International tracking explanation?

[lux.ra_14]

Sold an item with eBay international shipping from the US. The final destination is Greece.

DHL tracking shows that the package cleared customs (Paris) and has arrived in the destination country (Germany.) Neither of which is Greece, obviously.

Are these just transit points with misleading tracking designations? Or something to actually worry about?

[dbfolks166mt]

     Is the buyers shipping address in Greece or is that just where their account is showing as registered? 

[lux.ra_14]

Buyer's address is Greece, and the DHL tracking does list Greece as the destination -- despite the two updates I noted above.

[ebooksdiva]

It's nothing you need to worry about. If it was shipped to the wrong country that's on eBay. 

[dbfolks166mt]

Buyer's address is Greece, and the DHL tracking does list Greece as the destination -- despite the two updates I noted above.

     In that case my guess would be those are just transit points along the route although I could be wrong I am not familiar with how DHL displays its tracking information. If it went through EIS there is little to worry about. If it does not get to the buyer then that problem is for eBay/EIS to work, you are covered. 

[lux.ra_14]

I know I'm covered. I'm more concerned about the buyer. It's a moderately pricey and unique item that's specific to his  island. I believe it was purchased for a small museum/research archive.

Just wondering if anyone has seen similar tracking and might be able to explain. Routine transit points seem to be the best reasonable explanation. 

[slippinjimmy]

The worldwide hub for DHL / Deutsch Post is as you would expect....in Germany.

Years ago I used DHL Global Mail, all packages when to Germany and from there on to the destination country.

I'm currently using PostNL so most of my shipments to the EU and surrounding areas go to the Netherlands first and then on to the final destinations.

This is how Hub & Spoke logistics work, no different that how UPS or FedEx operate within the US.

[marnotom!]

My wife and I are on Vancouver Island, on the west coast of Canada.  She once ordered a dress from SE Asia that was shipped by FedEx and it made stops in Alaska, Seattle, and Vancouver city (which is not on Vancouver Island) before crossing the strait to our island and getting trucked out to us from the regional shipping depot.  It would have just been way too inefficient for FedEx to charter a plane to ship it directly from Malaysia to Vancouver Island given the low volume of goods that travel between the two locations, and FedEx doesn't have an air cargo hub there anyway.

[lux.ra_14]

I get the logistics part of it but was thrown by the customs and destination country updates in intermediate countries.

It's easy to see how an international buyer would be confused. Just look at the US buyers who blame sellers after they get alarmed by normal USPS routing through other states.

[krazzykats]

Recent reports indicate that there have been fires in Greece, including a blaze at a major oil refinery west of Athens.  I listened to the news about it yesterday. I'm not sure if that explains it, but it's just a guess.

You could call DHL and ask them.

[a_c_green]

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@lux.ra_14 wrote:

I get the logistics part of it but was thrown by the customs and destination country updates in intermediate countries.

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I'll second that: it's normal to see European packages passing through Germany, even when their final destination is another country. 

It's also normal (if a little non-intuitive) to see a package go through Customs in some intermediary country instead of at the destination. There was some term that I have long since forgotten involving how packages pass through intermediate hubs on their way to another country, where they might land for a time in Country A either with or without inspection, and then get on another plane for Country B.

I think for us 'murricans, it's a big honking deal to pass from one country to another, since we've only got two neighbors, Canada and Mexico. Over there in Europe, they have countries, like, all over the place, so it's no big thing to go from one to the next. When I was working for a time in England, a colleague took a few days' vacation, and when I asked him where he'd been, he said Greece. That blew my little mind, but it's roughly the same distance as Chicago to LA.

[reallynicestamps]

Look at a map.

France is east of the USA. Germany is east of France.

Greece is east and south of Germany.

Your parcel is heading in the right direction.

Never watch tracking.

Just mark the last estimated date for delivery on your calendar and only worry if it doesn't show up by then.

Do NOT contact the buyer. Let them contact you if they have a problem.

[lux.ra_14]

I check tracking on occasion but don't babysit my packages. Nothing wrong with being proactive about potential delays or problems.

And, no, I never make the rookie mistake of contacting a buyer before there's a problem. That includes a time several years ago when I noticed a USPS tracking update for "Visible Damage." Hadn't seen it before, or since. Package was delivered, buyer left glowing feedback, and no mention of any damage. End of story.