Yay!

I have my quilts back. They don't appear to have been opened at any stage so all is well. The driver denies ticking the permanent export box, although he says that pretty much all packages are permanent so he does tick the box for people when they forget. Hmmm. I suggested he might want to check with the customer before doing that but he says it isn't worth it. Well that's nice to know.

Waiting

I post more when I am dealing with DHL because there isn't much else I can do. I have a quilt on the frame I want to be working on but I know I can't hear the phone if the longarm is going, even when the phone is on the quilt too. I called the TURN team this morning and have been told there is no way I am getting a TURN number. In fact having talked to them I think it is pretty much impossible for a sole trader to need one. This is good, very good in fact. The government is really trying to make it easy on small businesses, which is great news for me. However we now have to convince DHL, which I suspect will be somewhat more tricky. On the bright side I do have a contact on the TURN team who is quite happy to talk to DHL for me.

The problem is getting hold of DHL. I have gone through the computer system (national rate line) several times, apparently this is the only way to reach the tracing unit. It is a clever system. You can't email anyone on the tracing team directly, they don't seem to have email, you can't phone them directly either. SO you have to pay the national rate every time you want to talk to anyone. Also by forcing you to go through the computer system and enter your AWB number then listen to the status of your package they get to add call time every call as well. Ho hum, at least they have now taken a message and I should get a call back soon. Until then I need to find something quiet to do.

Woo Hoo

I've found my quilts, they are definately in American Customs, and if I send over a business letter asking for them to be returned they will. Now I just have to get the paperwork done and sent before they all go home. I am feeling much better. I haven't heard anymore about Birgit's quilt though, so keep up the positve thoughs for her, it looks like it has come through for me. Thank you all for your support and help.

Yay progress

The quilts appear to have made it to the USA later than they should and without the correct paperwork. They are being held by American customs awaiting further information from either me or the show. I should be able to get them back without paying customs charges, but I won't know for sure until later. It maybe that customs are trying to contact the show before releasing them, which will be tricky given they are late and the organizers are already at the show. Still I think that is the most positive and confident answer I have had so far so I am pleased. What a situation, pleased that US customs are holding my package.

It was an interesting conversation with Customer Relations. Apparently the scanners do update the system pretty much instantly. The customer isn't really expected to watch the tracking constantly, normally you do get a call if there is a problem with your package. In fact she thinks I have done everrything I should have, indeed above and beyond what I should have needed to do. So it really isn't my fault the quilts haven't arrived on time where they were sent

Round we go again

I am back phoning DHL. The account manager who was helping on Friday does seem quite upset at having been mislead about my package. He said "I wasn't just told it had left I was told it had arrived in America and made it's internal flight". So I am going to assume he thought he had the right information. He now has to try and find out what has been going on. I also mentioned the problems with the tracking system, that things appear, disappear, and change their time. He doesn't know anything about it but will try to find out and call me back. So now I just have to wait.

Sorry DHL

OK, before I say anything else I owe DHL and apology. Their web site does clearly state that all times are local to the scan point, and in an earlier post I said it didn't. That was my mistake and I am sorry for misrepresenting them on that point.

However, they still seem to have no idea where the packages are, here is the latest tracking list I have on the web site. A lot of new data points have been added and several others removed. I have also sorted them in to date and time order, something that seems to be beyond DHL.I have also converted all time to British Summer time to make it easier to see the sequence of events.

• May 29 10:14 London Heathrow - UK Shipment Picked Up
• May 29 18:14 London Heathrow - UK Departing Origin
• May 29 20:14 London Heathrow - UK Departed From DHL Facility London-Heathrow
• May 29 23:01 East Midlands - UK Arrived DHL Facility East Midlands
• May 30 14:01 East Midlands - UK Shipment on Hold
• June 01 11:42 London Heathrow - UK Arrived at DHL Facility London-Heathrow
• June 02 06:04 East Midlands - UK Departed From DHL Facility East Midlands - UK
• June 02 07:32 DHL Wilmington - USA Clearance Delay
• June 02 10:34 DHL Wilmington - USA Clearance Delay
• June 02 11:03 DHL Wilmington - USA Shipment on Hold
• June 03 12:15 DHL Wilmington - USA Arrived DHL Facility Wilmington - USA
• June 03 13:25 DHL Wilmington - USA Departing Origin
• June 03 14:44 DHL Wilmington - USA Clearance Delay

So to me. from this set of data, it looks like the shipment got split up. The first part was shipped to Wilmington in time to get to the show but was held at the depot, possibly because it was incomplete. Some time later the rest of the package made it to Wilmington. It looks like several scans have been missed along the way which makes it quite hard to be sure. There is no record of the first package leaving the East Midlands for example, and the flight time seems very short, 2.5 hours to the USA?

