There are no updates because it is still in transit on the boat. Hard to update information when it’s in a container on a ship and a post office is not going to constantly check the status of all the containers that have mail in them just to provide updates. Once it reaches the inbound PO the status should get updated, although half the time it gets delivered to the customer quicker then an overseas post office gets the information that it’s even arrived in country.
Is it really worth it? Worth the ‘risk’ and wait time to save a few dollars? I’m not so sure. At least for me it isn’t. I’m a camera guy and decided to buy a lens from Hong Kong. Cheap and on my door step in about 5 days. Not bad Hong Hong to Australia. I also buy hobby stuff from the USA. One order from an Atlanta store took 14 days to get from Atlanta to a distribution place in Florida. Another 6-7 days to get to LA. From there I had it in Queensland in 3 days!!! My magazine subscriptions from the USA are now taking almost 2 months.
I just placed an order with BNA in Melbourne. 42 hours from their checkout point to my door step. A 2500k trip in under 2 days. Yes maybe a bit more expensive than Hong Kong. But when you count the free post and purchase points I recon it’s worth it to pay for local supplies.
bruce
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Hobbyeasy was the only store that had the panzer II barrel set I needed it stock. I would have ordered local but they didn’t have any stock for a long time. When I saw it on hobbyeasy I jumped on it.
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I don’t expect shipping to update of its on a plane or boat, but in my experience once it leaves Hong Kong I don’t know where it is until it’s in my hands. I don’t believe they don’t get the information in time, all of this is automated. I think the issue is either a new label is slapped on as someone else stated or that the post services don’t talk to each other well
Unfortunately, you are making the assumption that we have an international postal system and we do not, and while the POs talk, they don’t all do the same thing.
Many countries have tracking options that are not recognized by Canada Post. And when they are not recognized by CPC, they are not obligated to provide updates to the outbound PO, and you are correct that CPC in these cases puts its own label/tracking number on it. It is not automated in these situations as far as I am aware, which is why parcels tend to show up before the tracking information from the outbound PO is updated, as CPC obviously takes its time in providing updates (which is reasonable, since the priority is to move the package, not update a foreign PO). The easiest way to know if CPC recognizes a tracking number is for you to enter it in to Canada Post’s tracking system. I know from experience that tracking numbers for surface parcels from China and Hong Kong are not usually recognized by CPC, as well as many tracking numbers from Russia, Poland, Czech Republic, etc. However, Speedpost numbers from HK are recognized.
This is no fault of any of the postal systems. Countries have their own systems and they don’t always coincide with other countries’ systems. All things considered, the fact that we can send mail anywhere in the world and 9 times out of 10 we eventually get it intact, is success in itself.
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Yeah I agree with you there. I’ve definitely had tracking numbers from hobbyeasy (small packet air) update the whole way.
I think the conclusion here is they sent it surface without checking with me if that was okay… not super impressed about that but it is what it is. They are still great to deal with 99% of the time
To be honest, I’ve dealt with Hobby Easy for easily over 15 years, with dozens of shipments in that time and never had any real issues. However, in the last year or so, I’m finding that after I place an order it usually takes upwards of a week for them to actually send it. Not sure why, but it has been pretty consistent.
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Had that happen to me once, too. The entire shipment/container/bag was held for 30 days, no reason given. My package was not opened.
@BGT I buy from BNA fairly often. I find their prices to be OK. Shipping to the US can be rough, so I usually get multiple items at once.
Ken
I didn’t know Hobby Easy offered free air mail service. I thought only Luckymodel does it. I have noticed that small package air packages are taking twice as long as compared to pre-Covid-19. Recently, I’ve received a package (1/35 Meng Namer kit) from Luckymodel after 4 months of waiting (granted it was “surface mail”). I have 2 other outstanding packages from Hobby Easy using the surface mail - both are close to the 4 month mark so I am keeping an eye out.
In a nutshell, patience is the key. Your package will probably arrive in due time.
Yes they do but only on small and select items like metal barrels and such.
I don’t mind being patient, just wanted to get a feel for what others were currently experiencing. If I have to wait no biggie. I have other kits I can crack open if my Churchill build stalls. Just wanted to make sure i wasn’t experiencing way longer times as that might indicate it is lost in transit
Keep in mind many parcels once came in the belly of commercial passenger planes. With covid there are far fewer flights and planes that do fly have limited space. So it becomes a waiting game.
I would imagine the big players like UPS and Fedex are more seamless and have tracking numbers from door to door. However I know here in Australia that Australia Post uses sub contractors so any thing could happen.
Australians bag Aust Post but having experienced living over seas and relying on local postal services Australia’s postal service is very good.
bruce
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Classic! Two days after I make a stink they arrive. They did go surface after all so two months is actually very fast!
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- Ordered 6/11/21, small package (air), arrived in mid-USA 7/10/21.
- Ordered 6/3/21, surface knowing it would be slow, not here yet.
- Previous surface order was 3/22/21, arrived 5/10/21.
- Ordered 3/22 small package (splitting to reduce cost), arrived 4/30/21.
(US formatting, month/day/year)
Shipping costs are up (not just for them), service is still good IMO.
OK, I live on the West Coast of the USA.
Please explain to me, US Postal Service (USPS), WHY my package arrived by Airmail on January 18th in Los Angeles (left Hong Kong on January 14th), landed in St. Louis, MO on January 21st, flew to Dulles, VA on Jan 22, and is now batting back and forth in Washington DC! 
It took a cross-country USA trip to the East Coast and now has to take a cross-country USA trip back to the West Coast! 
Does it have something to do with the actual Russian (sanctions?) Live-Resin kits I bought from HobbyEasy inside that perhaps someone in Los Angeles had X-Ray vision to see or opened the box and peeked inside? And just so happens that it has to go to Washington DC or something to tell politicians and officials there that the USA can’t make domestic accurate kits of their own US vehicles and troops but the Russians can?
Hong Kong Post did a fabulous job getting my kits shipping out of China…it’s the US Postal Service that is weird. The USPS International Distribution Center is 2,550 miles East of me? 
Geez…and people wonder why the USPS is losing lots money. I could have gotten my package on the 19th of January from Los Angeles! No fault of HobbyEasy…fantastic service from HobbyEasy.
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