What's your experience with USPS international first class mail?

USPS international first class mail is annoying. I sent a small box to India (New Delhi) 10 weeks ago and it is not yet delivered. Initially they said it will take between 2-4 weeks to reach. Tracking has not updated after 2nd day and the local USPS branch has no information on my package. Same is with usps-help number – 1-800-ASK-USPS. They simply give same 1st 2 day tracking information and refuse to tell anything beyond with justification that first class mail does not provide tracking service. They even didn’t confirm if it is on-way or lost altogether.
I used USPS first class because it is cheap and I didn’t bother waiting for 1 month. But seems like there is much longer wait time if not lost. My experience is frustrating and I will not use this service again.

I think that’s what Verdant uses to ship overseas. One annoying thing is that it has no tracking. Other than that – I only had 1 of my packages seriously delayed (of maybe 5). Took 2.5 months to arrive instead of usual 1 month

I guess sometimes it has to do with the postal service of the destination country.
Recently I sent a tea book from China by EMS to Russia. International EMS is supposed to take 3-7 days, and Russia is right next to China. But it took more than a month :-o This really shocked me. And EMS has immediate online tracking, which showed it did arrive in Russia in a few days and then barely moved. :-o My mailing agent says it happens a lot to EMS mails from China to Russia.
Anybody else had experience sending or receiving things from another country to Russia by express mail? Even my USPS regular mail parcel to Russia sometimes arrive within one month (that’s pretty good for regular mail), although sometimes it does take much longer.

I only read like half of these, way way off- base on first class international tracking from USPS. The tracking number is automatic and free unlike others USA shipments. The USPS tracks it to our BORDERS, that is it, thats all they legally can do. Every package I have ever shipped tracks to Chicago and ends. There is a very simple reason for this. You only see International tracking if THE RECEIVING COUNTRY’s Postal system enters our US number into their system. PERIOD. So as you can guess this is extremely random and completely up to the recieving country. Many may not have the technology to match up with our system, others can care less probably. So if you ship first class international and the tracking stops at our border, blame Italy for example.
I have sold on ebay a long time, my store survives through the dry US times because of it. I was initially really worried and would watch these shipments. I have shipped packages to all the first world countries that use ebay pretty much and a lot of South American from Chile to Bolivia etc. In years maybe 3 packages have given me trouble out of 1,000 roughly. BUT, knowing this I do rarely ship items over 100 dollar value, knowing I could lose them. I also do not bother with anything over 4lbs if at all possible because the rates go off the charts at that point.
I have had better luck percentage wise over the years with First Class Mail International that the good old USA buyers, believe me. International buyers have never complained about the item like USA buyers. The only package I ever remember was an Italy one that never showed up supposedly. There is a certain level of gamble going First Class due to no REAL tracking so I do go with a 50 dollar top on most items that go global for me.
Once it leaves the USA its not the USPS who has control of the tracking number however, people should know this before throwing the US Postal Service under the bus. I learned this gradually through talking to the clerks at my office.
LASTLY, through experience international buyers will freak out on you there package has not arrived. TELL THEM to go to their local post office and see if they are holding a package for them, and they do not know it. In Europe this has happend a ton of times, I have no idea why. A US postal clerk told me to tell them that, and bingo, they got their package. First class international has saved my ebay big time. Australia must be booming I ship a lot to them over the past 3 years. A common item here in USA no one cares about can really do well.

Lastly, First Class International is a bit of a lottery in theory , but over time it turned out to be a winner. USA buyers, much more picky and difficult I believe because they buy on impulse without reading descriptions, while with International they tend to read and be better aware of what they are buying, plus the shipping costs more so they may read more closely due to that.

I prefer shipping all my stuff through the post office. Most of the times it’s cheaper and it supports my dad’s job:) I’ve always received/sent my packages successfully. I love the click and ship option when I can do it. Although it seems like I’ll have to start going to the post office for sending out tea swap samples b/c it would be too cost prohibitive to send 2-3 little baggies in a big bubble mailer. I love the post office:)