Mail from Singapore to Canada in UK ?

[cb_ab]

I live in Alberta Canada.
I purchased a small item from eBay on April 21st. The item was mailed from Singapore on Apr 25. The seller provided me with a tracking number for Singapore mail - RR708635953SG - I'm only assuming/hoping he correctly addressed the package.

When I check the tracking number on Singposts website it shows as having arrived in "Langley Hwdc GB" on Apr 28th. "Where the heck is that ?" was my first thought, but then a quick google search educated me that it is a major mail hub in the UK, and eventually brought me here.

How is that a small parcel from Singapore to Calgary, AB, Canada, could end up in the UK ? surely parcels from Singapore to Western Canada would cross the pacific and not go via Europe ? (Well, maybe not)

Is the UK a hub perhaps for all mail from Singapore to Canada ?

Or, has it just plain and simple gone to the wrong place by mistake ? - If so, will it eventually be forwarded to the correct destination? or will it be returned to Singapore ? Or will it just sit in a giant warehouse in the UK somewhere forever ?

I've tried contacting the seller on eBay multiple times, but no response from him. (last time I buy anything there) I've kind of accepted that the item is probably lost and I'm down $100 or so, but I thought I'd post here, and see if anyone else has a similar experience or any thoughts.

Thanks

[Lounge Lizard]

I live in Alberta Canada.
I purchased a small item from eBay on April 21st. The item was mailed from Singapore on Apr 25. The seller provided me with a tracking number for Singapore mail - RR708635953SG - I'm only assuming/hoping he correctly addressed the package.

When I check the tracking number on Singposts website it shows as having arrived in "Langley Hwdc GB" on Apr 28th. "Where the heck is that ?" was my first thought, but then a quick google search educated me that it is a major mail hub in the UK, and eventually brought me here.

How is that a small parcel from Singapore to Calgary, AB, Canada, could end up in the UK ? surely parcels from Singapore to Western Canada would cross the pacific and not go via Europe ? (Well, maybe not)

Is the UK a hub perhaps for all mail from Singapore to Canada ?

Or, has it just plain and simple gone to the wrong place by mistake ? - If so, will it eventually be forwarded to the correct destination? or will it be returned to Singapore ? Or will it just sit in a giant warehouse in the UK somewhere forever ?

I've tried contacting the seller on eBay multiple times, but no response from him. (last time I buy anything there) I've kind of accepted that the item is probably lost and I'm down $100 or so, but I thought I'd post here, and see if anyone else has a similar experience or any thoughts.

Thanks

HWDC is the Heathrow Worldwide Distribution Centre.
Perhaps Singapore to Canada goes via Britain because that's what's always happened since mail first took to the skies !
Or perhaps the sender got one digit of the tracking number wrong and it's a different package that's come this way.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

I think Lounge Lizard is correct its more likely that they seller has given you an incorrect tracking number. There is a small chance that it could have gone through HWDC as a mis-delivery and then was sent on to Canada - the reason I suggest that is because apparently there is a business relationship between Sing Post and Royal Mail and it may have been bagged up wrong at the Sing Post depot.

By the way if it is through Ebay cant you raise a claim through them.

Hope you get it soon, what with the postal strike looming in Canada it might slow it down even further, although look at the background the CUPW seem to have a good case.

[cb_ab]

Thanks everyone for your thoughts.
There's a strike looming ? I didn't know that, and Im sorry to hear it, I hope they resolve things before that happens.

Off topic, but...
As a customer I personally think that the postal service (at least here in Canada) is very underrated by many people,
overall the service is excellent, and the prices charged are in most cases nothing less than a bargain compared to the competition (no names mentioned but some of them drive brown vans ) It constantly amazes me that mail gets delivered as reliably as it does, across the world, despite the huge volumes every day.

My hat goes off to postal workers everywhere, and I for one, would much rather they raise the measly price of a stamp by a few pennies and maintain high standards, rather than cut service, people or pay.

[railmail]

Now then lets just brake this down to its simplistic postal address. Lets just say that the poster in Singapore didnt put Canada on the Address, and left the last line as Calgary AB. With no destination country showing, they the postal worker or machine more like would read AB. But where is AB. Well strangely enough we have a postal code with AB, that being Aberdeen Scotland, so theres a chance its been up to Scotland, theve had a good laugh when its arrived there and sent it on its way, only trouble is it will go back to Heathrow,who could read AB for Aberdeen again, easily done, and from experiance the amount of missorts here in the UK isnt shrinking either, to say we have this fantastic new technology. Ah well you cant beat the Human Eye.

[Lounge Lizard]

Now then lets just brake this down to its simplistic postal address. Lets just say that the poster in Singapore didnt put Canada on the Address, and left the last line as Calgary AB. With no destination country showing, they the postal worker or machine more like would read AB. But where is AB. Well strangely enough we have a postal code with AB, that being Aberdeen Scotland, so theres a chance its been up to Scotland, theve had a good laugh when its arrived there and sent it on its way, only trouble is it will go back to Heathrow,who could read AB for Aberdeen again, easily done, and from experiance the amount of missorts here in the UK isnt shrinking either, to say we have this fantastic new technology. Ah well you cant beat the Human Eye.

And of course there's a Calgary on the Isle Of Mull, PA75

[Caniel]

When I used to sort packets on processing in the afternoons I came a across a packet that had be sorted to Ryde on the Isle of White. It had been posted somewhere in Sydney Australia and was going to a Ryde just outside Sydney. How in the hell someone down under had looked at it and thought "ooo Ryde on the Isle of White" and popped it into the Airmail sack for the UK baffles me lol.

[Lounge Lizard]

When I used to sort packets on processing in the afternoons I came a across a packet that had be sorted to Ryde on the Isle of White. It had been posted somewhere in Sydney Australia and was going to a Ryde just outside Sydney. How in the hell someone down under had looked at it and thought "ooo Ryde on the Isle of White" and popped it into the Airmail sack for the UK baffles me lol.

- maybe thought it would be appropriate for the packet to go on a good ryde.
Sorry, I'll get my coat.