Also remember I was told the package was definitely on a flight to America that would arrive in Wilmington by 13:00 June 01. I was them told it was definitely on an internal flight "I have called our export agents and they tell me it is definitely there", no sign of that in the tracking is there. I made several calls to try and verify this, every department other than sales assured me the package was still in the UK, which would be consistent with these records. My next job for today is to write up a clear list of all the information I have been given by DHL staff at various times and see if that can be added to this list. Hopefully it will give me a very clear idea of what misinformation I have been given and what my package has been up to.

Working on a Sunday!

Someone in DHL USA appears to be working today, there is another customs delay. 5:06 am. I'd love to know if these times are all converted to the same timezone or if they are local time to the scan. Either way I guess I should assume there is at least part of my shipment sitting with customs in the USA, which does suggest it may not have shipped with the correct paperwork. No I am not surprised, but I an disappointed. I guess it also means there is a small chance my work will be hung as exhibition only. I can't decide if that is a good thing or not. The point is very much to get the judges feed back, but I suppose the work hanging does still gain me some publicity which is good.

They aren't at Heathrow

So now we have three places my quilts aren't, that's pretty good isn't it. They are not at the show, or my house either. The very nice ladies who work for DHL in Heathrow did try to find out where the packages are but no one works on a Saturday so there wasn't a lot they could do. According to their system there are now 3 packages (I sent 2) and one of the at least got on a plane this morning and is on it's way to Illinois. From the information they have, which is pretty different to the web site they are pretty sure the quilts are in America, somewhere. They may even reach their destination eventually. Not really very useful. I am also a little concerned that the packages seem to be multiplying. Does this mean they have been opened and repacked at some stage? I suppose customs may have felt the need to have a look or something, but I would have thought they would have just repacked them as they were rather than having to supply more packaging.

I would like to thank you all for the messages of support, they are very much appreciated. I think you are all helping me remain calm enough to try and deal with this mess. No mean feat I assure you.

Interesting

The DHL website tracking has updated again. The Customs delay in Wilmington is now showing as 05:34 followed by the shipment going on hold at 06:03, followed by it leaving the UK depot at 06:04. I think I understand the problem, it is a teleporting package. Every time someone stops looking at it, it teleports somewhere else. I am going to go down to the Heathrow depot and see if anyone there can track if for me. I can but hope right.

Still Clueless

Well the tracking has updated again, at 02:30am it was in the Wilmington depot, now remember yesterday afternoon it was on an internal flight, about to be delivered. Then 06.04 they were departing the East Midlands Depot. Now I have been told it is a 9 hour flight between here and Wilmington, so it can't have got back in that time. Maybe my package is now in three places? Of course it being the weekend there is nothing I can do. It will be Monday before I can try and track these down.

Latest Update

Well the package that was definitely scanned onto a plane bound for America at East Midlands Airport at 05:01 was scanned at Heathrow airport at 11:42. That's a very quick trip to America and back. This could be good (ish) news. It may mean they are heading home. OK it means that they have missed the show but at least they would be safe. Alternatively it may mean the shipment has been split and some are heading each way, it would make sense of some of the conflicting information.

Thank you to the American quilter who brought me this update.

Where oh where have my little quilts gone?

I have one person absolutely certain that my quilts will be delivered to the show today. They are on an internal flight in America and will get delivered before 5pm local time. I have one person certain they are in the UK and may be returned to me next week. I've asked to be emailed if they turn up at the show, as the tracking isn't being updated and may no be for some time. Isn't it great having this tracking and accountability.

Still the problem is over for DHL they can all go home for a nice quiet weekend, their office shuts in two minutes and they are free. I wish it was that easy for me. Of course by the time I know who was right I won't be able to contact anyone. It's a very clever system.