Parts imported via USPS from USA

[duanelr]

Hi all, recently had bike parts sent from the USA to me via the USPS (United States postal service).

it took about 4 days for the package to reach OR Tambo Int airport (I could track it) where it was handed over to someone(?), presumably the South African Post Service.

the tracking number from the USPS indicates that the small package has left OR Tambo Intl Airport on the 8th of Jan. I haven't received my package yet, nor any sort of notifications from anyone.

My questions are: where could my parts be? to who would the parts be handed to? am I correct in assuming it was the South African Postal Service? If it was how long do they take to deliver? do they deliver or do I need to pick it up? if so where? are there any import duties or vat payable and if so where and how?

I just want my parts. any help or advice would be appreciated , thanks.

[Spinnekop]

SA Postal service.

Best of luck.  

[One Speed Wonder]

It will eventually be at the local Post Office that usually delivers your mail. They will send a slip to collect it from the Post office if you are lucky. It takes a while to get there. The post office has a tracking app for foreign parcels and it will eventually give an Xnnnn code that, if you are lucky, they can use to find the parcel. At my small dorp they just walked around and looked at every parcel. It takes more time than seems reasonable so you do need a bit of patience. 

[thebob]

You can give SAPO a call to get the local tracking number (be prepared for at least a 30 minute wait listening to their terrible on hold music). Take that to your local Post Office and they should be able to tell you where it is. They will also have the customs sheet and will ask your for the money before releasing the package.

For all the crap SAPO gets, I've never lost a package that they have had to deliver to me. Once they did not send out my parcel slip, but as I had the local and international tracking numbers my Post Office tracked the parcel and had it there for me. A bit of patience is usually all that is required.

Edited January 26, 2022 by thebob

[Spinnekop]

Give this a try.
Sometimes it pops more information up that might help

https://www.17track.net/en

 

[justinafrika]

1 hour ago, duanelr said:

Hi all, recently had bike parts sent from the USA to me via the USPS (United States postal service).

it took about 4 days for the package to reach OR Tambo Int airport (I could track it) where it was handed over to someone(?), presumably the South African Post Service.

the tracking number from the USPS indicates that the small package has left OR Tambo Intl Airport on the 8th of Jan. I haven't received my package yet, nor any sort of notifications from anyone.

My questions are: where could my parts be? to who would the parts be handed to? am I correct in assuming it was the South African Postal Service? If it was how long do they take to deliver? do they deliver or do I need to pick it up? if so where? are there any import duties or vat payable and if so where and how?

I just want my parts. any help or advice would be appreciated , thanks.

I’ve bought parts and watches from the USA and the delays are in SA, sometimes at customs and also significant variations at local SAPO level.  Your assumption is right, USPS parcels go through SAPO. One part took just 3 days from payment to be shipped from a small midwest USA town and processed through customs and to arrive at my local SAPO.  

Even though I’m just 2 residential blocks away, SAPO took 5 days to drop a collection slip into my home mailbox.  Sooo… 3 days to travel halfway across the planet and 5 days for SAPO to travel two blocks.  

If it’s delivered through SAPO it’s often at local level that they’re dragging their arses.  Of course tracking will show if it’s arrived at your local post office, if they’ve bothered to start processing incoming parcels.

Edited January 26, 2022 by justinafrika

[duanelr]

Hi all just an update. Went onto SA post office website and searched for the parcel using US tracking number. Been doing this daily for the last month now. There were never any results but today it showed package available at Menlyn Post Office branch! Yay! So went there, paid a small import duty (about 20% of item value) and voilà I have my package. Lesson learnt, never use postal service from any nation, always use courier. But kudos to the SAPO. Thanks for everyone’s advice.