What does this mean? Package at ISC New York

clubberlang

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I recently bought a game from Steve from the U.K., I paid for the most expensive shipping to get my package here to me in Texas within 3-5 days, so I'm keeping track of it on usps.com, and it's saying that it being processed through sort facility at ISC New York. What does that mean exactly? I can't seem to get a straight answer from google, so has anyone ever experienced this? Thanks!
 

Lemony Vengeance

Mitt Romney's Hairdresser,
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customs perhaps?

you can pay for fast shipping but uncle Sam will want to check it out first and they can send it back @ will if they choose.
 

SNKorSWM

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For Games.
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If you're wondering how long the queue is, it took about 10 days for express mail from Germany to reach me in CT yesterday through NYC customs. The closer it is to Xmas, the worse the delay becomes.
 

F4U57

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Why is this in General Discussion?
 

Mercuttio

Edo Express Delivery Guy
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I live in NYC, so all my international stuff goes through there. Normally takes a day, sometimes longer if it's a holiday. In the 10 years I've lived in the city, nothing has ever been opened or searched for any reason.
 

Shuri

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Buying stuff overseas during the Christmas season is always a gamble; I had a package who 'sat' at some ups warehouse for 3 weeks a few years ago.
 

GohanX

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It's probably in customs at JFK. Hopefully out goes out soon, the tracking system updates slow so it may already be on its way.
 

skinny503

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The USPS INTERNATIONAL SERVICE CENTER (ISC) is essentially customs. Since you paid to have it sent so fast and through normal USPS they get curious and check it. Normally DHL,fedex, and ups dont have these problems but it isnt unheard of
 

clubberlang

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Thanks for the responses, I actually got my package today. It took 4 days for me to get, I didn't know it was delivered . Their tracking system sucks, they update it when you get the package. Lol!
 

kuze

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Glad to hear you received it without much delay. In my experience they don't update you past when it leaves the ISC. You just have to wait patiently and forget about tracking it. If for some reason it were to be confiscated, I've heard they will send you a letter notifying you why.
 

ColdWolf35

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Since I got stuff overseas, now it's time to play the waiting game...

Burning Fight, Baseball Stars Professional, and Quiz King of Fighters can't come soon enough!
 

clubberlang

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I'll remember that next time F4U57, for a minute I thought you busting my balls. Lol!
 

Phyeir

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Thanks for the responses, I actually got my package today. It took 4 days for me to get, I didn't know it was delivered . Their tracking system sucks, they update it when you get the package. Lol!

I don't know if it's the system or if it's because it relies on people along the way actually scanning items in the correct way (don't work at the post office so don't know if this is just a bad assumption). I order international a lot and always have stuff update the whole way to me, yet if I get something domestically, especially from the west coast through USPS, my tracking almost never updates until it's already in the Northeast.
 

clubberlang

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Yeah Phyeir that has happened with me, but when it's domestic. I think next time I'll just take the less expensive route, and stay patient. It seems not to matter whether or not you pay alot for faster shipping.
 

Naika

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Thanks for the responses, I actually got my package today. It took 4 days for me to get, I didn't know it was delivered . Their tracking system sucks, they update it when you get the package. Lol!

At least you got it man. Them Holdiay work hours will be nuts...
 

GohanX

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Yeah, it's funny getting stuff from Japan. I can track it and see it scanned at the local Japan Post, scanned in Tokyo for departure, scanned at entry into the US, then...nothing for a week.

On the plus side, even slow airmail seems to actually take less time these days.
 

Mercuttio

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I ordered a Grand Seiko a little while ago, and waiting for it to get safely through customs was terrifying. I'm not even sure why; it's not as if any part of the transaction was suspect. Just the value of the item and being in transit was enough to be nail biting. Still, I'm also amazed how fast stuff comes from Japan, and how reasonable EMS is. I feel like getting things from the UK is far more expensive, and it's so much closer to me.
 

Nerdygrrl

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Generally USPS tracking updates at each scan facility, when it is picked up, when it is sorted, when it leaves the country, when it clears the next country's customs, when it is delivered.

It's no different than UPS, except they don't mark it "out for delivery" or have that happy little arrow letting you know you have one business day left.
 

Dion

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I have been sending a ton of International (and domestic) packages recently because of my work with the cps3 SuperBIOS. I can tell you that the tracking is completely up to the country you send it to. Once it reaches customs in the other country it is COMPLETELY OUT OF THE HANDS OF THE USPS regardless of what some people may believe. Some countries will continue to provide updates right up until delivery while others never update tracking at all. For example, I sent a package to the United Arab Emirates. It took about a month and the tracking still says it is waiting for departure from Jamaica, New York. Most of the time the last scan is at customs for the other country.

It is all hit and miss though. Shit, I've sent packages here in the States that were delivered without any tracking ever showing up. The best for international is by far FEDEX. It is more expensive but it will be there and so far Europe and South America have not taken more than three days.
 

Ninjainspandex

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I ordered a Simpsons and TMNT board from a guy in Italy and the last update was on Feb 20 it said processed through sort facility at ISC New York, should I be concerned? :(
 

Vigormortis

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Once you hit ISC, processing time is highly variable and package tracking hit or miss. I had a package from Taiwan that was processed by ISC in Los Angeles on Feb 22. I received it 2 days ago. However, even though I've had the package for two days now, the last tracking update is still the ISC facility.

Oh well, at least US customs rarely ever screws us over with duty charges.
 
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