faq.usps.com/?articleId=1437076354655 Spain isn't one of them. As a matter of fact, I currently have a coin coming from Spain via registered mail and it hasn't shown up at all on USPS tracking. The new normal.
Hooray for attending coin shows in the flesh! No auction premiums, no PayPal or credit card fees, no shipping costs, no customs black holes. Hand over your cash or check and take your booty back to the bat cave in your pocket. Not to mention no deceptive or poor photos to puzzle over. Summer FUN show this year the vast majority of the coins i bought were $20 to $30. Most dealers don't auction or list such low price stuff but I enjoy buying them and figuring out what they are. I realize I am lucky to have 2 big shows per year in driving range.
