Hi all,

From personal experience, I would recommend anyone sending forms to the US embassy in London NOT to use recorded delivery. I thought I would save 4 pounds and send Recorded Delivery instead of Special Delivery. I sent the stuff out on Wednesday, and Saturday afternoon the Royal Mail website still says it's not been delivered. At least with Special Delivery you can continuously track your package and it's guaranteed next day.

I guess I'll have to call the Embassy on Monday to see if it has arrived (which will probably cost the 4 pounds I saved using Recorded Delivery). Hopefully it gets there!

Just my 2 cents worth.

Cheers!

I just stuck a first class stamp on mine; got there fine

Good for you! However, sending such important documents, I personally wouldn't recommend it.

I second that Phub. Both your lives are in that package along with the long awaited journey that took forever to get to the 'embassy' stage and I think a first class stamp is very daring, I'm not that brave!! I would special delivery it too.

both your lives? they're easily replaceable forms! of course I wouldn't do that with the original of my birth certificate, or a passport, but the worst risk I was taking was a couple of weeks' delay; I was more than comfortable with that risk

Its funny, I returned my packet 3 documents special delivery, the royal mail somewhow managed to misplace the package!
I resent the forms with a first class stamp, got a packet 4 only three days later.

Lesson learnt, there is no guarantees with the royal mail!

And yet the US embassy still saw fit to issue you a visa??? They'll let ANYONE in these days. Sheesh.

Don't you people have FedEx or something like that over there?

I never send anything important within the US via our postal system. I always use an express carrier.

When i sent my forms back in January i used Recorded delivery and it took roughly 4-5 days if i rememeber correctly. This is due to the fact that it has to be signed for and the sit in at the post office waiting to be collected. You will know when/if the embassy have recieved it as they will send you an e-mail (if you supplied an e-mail address) The day they recieved or the day after. I would give it a little longer before phoning that really expensive number.... Then contact royal mail instead.

I know... I don't know how I snuck past their multiple defences, but I did
still got to get past the border patrols at LAX though... might be a different matter

I used normal mail for everything I had to send anywhere, and it all arrived safely and in a timely fashion

Things have a tendency to get mangled in the mail over here.

When we sent Wes' AOS paperwork to the Chicago lockbox, I used FedEx ground. It cost less than five dollars.

I used regular FedEx when I sent his I129F in. That was more but I was also looking for speed of delivery at that time.

The Royal Mail might be better than our system in the US. Over here - I just don't trust 'em.

I sent my RFE package with a bike courier, cos I work quite near the embassy, and so the price is comparable to special delivery, but it gets there in minutes. They sent the courier back, saying they only accept Royal Mail, and I think FedEx or DHL. So I had to pay again to have the damn thing returned to me.

Well my friend you can replace the forms that's up to you that's your risk and another couple weeks delay, I don't mind spending extra money on a carrier express service to ensure documents arrive securely (copy or originals all the same), I would certainly want mine to get their ONE TIME you feel me. Good point Juleza they would let anyone in these days... tragic mate tragic.

I didn't expect my recommendation would turn into a debate about different delivery services!

Having lived in the States 10 years, I can say the Royal Mail is on a par with the US Mail. I once sent postcards from New Mexico to my girlfriend in Chicago, and my parents in England. Was surprised to find the girlfriend's card arrived over a week after my parents.

Anyway, send your mail as you like (it was a recommendation not an order!) - though I would say that the DS-156 isn't too easily replaced since getting US passport photos in the North of England is a real pain (and you have to wait 2 weeks to be sure it didn't get lost in the mail).

P.S: Thank you MrsSmith - a very helpful comment. I shall leave it a bit longer before calling.

Cheers!

Using fedex or any other carrier won't guarantee it gets there any better or quicker than royal mail. Which ever way you use there is always a risk of it getting lost, just make sure you have the ability to track your package

Tony

I totally agree with you saying there is no guarantees with the royalmail cuz am a victim of a situation whereby my K-1 interview appointment was mailed out and i never received it causing me to miss my interview date. still working on rescheduling it.........................worst situation to find oneself.

Sorry about that. If only Embassies started sending important information like that using e-mail rather than post.

Hmm, you'd think special delivery items with the Royal Mail wouldn't go amiss, it's advertised as a business service for prompt delivery of documents, amongst other things.

That said, my passport and drivers license was sent to me first or second class, I forget which.

I think I'll send them SD, I'm not sure any of the couriers are going to be more reliable for things like this.


Stu

Heavens forfend! A first class stamp! Never!

*faints*

oh, I'm a maverick all right

I cross roads without waiting for the green man, too

I don't know... I wait for the green man even when there are no cars...

