anyone else ever experienced anything like this,
I've just moved over here recently and so still receive mail back in the UK, which my folks pop into a larger envelope and then send over to me.
The other day I receive the envelope, ripped open with a big sticker 'Inspected by US customs'. Lets not even go into the fact that a handwritten letter from my parents has gone walkies.
I've also just received an e mail from my parents telling me that they have had another envelope like this returned to them.
Unbeleivable!
Ian

We've had it once - on a padded envelope from the UK, marked on the customs sticker as "baby gift - clothes" Value £20. Nothing missing, but wondered why it aroused their suspicions..

It happened to me once, nothing was missing, but they seemed to have used three rolls of tape to reseal the package!

Given the atrocious state of the UK postal service, just be grateful your package turned up at all is best advice !

As an aside, I posted a small package from the UK Monday last at 5 30 pm. It was delivered in Manassas Va on Wednesday. Anyone know of a quicker time than that ?

to be honest I seriously doubt whether the problems about the mail were on the UK side, (in fact my folks have confirmed this), I suppose i was just a bit annoyed that someone had been going thru my mail.
From the limited experience I have of the postal service here in the USA I can only say that its awful compared to the UK, snail mail apparently.
Ian

I actually have to agree with doctor scrumpy. Obviously it depends on the area you're in but anything I've sent home from New York (and I send a bit) has NEVER taken more than 3 or 4 days to arrive. On the other hand things coming over from the UK always seem to take at least a week or two.

It's my opinion that letters/packages from the UK take longer because of the slowness once they reach the US side.

This is from experience sending mail to the US and more recently sending mail from the US to the UK.




NC Penguin

I've had mail redirected from the UK opened by Customs. Don't know why because it has never been anything that would look slightly suspicious, only letters.

Re comments of the Royal Mail - I would stand up and say the UK mail system is the best in the world. So efficient, so quick. I did have a letter posted in Adelaide, Australia at Tuesday lunchtime arrive on my doorstep on Thursday 8.00 a.m. once, which shows how good they are. Any delays with the mail system I would lay at the door of the US postal system which is dire. They can't even get mail posted within the same city to you within 2 days.