What does your Express mail tracking say?

burdener · November 22nd, 2009, 18:57

What "express" service are you guys using? Fedex or USPS?

I read that Fedex actually handles all the post office express/overnight shipping so it might not even matter.

At least I know from experience that the Fedex's tracking isn't awful.

ScienceDivison · November 22nd, 2009, 19:48

I used USPS Express. Only fault is it arrived about 4 hours late (around 4 PM ish)

burdener · November 23rd, 2009, 02:59

How good/accurate was the tracking?

Still no update for 36 hours on mine. It really is too bad they could not let me void the previous shipment and let me use a new label with the envelope.

I am going to call the Embassy and ask what happens if they get 2 apps from the same person and explain my situation if there are still no updates by tomorrow. Hopefully they just toss the extra and it doesn't result in disqualification.

Cataphract · November 23rd, 2009, 06:53

This is why I'm hand delivering it to DC on Tuesday. Pain in the ass to have to ride the bus down and back there, but I simply do not trust the FedEx/USPS/whoever guys with something this important to me.

burdener · November 23rd, 2009, 16:38

If anyone has shipped their package and it went through a sort facility in Chicago, il 60666 can you post what the next steps were? I just want to know if the very next step would be around DC or O'hare airport.

cielya · November 24th, 2009, 01:35

Mine's at the fex ex facility in DC. And I didn't even spend that extra $30! Now it's just time to wait and see when it actually makes it to the embassy...

ExclamationMark · November 24th, 2009, 01:47

Mine arrived at the embassy this morning. Signed for at the front desk

vdog · November 24th, 2009, 02:10

Jeez, I debated about even getting any sort of tracking at all since I sent it out last Thursday and figured that's plenty of time. Guess I'm glad I did, the status on the USPS site said they attempted to deliver it Saturday and a notice was left and it's ready to be redelivered. I didn't require a signature, so I don't know why they didn't just actually deliver it Saturday. So I had to call USPS and schedule a redelivery which won't happen until tomorrow, the deadline. Sheesh. I mean as long as it gets there I'm happy, but it probably would've been worth using Fedex or something instead.

Lady on the phone said if I hadn't called, and the recepient didn't request a redelivery (a notice was left) then it would've sat in DC's post office for 15 days and then been sent back to me. How's that for service

.

I wonder if JET actually requests redelivery on them or goes and picks them up or is just like "Well, that's one less application to sift through!"

Cataphract · November 24th, 2009, 02:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by vdogvictor

I didn't require a signature, so I don't know why they didn't just actually deliver it Saturday.

The USPS won't just leave mail at a business or an office. If you were sending the application to a residential address it would have been fine, but for places like the embassy, they have to deliver it to someone or else they won't leave it.

ExclamationMark · November 24th, 2009, 02:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by vdogvictor

I wonder if JET actually requests redelivery on them or goes and picks them up or is just like "Well, that's one less application to sift through!"

That sounds a bit too much work for JET. How many applications do they get at the embassy that have arrived their by themselves? I doubt they'd go through the trouble of seeking out more and increasing their workload.

vdog · November 24th, 2009, 02:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cataphract

The USPS won't just leave mail at a business or an office. If you were sending the application to a residential address it would have been fine, but for places like the embassy, they have to deliver it to someone or else they won't leave it.

Yeah, the woman on the phone said it is at the discretion of the mailman if they leave it or not, but it's still a pretty shitty practice. Pay for an item to be delivered in 2 - 3 days, with a 4 -5 day absolute deadline and if I hadn't noticed anything then it would've come back to me 15 days from now because of the discretion of a mailman? Maybe his discretion was correct and there was no place he could safely leave it Saturday, but they should automatically redeliver it, not wait for you or the recepient to request it.

Oh well, lesson learned. No more using USPS for important things.

vdog · November 24th, 2009, 02:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by IanExclamationMark

That sounds a bit too much work for JET. How many applications do they get at the embassy that have arrived their by themselves? I doubt they'd go through the trouble of seeking out more and increasing their workload.

And I wouldn't blame them either. If my application doesn't get there on time the blame lands squarely on the shoulders of the USPS, and me for using USPS. Though it's kinda sucky to think if I had mailed it out a day later, the attempted delivery would've been today and all would be fine, lol.

factorblank · November 24th, 2009, 03:21

I started reading about USPS not leaving packages on Saturday then not redelivering and got really worried, so I ran out to my car to dig up the receipt. Just verified that it was delivered on Saturday!

cielya · November 24th, 2009, 03:27

Crazy - sounds like USPS is all over the place.
Usually I hate Fedex, but I have a family member that works for USPS and even they're like "don't use USPS." They've cut so many jobs that's it's kind of random as to whether or not something will actually arrive on time. How's THAT for upper management decisions?

