northlondoner

Hi,

I posted a letter to Canberra on the 28/4 and on my online tracking, it says "despatched to Sydney", 29/4.

I phoned up Royal Mail to ask how long this should take and I was told that after the dispatch point, it's usually 1-2 days max but there are cases where it takes longer.

Does anyone have any experience with posting letters from the UK to Oz? Just wondering if I have anything to worry about or whether these delays are the norm.

Thanks,

J

Pollyana

Varies, probably depending on the amount of mail in the system. I've sent and recieved letters and even parcels in the last couple of months that have taken only 4 days, Brisbane to Wiltshire & London and Bristol to Brisbane. But late last year (Oct/Nov) even cards were taking 2 weeks, worst I've known in years!

Bit confused by your dates though as its only 6th May today....!

northlondoner

Maybe a bit too early to start worrying then.

Thanks for pointing out - dates have been amended

Pollyana

Much of Aus has no mail delivery on Saturdays, so if it was despatched to Sydney from the UK on the 29th, it would probably get there on Fri 1st May.
I doubt it'll get theough Customs and onwards from Sydney until Monday 4th, delivered to Canberra sorting office 5th. If its a PO Box that often adds another day for some reason, and what I've outlined is the fastest possible timline. i don't even start to worry about mail until two weeks mininum

give it another few days

northlondoner

Thank you

northlondoner

update: "post received at Sydney Australia" today.

OzTennis

How about a Christmas card sent from Scotland to Williamstown early December to a friend and Mrs OzT put 27 instead of 23 xxxxx St; we went out to Oz for 3 months and when we got back to Scotland late March the letter had been returned to us marked 'no person of this name at this address'. The lady has lived in the house for over 40 years and the effin PO didn't put it in the right box!!!!

Tuxtrip

The postal system in Australia right now is dire. Parcels and letters that used to take less than a week to make the journey from UK Post Office to West Aussie letterbox can now take up to a month! A letter from within Australia, 200kms from Perth to Bunbury, can take 2 days.
Australia Post Couriers are contractors and unfortunately many of the ones I experienced in Perth were ill-equipped for the job. English, spoken and written, was a barrier in many cases. On one occasion, they managed to lose a registered parcel between one end of St. George's Tce and the other. It was never found.
Despite this, the CEO of Australia Post, Ahmed Fahour, receives a salary in the region of $5million plus bonuses.
If you have anything important to send, use a courier service such as DHL or FedEx.

Hgreenwell

My last item from the UK took 4 weeks to get to me in oz! Recorded delivery

northlondoner

finally says "delivered" so it took 14 days in total.