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MSC archived stories - July 27, 2018

I used to receive my CI mailing through national postal carriers of USPS in the USA and Royal Mail in the UK. There have been few occasions where I had to report some posts from CI not being received.

Lately, I started to notice my CI posts are handled by various private mail companies in Europe such as MHI in UK, PPSweden, Bpost in Belgium – wonder this is a step toward more reliable mail delivery at the expense of cost to CI?

 

On another note, for those of us waiting over a year to send packages to Guatemala via USPS – the latest update from Royal Mail, Feb 20, 2018:

“Guatemalan Post has advised us that preparations are underway to enable Correos y Telegrafos to carry out its activities as the designated postal operator, this is now due to enter its final phase, which could take approx 4 months. As a result, mail services to Guatemala remain suspended.”


I currently use DHL for sending books from Scholastic, MO to Guatemala.

Comments

  1. Speaking as a sponsor of 18 years, Royal Mail has never lost an item from CI. I doubt that would be a common enough reason for them to switch providers. Price might be, but it could equally be down to the national markets being opened up to pivate companies and sub-contracting going on.

    July 27, 2018

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  2. I hate to think a mail from CI would be lost at either end, yes even had an unsealed envelop with photos landed at my doorstep!

    July 28, 2018

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  3. I don't know if it depends on the part of the country you're in but around a quarter of my CI mail doesn't arrive. Some arrives weeks later looking very beaten up. I rely on the live chat staff being willing to send digital copies and they're always kind enough to do so. I just see it as one of the hazards of being a sponsor based outside the US.

    July 28, 2018

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  4. I almost always get CI mailing within 7-10 days – any longer than this could mean something not right, but CI are handling international mailing different now.

    July 28, 2018

    ReplyDelete
  5. In France, I've had things go missing (and received online only) or arrive much later than online or CI notifies me that it was returned as an incorrect address. But this is true of all of my mail coming from the US to France. On the contrary, I don't have the same issue with French mail, so not sure where the problem is in the transition.

    August 14, 2018

    ReplyDelete
  6. English Rose
    I live in the UK and receive all my letters since 2006. Never got one missing. I do not receive all cards/letters from Germany where my family lives.

    August 14, 2018

    ReplyDelete

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