LostInTranslation · November 24th, 2009, 03:41

I sent mine overnight with USPS. It arrived roughly 93 minutes later (the next day) than they claimed.

droog · November 24th, 2009, 04:13

Here's what mine currently says:

Detailed Results:

Arrival at Pick-Up-Point, November 21, 2009, 10:00 am, WASHINGTON, DC 20008

Arrival at Unit, November 21, 2009, 9:11 am, WASHINGTON, DC 20008

Processed through Sort Facility, November 21, 2009, 4:30 am, WASHINGTON, DC 20074

Acceptance, November 20, 2009, 2:12 pm, MIDDLETOWN, NY 10940

Since this hadn't updated since Saturday I started getting worried.. I called USPS, and of course they couldn't do anything to help me, trying to tell me that the embassy had to have it picked up because of their arrangement with USPS. So, I tried the embassy, and spoke with a very nice lady there. She told me not to worry, that this is a really common thing and that there was a %98 chance that it was delivered and just not scanned properly, and that it was most likely in a pile there along with a thousand other apps. She acted like she was getting a lot of these calls lately.

She also said that in a case like this that they wouldn't disqualify an app for getting their late, if it's clearly USPS' fault for not getting it there on time.

So, that makes me feel a bit better, but I'm still going to keep an eye on it. Does anyone know approximately how long after they've received your app that they confirm they've received it?

cranguy · November 24th, 2009, 04:36

Droog, mine says virtually the same thing:

Detailed Results:

Arrival at Pick-Up-Point, November 21, 2009, 10:00 am, WASHINGTON, DC 20008

Arrival at Unit, November 21, 2009, 9:12 am, WASHINGTON, DC 20008

Processed through Sort Facility, November 21, 2009, 4:30 am, WASHINGTON, DC 20074

Processed through Sort Facility, November 20, 2009, 5:33 pm, CUMBERLAND, MD 21502

Acceptance, November 20, 2009, 5:08 pm, CUMBERLAND, MD 21502

Electronic Shipping Info Received, November 20, 2009
I marked mine as no Saturday/Sunday delivery, so there should be a delivery sometime today. I'm not too worried... hopefully the status will update sometime today.

Cataphract · November 24th, 2009, 05:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by droog

She told me not to worry, that this is a really common thing and that there was a %98 chance that it was delivered and just not scanned properly, and that it was most likely in a pile there along with a thousand other apps. She acted like she was getting a lot of these calls lately.

She also said that in a case like this that they wouldn't disqualify an app for getting their late, if it's clearly USPS' fault for not getting it there on time.

not to make you uneasy, but how would this woman have any idea? she's operating on what makes sense, sure, but not with any sort of familiarity with the JET application process. Going off of what I've read here and in other places, it doesn't really matter if it's anyone's fault for not getting in on time- if it's not in, it's not in.

Quote:

So, that makes me feel a bit better, but I'm still going to keep an eye on it. Does anyone know approximately how long after they've received your app that they confirm they've received it?

Some people have already received their confirmations, but I think with the crush of applications right at the deadline, it's gonna be 2 weeks at least.

droog · November 24th, 2009, 06:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cataphract

not to make you uneasy, but how would this woman have any idea? she's operating on what makes sense, sure, but not with any sort of familiarity with the JET application process. Going off of what I've read here and in other places, it doesn't really matter if it's anyone's fault for not getting in on time- if it's not in, it's not in.

Well, this woman was at the Japanese embassy, and seemed.. ummm.. very Japanese? So, it seemed like if anyone would have a reliable opinion on the matter it would be someone actually at the embassy. But, who knows, maybe she's clueless.. it's true though that missed scans can cause delivered packages to not show as being delivered, and I know from experience that it happens all the time with UPS deliveries.

vdog · November 24th, 2009, 06:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cataphract

not to make you uneasy, but how would this woman have any idea? she's operating on what makes sense, sure, but not with any sort of familiarity with the JET application process. Going off of what I've read here and in other places, it doesn't really matter if it's anyone's fault for not getting in on time- if it's not in, it's not in.

I'm sure the embassy's a big place, but I don't think that makes her the woman on the phone an unreliable source.

November 22nd, 2009, 18:57	#41 (permalink)
burdener Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 60	What "express" service are you guys using? Fedex or USPS? I read that Fedex actually handles all the post office express/overnight shipping so it might not even matter. At least I know from experience that the Fedex's tracking isn't awful. Last edited by burdener; November 22nd, 2009 at 18:58.