I am not sure which is worse

I sent my packet 3 recorded just so I could drive myself insane checking when it got there (6 days after I sent it )

Agree with StP though - they were only forms of which I took copies so if they got lost then they could be resent easily enough

no! NO!! you're playing with our LIVES!

*falls melodramatically to knees in imploring position*

Could people please just use this thread to add useful comments instead of trying to show how clever they are? I am sure there will be people reading this later on will be looking for useful information rather than attempts of witty banter. Thank you!

I wouldn't count on that! n00bs never use the search feature and in a few days this thread will be buried a fews pages back, long forgotton. Lighten up a bit! It will serve you well in your quest for a visa and AOS.

Plus, I like the witty banter.

Neither do I... I find when I search I either end up with pages and pages of irrelevant stuff or nothing that meets my search criteria!!

Oh - while we're What's brown and sticky?

Obviously someone who misses the main thing about VJ, sure it's important that there are people who are extremely helpful and post all kinds of good info, but it's also a very good source of distraction, cameraderie and ... yes... witty banter

you come for the info, you stay for the fun keep um comin'

Aww no one answered my question...

OUT Poiteen - you're nothing but a spoil-sport!!!

no, no; it's VERY IMPORTANT that it be recorded for posterity that phub11 recommends Special Delivery

why? I don't know, but it is

so you should all be ashamed of yourselves for horsing around in here; I know that I, for one, have seen the error of my sorry ways, and am now weeping the bitter tears of regret

I used Special Delivery... do I get a gold star?

Ooooh, maybe a duvet COVERED in gold stars! StP, you can hide under it and weep away.

*comforts StP*

It's ok... I'll send you my stamp collection for your birthday - maybe that will make it better? I don't have a current collection of recorded/special delivery receipts but I can start saving those to put into an album if you would prefer?

*sticks a gold stamp on Maven's nose*

*snuffles*

but I'm on record as saying I hate duvets

maybe for crying under, and not sleeping under, I could make an exception...

*trails miserably away*

I got a gold stamp!

StP -- okay, if no duvet, how about a star-spangled sheet? Blanket?

(cr*p, I really need to get back to work!)

just can't ever go along with the pack, can you?

First, regular stamps and now a duvet hater! Sheesh, its a wonder you haven't had your ID disabled yet.

oh, it was, but I paid off the admin

Nah - but they might turn her away at POE for it...

*sniff sniff* what'd I do?
I'm a gonna go and cry in to my pile of tracking numbers

And stamp-studded duvets? Or divots?!

I returned packet 3 to the US Embassy in London via Royal Mail "not so" Special Delivery. The tracking says its arrived at its PO BOX and is awaiting collection/delivery. Is this normal? Its been saying that for a few days now

The address you send packet 3 to is not a PO Box, what address did you use? Despite that, I wouldn't worry, the embassy don't really do special delivery properly. They are received by the mailroom, so royal mail never seem to have proof of delivery, but it does get there.

I sent a package last Monday, I still see that same message on the Royal mail Website too.

When i sent my I-130 package I got the NOA1 email from USCIS london 2 days later, the royal mail tracking didn't update for more than a week.

Yeah. I sent my checklist "special" delivery yesterday, and got the same message too. I recall sending my F1 and J1 visa paperwork via Special Delivery over the years and got simple "delivered" messages the following day. Either Royal Mail has a more detailed tracking system than before, or the Embassy has a more strict mail room policy of signing for stuff. At least I know it's not been lost in the mail!

@ this thread

I always send everything special delivery. I keep stacks of the slips you fill out at my desk at work. Whenever I have a few minutes with nothing to do, I fill out the senders details on the slips. I fill out half with my work address and half with my home address, so I have some of both. This really saves time, since I send so many things Special Delivery. I tend to spend a lot of time in the Post Office, but I don't mind, because it gives my something to do on my lunch break. I don't really have much to say to my co-workers so lunch times can be awkward. Sending Special Delivery is a really good way of getting out of the office. I don't have much in common with my co-workers. They are very flamboyant and crazy people. They do not send everything Special Delivery. Sometimes some of the things they send in the post are lost. They say that it's only letters and replaceable, but I say that not sending Special Delivery is like messing with your own LIFE.

Foolish boy, those tracking numbers will be collectors items someday.... mark my words!

Oooooh you're a bad girl!

Could people please just use this thread to add useful comments instead of trying to show how clever they are? I am sure there will be people reading this later on will be looking for useful information rather than attempts of witty banter. Thank you!

Did anyone else who sent special delivery check their tracking number only to find this?

Your item with reference ZV123456789GB has reached its PO Box and is awaiting collection/delivery.

Since it wasn't sent to a PO Box number it's odd!!!

R

Thank you, StP, for injecting a note of reason into this very, very serious thread. I have already bookmarked it in my "Very Serious Threads" folder and I would not like to have to remove it.