Anyone else noticing cards to Germany taking longer than usual to arrive? I am based in the United States. I don’t know if it’s COVID or something else but historically my German Postcrossers are the quickest to receive and register. I currently have three postcards to Germany travelling 25 days. Feels a bit unusual as they are usually received and registered within two weeks (14 days).
I first noticed that my cards to German Postcrossers was taking longer than usual about two months ago.
Totally understand if it’s just COVID but was wondering if perhaps there’s something else slowing down delivery. Thank you for your consideration!
I’ve noticed the mail has slowed considerably in the last 3 weeks - cards to Germany normally take 4 to 7 days from Canada - 10 days tops & I now have 2 that are at the 17 day mark.
We’re in the middle of the 2nd wave PLUS the variants are exploding in Europe & starting to in North America & there are many more lockdowns & outbreaks including postal sorting plants, so we’ll just have to be extra patient.
Lots more flights are being cancelled or barred from certain countries too which also slows everything down a lot.
P.S. Don’t forget all the cuts that were made to the US postal service last year too eh?
Yes, I agree, the United States has had so much trouble with the mail service (Louis DeJoy) so I certainly don’t want to sound accusatory or blaming. The whole world has been putting up with US delays and problems for quite some time. It’s just new for me to notice this about Germany.
In the US we are in our fifth or sixth wave of COVID. Our numbers are so sad. It is very likely that we will be to half a million dead in a couple of weeks.
Thank you so much for your reply LC-Canada! Please stay safe and healthy!!
Not sure how much of the delay is in the US and how much is in Germany … Plus, they might be using ships for mail again, never sure about that.
And beside Corona, almost all of Germany has been hit by a severe snowstorm this past week - it takes a while to dig out from that (my in-laws live in the outskirts of a 230k city - they have yet to see a plow): 40cm/16 in. over two days …
You didn’t sound blaming at all - Germany is a great measure of how well things can work & also if there are problems. The next 3 to 6 months are going to be pretty difficult & so we’'ll all just have to do our best & wait for things to get better. Take care!
I was just at the Post Office today, and the clerk said the international mail is very slow because there are so few flights right now. Mail is moving, but it’s getting backed-up at the airports.
25 days doesn’t sound so bad to me. I just had a card to Germany expire at 60 days. Two others are currently at 57 and 52 days, and the card I sent most recently is at 13 days.
A card to Finland is at 48 days, but everything else seems to be moving at normal delivery speeds.
Edit: Forgot to add that the members I’ve sent to are active and always seem to have been online very recently when I look at profiles. No ‘ghosters’ here.
That’s sounds quite unusual actually - until 2 1/2 weeks ago, I was getting mail regularly to & from Germany in a week & to & from Finland in about 10 to 14 days for the last 6 months, including over Christmas.
I suspect those cuts to USPS went deeper than were made public .
Germany has always been a highly efficient postal country to send to. But yes…44 days for my most recent card to travel from Australia to Germany. Hearing about the various Covid waves puts it into perspective. I have a regular correspondent in the USA whom I won’t hear from for weeks then suddenly there’s a small pile of envelopes from her in the mailbox.
I have a card going to Germany at 49 days and the user logs in regularly. I think it is slower than usual. All delivery services have been crazy. I have had several packages destroyed in transit via UPS where the boxes were returned to sender after being crushed. (Amazon and Victoria’s Secret). Also just had a Chewy pet food delivery via FedEx damaged. Just too many packages and every service is overloaded.
Actual for the heavy snow fall in the past days.
But also since about three or four weeks I and also other people all over Germany got their mail just three or four times a week. Before it was 5-6 times in most of the regions.
Last Friday I received 26 official cards on one day. As if they were collected somewhere.
COVID-19 and now the snow is a real bad combination
I am in Ireland, I have no trouble receiving postcards from Germany, one landed this morning and was travelling 5 days…outgoing is another story…I have 3 travelling to Germany and we are at 11 days now and 1 to Russia at 57 days and 1 to Canada at 59 days…I have an expired one that was to Russia…I understand it is mainly due to covid restrictions on flights etc and now snow storms in some countries,but when you’ve only been a member for a few months and your itching to send and receive postcards it can be a bit annoying
They did cancel a Lot of flight recently because of The Coronavirus Mutation.
And yes, SNOW. I am from a usually “snow-free-area” but we Got snow i know places all around me that don’t get Mail because of Blocked streets…
i know places all around me that don’t get Mail because of Blocked streets…