And being on the other end of the pipeline, as a shipper it always raises the hair on the back of my neck a bit whenever I drop off a box for shipping. While I have my packaging pretty well down pat now, ya just never really know for sure what may happen.

Helen Seiler said:

Oh Kristi, i feel for you. I know what its like waiting and wondering........and worrying..........and panicking. I have been lucky and always eventuallyended up getting the goods but sometimes i think they come to Oz via Rio and Mars. When instruments get sent down here the tracking ends when it leaves the US...........that's when i cross fingers and toes and turn to prayer. I hopeyour dulcimer iswaiting in a safe (if wrong) place and arrives soon.

I sure am going and would love to meet you two!

Will drive from Arizona the day before and return day Monday or Tuesday.

Geekling said:

Great news Kristi. Enjoy your new dulcimer.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Happy Conclusion!!!!

The IIR arrived today or rather I picked it up at Post Office. Workers there are great folk and crowded around hoping to see an intact instrument. And it was well packaged with only slight damage to corners of box.

Nice sounding as expected and Janita will put a 1.5 fret on it as well as deliver it to me in Culver City,CA where she is doing a teaching session and gig. So thanks to the seller and same to the makers. I am happy camper.

When I send something I usually ask and pay for tracking number so I can be sure it gets to its destination. I've ordered things from ebay and I haven't had a problem yet. The seller always gives me a tracking number. It comes in handy where I live since our local post office has a reputation for not being reliable. In fact, we made the news a couple of weeks ago. The Washington D.C. area was reported as having mailed delivered after 6 p.m. We were one of those areas. Fortunately that has changed and we now get mail in the afternoon. I could tell you some stories but I don't want to worry you. Give it a couple of days and then go to your local post office and ask them if there is a way they can search it.

I was kidding about the soft-soap which we use daily. Guess the old warped sense of humor syndrome.....

Geekling said:

Is Softsoap the stuff used th help fingers slide easily across the strings?

Geekling said:

Kristi, I feel for you. It is frustrating and disappointing. I hope you Blue Lion turns up soon at your home. The IIR is a wonderful instrument. I have one.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Here in Lansing, MI, I usually can track a USPS shipment to the time it was accepted for transit and, if it happens to come from east or south of us, once in the Allen Park, MI sorting center and once more when it's out for delivery. But that, of course, depends on the sender adding tracking to the postage. I've had Parcel Post shipments, even with a tracking number, take long vacations to all sorts of places. The upside of this is I've never actually not had a dulcimer delivered and never received one in damaged condition from USPS. So, frustrating as it is, hold out hopes, Kristi, and I'm winging what positive energy I can your way as well.

Regular rate as in "Parcel post"? If so, that is not great news. I've used USPS for years and have always had fairly good luck with the exception of some out of country shipments (but that is a whole 'nother story)

However, whenever I ship USPS it is almost always by Priority Mail or Express mail. This usually gets the package there with in 2 to 3 days. The couple of times I used Parcel Post I think they routed it through China as it took upwards of 2 weeks to get delivered......and unless the shipper specifically pays for tracking, there is no way to track it. Parcel post is real tempting because it an as little as one third the cost for Priority mail but because of the extreme time in transit I won't use it.

Let's hope it hasn't left the country

Oh, that's awful. The thrill of expectation dampened by "Where the Devil is it? What do you mean you don't know when it will be delivered!!!". Hoping that your new baby arrives safe and sound. My two "by mail" dulcimers were sent UPS and were easily tracked online.

I am sitting at home since I was supposed to get a Blue Lion IIR today. But nobody knows where it is. That fact makes me very unhappy.

The seller sent the dulcimer with regular rate as regular mail. My fault for expecting better. Gee, one can register a letter with better chance of delivery as promised.

No signature required. Can you guess what 103 degree heat might do to an item left out in the sun? Or left at wrong address?

The Blue Lion was scanned when it left on 4 August and there is NO record of it since then. It doesn't matter how often I have hopefully tried to track VH , USPS employees have not followed rules about scanning. Gosh, I appreciate that. (Sarcasm)

Might I recommend Pony Express as an alternative shipping organization?