Average shipping times by vendor?

Honestly, a week in transit with no tracking update is pretty common, especially if your pack is moving through certain hubs. I wouldn't start sweating just yet. It's more common than people think, particularly with cheaper shipping options or international routes where scans are less frequent.

Courier choice makes a huge difference here. If you went with standard Air Mail or registered mail, those often go through multiple handoffs and get stuck at regional distribution centers. I've personally had packages sit for 5-7 days at a hub like Chicago or an ISC (International Service Center) in New York or San Francisco without a single scan update. It's usually just sitting in a container waiting for clearance or a spot on the next flight. Express couriers tend to be faster and scan more religiously, but even they can go silent for a few days during peak times.

As for transit hubs, the main bottlenecks are usually the major sorting facilities and customs entry points. Once a pack hits a hub like LAX, JFK, or Chicago O'Hare, the tracking can go dark for days. It's not unusual for it to just reappear "out for delivery" after a week of silence. The packaging itself also plays a role - if your vendor used a plain bubble mailer, it might get crushed or lost in the sorting machines, but if it's in a sturdy MBB or a double-layered envelope, it'll hold up better. I've never had a pack get damaged from just sitting idle, but the longer it's in the system, the higher the chance of a tear or crushing.

Customs is another big variable. Even if your vendor ships domestically, there can be weird routing issues. For international packs, a week in customs is actually on the faster end. I've seen them sit for 2-3 weeks without a scan, then suddenly update as delivered. Overall, one week without an update is still within normal variance. If it hits two weeks with zero movement, then I'd start looking for backup or reaching out. For now, just wait it out - tracking fails are par for the course in this game.