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| Unistellar |
The massively powerful Unistellar eVscope telescope is slated for delivery today according to UPS Tracking. After the parcel made its way through California apparently by UPS truck, it reached Anchorage Alaska USA, and then departed by plane only to arrive in Hong Kong China. From Hong Kong China it was shipped out and arrived 1.5 hours later in Taiwan. It then began an analysis to obtain a tax ID before it could be cleared. An hour later at night the package was import scanned, warehouse scanned and still at the same location. Lo and behold, it's on hold - knowledge ferreted out by a phone call to UPS. They require a government tax form and release information so they can take care of tax with Customs. The forms were completed online around 8 am and now comes the waiting game. In the meantime, if you want to see what a fantastic telescope this really is, check out the review in the latest issue of the U.K. magazine Astronomy Now sourced at this link. https://otisastro.blogspot.com/2020/08/tracking-telescope-shipment.html
1:22 pm Friday Update: my telescope is just setting idle in the Customs warehouse. UPS was provided with a tax clearance and a handling approval document. We made a phone call to UPS in the morning and sent a reminder email just before noon. There is no progress. Next, we will make another phone call.
1:45 pm Friday update: In another phone call, UPS stated the telescope will not be released from Customs today, and even it was released it would not be delivered as delivery vehicles are not available. UPS has now changed the delivery time from Friday to indefinitely delayed. No one is working on Saturday or Sunday at Customs and the soonest they can look at the issue is next week on Monday.
As of 9 pm on Friday, UPS issued an updated statement on the tracking form saying delivery of the parcel is out of their control and it's up to Customs to approve the tax form. The telescope is setting in the parcel warehouse, probably along with thousands of other parcels.
TWO days have passed by with no telescope delivery, even though the telescope has arrived and is setting in the warehouse, scanned.
In the meantime, I'm memorizing the telescope manuals, guides, web sites, youtube videos, and tips and techniques for operations. I've also asked telescope and operating questions to the manufacturer and they provided timely replies which is a good sign. Plus this website is getting a good infusion of software lists, reference tables, and data to make good decisions for which objects to image and when. Research also continues with finding good image processing apps and software and I've had the good fortune to install and exercise the telescope app on the iPhone and Mini iPad. I've accessed the special features and settings and I'm light years ahead for operating and adjusting the telescope.
Today is Monday morning Aug. 17, 2020, and good news - according to the updated online tracking page, UPS will deliver the telescope today. The parcel has passed the sticking point in Customs and is now released and out for UPS delivery. I expect delivery of the telescope at any time today though they usually call first with a heads up on the time of delivery and the amount due.
Working the phone, through the UPS receptionist, support, and manager, the delivery time was reduced from 9 pm at night to 3:30 pm.
The tracking page is now updated to show the telescope parcel is located in my city.
By paying the tax online to streamline delivery and conversations with the manager again, the delivery time was reduced from 3:30 pm to 12:30 pm which is less than 45 minutes away from now.
