It's in the mail

Submitted by fyl on 2 August, 2006 - 10:03.

I have mentioned before how mail from the US to Nicaragua seems to take a lot longer than mail from the UK or Spain to Nicaragua. Well, I finally have some evidence of where the problem is.

I ordered a product that was shipped from Marina Del Rey, California (an Los Angeles suburb) on the 24th of July. It is a small package--probably weighing less than 1 lb. The shipper sent it via USPS and paid for tracking. Here is the story so far:

  • Mailed on the 24th--but USPS takes up to 48 hours for the tracking information to be entered into the system.
  • "Enroute, July 26, 2006, 5:32 pm, LOS ANGELES, CA 90009"
  • "Arrival at Unit, July 31, 2006, 8:05 am, VENICE, CA 90291"
  • "Enroute, August 01, 2006, 1:26 pm, LONG BEACH, CA 90810"
  • "International Dispatch, August 01, 2006, 1:26 pm, LOS ANGELES AMC"

All the quoted text is from the USPS tracking site here Now, I have a personal interest in the package so I will continue tottrack it but, if you just want to see how well it does in the future, the package number is EC91 3199 647U S.

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4 August update

Submitted by fyl on 4 August, 2006 - 14:41.

The web page showed that it was in Managua yesterday afternoon and in Customs a few minutes later. Today I go to the post office here and one of the people there tells me that I have a package in Customs in Managua and they need an invoice. (Note that if there had been an invoice Customs would have filled out the paperwork--yes, they read invoices in English and produce paperwork in Spanish) and I would just pay it when I picked up the package.)

As there are a few things on the way I ask for details. She tells me it is an "urgent package" and gets me the tracking number. Yup, this is it. I don't have the invoice with me but she calls Managua to see if she can just tell them what I claim it is worth. Unfortunately the boss is not there right now so she writes down all the info for me and tells me to call her later.

I guess the definition of urgent is different here than in Los Angeles.

Type Of Product

Submitted by Pete on 4 August, 2006 - 01:39.

This is because V!AGR_A is processed differently through the mail in the United States. If you get it through Eurpoe or Canada they have inspectors on site. I wonder if you can buy it in Esteli yet?

Or

Submitted by WalterG on 4 August, 2006 - 08:49.

He should try ¨Fiable¨ (Nicaraguan generic v!ag-ra) that way he wont "suffer" with the package arrival anticipation.

How?

Submitted by Miskito Alan on 4 August, 2006 - 05:36.

Pete: How did you become such a noted expert on this medicine?

Miskito Alan &#174

Easy

Submitted by Pete on 4 August, 2006 - 16:33.

Don't you remember when you and FYL were telling me all about it and I said that I didn't need it but that I thought it was an intresting topic?

USPS

Submitted by wholly mary on 3 August, 2006 - 13:41.

Phil, not counting the day you mailed the package, I read this as having taken 6 days for your package to go round trip from LA to LA. That's pretty amazing!

it hasn't left California yet ; )

Submitted by arlington on 3 August, 2006 - 16:00.

it hasn't left California yet ; )