# In-Transit, Delayed - USPS



## ddot48 (Sep 4, 2012)

Anyone had "In-Transit, Delayed" listed on their USPS tracking?

I'm not familiar with the term and the typical delay length...

I'm guessing it's traveling and headed toward its destination, however since the expected arrival date passed, the term it delayed. 

No updated arrival info yet, and it's been about 2 days in this status. 

Any input is appreciated.


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## ilitig8 (Oct 11, 2013)

ddot48 said:


> Anyone had "In-Transit, Delayed" listed on their USPS tracking?
> 
> I'm not familiar with the term and the typical delay length...
> 
> ...


Usually lasts 3-4 days. Don't sweat it, though I know you will.


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## John MS (Mar 17, 2006)

It is indeed a good guess that it is in transit to you but was delayed. Delayed for any of several reasons. That they are tracking the piece and know where it is hung up is good news. Not much to do but wait. It will arrive just as quickly if the USPS site isn't refreshed several times a day. Honest...


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## al358 (Mar 7, 2006)

I had this once when the packaged was damaged. It was held , rewrapped and sent along it's way. The box was indeed damaged but the watch was perfect . Hang in there and hopefully it will all work out, best of luck.


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## AdamC31415 (Jan 31, 2016)

Have had this happen before but not with a watch. It took on upwards of a week though. Packaging was perfectly intact so they must've had their reasons


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## Bahoomba (May 1, 2010)

Hate to be the curmudgeon here, but I've had more FUBARs from the USPS than I can count. Lost _certified, tracked mail;_ lost shipments; shipments arriving literally six weeks after they were supposed to have been delivered; no tracking on mail that is supposed to be tracked; tracking simply stopping, and taking the slip to the PO to have the Postmaster shrug his shoulders and say "Must be lost"; the gamut.

I have a simple credo: I will not order from a company that ships USPS; it's not worth the angst. I'm serious; I'd rather layout for expensive one-day shipping than deal with the raging incompetence. As for our OP, I hope you receive your shipment very soon. Like the others said, it will probably come, but my fingers are crossed for you. As for me, I've had shipments get the "delayed" treatment, but it usually was weather related. Don't discount that as a reason.


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## Awtoman (Dec 31, 2015)

Did it go through Texas? They've had some serious flooding there. I don't know where the USPS jumping off point from the mainland to Hawaii is, but maybe that is a factor.


Tom


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## monza06 (Mar 30, 2009)

I've had 'delayed' stuff before but if I remember it wasn't for more than 1-2 days. Never learned the reason of course. 
I've seen worse from Fedex though, a package had to travel just 5-10 miles, took them 3-4 days and on the scheduled delivery day I got "delayed due to weather conditions....." and it was a nice allday-sunshine Friday, it took me another 3 days till Monday to get it....


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## ddot48 (Sep 4, 2012)

Awtoman said:


> Did it go through Texas? They've had some serious flooding there. I don't know where the USPS jumping off point from the mainland to Hawaii is, but maybe that is a factor.
> 
> Tom


The item is coming from DC...

I'm guessing tax deadline may have had a factor...

Package is registered mail, which I'm thinking will take some additional time.

It was a first for me seeing the "delayed in-transit" status.


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## NightOwl (Jan 1, 2012)

Depends. I've sold a lot and shipped a lot of stuff over the years. Most times it's 1 or 2 days up to a week (usually because of some weather related in the delivery area, I've noticed) but once in a while it can be delayed up to a month (yes, I've had that happen once or twice). However, it eventually got there. Any chance the package is going/has gone through Houston? With the flooding they've had, it would make sense if the mail got delayed a day or two.


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## Knives and Lint (Jun 15, 2014)

I have learned one thing that helps when dealing with the USPS customer service phone number. When you call it just say "Representative" repeatedly no matter what question the automation asks you, otherwise you will never get a resolution. Do not follow any of the prompts, and whatever you do, DO NOT enter your tracking number. If you do that the automated service will just give you the runaround telling you the same info you could find on the website tracking page. It will even remember the tracking number if/when you call back. However if you stick to your guns and just say "representative" enough times you will finally get to a real person. I mean seriously, one time I counted how many times I had to say it and it was like 20 times. It will even say that "Customer service is not available right now" but it will eventually transfer you. Once it does, expect to wait a good 5 minutes on hold. After that, however, you will finally get to talk to a real person, who in my experience have always been quite helpful and will get to the bottom of your issue. Usually they will take your number and call you back when they get the problem figured out.


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## ilitig8 (Oct 11, 2013)

ddot48 said:


> Package is registered mail, which I'm thinking will take some additional time.
> 
> It was a first for me seeing the "delayed in-transit" status.


The key may very well be the registered status of the package. Registered mail is almost always several days slower than first class. One core reason is it is signed off from person to person and a specific person is constantly responsible for the package. If you watch USPS or any of the other carriers tracking enough you will see a specific trend where items stay in a sort center or the like usually for a very short time, it is a coordinated dance to have mail arrive sorted and moved out of a physical location as quickly as possibly and all these routes are closely timed, if not for this carriers would have to warehouse packages for hours and space costs money. So what you have is very short times to transfer the packages. The problem with registered mail is it flows through these "choke points" much slower than normal packages, again because the process is not automated and the package goes in and out of safes etc so time after time it misses its "connecting flight". Expanding on that analogy it is like you are flying from DC to Hawaii with 5 stops and while other passengers are able to disembark, walk to the next plane and embark on the next leg, you (the registered package) has to disembark and go through the entire security process before being able to walk to and board your next flight, airlines don't like to leave planes on the ground so time after time you miss your flight and have to take the next one. So suddenly your trip from DCA to HNL takes 48 hours or so.

Just relax and don't camp out on the USPS website as a watched pot never boils or so they say. One thing you can d is have alerts go to your phone for the package and avoid looking at the site at all.


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## ddot48 (Sep 4, 2012)

ilitig8 said:


> The key may very well be the registered status of the package. Registered mail is almost always several days slower than first class. One core reason is it is signed off from person to person and a specific person is constantly responsible for the package. If you watch USPS or any of the other carriers tracking enough you will see a specific trend where items stay in a sort center or the like usually for a very short time, it is a coordinated dance to have mail arrive sorted and moved out of a physical location as quickly as possibly and all these routes are closely timed, if not for this carriers would have to warehouse packages for hours and space costs money. So what you have is very short times to transfer the packages. The problem with registered mail is it flows through these "choke points" much slower than normal packages...


Appreciate the info. I've already setup up text notifications... Just need to wait it out now...


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## shoplover (Nov 23, 2017)

You can find usps shipping time on Trackingmore.


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## timefleas (Oct 10, 2008)

shoplover said:


> You can find usps shipping time on Trackingmore.


So, do you realize that you replied to a post regarding delayed shipping that was last responded to more than 18 months ago? Or, do you work for "trackingmore"?


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