spintheblackestcircles.org

A great big thanks to Mr.monsterworship who scored me a copy of Zombie Holocaust, superbly packaged and wow what a record! It's a bit good Cheers Chad.

A massive thank you to The Cult Leader for getting a Mad Max to me in the UK. He was extremely helpful and it has arrived in pristine condition.

Great transaction with @Rob, everything arrived safe, secure, and well packed!

Wanted to thank @jmc for receiving my mad max from mondo and forwarding it on. He didn't just do that... He rehoused the vinyl in poly lined sleeves, put it all in a poly jacket and packed it all like a tank for its transatlantic trip! Thanks mate, super appreciated! Legend!

sorry not sure where to post this but i wonder if anyone can help me with some advice? I have ordered a Mad Max vinyl from a seller on here & it hasn't arrived. Has anyone experienced anything similar in the past that can advise me on where i stand? There is no tracking, it was standard shipping. Is it reasonable to ask for a refund on the item or am i expected to just lose out as it was at my own risk? Please if anyone can help I'd really appreciate it.

often you can track via the customs number, ask the seller for that? was it a seller, or just somebody helping you get a copy from Mondo? at the end of the day, if it was a seller, I guess there is always a paypal dispute, but I'd definitely save that for a last resort. Sometimes international shipping is a strange beast with bizarre, long delays while it sits in some customs house on one continent or another.

It was somebody on here helping me get one from Mondo as i'm in the UK. I know they also helped a few others & they all seem to have received theirs. That's why i'm not sure what I should do. I can't get any tracking from the customs numbers, where can i get this info from? i tried the royal mail website but nothing came up.

did you try USPS.com? maybe the US side can at least confirm the package left the states? but, my guess is that unless you think the person is doing something shady, you are out of luck as it doesn't seem fair to penalize someone who did their best to help and then the mail system messed up.

thanks, yeh that's what i figured. I'm gutted to be out of pocket & no record to show for it. Next time i think i'll just have to fork out on ebay at least i can claim the money back if i don't get the item! If anyone else has any advice on this please comment.

next time I guess you should pay for insurance if you don't want to risk it? it is pricey for international, but without it, either you lose $ or the seller loses $ - neither of which is really fair for the mail's problem.

but, I bet if you are patient, this one may still arrive. no luck on tracking the customs on USPS? that's a bummer.

nope, tried USPS & it just says can't be found. They gave me 3 numbers as they weren't sure which belonged to me but none can be traced on there. I did pay $25 for shipping & that's usually enough to cover tracking. I couldn't afford to pay even more plus the price of the record. It was expensive all round. I won't do it again. Its been a month since the item was posted & the other UK guys got theirs a while ago so i'm not holding out much hope.

I believe even the lowest cost USPS international shipping includes tracking.

Was this mine? I keep all of my custom form numbers, so let me know.

I ship to the UK often, and I can tell you that they do not even allow tracking on international packages. I have no idea why. The ONLY rate you can get is "First Class International", and all that gets you is the customs form number so that the receiver can identify when it has gone through customs. I've received packages that have come from nearby that have taken up to three weeks for no particular reason, but they always come in good shape, so I recommend sitting on this a little longer.

As they told me at the post office when I was starting to feel anxious, "Oh, it's probably just strapped to some palette somewhere."

here is what one of the first class packages that I sent to the UK looks like on usps.com:

https://tools.usps.com/go/TrackConfirmA ... 56115037US

It does confirm that a) the package was sent to the UK and b) that the UK doesn't support tracking at this level of service (I believe 'tracking' of first class international is destination country specific).

but yes, vinyl shipped twice from Mondo is pricey business! it definitely sucks you still don't have the LP. hopefully it reaches you soon (and safely!)

no it wasn't yours , thanks for the info though. I guess i'll have to wait & see! so frustrating though! lol.

@guyremix - the USPS is shit when it comes to tracking international packages. their most affordable shipping option is first class international, which provides no tracking (they give a customs number which sometimes gives a little bit of info, but most of the time won't pull anything up). the next option up is priority mail international, which runs about $42 US for a single LP. total BS, and i've been there before with dealing with them for things i have shipped internationally. it blows.

@layne @jmc

I don't have any problems getting UK tracking service with a USPS First Class Package International Service. In fact, I am not even sure how to purchase postage for a package to the UK without buying it. Are you purchasing online or at a post office?

Here is the tracking for my last shipment to @Spun:

https://tools.usps.com/go/TrackConfirmA ... 811+519+US

What am I missing here?

odd! I am doing it at the PO.

@jmc - I purchase online at usps.com. Perhaps that is the difference?

most international stuff i have sent has been via ebay. i get a customs form number that usually starts with 'LC.....'. like i said, occasionally, it shows trackig all they way to the destination, depending where it is going (canada, australia are two i've experienced this with). rarely does tracking to europe show me it's entire trip to it's destination.

thanks guys for all the info. So far still no sign of the parcel but i still hope it does arrive!

Happy to report that a whole month after it was mailed my vinyl has arrived!

Massive thanks to @milliondollars for a lovely copy of a superb record: WOJCIECH KILAR / ANDRZEJ WAJDA – "CHRONIQUE DES ÉVÉNEMENTS AMOUREUX". Well packaged, received quickly and a pleasure to deal with.

Big thanks to Little Walter for a smooth and painless sale / exchange...glad I could help - Don't let me forget for grabbing me a MondoCon item also - The Dude is GOLD! - Thank you again Brother!

I have to thank hncreature in return for what was hands down the most securely shipped package I've ever received. Buy from him, and never be disappointed.