International Shipping Help Please
 

Hey everyone,

I won an eBay auction for a collectible makeup bag for my GF on Monday, and after working out some payment details (I am not an eBay regular--in fact this was my first ever auction win), my item was shipped to me Tuesday night/Wednesday morning (local time to seller).

The seller lives in the UK (West Yorkshire, I think) and is shipping to me via Royal International Mail, which I presume is the UK's international post system. I have been given a window of 5-9 business days for delivery.

So my questions to people about this is:

1. How likely is it I can get this by next Thursday (December 22)? I am supposed to leave for Arizona for the holiday next Friday, and that's where I want to give her the makeup bag (among other things).

2. How does Royal International ship within the US? Do they just hand it off to the USPS and they deliver it? Or is there some arm of Royal International located here in the US that handles delivery?

3. Is there a way to track the package, like FedEx?

4. If I am not at my apartment, or don't hear a knock (early morning delivery), will they leave it at the door or take it to some depot for me to pickup?

This one is kinda important, because it is a sentimental gift I know my GF is going to flip over when she gets it (she lost the same sort of collectible makeup bag recently and thought it was gone for good). It's our first Xmas, and I suspect right now it could be the first Xmas of many others. So I want to get this one right, lol.

Any help with this or anyone with experience who can chime in, I would much appreciate it.

P.S. I live in Southern California, is that matters for delivery purposes.

I've worked for the Royal Mail. I am afraid I wouldn't expect too much on the timeframe, especially around Xmas. Also, if it was sent regular post there won't be any tracking and it will be regular USPS once it gets into the US. There is also customs to deal with and I have had packages from the uk held up for weeks a couple times.

That being said I don't recognize the exact phrase Royal International Mail so I would check with the seller exactly how it was sent

Hey CR-

No idea about the shipping but this was a nice line to see. Congratulations and good luck! :)

Yeah, I am pretty sure it is the Royal Mail. It's just their international arm. I looked around and saw the same thing, that they hand it off to the USPS. I think I will need to plan to not have it, but hope to be pleasantly surprised if it does show up. It's sign on delivery, too, so hopefully I will be there when it arrives.

Thanks bhlloy!

Thanks PB. She's wonderful. Hoping to keep her from figuring out I am just a total dufus. :D

I imagine!

If it's the first of many others she'll figure that out sooner rather than later, dontcha think? :D

Okay, true, in that case, I am working to lower her expectations gradually, so that in the end she is pleasantly surprised I am not as big of a dufus as she thought. ;)

Haha - just messin with you. Glad to hear you're happy.

Thanks, man. :)