Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Good service from chem-alley (Russian ebay seller)

j_sum1 - 18-4-2021 at 03:07

Thought I would share the love a bit.

TLDR: order lost in post, replaced at cost plus extra.

chem-alley sells mostly indicators and biological stains. Prices seem to be pretty good. These are the kinds of things you need in small amounts but never want to be paying big bucks for.

I have a good selection of indicators but I am very low on bromothymol blue. (Easy to get solution from a pet shop but buying the solid is another story altogether.)

More than a year ago I purchased some on eBay from this seller. In the midst of covid, shipping was sluggish everywhere. After some months I made enquiries and was assured it was on its way, but Australia is useless with tracking unless you pay extra for express shipping. A few more months and it still had not arrived. Meanwhile the time window for follow up on eBay was over. I pretty much chalked it up as a loss.

Recently I had another shot at replenishing my stock and again found the same vendor had lower prices han anywhere else. I sent a message explaining my previous experience and enquiring about the best possible deal. chem-alley looked up the previous correspondence and offered double what I had previously ordered for free if I would cover the cost of express shipping. Nice offer but it would work out to be more than double a lifetime supply. I asked to swap one of the containers for an indicator I did not already have. He agreed and now my parcel is on its way, express delivery, with tracking.

Really good result. I told him I would give a shout-out.

Panache - 18-4-2021 at 08:02

So i guess stuff gets lost in the russian mail service. The alkalai metals i purchased have sat in russian jail/mail for like 8 days now. Maybe the stuff isnt lost but rather never exsisted, like all the homosexuals in russia, actually thats it!!!theyve been swipping stuff from the mail

[Edited on 18-4-2021 by Panache]

Fyndium - 18-4-2021 at 09:53

I think all postal services are pits for thieves. It seem to have become more of a phenomenon than an exception that mail just disappears, and the mail service just denies the problem.

I get it especially on the developing countries where they get $130 per month for legal work and a single letter can contain more value than that. But in a more-better paid country?

Chemcraft - 18-4-2021 at 10:20

The COVID problem continues. All parcels from Russia to Australia went by sea containers, which is why it took so long. Average delivery time to Australia is 40-50 days.

karlos³ - 18-4-2021 at 12:04

"Shipments" below 100kg are actually shipped?
Usually anything below this amount is shipped via airmail.

Chemcraft - 18-4-2021 at 13:10

Since the beginning of COVID, Russia has no direct air connection with Australia. We have noticed that in the past few days, parcels to Australia have started to be sent by airmail via the United Arab Emirates. Before that, everything went only by sea delivery.

Panache - 18-4-2021 at 17:01

The holdup in my circumstance however appears to be in the Russian postal system. It being ‘accepted for processing’ and then nothing for the last weeks, if it had been slated or dispatched for slow boat delivery the tracking data should reflect this.
God how does a package go from Russia to Australia by boat? I imagine an enormous amount of stops and redispatching, each step offering opportunity for it to be ‘lost’.

Reminds me of when the police lose evidence... no it’s not lost it’s stolen...is using accurate language that difficult...lol

pneumatician - 18-4-2021 at 18:08

Quote: Originally posted by Panache  
The holdup in my circumstance however appears to be in the Russian postal system. It being ‘accepted for processing’ and then nothing for the last weeks, if it had been slated or dispatched for slow boat delivery the tracking data should reflect this.
God how does a package go from Russia to Australia by boat? I imagine an enormous amount of stops and redispatching, each step offering opportunity for it to be ‘lost’.

Reminds me of when the police lose evidence... no it’s not lost it’s stolen...is using accurate language that difficult...lol


if it be registered mail a minimum quantity can be claimed. do it and magically your parcel reappeard or maybe you get the money for the delay beyond any excuse and the parcel too :-)

Chemcraft - 19-4-2021 at 05:27

Quote: Originally posted by Panache  
The holdup in my circumstance however appears to be in the Russian postal system. It being ‘accepted for processing’ and then nothing for the last weeks, if it had been slated or dispatched for slow boat delivery the tracking data should reflect this.
God how does a package go from Russia to Australia by boat? I imagine an enormous amount of stops and redispatching, each step offering opportunity for it to be ‘lost’.

Reminds me of when the police lose evidence... no it’s not lost it’s stolen...is using accurate language that difficult...lol


Unfortunately there was a force majeure incident with you. We have 99% of parcels delivered to Australia successfully. Returned to us back 1%. Nothing was ever lost.

ChemAlley - 16-9-2021 at 04:35

Quote: Originally posted by j_sum1  
Thought I would share the love a bit.

TLDR: order lost in post, replaced at cost plus extra.

chem-alley sells mostly indicators and biological stains. Prices seem to be pretty good. These are the kinds of things you need in small amounts but never want to be paying big bucks for.

I have a good selection of indicators but I am very low on bromothymol blue. (Easy to get solution from a pet shop but buying the solid is another story altogether.)

More than a year ago I purchased some on eBay from this seller. In the midst of covid, shipping was sluggish everywhere. After some months I made enquiries and was assured it was on its way, but Australia is useless with tracking unless you pay extra for express shipping. A few more months and it still had not arrived. Meanwhile the time window for follow up on eBay was over. I pretty much chalked it up as a loss.

Recently I had another shot at replenishing my stock and again found the same vendor had lower prices han anywhere else. I sent a message explaining my previous experience and enquiring about the best possible deal. chem-alley looked up the previous correspondence and offered double what I had previously ordered for free if I would cover the cost of express shipping. Nice offer but it would work out to be more than double a lifetime supply. I asked to swap one of the containers for an indicator I did not already have. He agreed and now my parcel is on its way, express delivery, with tracking.

Really good result. I told him I would give a shout-out.



Thank you for the feedback,
we are glad to help our cutomers.