UPS has finally delivered my keyboard to me. It took about a week longer than it should have but it got here. When my dad shipped the keyboard out to me, Chinese customs called me while I was in Qingdao asking me for a copy of my passport. Well, since I was in Qingdao I couldn't fax it right over. By the time I got to Beijing, UPS had sent my keyboard to Beijing Customs and Security for a thorough inspection of the contents. They decided that it was ok to send but I needed to pay a Y136 fee. Of course, living in the 99c store this isn't much more than $17 tax, but still, $17 is a lot considered I've been wanting this keyboard for so long.
When the package was stuck in Beijing Customs & Security, I tried to have my dad call over and find out what was going on and to see if he could fax my passport copy over. Of course, no one spoke good enough English, so it was just a frustrating experience for my dad and a waste of long distance minutes. Having a Chinese phone, I called the hotline, figured out what was going on and got the all clear to be delivered today. But, nothing is that easy with my luck. I had to let the front desk know that my package was being delivered but I had to pay a fee to pick it up. They don't pay fees on behalf of the package holder so I gave them my name, room number and cell phone number so they could notify me as soon as it arrived. Today, I went back around 3pm, expecting them to have forgotten to call me but nothing had arrived. Around 5pm I got a phone call from the UPS driver. He was on campus but he was telling me what street he was on. I didn't know where he was, he didn't know where he was, so it was kind of a lost cause and things got lost in translation. Finally, a few phone calls later, after I asked a Chinese person to give him directions to my building, the brown truck turned around the corner glowing and with trumpets of victory and cheering crowds... Well, maybe it wasn't that exciting but for me it was. I guess that concludes the UPS adventure.
Friday, September 26, 2008
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2 comments:
Oh, Reg! I have just been enchanted with all of your adventures! Please don't fret if you think you've mispelled or not used the right grammer...I believe you have been capturing your experience in an excellent manner! You know...I've never really ever thought that I would like to visit the East. Your descriptions and pictures have, at least, made me think that it would be a great life experience and that I should consider such a trip. Thanks for sharing your insights! We all love you very much and miss you. We are so looking forward to hearing of your adventures in person when you come back! Love & Kisses...Auntie Tita :) God bless and keep you safe!
After checking the status of the Tracking Number, and seeing a customs hold, I called UPS/USA customer service and they told me I had to call UPS/China. After finding the 800 number on the website, I called it and it was disconnected (surprise)! I then used my calling card and called the Chinese number. I chose 9 to speak to someone in English. They asked me for my tracking number and phone number. Since the phone number is in America, they wanted my email address, because they don't call long distance. I never received a phone call or email, which they told me would be within an hour. I called the next day, same conversation, same result. On the third day, I shared my frustration but still had the same result. Definition of frustration - it took me 15 minutes to give them JUST my email address, have them read it back, correcting it, having them read it back, correcting, ... only to never get an email explaining what immigration papers customs needed. I am SO glad you finally got it and it worked.
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