anyone has had difficulty with mail and packages being delivered here?

Hello Laurence,

Kindly note that I have created a new discussion from your post on the China forum so that you can get better response.

Regards
Yuveshen

I have had issues with sending things from here to the US. There is a lot of theft and if you look at the postal buildings and systems, they are not very secure. The employees probably don't get paid much too, so just as businesses here, the managers and employees may try to widdle out a little "side business". In this case, theft and bribery. As a laowai, you are a target for elevated prices, scams, theft, and bribery. You must work with a company that gives you a receipt or is foreign such at UPS or FEDEX. They are under more scrutiny from the Chinese government and have a different cultural business mode and ethic.

China is a frustrating place for deliveries in and out of the counry.  Despite it being a national postal system, the local post offices are run and managed like a fiefdom...that is at the whim of the local manager or postal worker.
Also, despite it having EMS, their own courier service, it takes twice as long to ship a package from China abroad than it does by UPS or FEDEx.

When having used clothing shipped, the sender must declare on the shipping document that "the clothing is used and is the personal property of the recipient (insert the recipient's name)"

Always have your phone number or a reliable telephone contact number marked clearly on the package.

Do not send in prohibited material, such as controversial books that are not permitted to be sold or traded on the mainland.

The postal handling system needs a shakeup.  However, since most Chinese never send or receive packages from abroad, the authorities don't think it's an urgent reorganizational need.

Finally, if you expect to receive many goods, mail etc., during your stay in China, it's far better and safer to rent a post office box in the main post office in your city.

Good luck.

David

I had the same problem.  You need to have a phone number here that the postal service can call to let you know when you have a package.

I have sent goods to my customers many times from China to other countries ( North America and South America,Europe ), so far I haven't run into that situation.As you have tracking numbers unless you use snail mail.

Yeah, I normally resort to big international courier, which can guarantee the quality of the services, but they are a bit expensive.

Well thats re assuring......Coach aka Laurence