Hello all forum users,
I wanted to ask for your replies as a measure for my mail deliveries. I am expecting a letter and a small package from the UK and one from France. Unfortunately, not all mail sent can be registered and tracked, e.g. mail from banks or government offices. Even sometimes mail from family and friends who may not consider tracking. But at time even tracked mail can have what seems a long time.
I am asking from your experience with mail delivery. My mail from the UK was sent around 30 days ago. But no sign of it anywhere. My letter from France around 15 days ago. Ok maybe the letter from France needs more time but all were posted through the national mails system, that is Royal mail and La Poste. They came from bigger cities and the city in China is one of the larger cities in China in one of the mail prefectures.
I would like to know how long I should wait before I just give up. 30 days from the UK seems a long time to get mail delivered. Every day I hope and check but nothing.
Could people share with me, or us, their experience with the length of delivery for their mail, especially from my origin countries but also other countries. Did it eventually come? Did you try to locate it if not arrive? Were you successful in locating it?
The address was in English as there was no one at the origin who could write in Chinese. I think this is common. And although I don't think English is the number one language it usually is the most common international language. I think if someone translated the address into Chinese and copied it it would be more likely to be incorrect than in English and I did see the mail service has a translation machine.
I think that with all the technology and things we can do in todays world we could deliver mail in a quick way and accurately. I am not trying to be negative, but just get some idea on how long is usual and should I give up, at what time give up, and is there anything I could do. I try to call China Post hotline and press 8 for English but they say they cannot speak English. Thank you to those who share their experience.

I cannot write in Chinese characters and I think people sending mail to me cannot either. If we do a translation on a machine or from a website, how can we then check that what we have translated is the correct address? It could be that the translator has taken the character in a different meaning.
Also, if a postcode is added, does the mail go to the postcode then get sorted? The sorter should have some idea of the address from local knowledge and post code number. Your comment seems to suggest that many mail items that are sent in English will have no chance of ever reaching their destination? When I buy from Taobao, my address is written in English and I have always had my packages delivered to me domestically.
The address sent to is deliverable. However, mailings of letters from banks etc. will not use EMS or DHL as they send many a day.