Letter from America..... No not the Proclaimers

**Mandogar The Vile** · Jul-17-2012, 10:29am

Hi all,

Just wondering if any of you UK based Mandolin folk have ever ordered picks or things from the US? I ordered a few V-Picks & Pro-plec picks to try out from Strings By Mail over a month ago and they still haven't arrived, even though they were dispatched the same day that I ordered them. I was just wondering if this is normal or if my picks have gone walkabouts, anyone had any experience of this?

Cheers

**John Kelly** · Jul-17-2012, 11:31am

Have had odd items from StewMac and they can takes 2 to 3 weeks to arrive, and I have a friend who orders strings from the States and they take about the same time. Is there a tracing facility you can use on your order?

**mandrian** · Jul-17-2012, 11:39am

I did buy a book last year and it took about a month, but most recently bought a mandolin and it arrived in 3 working days! I would give it another week and then pursue it with the seller.

Regards.

**Mandogar The Vile** · Jul-17-2012, 12:04pm

Originally Posted by John Kelly

Have had odd items from StewMac and they can takes 2 to 3 weeks to arrive, and I have a friend who orders strings from the States and they take about the same time. Is there a tracing facility you can use on your order?

No tracing facility, would have cost $41 to have it traceable, bit steep for 6 picks I think

**Mandogar The Vile** · Jul-17-2012, 12:06pm

Originally Posted by mandrian

I did buy a book last year and it took about a month, but most recently bought a mandolin and it arrived in 3 working days! I would give it another week and then pursue it with the seller.

Regards.

Cheers, I've emailed the seller but I'll keep my fingers crossed for the next week, hopefully they'll turn up

at least there is some hope still, that's all I wanted.

**Capt. E** · Jul-17-2012, 12:36pm

I'm coming over to London Aug 24...maybe I should bring some picks etc along to trade. Actually, I have been trying to think of a little give-away to hand out...picks with Austin and other Texas logos would work great.

**onawhim** · Jul-17-2012, 12:52pm

I ordered a red bear last year - took a while to arrive but think they had big back log - anyhows it arrived fine. Also ordered a McClung armrest - again arrived fine.

**Mo Soar** · Jul-17-2012, 1:06pm

It depends entirely how they were mailed - small packages of picks and strings are likely sent via the US Post Office, First Class Mail International. That takes generally 3 weeks. Except for shipments to Wales, I have no idea why it takes an extra week or two to get there. Maybe it's the lack of vowels. That costs around $11 US, though.

We're also shipping from the upper left corner of the US, so part of our shipping time is across our own continent.

There are cheaper bulk options, but I've never used them. I've had shipments to me (US address to US address) take more than a month using the various bulk mail rates.

We ship custom pickups, trim rings and various other hardware US Post Office Priority Mail to the UK, with delivery confirmation and that takes about 10 days, and we have to use a third party to have insurance (up until about March of this year, the USPS offered the option of insuring shipments over $100, now they don't). That's all around $45. There isn't really a tracking service - all you can know is if it is delivered or not, not where the pkg is in shipment.

Before we discovered the third party shipping insurance (a set of pickups and rings is around US$500, so we don't ship without it), we were having to use US Post Office Global Mail, and that was running about $85 and took 5 days. UPS was about $125, FedEx was about $170. Not really worth it on a $500 item.

**Beanzy** · Jul-18-2012, 1:01am

I ordered a BlueChip pick and it took only 8 days from order to receiving it.
It went USPS.

**Ivan Kelsall** · Jul-18-2012, 2:26am

I buy my strings from Janet Davis Music Co.in the US,they take about 3 weeks to arrive. I buy CD's from County Sales / CD Baby in the US & they usually take 2-1/2 to 3 weeks as well. 4 weeks seems to be a long time,but as Mo above says,it depends on which status of postage they were sent. The fastest package i've ever had from the US, was a new arm rest for my Stelling banjo.Ordered & paid for over the I'net on a Monday morning,it arrived from Virginia at my home on Friday of the same week - now that's what i call fast (& good service),
Ivan

**billkilpatrick** · Jul-18-2012, 2:30am

ordering from the states here in italy is a bit of a lottery - somethings come incredibly quickly; others never arrive. customs could be a problem ("what is it? ... how much does it cost? ... engdangered species?" ... etc..) unlike here in italy, h.m. customs will at least let you know they have it.

i recommend stalwartness and patience.

hack on!

**trevor** · Jul-18-2012, 3:12am

US Priority International Mail can take up to 2 months...

**Nick Quig** · Jul-18-2012, 3:32am

My last order (Bluechip pick box) took 5 days!!

**Johnny60** · Jul-18-2012, 6:31am

A set of new filtertron pickups for one of my Gretsch guitars took less than a week. A Gretsch poster took almost 2 months!

**Bertram Henze** · Jul-18-2012, 6:42am

Originally Posted by billkilpatrick

ordering from the states here in italy is a bit of a lottery - somethings come incredibly quickly; others never arrive.

I guess, with bulk cargo in containers there's always a good chance of never arriving

...and even the Mediterranean is dangerous.

**greg_tsam** · Jul-18-2012, 11:12am

Originally Posted by Bertram Henze

I guess, with bulk cargo in containers there's always a good chance of never arriving

I used to work in the shipping industry here in Texas and visited Ports and ships all the time. I was onboard talking to the Captain and noticed an entire row of these massive containers made of steel ripped open like a paper bag. He said they had been threw rough seas and the waves did it. I never knew such awesome power was lurking out there in the deep water. Scary.

**Mandogar The Vile** · Jul-18-2012, 1:07pm

Originally Posted by trevor

US Priority International Mail can take up to 2 months...

Blimey, I'd hate to see what the non priority mail's like

, guess I'll have to settle in for another months wait before I start worrying then.

**Mandogar The Vile** · Aug-02-2012, 12:17pm

In case anyone was wondering, I contacted 'Strings By Mail' who resent the order, arrived this morning and took less than a week, guess the others got lost. Liking my new V-Pick Tremelo's (not my spelling mistake, it's theirs, before anyone shouts at me). Don't know if they'll be a replacement for my Wegen M100's though. No too impressed with the Pro Plecs, a bit too pointy for my liking.