Registered mail (EMS) stuck at Inward Office of Exchange USJFKA

[djeetyet]

I sent my 1040 and enclosed check to the IRS via EMS registered mail (not the 2-day mail) on March 20th. It arrived April 02 at the "Arrival at Inward Office of Exchange (United States) International - USJFKA" - and since then, NOTHING. The check has not cleared my bank. Anybody else have their registered mail stuck there? What happened?

<Not sure if this is the right forum or not - please move if necessary. Thanks>

[Dante99]

You do not know it is stuck there for sure, it may have moved but the tracking data not updated.

 

Did you send it to a PO Box?  If so are you sure that the box can receive registered mail?  I have read that there are problems with this because there is nobody at the box to sign for it.

[lopburi3]

We were advised in March that EMS will not send to US PO box address anymore due to non delivery/late delivery issues (as of sometime last year).  Alternative was a Thailand Post option (almost as expensive).  But expect IRS has heavy workload currently and that all will be OK with time.

[Etaoin Shrdlu]

This has happened to me as well.  

 

It can take a while for registered post to clear customs at JFK and get sent to the USPS intake facility.

[djeetyet]

19 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

We were advised in March that EMS will not send to US PO box address anymore due to non delivery/late delivery issues (as of sometime last year).  Alternative was a Thailand Post option (almost as expensive).  But expect IRS has heavy workload currently and that all will be OK with time.

Thank you for this response. You state "EMS will not send to US PO box address anymore" - but the envelope has already been sent and arrived at "Inward Office of Exchange (United States) International - USJFKA". It just hasn't moved since.

 

And, do you have more information on the "Alternative was a Thailand Post option (almost as expensive)" - name in Thai, etc?

[lopburi3]

3 minutes ago, djeetyet said:

Thank you for this response. You state "EMS will not send to US PO box address anymore" - but the envelope has already been sent and arrived at "Inward Office of Exchange (United States) International - USJFKA". It just hasn't moved since.

 

And, do you have more information on the "Alternative was a Thailand Post option (almost as expensive)" - name in Thai, etc?

I do not remember the name exactly but it had tracking and cost was about 580 baht for about 30 A4 insurance pages.  

[norbra]

I have found EMS tracking stops at the airport, next advice,delivery completed.

[freeworld]

Not the US and just for info, but a few years ago sent documents from Thailand to Luxembourg with EMS. Tracked the package up to entry to Luxembourg airport and then no further update. After a few days of not showing delivered started contacting Post lux and Thai post about why the parcel is not delivered. No real answer but about 15 days later received a reply that the documents had been delivered and tracking was showing delivered.

Edited April 12 by freeworld

[seajae]

EMS used to be great prior to covid, we had boxed articles delivered to the US in 4 days with a guarantee of 6 days maximum but that is no longer what is happening, last time I used them it took several weeks and not direct flights, they stopped in other countries for weeks at a time. I have put it down to the business being sold  and/or profits becoming more important than delivering the articles as their service has dropped so much that they can no longer be trusted, they are supposed to be a fast service but that is no longer the case, E-express M-mail S-service is now worse than thai post and the express part is absolute BS, also the last time we used them 2 boxes were badly damaged,  they can no longer be regarded as a safe, trusted, fast delivery service

Edited April 12 by seajae

[djeetyet]

5 minutes ago, seajae said:

E-express M-mail S-service is now worse than thai post and the express part is absolute BS, also the last time we used them 2 boxes were badly damaged,  they can no longer be regarded as a safe, trusted, fast delivery service

Any suggested alternative?

[seajae]

2 minutes ago, djeetyet said:

Any suggested alternative?

we use Dragon Couriers now, more expensive but very reliable

[freeworld]

 

They may be affiliated with USPS in the US, you could try your tracking number on USPS website.

 

3. I have just sent an item using EMS, how do I find out where my item is?

Please contact the postal operator that sent your EMS item, or the EMS operator in the destination country, if you want to locate your EMS item.

The EMS Unit works on behalf of postal organizations and is therefore unable to answer customer EMS tracking inquiries.

Individual EMS operators in each country manage the postal tracking information and their Customer Service departments can answer general EMS queries or help you locate your EMS item.

 

 

 

 

Edited April 12 by freeworld

[lopburi3]

1 hour ago, seajae said:

we use Dragon Couriers now, more expensive but very reliable

It that valid to a US post office box?  That seems to be the issue for many as only official government mail service seems to be accepted as final path.

[Moonlover]

2 hours ago, norbra said:

I have found EMS tracking stops at the airport, next advice,delivery completed.

Same in UK as well. They dropped the 'in country' tracking a few years ago.

[Thailand J]

I would have send Form 1040 and the check via FedEx to IRS Austin street address, but only if I can't file 1040 online and pay online.

 

To file online with a US phone number:Free file fillable forms.

without a working US phone number: olt.com.

simplest way to pay online is by IRS Direct Pay.

Edited April 13 by Thailand J

[OJAS]

On 4/12/2024 at 9:11 AM, Etaoin Shrdlu said:

It can take a while for registered post to clear customs at JFK and get sent to the USPS intake facility.

 

Yes, I strongly suspect that Customs back in our home countries (as well as their Thai counterparts in the case of mail going in the opposite direction) are the true villains of the peace here rather than individual mailing services.