Trophies may be MIA

Mtgoat

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It should probably say "MiT" (Missing in Transit). I am more concerned than I might otherwise be because the shipping service had raised to possibility of loss in one of his early messages. "We would like to send our last US shipments on the 6th of December, as I want to avoid them being stranded somewhere in transit. And risk them getting damaged or lost."

My trophies shipped on December 5. They were supposed to travel from Windhoek to Frankfurt and then to Denver. I followed up with the shipping service on the 9th and was told that he didn't expect to have the airbill number for the shipment from FRA to DEN until this week. Checked with the shipper yesterday and got an automated Out of Office (for a month!) response. However, he did check his email and sent a message to his counterpart in Frankfurt asking for an update. No further word - yet.

Is this normal? Any advice other than "Be patient."? It really doesn't seem like there is much that i can do from here.
 
Not sure how normal it is but a similar thing happened to me last time. Got waylaid in London for a couple of days for no known reason. Got here eventually. It will show up soon I bet.
 
I wouldn't be concerned yet. Things can bog down or shut down around the holidays in Africa. Which is probably the reason the shipper was wanting to ship when he did.

Your shipment may get bumped due to Christmas shipping. The airlines will cater to bigger and better customers than you.

Wait for a week after the first of the year and then start checking. Enjoy the holiday
 
I know the anxiety well.

ALL shipments I have had, save one, have had issues.
"Lost" in London: The ground workers were having a work action.
"Lost" in Munich Germany: X-rays and export permits.

My guesses:

Export Permits, Inspections, X-rays, etc, etc, etc.
Screw up on the paperwork. Someone investigating.

Time Zone delays

Xmas Holiday shut downs for a month. It is the school holiday in the southern Hemisphere.

Your shipment/crate is likely being consolidated by someone, somewhere along the line.

Consolidation is how most cheaper air shipping works. Sometimes waiting for enough cargo to fill a "bin".
So, there can be waiting involved from that angle as well.

If you paid COURIER rates and FEDEX your package it would be home now.
Unfortunately, you would not be able to afford the home you live in anymore after the bill. :)


I have a shipment waiting to happen right now.
Taxidermy and Crating is paid.
Last note i had was they were waiting for the correct container for packaging.
Knowing that it is School Holidays now I am not even going to bother to contact anyone until the end of the first week of January 2014.
Shipping estimate is in and waiting delivery of the crate.

My solution at the moment :coffee:
 
I know the anxiety well.

ALL shipments I have had, save one, have had issues.
"Lost" in London: The ground workers were having a work action.
"Lost" in Munich Germany: X-rays and export permits.

My guesses:

Export Permits, Inspections, X-rays, etc, etc, etc.
Screw up on the paperwork. Someone investigating.

Time Zone delays

Xmas Holiday shut downs for a month. It is the school holiday in the southern Hemisphere.

Your shipment/crate is likely being consolidated by someone, somewhere along the line.

Consolidation is how most cheaper air shipping works. Sometimes waiting for enough cargo to fill a "bin".
So, there can be waiting involved from that angle as well.

If you paid COURIER rates and FEDEX your package it would be home now.
Unfortunately, you would not be able to afford the home you live in anymore after the bill. :)


I have a shipment waiting to happen right now.
Taxidermy and Crating is paid.
Last note i had was they were waiting for the correct container for packaging.
Knowing that it is School Holidays now I am not even going to bother to contact anyone until the end of the first week of January 2014.
Shipping estimate is in and waiting delivery of the crate.

My solution at the moment :coffee:

Thanks for the insights. Coffee? Not so much - it would just get me wired. Too early for wine. I guess that I'll have to stick with tea for now.

BTW - Out of curiosity, I checked on the cost of Fedex. It's like that old saying, if you have to ask you can't afford it. It would have been >$3,000 for my shipment!
 
I would have thought more than 3K, hell almost be worth it for that! Just roughly 3 times normal.
 
I think that it is worth it for that once-in-a-lifetime "special" trophy - whatever that may be. It's going be expensive, but may be worth for the peace of mind.
 
MTgoat

You picked a tough time to have your trophy shipped. It appears that some business closed on December 9 - 10th this year and will not open up until January. Sent a few Christmas card to Africa and the standard reply has been closed from date to date.

I also has a few issues in 2012 and my shipment sat for 4 months until we found it. Shipment was paid for, however the crate was put behind other incoming boxes and was just forgot.

My last shipment out of Zimbabwe this year i was keep up to date at every stopping and starting point on where it was at. I use Copperfield and they kept me in the loop on my 2 crates. so i had both the shipper and importer keeping me up to date.

They showed me how to track my own shipments, however i never needed to do that.

If you do not hear something soon i suggest that you contact the starting shipper and have him track your shipment to where it stopped and the see what you need to do to get it moving again.
 
MTgoat
You picked a tough time to have your trophy shipped. It appears that some business closed on December 9 - 10th this year and will not open up until January. Sent a few Christmas card to Africa and the standard reply has been closed from date to date.

Unfortunately, I didn't pick a time for shipping. It was the shipper's choice. I would have been just as happy if he had allowed it to sit until after school holidays.
 
I know the anxiety well.

My guesses:

Export Permits, Inspections, X-rays, etc, etc, etc.
Screw up on the paperwork. Someone investigating.

Time Zone delays

Xmas Holiday shut downs for a month. It is the school holiday in the southern Hemisphere.

My solution at the moment :coffee:

I finally got word today about my shipment. Your first guess was right - Christmas holidays but in Germany not Africa. They are now back to work. My shipment is supposed to leave Frankfurt today. There is a connection somewhere to another flight (I can't tell where). Now, I'm hoping that it doesn't get stuck again with that connection....
 
I finally got word today about my shipment. Your first guess was right - Christmas holidays but in Germany not Africa. They are now back to work. My shipment is supposed to leave Frankfurt today. There is a connection somewhere to another flight (I can't tell where). Now, I'm hoping that it doesn't get stuck again with that connection....

Xmas holiday somewhere.
Glad you know whats up again.

Look forward to the pictures of your newest trophies.
 

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