forgive me if this topic was already raised, but as a newbie, I’m curious about something…
Attached there’s my sent and received stats. Am I right to assume that for the card registered on 31.12 it took four days for my address to be drawn and for the card registered on 7.1. even seven days, as there’s a card been “sent” on 14.1. even none of mine was registered between 7.1. and 18.1. ?
So far I had the understanding, you’d be the next “in line” after a card was registered, maybe a bit delayed if you’d be (like me) from the most sending countries. But so many days with that many circulating cards?
Not complaining (I already realized it’s all about patience), I’d just like to understand how it works…
Thanks for any clarification and have a good day!
Lisa from Bavaria/Germany
I made myself active for less than half a day and have so far received over a hundred cards, all sent on that same day. Based on this I would say that you are chosen very quickly, at least in a moderately rare country.
If you message the admin they can confirm that there are cards coming. Also do double check your address just in case!
Yes, but what I’m most curious about is the card sent on 14.1. As none was received by somebody between 7. and 18. So it must be the “answer” for the card received on 7.1. or even before…
Sometimes newer members may get an “extra” card, meaning your address may have been given out without one of your sent cards arriving. This happens on occasion and will eventually balance out the more you send.
I think I maybe didn’t make myself clear…
The card was drawn, written and arrived…
Just wondering why it took seven days between registered card and the card for me been drawn…
All 9 sent cards were received the last 4 weeks and already 7 cards arrived.
I’m sure that they are cards on the way and there is no need after that short time to ask the support.
Sometimes you get more cards than you sent and maybe the cards from December are all still on their way .
Sorry for the misunderstanding!
Just wanted to ask politely about how it works, never complained, and never asked about non- arriving cards, as some might presume…
I don’t really have an answer for this, either, but I have experienced that the dates my address goes out often correlates more with the dates I send cards, not when they are registered.
I had paused for a while and only started sending again in December. I have now received 12 cards that were sent to me between December 15 and 17, but only one of my sent cards was registered on Dec 15 and before that I had more received than sent. I did, however, send a few cards on Dec 16.
I don’t know why that happens but I have observed this behavior before, where my address seems to be given out close to dates when I have sent several cards at once.
All is well - there is no need to apologise.
It’s perfectly fine to ask if you’re unclear about something.
I have almost 100 cards that have travelled for more than 60 days.
And if the cards have not reached you after 60 days, for whatever reason, you will definitely get a replacement.
The first thing postcrossers have to learn is patience.
I had already read your question, but since it had already been answered, I didn’t have to do it again.
I originally replied to elenlei’s post.
Sorry if I confused you with that.
Looking at this is seems that you are almost surely missing the first card sent to you. And the card from January 14 could be a latecomer for the one received on January 7. But sometimes it also happens that your address is given out more often to balance out the system.
Your stats look good, don’t worry!
It might also be that Germany addresses might be in “line” a bigt longer than the ones from countries that do not have that many postcrossers.
As many people here opt to send to and receive from as many countries as possible the option “send to repeated countries” is not used so much. Therefore people who do not like to send to repeated countries get addresses from various countries. So German addresses might pile up whereas addresses from “rarer” countries are given out right away to guarantee that variation in countries. If that makes any sense.
Ha, similar thing actually has happened to me. I made my account active on 1st of October 2020, specifically for the World Postcard Day. I had some cards due already, as I’ve been drawing addresses throughout the year and all cards had been received by then. So on 1/10 I’ve drawn some addresses for my sending, reactivated the account and cards started to arrive soon after that, but all were drawn on 8th Oct the earliest.
I wonder if that delay happened because I reactivated it quite late and most of people who wanted to send postcards that day (and week) already did it, or I was just dropped at the end of the queue
I agree algorithms are fascinating
edit: I’ve checked and actually some cards were given out earlier than 8th. But also later than the 1st. And out of 26 cards due, 23 went out on the 8th.
I’ve sent 6 and only had 2 arrive in 27ish days and to date I have received one. I am choosing to believe in the magic and element of surprise as a newbie!
I’m also quite fascinated by these stats, I never cease to say that I’m so impressed about how postcrossing works!
On the original question, I would have said that being in Germany means possibly waiting longer since there are so many addresses in the queue. But I don’t know if it’s just that, or coincidence, or what.
