Im in NZ and I bought something (pretty small and couple hundred grams, think mug size but much lighter) for my small business from a store in Texas. They make them to order so they say they will aim to ship within 2 -4 days.
I get shipping notification in 2 days which is pretty fast for something made to order. About a week later I check the tracking and it hasn't even left the US yet. In fact the parcel has ping ponged between DHL locations in Ohio, Illinois and Kentucky.
So it leaves Texas, goes to Ohio and sits there for 4 days before being sent to Kentucky, sits for two more days before it gets sent to Illinois where it sits for two days in a distribution centre then gets sent to another location in Illinois where there is no update for a week. None of these is getting the parcel closer to NZ in fact it's going further.
So at this point we are at two weeks and it hasn't even left the US yet! Days later the update is its departed the US. 18 days since it was despatched.
It arrives in Nz, clears customs and its delivered to me in a rural area by a man on a scooter 2 days later.
AIBU in thinking that 21 days to receive a small parcel from the US is bloody ridiculous especially the 18 days on a fruitless journey around 4 states. What the hell was it doing for 18 days?!