Japan Post delays

[Horatio]

Anyone else captive to Japan Posts’s shipping delays? I have a MF lens and LF film back in shipping limbo, thanks to the pandemic and limited commercial flights. JP has posted no updates since April 20.

 

[mooseontheloose]

Domestically, no. However, I am waiting on a shipment from Fotoimpex in Germany because Japan Post will not accept incoming parcels from DHL (but will from other countries it seems).

Looking at the website it would seems that they are expecting delays of up to 4 months (!) so if you have a way to request for your items to be returned (ask the seller to do so), that would seem to be the best way to resolve the issue.

 

[Horatio]

Domestically, no. However, I am waiting on a shipment from Fotoimpex in Germany because Japan Post will not accept incoming parcels from DHL (but will from other countries it seems).

Looking at the website it would seems that they are expecting delays of up to 4 months (!) so if you have a way to request for your items to be returned (ask the seller to do so), that would seem to be the best way to resolve the issue.

One seller has agreed to refund, if the item is returned to him. However he has indicated JP is not allowing shippers to request returns of processed packages.

 

[darkosaric]

I waited for my Rensha camera for 3 months from Japanese seller, but I was not in a hurry.

 

[mooseontheloose]

One seller has agreed to refund, if the item is returned to him. However he has indicated JP is not allowing shippers to request returns of processed packages.

That sucks, but is not unsurprising. Japan is not dealing with this crisis well at all (worse, I think, than the US). I'm living in my isolated bubble and am thankful I have a darkroom at home to keep me busy - since I'll have more time to do a lot of printing I bought a lot of paper and more chemicals than I would normally use (at least 2-3 years worth) since it's obvious that no shipments are coming into the country and that stores (esp. the online ones) are running out of stock as a result. I'm also keeping my ebay purchases strictly domestic since I have no idea when parcels will start being delivered here again.

 

[Horatio]

I waited for my Rensha camera for 3 months from Japanese seller, but I was not in a hurry.

I'm not really in a hurry, either. I'd just like timely updates on the situation.

 

[Dali]

Anyone else captive to Japan Posts’s shipping delays? I have a MF lens and LF film back in shipping limbo, thanks to the pandemic and limited commercial flights. JP has posted no updates since April 20.

Same situation for me. The seller contacted me but shipment will happen one day and I am not in a hurry.

 

[4season]

It's not just Japan: I've seen parcels from Germany, UK and even Canada to the USA delayed by weeks with no tracking updates on USPS web site.

 

[sruddy]

Waiting for a parcel from Taiwan since mid April. Tracking on eBay doesn’t show anything but label created. The seller gave me a link to some all in one tracking package service and it says this

International Air Mail Section, Exported - Data Detailed as right, Destination Country: United States, Destination Swap Bureau: AMC LOS LOS, General Package Number: 221, Departure Country Date: 20200504

He said it was in us customs but I have no evidence of this, so I won’t be buying from overseas sellers unless they can guarantee a shipping date. The info says it could arrive as late as mid June.

 

[mooseontheloose]

FWIW, I've been ordering stuff on an almost weekly basis from the US to Japan and have been getting it without a problem since it is shipped FedEx (usually arrives within a few days). The Japanese FedEx website says that they are still shipping between the US and Japan so that may be an option for people if the item they want is important or they'd rather have it sooner rather than later. I've noticed that it's not that much more expensive over USPS (sometimes cheaper!) and it's always faster.

EDIT: I've also noticed on eBay that a lot of Japanese sellers are now offering FedEx/DHL shipping, since EMS is out.

 

[BradS]

Yup...my package has been stuck in Osaka since April 9th. Seller says there no flights out and that it could be a couple of months.

 

[Drew B.]

A seller of a camera in Japan just said to me that the carrier has been switched over to FED EX and it seems to be moving faster...but I'm in no hurry.anyway. We'll see what happens.

 

[Roger Thoms]

My order been stuck in Osaka since April 10th, no end in sight, nothing to do but wait.

Roger

 

[Kino]

No hurry for me, but I have been waiting on a vintage lens cap for 2 months... What can you do?

It will get here, when it gets here.

 

[cmacd123]

I had a package from China stuck in Burnaby BC since feb. it arrived here Friday. So I imagine all the post-offices are slightly overwhelmed between higher volumes and reduced in person staff.

 

[removed account4]

a couple of weeks ago. ... bought a beautiful lens from b.s kumar .. it took about a week extra to get here--- I guess I was lucky to sneak in under the covid bottleneck !
hope ur parcels make it ! years ago I bought a TOHO film holder adapter and it took 4 months to get from TOHO to the camera shop in the midwest ( badger graphics ? ... wish I could remember their name ! ) that imported it for me. post is crazy sometimes, at least its not kick-mule, tugboat and sea plane .

 

[Sirius Glass]

All international mail, national and non-governmental, are delayed because of the recent pick up in internet orders and few planes to fly the mail.

 

[cmacd123]

All international mail, national and non-governmental, are delayed because of the recent pick up in internet orders and few planes to fly the mail.

this is also a big problem, I understand that about 40% of all air cargo is traditionally flown in the holds of Passenger planes. And their are Very few Passenger flights running these days. Some cargo flights are running, but medical supplies tend to take priority.

 

[abruzzi]

well, despite all the horror stories, I just bought a used bag bellows from a Japanese seller on ebay. I guess we'll see how long it takes to get here. Ebay estimated May 18-20, but I expect that is way optimistic.

 

[Drew B.]

I just got my camera. It took two weeks for the person to actually send it but when he switched it to Fed EX it was sent out and arrived in 4 days

 

[ericdan]

I had to cancel and refund a sale here on the classifieds because I couldn't ship the item.
Keep an eye on their news site here:
https://www.post.japanpost.jp/int/information/index_en.html

 

[ColdEye]

If it is shipped via DHL or fedex its pretty fast, got my two orders in about 5 business days. I do have 1 lens stuck in limbo since the 20th last month, no updates at all.

 

[BobD]

I am in California and purchases from China/HK have been taking longer than usual. I just received some batteries I ordered from China about 6 weeks ago.

 

[Ai Print]

I just bought my 12th and final Hasselblad A12 back off eBay from Japan and they shipped it Fedex. You can really tell now as hardly anyone offers free shipping and the rates have really gone up.

On another note, I won an auction for a super rare Sinar 8x10 adhesive film holder and it concluded on March 4th from Russia. I got it two months later...but I did get it and it was basically unused.

 

[howardpan]

Waiting for a parcel from Taiwan since mid April. Tracking on eBay doesn’t show anything but label created. The seller gave me a link to some all in one tracking package service and it says this

He said it was in us customs but I have no evidence of this, so I won’t be buying from overseas sellers unless they can guarantee a shipping date. The info says it could arrive as late as mid June.

Once it enters the US, you should be able to track it on the USPS website.