November 22nd, 2009, 19:48	#42 (permalink)
ScienceDivison Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: East Coast Posts: 315	I used USPS Express. Only fault is it arrived about 4 hours late (around 4 PM ish) __________________ "Psychologically, you have to have confidence in yourself and this confidence should be based on fact."

November 23rd, 2009, 02:59	#43 (permalink)
burdener Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 60	How good/accurate was the tracking? Still no update for 36 hours on mine. It really is too bad they could not let me void the previous shipment and let me use a new label with the envelope. I am going to call the Embassy and ask what happens if they get 2 apps from the same person and explain my situation if there are still no updates by tomorrow. Hopefully they just toss the extra and it doesn't result in disqualification. Last edited by burdener; November 23rd, 2009 at 03:31.

November 24th, 2009, 01:35	#46 (permalink)
cielya Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 508	Mine's at the fex ex facility in DC. And I didn't even spend that extra $30! Now it's just time to wait and see when it actually makes it to the embassy... __________________ shortlisted!

November 24th, 2009, 03:27	#54 (permalink)
cielya Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 508	Crazy - sounds like USPS is all over the place. Usually I hate Fedex, but I have a family member that works for USPS and even they're like "don't use USPS." They've cut so many jobs that's it's kind of random as to whether or not something will actually arrive on time. How's THAT for upper management decisions? __________________ shortlisted!

November 23rd, 2009, 06:53	#44 (permalink)
Cataphract Applying Forum Moderator Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 2,464	This is why I'm hand delivering it to DC on Tuesday. Pain in the ass to have to ride the bus down and back there, but I simply do not trust the FedEx/USPS/whoever guys with something this important to me.

November 23rd, 2009, 16:38	#45 (permalink)
burdener Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 60	If anyone has shipped their package and it went through a sort facility in Chicago, il 60666 can you post what the next steps were? I just want to know if the very next step would be around DC or O'hare airport.

November 24th, 2009, 01:47	#47 (permalink)
ExclamationMark Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Texas Posts: 820	Mine arrived at the embassy this morning. Signed for at the front desk

November 24th, 2009, 02:10	#48 (permalink)
vdog SPACE MONKEY MAFIA Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Alternate List Posts: 2,034	Jeez, I debated about even getting any sort of tracking at all since I sent it out last Thursday and figured that's plenty of time. Guess I'm glad I did, the status on the USPS site said they attempted to deliver it Saturday and a notice was left and it's ready to be redelivered. I didn't require a signature, so I don't know why they didn't just actually deliver it Saturday. So I had to call USPS and schedule a redelivery which won't happen until tomorrow, the deadline. Sheesh. I mean as long as it gets there I'm happy, but it probably would've been worth using Fedex or something instead. Lady on the phone said if I hadn't called, and the recepient didn't request a redelivery (a notice was left) then it would've sat in DC's post office for 15 days and then been sent back to me. How's that for service . I wonder if JET actually requests redelivery on them or goes and picks them up or is just like "Well, that's one less application to sift through!"

November 24th, 2009, 03:21	#53 (permalink)
factorblank Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 5	I started reading about USPS not leaving packages on Saturday then not redelivering and got really worried, so I ran out to my car to dig up the receipt. Just verified that it was delivered on Saturday!

November 24th, 2009, 04:13	#56 (permalink)
droog Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 18	Here's what mine currently says: Detailed Results: Arrival at Pick-Up-Point, November 21, 2009, 10:00 am, WASHINGTON, DC 20008 Arrival at Unit, November 21, 2009, 9:11 am, WASHINGTON, DC 20008 Processed through Sort Facility, November 21, 2009, 4:30 am, WASHINGTON, DC 20074 Acceptance, November 20, 2009, 2:12 pm, MIDDLETOWN, NY 10940 Since this hadn't updated since Saturday I started getting worried.. I called USPS, and of course they couldn't do anything to help me, trying to tell me that the embassy had to have it picked up because of their arrangement with USPS. So, I tried the embassy, and spoke with a very nice lady there. She told me not to worry, that this is a really common thing and that there was a %98 chance that it was delivered and just not scanned properly, and that it was most likely in a pile there along with a thousand other apps. She acted like she was getting a lot of these calls lately. She also said that in a case like this that they wouldn't disqualify an app for getting their late, if it's clearly USPS' fault for not getting it there on time. So, that makes me feel a bit better, but I'm still going to keep an eye on it. Does anyone know approximately how long after they've received your app that they confirm they've received it?

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