I just thought I would share this with you. I posted a lantern to Taiwan on Tuesday via UPS and it arrived at its destination yesterday. So tell me why is it that the post office can't deliver a simple letter in that time or why is it I've been waiting for a small package that was posted 55 miles away to arrive here which was posted Monday. I've added a bit of the information below along with a picture of the item sent which arrived in 1 piece, I've had similar items posted to me here from within the uk via the post office and arrived with broken glass. I think this says a lot about our country and the pride some of us have in our work.

Forgot to add the cost was only £36.19



Delivered On:
Thursday, 05/17/2012 at 3:33 P.M.

Left At:
Guard

Signed By:
MR LIN

Type:
Package
Weight:
2.70 kgs


The lamp started it's journey from the bottom of this:

IN TRANSIT TO, May-17-12, 03:41 AM, TAO-YUAN
DEPARTURE SCAN, May-17-12, 03:40 AM, SHENZHEN
LOCATION SCAN, May-17-12, 01:08 AM, SHENZHEN
DESTINATION SCAN, May-17-12, 00:15 AM, SHENZHEN
ARRIVAL SCAN, May-16-12, 23:53 PM, SHENZHEN
DEPARTURE SCAN, May-16-12, 06:06 AM, KOELN (COLOGNE)
LOCATION SCAN, May-16-12, 01:02 AM, KOELN (COLOGNE)
ARRIVAL SCAN, May-16-12, 00:09 AM, KOELN (COLOGNE)
DEPARTURE SCAN, May-15-12, 21:53 PM, EAST MIDLANDS AIRPOR
EXPORT SCAN, May-15-12, 20:55 PM, EAST MIDLANDS AIRPOR
LOCATION SCAN, May-15-12, 20:47 PM, EAST MIDLANDS AIRPOR
PACKAGE DATA PROCESSED BY BROKERAGE. WAITING FOR CLEARANCE / RELEASED BY CLEARING AGENCY. NOW IN-TRANSIT FOR DELIVERY, May-15-12, 19:50 PM, EAST MIDLANDS AIRPOR
PACKAGE DATA PROCESSED BY BROKERAGE. WAITING FOR CLEARANCE, May-15-12, 19:39 PM, EAST MIDLANDS AIRPOR
DEPARTURE SCAN, May-15-12, 19:30 PM, STOKE
LOCATION SCAN, May-15-12, 18:54 PM, STOKE
PICKUP SCAN, May-15-12, 11:33 AM, STOKE

Excellent news. I posted 6 secondhand books in a Royal Mail box which cost a whopping £40 (plus box) in Cambridge and it finally arrived in Bulgaria about 3 months later after being told it would take 6 days! Certainly says something about UK post offices. It would have been cheaper to use a courier service which I presume UPS is?

Hi oldun that sounds about right for the PO, another reason I used UPS was the cost which was half what the PO wanted. Yes UPS if a worldwide mail delivery co but I go through a broker which works out cheaper that going to them direct.

It's very sad that such a British icon should fall as it has, I see they are now privatising the industry which will be the finish of them and prices will get even higher. Looking at the Ups delivery that is a brilliant result and how quick was that

Another packet that my daughter sent which was a jiffy bag of teabags(!) also took months and had gone to Australia where it went through customs according to the re-seal! That was definitely the British post at fault. Probably the Indian sorting couldn't read 'Bulgaria'. If you think that's a racist comment, my hero once worked in the PO and so he knows. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Something positive about the post with Ups from admin which I have used myself and always found them to be excellent. Nothing prejudice about your reply oldun we can't expect all our brothers and sisters around the world to be able to read all languages. I'm afraid the GPO as it was is all but finished which as already stated is very sad but that's British industry and the unions for you.

Your showing your age Bigsavak I haven't heard the term GPO for donkeys years The demise of British industry is all down to greed and the unions I agree with this and there will be more to come in the UK as I'm sure you all realise Great Britain is no longer great. It's amazing that you can fly a package across the world quicker that you can get one delivered 55 miles away I think this is a disgrace and make my blood boil when I hear of people like Royal mail going on strike sorry to say it but if they do loose their jobs then its their own doing which we can see here by the simple fact that another company and do the same job as them cheaper and quicker. Well done to Ups.

For anyone interested I used this broker [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] and the service was second to none.

Noted your reply Bigsavak but one would expect a foreigner would be trained to tell the difference between countries in a sorting office. Thats the problem not his race.
Thanks Admin for the link.

[quote="
]the GPO as it was is all but finished which as already stated is very sad but that's British industry and the unions for you.[/quote]

the GPO was finished yonks ago
split into BT and the Royal Mail..........and yes the Post Office ,as it is being refered to ,is now expensive...thanks to the governments interference in not letting it do what it wanted to years ago....but as long as it keep paying me my retirement pension ..no probs....

Ups has always been great I think and good value

My friend posted us 6 baby hand knitted cardigans from Australia cost her 40 dollars and took 3 months to arrive So I guess we maybe in line with everyone else. ::

Was that using UPS?

Aham!! it came from down under :Very funny 2:now that was funny! Pigeon post

My daughter posted our EHIC cards 10 days ago and sent it by Registered Post with Royal Mail, they subcontracted the package to Airsure. After checking the tracking we found that the letter has been in Hungary for 3 days and now has finally entered Bulgaria. I have contacted Royal Mail by email and received an email back saying that they would reply in 3 days. Royal Mail proudly boast that Registered Post arrives a day quicker than First Class Post. Great stuff!! Airsure don't even know where Bulgaria is, me thinks they ought to change their name. As a postal service it is all past a joke, but the government will let things carry on floundering around until someone important complains and their incompetence is highlighted in a national newspaper.