Geocoin Delivery in SA

[+M@X Meerkat]

Hey there all you fellow cachers.

 

I want to find out how many of you have experienced the frustration of ordering geocoins from overseas only to have them never arrive in SA, or at least to our postboxes.

 

I ordered two geocoins from the US in January this year. Needless to say the shipment never reached me. Fortunately I opted for shipping insurance and the coins were resent. Unfortunately it looks like the same thing is happening again.

 

Does anyone have any suggestions on how the heck we can get coins here safely? The new SA geocoin would be really great to get but I'm wondering if they will ever get here.

[+warthog]

Which coin provider are you talking about here?

[+Fish Eagle]

As I mentioned in another thread, we've had problems specifically with shipping from Netherlands to SA.

 

Other than that, we've received 40+ shipments of coins from USA and Germany - every single one has arrived. However, with 2 shipments the envelope was torn, and there were coins missing which were replaced by the vendor (we also took insurance). Not theft, just poor packing. They have since beefed up their packaging, and subsequent shipments have arrived fine. So we have no problems at all except NL.

[+M@X Meerkat]

The coins were ordered from The Geocoin Store in the US. According to most cachers I know they are quite reputable. The replacements were shipped again on the 8th of this month (exactly three weeks ago). Unfortunately with no method of tracking I don't know where the parcel goes missing. Airlines, customs, postal service... Good question. Will keep on hoping that they are just stuck somewhere and will arrive in the next week, but me's thinking they are sitting in someone else's hands.

[+Fish Eagle]

Three weeks is normal - can easily go to a month. Don't give up hope yet - they'll arrive.

 

As a matter of interest, we've found that buying one or two coins makes the shipping uneconomical. We buy in batches of 5-8 which cuts the shipping costs dramatically.

 

And BTW, the coin supplier mentioned by Max Meerkat has some great specials on right now - land in SA under R40 each.

[+M@X Meerkat]

Yes!!!! My coins have finally arrived. The first batch, that is. Took just under four months to get here. Now to contact geocoin store and ask them what to do with the second batch when it gets here.

[+LeonW]

Good news, hopefully I will also recieve my coins, starting to dought the mailman though.

 

LeonW

[+M@X Meerkat]

Good news, hopefully I will also recieve my coins, starting to dought the mailman though.

 

LeonW

 

Hang in there. It took four months for me to get mine. How long ago did you order?

 

Fish Eagle gave me some good advice, ask them to tape the envelope. Mine was rather worn and delapidated when I received it and hd a tear in the side almost large enough for the coins to fall out.

[+Whostops]

17 days for a coin to get to Pinetown Post Office from "CoinsAndPins.com" in the USA.

Not too bad, I would say.

Edited April 30, 2007 by Whostops

[+Fish Eagle]

The postal delays are very inconsistent....

 

Here's our last 2 deliveries, from the same supplier -

Mailed 29/03/07, received 24/04/07 = 26 days

Mailed 19/04/07, received 29/04/07 = 10 days

 

I don't think that the postal delay is the problem - I suspect that they get hung up with customs inspection. We've sometimes had nothing for weeks, then suddenly 3 or 4 consignments arrive together from different parts of the world?