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bort2.0 wrote: ↑Wed Sep 30, 2020 4:45 pm Some of it could be quarantine, but I think the other side of it is reduced capacity...

Keeping indoor occupancy at 25-50% and 6 feet apart from other people will slow things down considerably.

Beyond that, the virus is what it is... I'll leave it at that!

The biggest holdup in the Symphonie shipment I had earlier this year was not in Europe at all. It was the USPS freight hub at the Chicago airport. DHL partners with USPS to get many international packages delivered stateside. The tuba was stateside in just a few days, then got through US Customs in just a couple of days (thankfully they didn't open the box this time). But then it sat there. I wound up calling USPS, and ultimately I learned that it kept sitting in USPS receiving because they were way behind because of understaffing due to Coronamadness. Then, out of the blue, the local postmaster (who I know and had spoken with about it) called me and said I had a tuba sitting in her office. USPS tracking never recorded its journey here from Chicago.

Surprisingly, the USPS Customer Service folk called me a couple days later to make sure I'd gotten my package alright, and they confirmed again, with apologies, that they are behind in major service hubs due to reduced staff and COVID procedures. Whether that is entirely true or not, I don't know. My experience with USPS was less than stellar before the 'Rona. The biggest surprise is that someone actually followed up with me.

+1 to Doc , which says nothing about Germany, nor will this anecdote I'll add:

Ordered an instrument from Virtuosity in Boston. They have been great to deal with. Somebody had a sniffle at the post office here so we were advised to expect delays so I told them "you know what, can you hold it til this passes?" and they said sure. Like I said, great to deal with and once our post office workers somehow didn't all die of plague here I wrote them and it was shipped in hours.

Now this was going from Boston to Halifax, Nova Scotia. And it's not a tuba, only a tr---et (blanked some of that out in case kids are reading) so not a huge package. On the map that's a truck to Montreal or New Brunswick (one day), customs clear (one day), truck to Halifax (one day), sort (one day), delivery (one day, day five). Call it a week.

This shipped Sep 22. Tracking number etc. Customs took no time at all, but I'm to expect delivery...hopefully Oct 6. Six days to get to Canada, customs lickety split, and now apparently eight days to get the tr---et. In general, my tracked expected deliveries have been behind 2-3 days, so I am not holding my breath for Oct 6. Tr---et player will be getting a little 'wait' training...in this time, that Paul Revere fellow could have gotten it here on his horse.

I've been considering ordering another Thein mouthpiece.

They said shipping via DHL is not possible at this time, but shipping via TNT is available for 120€ (ouch!).

bort2.0 wrote: ↑Wed Nov 04, 2020 11:36 am I've been considering ordering another Thein mouthpiece.

They said shipping via DHL is not possible at this time, but shipping via TNT is available for 120€ (ouch!).

Maybe you should get that Bass Trombone. Then you can start searching for your grail mouthpiece for it!!

I think they just don't want to send it. I received a package through DHL just recently. They are fully up and running, if a bit slowly.

the elephant wrote: ↑Wed Nov 04, 2020 12:44 pm I think they just don't want to send it. I received a package through DHL just recently. They are fully up and running, if a bit slowly.

Answers are still all over the place. Ask 5 people, get 5 answers.

I checked DHL online and got a quote that was less, but not tremendously less. FedEx quoted more than TNT.

Meh

Three Valves wrote: ↑Wed Nov 04, 2020 12:07 pm

bort2.0 wrote: ↑Wed Nov 04, 2020 11:36 am I've been considering ordering another Thein mouthpiece.

They said shipping via DHL is not possible at this time, but shipping via TNT is available for 120€ (ouch!).

Maybe you should get that Bass Trombone. Then you can start searching for your grail mouthpiece for it!!

You're right. I wonder how much it costs to ship a Thein bass trombone mouthpiece...