TO: Anyone in China who is shipping
From: An expat in China
This is a warning to beware and avoid at all costs using SF Express to ship anything. They are the worst and a company to avoid at all costs.
I am leaving at the end of my contract from Yangchun, China in Guangdong Province to take a new contract in Jilin Province, Changchun. I decided it'd be wise to ship some boxes ahead of time so they'd arrive prior to my arrival. I'm connected with a local factory so with their help I was going to ship 4 boxes.
I'm a former UPS employee so I know how to pack a box, and I had packed all 4 boxes with great care. The factory even sealed the boxes to insure they were in good shape. However, when the boxes were taken to SF Express the person there decided to open the boxes and then refused to take them claiming I had packed "pepper" which couldn't be shipped on an airplane.
I was upset over the fact they had opened the boxes when modern technology doesn't require them to do that but even more upset being told I packed something that wouldn't be permitted on a plane. By the way I didn't pack any "pepper" I don't even use the stuff.
I tried contacting the local people only to discover no one can speak English so I ended up calling their offices in Hong Kong and got a person named DoDo (fitting name) who told me she'd look into it. I explained to her that their website had a link to restricted items that didn't work and I wanted to know what did I pack that was on that list? I also informed her that I was rather upset that her office on the mainland had opened two of the boxes which they didn't need to do.
Thankfully nothing was taken from my packages but things had been shifted around. This incident has cost me time and effort. I had to change my plans and ship via common trucking company which means it'll take 10 days if I'm lucky to get my boxes to Changchun from Yangchun.
I was informed by some local friends that in China right now there's a rash of problems concerning package carriers. Boxes are routinely opened and items are taken. So BEWARE if you are shipping don't ship anything of value! Avoid SF Express as they are incompetent. I'm still waiting for someone to tell me what item I packed that couldn't be sent on a plane.
Here's the funny part every item I packed came over with me on a plane! I told them that and it didn't seem to matter. The factory was even confused by this and they have now told me that SF Express will no longer be a company they will ship with so SF Express has lost not only my business but the factory's business as well.
Here's one more tip, when shipping packages in China keep a complete inventory of what was in the box. Put one inside and keep one for yourself. Also, number the boxes on the outside near the label (i.e: 1 of 3, 2 of 3 etc). Finally if possible have the boxes sealed with plastic straps that keep them from being opened up.
I have 10 days now to wait and see if my packages arrive in good condition and unopened. This has been another learning experience for me in China.