MOTM

a) I am seeing *very long* delays now in customs. This is true even if a
package is sent EMS Express (it gets there in 2 days,
then sits in the customs office for 20 days).

Just this week, I have:

1 - package sent to Italy regular Air Mail on April 23 was returned to me on
May 23rd because the customs for 'was not specific to contents'. The package
was 3 pc boards, on the customs form I wrote PRINTED CIRCUIT
BOARDS and that was *rejected*.

2 - a package sent EMS to Europe took almost 3 weeks to clear customs

3 - a small box sent Air Mail to Greece to *6 weeks* to clear customs, it 
was *one*
CEM IC.

My message is: please do not panic if your foreign package has not arrived 
several
weeks after I sent a shipment notice. Please wait *6 weeks*.

b) about foreign package tracking: the *ONLY WAY*, and it is an *expensive 
way*,
to have a package tracked overseas is to use EMS Express. I shall repeat 
myself: EMS
Express is the *ONLY WAY* to have a package trackable. In the US, if your 
package
is over $300, I will generally have 'Delivery Confirmation' which *I PAY 
FOR*.

c) if you have an order, and you will be gone in July/August, then PLEASE 
arrange for your
packages to be picked up. The vast majority of packages will ship between 
July 15 and
Aug 15. I know this is prime vacation time, of which I an unclear on the 
concept but
knowledgeable :)

d) [RANT ON] If you want to cancel an order, please contact me first. Of 
course, I will
try to persuade you not to. Especially for module orders, because I have 
already bought and paid for
the parts for your order. In fact, yesterday I spent over $8,000 on parts. 
CEM/SSM ICs
are not the same thing :)

All I ask is that you contact me first, so I can at least arrange the money 
ahead of time. What
ever you do, do NOT file a dispute with PayPal! I do NOT keep much money in 
my account
(<$100) and if you just yank the money out without telling me, this could 
cause me to have the
account *suspended* and then *NO ONE* will be able to PayPal me. And right 
now, PayPal
is 40% of all my payments.

I will be happy to refund you via PayPal, it will take 4 days.

[/RANT OFF]

Paul S.